Five cook books I couldn’t live without (and you shouldn’t have to)

It’s Sunday evening and I’m sat in the studio while Joe watches the snooker. I came up as I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to write, but so far, for the whole hour I’ve been sat up here, I’ve pretty much done nothing. I called my Mum, scrolled Instagram, read up on my notes on “how to write a good blog”. Basically I’ve done everything I could think of to put off this writing process.

I do this with running too. As soon as I decide that I’m going for a run I suddenly have tons of things that need doing. Take this morning. All of a sudden I remembered that the bathroom needed cleaning and that I needed to smudge the entire house with sage right that second or I wouldn’t get the good vibes that had been promised to me by various woo woo accounts. (Not dissing these by the way, I love a bit of woo!) Anyway, you get the picture.

I did go for a run though, in fact, I had a really good day. I think that’s partly down to the fact that I had planned in advance a little morning ritual. Last night I decided that I would use the head space app as soon as I woke up to do a little morning meditation, that way it was done before I even had to think about it. I grabbed my ear phones and did 20 mins before I’d even got out of bed!

Then I came down, got a quick wash (gave the bathroom a quick clean) and burned some sage. I wafted it around my body as if this might give me some extra protection form whatever it is I’m protecting myself from. Negative energy? Either way I had a good day so it must have worked right? Then I put some upbeat music on (old Rhianna) and left the house. I wasn’t sure where I was going exactly but I ended up in the local park which was beautiful first thing. I ran back, beaming at everyone I passed and for the most part received some pretty blank stares. It didn’t faze me one jot! Once home I showered and made the best green smoothie ever! I’ll add the recipe on here actually. Then I drank coffee in the garden while reading A table in Venice. Ahh, and there we have it, the point to all of this rambling. Cook books.

I think I can safely say that I have a cook book obsession. I love them and find it hard to resist when a new one comes out. It’s really quite lucky for you, the reader, that I have bought (begged, borrowed and never given back) so many as I have learned the hard way that not all cook books are made equally! There are a handful that I come back to over and over and they’re the ones I’m going to share with you.

How to eat – Nigella Lawson

This is one of the first cook books I ever owned. In fact, I don’t remember any others before this and as I was only 19 when I received it, it was more than likely my first. This book is very special to me. My Aunt bought it for me and on the inside cover, written in gold pen it reads “Christmas 2000. Roxy. Enjoy-look after it, much love from us all, Dawn”.

I treasure this book. It’s falling apart at the seams, it’s covered in smudged finger prints on the outside and splashes of hot oil and splattered food stains on the inside but I would never upgrade it to a newer version as that in itself tells part of my story. It’s moved house around 5 times, even coming with me down to London. If I could only save one book in a fire it would be this.

This book got me through some tough times and also taught me everything I know about food. Not in a practical way but on an emotional level. I learned that not only was it okay to cook elaborate meals for myself but that I’m worth that effort. Cooking for just me is still one of the most exciting and caring things I do for myself. I don’t have to take anyone else’s preferences into consideration, I can have exactly what I want. Most of the time that thing is some kind of seafood pasta, piles of it with copious amounts of garlic and chilli and served with copious amounts of wine on the side. Just. For. Me.

The thing that I cooked the most from this book when I was younger was the Carbonara. It’s like comfort in a bowl and always reminds me of my Mum who used to cook it so often that if I close my eyes I can still see her doing it. She didn’t use pancetta back then, just ordinary bacon, she didn’t use fresh Parmesan either. It was that dried grated stuff in a little tub. I’ve never had it since but I swear I can smell it just from thinking of it. It might not have been a fancy carbonara but it was absolutely delicious and full of love. When I need comfort, nothing comes close.

The book is full of simple meal ideas for every occasion. Food for when you’re in a rush, food for when you’re tired, food for having people over (oh, the good old days) and food for little ones. It covers the basics like sauces, pastry, Yorkshire puds and the more elaborate sounding like, Choucroute Garnie, in a way that makes you feel that you could whip up anything with ease and confidence. This will always be my go to for comfort and pleasure, I hope it will become a favourite of yours too.

A Table In Venice – Skye McAlpine

I bought this book a year or so ago and it’s become a firm favourite. I can’t remember how I came across Skye McAlpine but as soon as I found her I quickly became obsessed! I listened to as many interviews with her as I could and lapped up her many stories of life in Venice and reminisced about my one and only visit too many years before. Her vintage aesthetic appealed too. Glamourous, soft, made up but somehow always with a relaxed approach and this is just her wardrobe. Her house is just as stunning, if not more so. At the time it was pink plastered walls and windows, now she has a new home which features bright pops of buttercup yellow and floral fabrics.

For me her book really came into its own in the first lock down when the sun was hot and I was spending most of my days cooking and pottering about the garden. All of a sudden I was able to live al fresco, something that usually only happens in rare good weather but in that first lock down every day seemed warm, bright and oh so long. We had drawn out dinners in our small yard (which, newly strewn with fairy lights and ferns, suddenly seemed warm and inviting), lingering over glasses of cold wine and plates of hot spaghetti.

The Tagliolini with shrimp and zucchini became a spring staple (as did bellinis) and at a time when we had been cut off from human contact dreaming of hosting lavish dinners or even just having a couple of friends around helped me get through those long week. And although freedom is now on the horizon, this book will remain a go to when adventure and travel call.

Eat – Nigel Slater

I couldn’t write about my favourite cook books without including Nigel Slater. His writing inspires me every time I set foot in the kitchen or garden no matter what I’m cooking or whose recipe I’m using. It’s especially inspiring when using no recipe at all and I’m scrambling around in the cupboards and fridge trying to pull something together. “What would Nigel eat?” is something i muse over quite often.

I imagine it would be a lonely leftover pork chop served alongside some steamed tender stem broccoli that he’d grown himself and had seen better days. He’d zhuzh it up with some miso paste and some light soy that he always has in the cupboard as a staple. He would serve it on a dark, ceramic plate and eat it at an old wooden table, a beam of sunlight streaming in through the small window, a small Japanese beer on the side.

The book, Eat, published in 2013, is the book I turn to when I need inspiration for a midweek dinner or quick supper. Each recipe is no longer than a page and you could barely even call them recipes, more short clear instructions with a side of inspiration if you need to substitute any of the ingredients suggested. It can be dipped in and out of, picked up and put down and I always seem to find something new. I absolutely love it and believe it’s a must have for any busy person who is fed up of takeaway and ready meals. Buy it immediately.

Slow – Gizzi Erskine

I will never know for sure whether I’m pronouncing her name right or not but this is the firdt of two books of hers that i own and i love both of them. Slow is the kind of book that makes you feel hungry as soon as you open it. Full of bold, deep flavours and warm ingredients that you know are going to taste good just from the photos. Think braised red cabbage, rich fish stews and creamy gratins.

My favourite at the moment is the Mallorca slow roasted lamb shoulder which is inspired by traditional Mallorcan cooking and tastes every bit as good as it sounds. I’ve always been a little fearful about cooking joints of meat but this sounded so simple that i just had to give it a go. I cant imagine an easier recipe for something so substantial and imressive. You just put the joint and veg in a big pot, pour in an entire bottle of wine and leave it for a few hours to do its thing. the result is mouthwateringly good. Tender lamb that falls of the bone and produces its own savoury sauce in the process, its delightful.

It’s not all about slow cooking either. In the recipe for crab linguine the ‘slow’ implied in the books title is in the preparing of the crab. It’s in the shopping, choosing, poaching and breaking up of the crab rather than in the cooking itself which is actually joyously and satisfyingly quick. Slow is a book for those rare long days when you have nothing ahead of you and no plans to keep you busy. The kind of days made for pottering. The kind of days that ought to be cherished as you never know when you’ll get another. There’s no chance of ever being bored when you own this book. Just time spent slowly slicing, deeply kneading and ravenously eating.

The Food of Sichuan – Fuchsia Dunlop

This last book is a new addition to my groaning book shelves. It was a birthday present from Joe after I’d told him about a cookery writer i had recently discovered who specialised in Sichaunese cooking. He couldn’t remember who I had said so bought me this in the hope it would be good. It was the exact book I’d told him about.

This style of cooking took me completely out of my comfort zone. I usually cook recipes like the ones from the books above. Bold stews, flavoursome pastas, roasted chickens. I’m so familiar with this type of food that I rarely use recipes, the flavours and ingredients are ingrained in me. Some of the recipe titles in this book blew my mind. ‘Silver ear fungus and rock sugar soup’, ‘Spicy blood stew’, and ‘Man and wife offal slices’ are a few I initially recoiled from. But the more I read the more curious I became about this unusual food. I headed down to the local Chinese super market with a list of ingredients. The first time didn’t go exactly to plan, the woman working there had no idea about the names of some of the ingredients.

After more reading I realised that this is Sichuanese cooking not Chinese and they don’t all have the same names. My second visit was more successful. The first thing I attempted was the Fish fragrant pork, hear me out. It doesn’t taste of fish but is seasoned with the same ingredients used for a certain fish dish. It was extremely good. Next I made fish fragrant aubergine and chicken, same name but two completely different dishes. It was even better! So good in fact that Joe declared he would never eat Chinese takeaway again. People, we had it two nights later! It wasn’t the same though and never will be. I cooked from it again, this time it was traditional Dan Dan noodles, again it was unbelievably good and unexpected as far as what we know Chinese cooking to be. Deep, earthy and fragrant is how I’d describe the food in this book. If you’re bored of the same old recipes and cuisines try this cook book. It will awaken your tired old taste buds and leave you longing for more.

I could honestly rave on about cook books forever but I think it would be better for everyone if I stopped talking and gave you the chance to try some of these for yourselves. Although amazon is annoying convenient and quick I would encourage you to buy from elsewhere. There are plenty of independent book shops online and if they’re not already, libraries will be open again soon. Or how about a book swap?!

What are your favourite books? Which recipes do you fall back on again and again? I’d love to hear in the comments or you can find me over on Instagram @roxyriley_flourandfeast