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Cooking is an Art, and you need a good recipe to create a masterpiece........
Caribbean Food Made Easy by Levi Roots
Whilst I was finishing pickling onions in my kitchen at home, the Fedex man arrived at my place with a parcel for me, to my delight I signed and took it in. I finished the jars of pickled onions and turned my attention to the parcel. It is a cold November day and here I am preparing for the up-coming Christmas celebrations. Upon opening the parcel, my eyes opened wide and with a bigsmile, I had received my copy of ‘Levi Roots’ cooking book of ‘Caribbean Food Made Easy’. The picture on the front cover makes me want to start cooking!
I remember seeing Levi first on Dragons Den with the 'Reggae, Reggae sauce', and ‘how he slayed those dragons’. Since then he has had an amazing series on BBC television. The book carries the same name, and all this from his humble beginnings in Howell’s Content, Clarendon parish, Jamaica.
Inspired by his late Gran, as a child he would be out having some sort of adventure in the cane fields and would hear his Gran call him to do or fetch something. As he ran at break neck speed, he would smell the most inviting aromas coming at him and wonder ‘what the hell is she cooking?’, the frying pan would be on. Levi used to love to learn how to make dough, enjoy watching how she would make perfect dumpling, always paying attention to how his Gran did it.
The book, gives a great description of his early life in Jamaica; I love the description of a carrot ‘...A real country carrot is not shiny and ramrod straight like a supermarket carrot – no, it looks like it’s been in a fight with another carrot, lost and gotten a few bumps and bruises on the way’ I can second that as I spent some time in Spain when I was younger and remember the not so perfect carrot - thanks for reminding me Levi!
The recipes in ‘Caribbean Food Made Easy’ mainly use ingredients available on every high street; for a few you may have to venture out to a market, specialist shop or a corner shop, as Levi says ‘it is well worth it’.
As I turn each page in the book, I am impressed with the list of authentic ingredients to make your Caribbean cooking experience something to enjoy; the description of each produce makes my mouth water with the prospect of cooking this wonderful food.
The first section is ‘One Pot & Suppers’, offering us delights such as ‘Caribbean lamb shanks’, ‘lamb carry’ and ‘Martinique coconut chicken curry’ (I think I will make this for supper tonight) Following on we are offered some incredible soups ‘ital carrot and sweet potato soup’ (remember, don’t worry if your carrots are not smooth and have a few bumps, as you know they are original ones), ‘pumpkin, chickpea and spinach soup’ (a soup for vegetarians to enjoy), and lastly in this section(a dish I want to try) a great name of ‘Caribbean porridge’ (sounds delicious and looks fabulous).
The second section is ‘Fish & Seafood’; as we know Jamaica is an island and it has a plentiful bounty of fish around its coast. The book offers us fish dishes which include mackerel, sea bass, trout, salmon, tilapia, snapper, mullet, crab and prawns, a whole host of delicious tasty recipes using these fish. I have chosen a favourite to try ‘hot roast snapper with coconut, chilli and lime salsa’ (now tell me that doesn’t sound inviting to your palette), the recipe picture looks so good, I could eat it right now.
The third section is ‘Roasts & Grills’, (as a meat lover, this interests me). Levi has some delicious treats here, I like the sound of ‘sticky jerk wings with sugared oranges’ - it looks a real treat; and the ‘Jamaican pork chops’ - I am drooling over the ingredients used, the picture looks good enough for a dinner party (it serves 4). Other treasures in this tasty section include dishes such as ’Haitian roast chicken with two stuffings’, and ‘Antiguan chicken with pineapples’ (this is a must for me, as I love chicken and fruit together) perfectly served with rice and an optional splash of rum, nice!
Our next section titled ‘On the Side’ and I am thinking before I turn the page, tasty Caribbean vegetables and salads, the best of home cooking from Jamaica, let’s see...yes, salads - the first is ‘avocado and mango salad’ is a must for me as this looks good, a very tasty looking ‘green, gold and red pepper salad’ (I think Levi may have been thinking of the colours of reggae music and Rasta culture). Enjoy this next one ‘pineapple, avocado, orange and mint salad with a ginger dressing’ a mouthful for sure, but I bet it tastes as nice as the name suggests, now my mouth is watering for sure. Following on, ‘Shar’s coleslaw’. “My daughter Shar makes the best coleslaw ever, and this is her fantastic recipe" says Levi - well done Shar, it looks great and is one I will be trying. Some lovely vegetables dishes next such as aubergine, sweet potato and okra (authentic and traditional vegetables from the Caribbean), some plantain and banana recipes follow and look delicious, ‘rice and peas (black bean style)’ sounds good. Levi offers us ‘my special tomato sauce’, I love tomato sauce, maybe I will try this with the ‘shoestring sweet potato fries’ mmmm mouth watering again! Lastly in this section are some delicious sounding salsas and mayos.
The penultimate section - I’m loving the name ‘beach & street food’ (before I turn over, in my experience this is usually the best section as it is the raw, salt of the earth food from the locals, I have to say in my life, the best range and style...let’s see...) Looks tasty, from ‘lamb, pepper and pineapple kebabs’ to ‘banana tumplings’. This section is full of great barbecue food ideas, to a plate of chicken with the great name of ‘sweet lime and angostura bitters chicken bits’ and ‘chicken kickbacks’. Also ‘barbecued lobster’ and ‘barbecued prawns’, with delicious treats like ‘sunny vegetable patties’ and ‘smoked fish and lime patties’, real street food to enjoy. Finally in this section, what is a ‘mctumpling’ and a ‘banana tumpling’? Let’s see now....
And finally, said with a love of this book already, ‘Desserts & Drinks’. Levi, with his ‘Jamaican jelly’, he looks like he is having fun, like his book feels to me, so full of good, healthy and tasty recipes and ideas for cooking and entertaining. Like his roots, the jelly has a trio of reggae colours, green, red and yellow – a party piece if ever I saw one! Ever had a ‘shotgun marriage’? Try out this tasty delight, and some delicious ice creams for deserts. Check out ‘mango honey ice cream’ and ‘lime, mint and ginger sorbet’. Now I am a great lover of crème brulée so I like the sound of ‘coconut crème brulee’ (I think I will try this out for desert tonight), easy to make and tasty sounding.
With Christmas fast approaching, Levi has included a ‘Caribbean Christmas Cake’ which sounds like we better all get baking! There are some fantastic sounding desert ideas, like ‘my contented chocolate puddings’ (a must for sure) and ‘coconut, banana and chocolate bread pudding’, and to wash it all down, compliment your meal or simply (as Levi says) “This will blow your head off...kill or cure”. I am referring to the ‘Jamaican cold cure’ - I can see why Levi said it. Also try out ‘sky juice/sky high juice’, or ‘Tyson’s trump’ - sounds like it is a knock out. How about ‘Jamaican brown cow’,(a blend of Tia Maria, Rum and coffee beans and one of Levi’s favourite recipes from the parish he grew up in ‘Clarendon’s mud’, the beautifully named ‘heart juice’ for all the romantics out there. We all have to try a ‘Caribbean wash’, now don’t we? To finish this section Levi has added some stocks for us to enjoy.
In my own words, I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be trying lots of the recipes, it has been a real treat, a recipe book full of colour, sparkle and the joys of someone who really enjoys what he does. Levi has kept his Jamaican roots and passed over to us the smells, tastes and colours he has enjoyed from his young life in Jamaica. I cannot go without mentioning his famous ‘Reggae, Reggae sauce' and his popular Rasta‘raunt. Also to note is his stall selling Caribbean food at the Notting Hill Carnival, each summer in London. This book will brighten up any home and give you hours of pleasure learning that ‘Caribbean Food Made Easy’ is exactly what it says it is.
Thank you Levi for bringing this to my table.
Published and available from Optopus Publishing Group
Everyday Harumi by Harumi Kurihara
Harumi Kirihara, is referred to as ‘the Martha Stewart or Delia Smith of Japan’. She has never been trained as a chef yet she has enjoyed over twenty years of popularity in her homeland for her talent to create delicious, simple to prepare, fashionable meals, without great expense. This former housewife is a phenomenon in Japan and has sold more than 20 million copies of her lifestyle books and magazines worldwide. She currently has more than 60 retail outlets and cafés in Japan selling her homeware, cookware and clothing ranges.
She was born in 1947 in the coastal city of Shimoda and is renowned for her satisfying home cooking, combining traditional with newer western influences in her cuisine.
Her latest book is ‘Everyday Harumi’ – simple Japanese food for family and friends. In this book Harumi invites you to cook and share Japanese food in a simple and elegant style.
As she has said many times, she is an ordinary housewife and still enjoys cooking for her husband, family and friends. Harumi has created this book in a different way from other cookery books; a way that reflects her own personal journey. She believes that eating healthily is an essential principle in Japanese food, in particular low in fat and low in dairy, making it lighter than other cuisines. She is puts across the importance of eating vegetables within the meal and places importance on eating seasonal vegetables whilst they are at their best.
If you wish to lose weight, this book will assist as Japanese portions tend to be smaller, helping people to keep slim.
Many of the recipes include staples of Japanese home cooking cuisine and are based on a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, dashi and sake, and without these ingredients it would be hard to create a real Japanese flavour.
For Harumi, presentation is essential. Japanese food should be presented with thought and care so Harumi cooks in dishes that compliment and work with the cooking, using serving dishes that suit both the food as well as match the occasion. She also stresses the importance of preparing the food in easy to eat, bite size portions as it is traditional to eat with chopsticks in Japan.
In her book Harumi explains about how the different ways of cutting something like ginger can create a different taste. She says that she finds it frustrating trying to find the equivalent English words to describe the different styles of cutting. For example, if you go to a Japanese bookshop, you will find cookbooks for beginners containing sections on the different ways in which vegetables, meat and fish can be cut, so if you want to replicate Japanese food this is a good element to work at.
So what do you need to get yourself started? Harumi has given us a list of store cupboard essentials in order to create most of the sauces and dressings in the book and make a very large variety of easy everyday Japanese meals.
The book ‘Everyday Harumi’, like Harumi’s success, is rooted in her effortless, down-to-earth and unpretentious approach to stylish living and eating. She follows a philosophy of elegance and simplicity, so enjoy each recipe and create a touch of Japanese style and spirit to everything you create.
In Harumi’s own words, ‘Let’s make it Japanese tonight’!
Published and available from Octopus Publishing Group.
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The Best Cookbooks from Waterstones....
Ottolenghi 'The Cookbook'
Read the blog about our visit to Ottolenghi's in Upper St, Islington, London
This book means you can take home the delicious food served at this amazingly beautiful
and classy place, the recipes inside are a mix of what happens when the middle east meets europe, we know you will not be disappointed, a must have for any cook.
Waterstones are offering Ottolenghi 'The Cookbook' for £16.00 with a £9.00 saving on the recommended price of £25.00, don't miss this book or a visit to the best place to eat in London.
go to http://blog.cook-recipes.co.uk to read about our visit there.
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The Green Kitchen by Richard Ehrlich
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Gary Rhodes 365: One Year. One Book. One Simple Recipe for Every Day by Gary Rhodes
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The Green Food Bible by Judith Wills
THE GREEN FOOD BIBLE aims to offer consumers a guiding hand through the complicated maze that is eating today. Fully illustrated throughtout, it's packed with fascinating information, including . * The truth behind the food industry's advertising, jargon and hype - and how supermarkets are addressing ethical, green issues in response to public demand...* A seasonal food chart to help you to eat the right foods at the right time of year, plus a range of delicious, easy-to-follow recipes...* An A-Z guide to over 100 key healthy foods - and advice on what to look out for, and what to avoid, when shopping for them...* Tips on how to create your own green kitchen - from the right tools to use, to saving on fuel and how to store and look after your food in order to avoid wastage...* A hands-on guide to growing your own organic fruits and vegetables - and you won't need an allotment! Practical, comprehensive, and based on the very latest research, The Green Food Bible will enable consumers everywhere to make confident, informed choices about buying and eating the right food for their health and the future.
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