ChrisTaylor

My copy landed this afternoon. As I type this the mushroom soup (p. 58) is ticking away on the stove. Looking forward to it. EDIT The soup is nice. Well worth the (minimal) effort required.

Paella.

Maybe that's the solution to so many ills. All those people who dislike pork, all those vegans and vegetarians, those people who decide to exclude gluten and whatnot from their diet for no reason other than wanting to be a pain in the arse, we'll just gather them up, dump them on a desolate island somewhere for a week and then fly in and prepare sandwiches of trout cooked in jamon fat.

I've finally got around to actually attempting to use the book. I have a bit of a problem. I hate supermarket-grade bread--can't stomach it--and I hate the waste of buying good (expensive but nice) bread only to use maybe 4, maybe 6 slices from the entire loaf. At work I end up eating a lot of shit for lunch. It's expensive. It's bad for me. I'd be better off with, yes, bread. So I opened up the book and mixed up my first batch of the main recipe. Bought a shiny new 7.something litre container to house it. I'm not intending to use it for a couple of days but I figured I'd let it mature a little.

You know, you could always do what a lot of eGulleters have done--rig up a cheap (or DIY) PID controller to, say, a large rice cooker or crock pot--and simply play with the technique. Then if you like it you can invest in something more serious.

I guess the appearance of mussels doesn't help matters.

My parents will eat 'fish'--as in the deep-fried stuff you buy from the takeaway fish and chip shop or maybe, just maybe, something pan-fried until rubbery and flavourless--but won't eat mussels and whatnot. My dad might have a go at some prawns sometimes, if they're there, but it's not something they'd cook. I guess it's no different to a blanket 'I don't eat offal' or 'I don't eat pork' (but aren't followers of any anti-pig religions). With seafood, at least, I wonder if it's maybe the smell. I know that fresh seafood shouldn't have a 'fishy' smell but a lot of what's sold in supermarkets, dodgy fishmongers, etc does have a smell.

Trying the veal short rib recipe with beef short ribs at the moment. Bourdain's Les Halles is the first cookbook I owned ... and, 100something books later, it's still my favourite.

How does this look? It uses blade steak, fresh ginger, olive oil, store-bought yellow Thai curry paste, coriander/cilantro leaves, water and coconut milk. It's cooked for a long time (unless you happen to own a pressure cooker). What's most interesting is that it's served with a German-style potato salad (meaning it includes sliced frankfurters, gherkins and a handful of capers) and strawberries in Cab Sauv vinegar. Not a huge fan of the store bought curry paste, but I'll give it a try. My copy should arrive this weekend. Nothing stops you from using your own homemade paste from the freezer. I mean, a lot of other sauces and bases (i.e. sofrito) are DIY in the book ... so it's not like you're straying away from the intent of the book. I know, but I wish he had developed a recipe for it with the option of going store bought. I guess. I don't know if you're missing much, tho', the point of this book clearly isn't to provide the 'perfect' (with concessions for the home cook) version of anything (i.e. like Blumenthal's television show or a couple of Keller's books).

How does this look? It uses blade steak, fresh ginger, olive oil, store-bought yellow Thai curry paste, coriander/cilantro leaves, water and coconut milk. It's cooked for a long time (unless you happen to own a pressure cooker). What's most interesting is that it's served with a German-style potato salad (meaning it includes sliced frankfurters, gherkins and a handful of capers) and strawberries in Cab Sauv vinegar. Not a huge fan of the store bought curry paste, but I'll give it a try. My copy should arrive this weekend. Nothing stops you from using your own homemade paste from the freezer. I mean, a lot of other sauces and bases (i.e. sofrito) are DIY in the book ... so it's not like you're straying away from the intent of the book.

I cooked one of the dishes for dinner--the chicken wings and mushrooms main course from meal 11 (there are 31 meals all up--each with an entree, main and dessert). I served it with rice and roast tomatoes. Essentially you saute chicken wings for a good half hour and then add (a lot) of garlic and some mushrooms (I used shiitakes, oysters and rehydrated porcinis). Then some bay, thyme, white wine and water (in place of water I used the 'instant mushroom stock' from the porcinis). It was alright. I mean, I'm not going to be offended by anything that combines three of my favourite foodstuffs.

A gin and tonic. Looking forward to the arrival of Essential Cocktail so I can, you know, learn how to make something else.

How does this look? It uses blade steak, fresh ginger, olive oil, store-bought yellow Thai curry paste, coriander/cilantro leaves, water and coconut milk. It's cooked for a long time (unless you happen to own a pressure cooker). What's most interesting is that it's served with a German-style potato salad (meaning it includes sliced frankfurters, gherkins and a handful of capers) and strawberries in Cab Sauv vinegar.

This is the bottom line for me. Do you want to cook/eat these recipes? I'd be very interested in hearing more about the kinds of recipes included in the book. Currently discounted on Amazon (US) for $16.50: here Some sample dishes Entrees: Gazpacho Grilled lettuce hearts Pasta bolognese Miso soup with clams Guacamole with tortilla chips Lime-marinated fish Mains: Roast lamb necks with mustard and mint Pork ribs with barbecue sauce Sausages with tomato sauce Baked sea bass Mussels with paprika Rice with duck Veal with red wine and mustard Crab and rice stew Thai beef curry Desserts: Rice pudding Caramel foam Almond soup with icecream White chocolate cream Coconut flan Strawberries in vinegar Baked apples Chocolate cookies Look, if you can get it for next to nothing--$20, say--it's worthwhile. If you're the average eGulleter, tho', and already know most of the stuff from the book (which covers some techniques, sure, but hardly gets into the depth of a Blumenthal book or TV show) and have a collection of decent but basic recipes to draw upon for daily meals, you're probably better off saving your money for something else. It's not like there's a shortage of great books that have just come out or are about to come out--new Blumenthal, Mark Best, Peter Doyle, Neil Perry, Georgio Locatelli, Daniel Humm, Andrew McConnell, Nobu, etc.

I've asked for a copy for Christmas. Looking forward to it. Perry's books are usually excellent.

My copy just landed. Flicking through it now. Will maybe post some more in-depth comments later, but for now, here are some points that jump out: * The subtitle talks about home cooking but 'the family meal' refers to el Bulli's staff meals * The book discourages waste (it's common for a lot of high end restaurant books to specify the use of a single part of a vegetable or expensive cut of meat, neglecting the rest)--Adria lists a number of (worthwhile) uses for leftovers. For example, the almond pulp that's left are making almond milk can be used to make a soup * He mentions that the restaurant might use xantham gum to thicken something for 75 people, but when you're a casual cook making dinner for 4 people you're probably better off just using corn starch * Adria understands that not all home cooks are rich: he acknowledges that a butcher/fishmonger/etc will probably provide superior service but doesn't rubbish supermarkets * There's a double page spread on the fish he uses in the recipes. There's a nice photo of each fish. While this is of limited use to me--different varieties of fish down here and all--it is a nice feature, given there can be many names for different fish (or, sometimes, one name that's used for multiple fish) around the world * There are a lot of tips aimed at newbies: the basic idea technique behind cooking any piece of meat, cooking eggs, etc--obviously of limited use to the average eGulleter. It covers frying, boiling and poaching eggs but doesn't get into, say, onsen eggs or sous vide eggs * Being a Phaidon book, it's very visual--there are a couple of double page spreads showing all of the cooking utensils and appliances needed to complete the recipes in the book, ranging from a simple spatula to a soda siphon * This, obviously, is not a recipe book akin to Natura or the old elBulli titles, but it's not that simple: Adria expects you to stock your freezer with, among other things, squid ink, homemade stocks (various kinds), picada, sofrito, barbecue and romesco sauce * Other 'essentials' include instant coffee, potato chips (as in crisps) and potato straws, throat lozenges and honey-flavoured lollies * Again, the book is very visual--for the picada recipe (as with all of them) there are numerous colour photos showing each step of the process * Adria accepts that some people may prefer to buy stock--and steers you in the direction of good delis or even restaurants instead of supermarkets, altho' accepts supermarkets can sell okay stock * The recipes section sort of assumes you'll be making a three course meal from the book * There's a time line down the side of the page, saying what you need to do x hours/minutes before service * Quantities of ingredients given for 2, 6, 20 and 75 people * It's a simple book, yes, but you most of the condiments/dressings/etc yourself * The burger recipe, for example, isn't as complex as Blumenthal's one from Perfection: Adria asks for ground beef rather than an elaborate process of salting and grinding three specific cuts * The burger is served with chips/crisps--so that's where they come in * There's a heavy Spanish influence on a lot of the food, but also elements of Italian, Asian (as in generically East Asian) and damn near everything else * Desserts range from pieces of fruit prepared simply (dressed somehow, maybe baked) to chocolate truffles (without the usual tempering process, mind) * Doesn't get you to DIY the sausages, which I find surprising--they'd fit in with the frozen essentials--you do DIY the tomato sauce, tho' * A goddamn potato chip omelet * A lot of fish, a lot of fruit * Gets around the budget issue with a lot of cheaper cuts: lamb necks, chicken wings, shin, ribs, shoulder (of course, there are also some recipes for expensive cuts like duck breast) * The roast chicken recipe is simple--it doesn't say, oh, hey, buy a thermometer and then cook it do x*C (which is odd, given the book asks you to buy a soda siphon and whatnot), but rather to cook it for a specific amount of time * US Imperial weight measurements--not a gram in sight * A lot of the main course dishes look simple but pretty good--there are a few I want to try

A 'pot roast'--browned a kilo or so of bone-in chuck and then cooked it for 6-7 hours in red wine and beef stock with some vegetables. Added mushrooms and pearl onions during the last hour. It was okay, I guess. Wouldn't bother making it again.

Phillipa Sibley's book is coming out very soon. I'd be more inclined to buy that, altho' really, given I almost never cook or even eat desserts my collection--Advanced Bread & Pastry, Dessert FourPlay, Indulge and Everitt-Matthias' Dessert--is already too large. Still, it's only $22 from Book Depository ... http://www.bookdepository.com/Zumbo-Adriano-Zumbo/9781742665719?utm_medium=api&utm_campaign=usbooko&a_aid=booko&utm_term=9781742665719&utm_source=book_link&utm_content=Zumbo

I'm passing through Abu Dhabi later this year. I have two days there--tacked onto either end of my main trip--and want to check out two nice restaurants (fine dining or otherwise). I don't have enough time to travel to Dubai or any of the other emirates. Any recommendations?

Tough, tough, tough question. Some favourites, tho' Australia: White Rabbit (both the white and dark ales), Coopers Sparkling, Coopers Strong Vintage Ale, James Squire Golden. Belgium: Saison Dupont, Chimay Grand Reserve Ethiopian: St George France: 3 Monts Germany: pretty much any wheat beer Japan: damn near all of them I've tried

Once I pull myself away from FIFA long enough to prepare dinner I'll be making a pork burger: pork chop, slice (or two) of bacon, tomato, lettuce, onion and wholegrain mustard. Needs more duck, tho'.

That image is so erotic it should come with a 'not safe for work' warning.

I saw a discarded bottle of soft drink on my way to the shops today. Not Coke or Fanta or anything like that, but yoghurt flavoured soft drink. I've never seen it for sale anywhere but I'm curious. I kind of find it hard to imagine. I'm a bit worried, too, given flavoured soft drinks never really taste like what they're supposed to--Fanta doesn't taste like the oranges you buy at the supermarket, so I can't imagine a yoghurt-flavoured soft drink tasting much like a tub of organic pot-set Greek yoghurt.

I die a little bit inside every time one of them hams up a Hollywood Italian or Spanish accent.

I was flipping through a couple of books just now in search of dinner. And, hey, beef stroganoff c/o The Cook's Book. Haven't had that in a while. I noticed that the recipe doesn't include paprika. Now that's interesting. A season or so ago on the Australian version of MasterChef, some of the competitors were set the challenge of cooking stroganoff. They weren't given a recipe: it was assumed that they'd know how to make it. Easy enough, right? Everyone knows the basics: fillet steak or some other tender cut (as opposed to, say, rump or flank), onions, cream, mushrooms, paprika. Every competitor used paprika in their stroganoff. Every competitor got told off for using paprka. Paprika supposedly has no place in stroganoff. Of course, if you look up stroganoff in Larousse Gastronomique, it does include paprika. Please to the Table, a decent-ish Russian/Central Asian/Eastern European cookbook I've got, also includes paprika. Most versions of the dish I've seen include paprika. The first recipe I can recall seeing without paprika is, well, this one (Marcus Wareing's). I've no idea if stroganoff 'really' should include paprika--I think it benefits from it, so my stroganoff always includes paprika--but this raises an interesting point. Even on eGullet, I've seen debate about the 'correct' ingredients for dishes such as cassoulet. Where do you you look to find out what the 'correct' ingredients are you a dish? Does it really matter, so long as the results taste good? Some people get really offended if they feel you've deviated from the make-up of the original dish--I mean I have problems with the idea of vegan cheesecake (vegan? well then, it's not bloody cheesecake, is it?) or, say, the very western touch of adding red wine to doro wot (which is common in a lot of recipes found online). How closely do you try to adhere to the list of 'correct' ingredients when you're making traditional fare?