New Additions to my Cookbook Shelves

Separate to the new release cookbooks I have been most looking forward to in 2022 (you can find part one and part two of those lists here), there have been a few additional titles that have been excellent additions to my cookbook shelf. 

Some of these books are fairly recent, while others have been out for a little while. All have been added to my shelves in late 2021/early 2022 and I have found all of them extremely interesting. This list is a pretty mixed bag in terms of the types of cookbooks that make up this list, however they all have the common link of telling excellent stories and having a slightly educational element as well. 

1. Mabu Mabu by Nornie Bero - I had never heard of Nornie’s Melbourne based restaurant of the same name, however it is now on my list of places to eat at whenever I next go to Melbourne. In this book Nornie shares her Torres Strait heritage and upbringing with us so openly and how where she grew up influenced her cooking. I particularly liked the section called ‘The Native Pantry’ where Nornie itemises many Indigenous ingredients and explains how and when to use them. This is definitely a cookbook for every Australian kitchen. 

2. Oats in the North Wheat from the South by Regula Ysewijn - This book is subtitled ‘ The History of British Baking, Savoury and Sweet’ and it really lives up to that. Regula is from Belgium, however became enamoured with Great Britain at a young age. She has thoroughly researched the recipes in this book, and given them modern adaptations when needed. This book really preserves the baking history of Great Britain in a wonderful way. 

3. Too Good to Passover by Jennifer Felicia Abadi - This is another book that has been meticulously researched. Jennifer spent years interviewing people from the Sephardic Jewish diaspora from Africa, Asia and Europe about their Passover customs and recipes. This book is self published which is why the price is quite high, however if you have a keen interest in Jewish food and recipes this book is well worth the investment.

4. Venetian Republic by Nino Zoccali - In this book, Nino explores the food of the former Venetian Republic which existed between the 8th and 18th centuries. The food is influenced much by the sea, and the territories outside of modern day Venice that were part of the Republic over it’s life. These territories included part of Croatia and some Greek Islands, so the recipes in this book are quite diverse. Nino has divided the book into the regions of the Republic and has given much background on the region and the history as well. 

5. Pardiz by Manuela Darling-Gansser - This book was completely unexpected to me as I didn’t realise the author wasn’t from Iran (the setting of this book), but actually from Switzerland. Manuela’s family moved there in the 1950s, and this experience gives quite a different perspective on the Persian recipes in this book. The family history around Manuela’s time living in Iran is immensely interesting and the mix of food photography, on location images and family photos makes the book even more interesting and inviting.

Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.

Bergamot Melting Moments

I think melting moments (or yo-yos as they are sometimes known) are such a cheery biscuit. They are wholesome and comforting in a tasty and sturdy way, and are something I think adults and kids alike would enjoy. And they are quite simple to make as well. 

You only need four ingredients, and I thought the longest part of the whole recipe was rolling out the dough into balls to form the biscuits - which honestly wasn’t that long, but the rest of the steps are really quite quick. 

My love for bergamot is probably well known by now, and since we have many to use at the moment these melting moments had to be flavoured with bergamot. However you can use whatever citrus you like instead. 

This recipe is slightly adapted from one I created last year for The Healthy Baker, which you can check out if you want a slightly different take on the traditional melting moment.

Bergamot Melting Moments

Ingredients:                                       

300g unsalted butter, softened

120g icing sugar/mixture

Finely grated zest of 1/2 bergamot

450g plain flour

Ingredients for the filling:

80g unsalted butter, softened

200g icing sugar/mixture

3 tsp fresh bergamot juice

Finely grated zest of 1/2 bergamot 

Method: 

Preheat oven to 145 degrees Celsius, and line three large baking trays with baking paper. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and bergamot zest until creamy.

Add the flour to the creamed butter, and mix on low speed until a dough forms. 

Roll teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on the prepared trays (you should end up with 40-44 individual dough balls/biscuits) leaving a little space in between each. Then lightly press down each ball with the back of a fork so they flatten out a little. Dip your fork in flour if it is sticking to the dough.

Bake for 25 minutes. They will be cooked when the undersides of the biscuits are lightly golden. To ensure an even bake, rotate the baking trays in the oven around half way through. 

Allow to cool on their trays.

Once the biscuits have cooled make the filling by beating all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment or by using a hand held mixer. Mix until light and fluffy and everything is well combined. 

Pair up the cooked biscuits, and turn one from each pair over so the underside is facing up. Spread or pipe the filling on to the underside of one biscuit in each biscuit pair, then gently sandwich the paired biscuits together. 

Leave the biscuits for half an hour or so for the filling to firm up a bit (you can do this in the fridge in warmer weather). Biscuits will store well in an airtight container for a few days. 

Makes 40-44 individual biscuits and 20-22 sandwiched biscuits. 

Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2022 - Part Two!

Because one list per year just isn’t enough! 

For the first time I am writing a second cookbooks worth waiting for list, because it’s not just the first half of the year that sees an influx of new cookbook releases.

Below are the titles I am most looking forward too in the second half of 2022, and in some cases have already pre ordered. 

The one thing all these cookbooks have in common for me is that I already have at least one other book from each author. So I already have an idea about how these authors write recipes, use flavour etc. And I like all of their previous books (that I own) enough to be excited to see what their next book is like!

I have linked each book to the listing on Booktopia. This is not sponsored or an affiliate link, that is just where I mostly purchase cookbooks from. Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.

Are any of the below titles on your cookbook wish list?

1. Pasta Grannies: Comfort Cooking by Vicky Bennison (7th September) - The second Pasta Grannies cookbook looks right up my alley. Comforting recipes from Italian Nonna’s, yes please. I really like the first Pasta Grannies cookbook, and one of the gnocchi recipes in that book is the one I reach for every time I want to make gnocchi. I really enjoy the story behind the Pasta Grannies project generally, and the premise of preserving these recipes and sharing them with others.

2. Home is Where the Eggs Are by Molly Yeh (27th September) - I have very much enjoyed Molly’s first book, Molly on the Range (you can read more about this book here), and her blog, My Name is Yeh, for years now, and when I heard Molly was finally writing a second cookbook I was so excited! Molly has such a unique style of recipes and a really fun way of walking you through them too. Since this is a American based publication it is worth shopping around to find the best price as titles like these can cost more than your average cookbook - for full disclosure I haven’t pre-ordered this title via the link above (yet) , I am going to wait it out and see if it comes down in price a little!

3. Home Food by Olia Hercules (7th July) - I have enjoyed Olia’s first three books, the photography, the stories, the snippets of life from Ukraine and surrounding nations. I have been following Olia more closely in the last few months as she has been sharing lots of information about the current conflict in Ukraine, doing lots of fundraising and using her work to personally support people in Ukraine (you can support Olia in this by joining her on Patreon). While I don’t think Olia’s next book focuses on her Ukrainian roots and family quite as much as her earlier books, I think this book will show us more of how Olia cooks at home whilst drawing on her wide ranging cooking and food influences.

4. Persiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour (9th August) - I have really enjoyed bits of the behind the scenes of creating this book that Sabrina shared on Instagram, and I really like the idea that some of these recipes are designed to be a bit easier or quicker to make. Sabrina’s books, which draw much influence from her Persian heritage, always have a sense of vibrancy to them and I am looking forward to seeing what flavour packed recipes fill this new book.

5. The Joy of Better Cooking by Alice Zaslavsky (5th October) - If there’s a word I would use to describe Alice it would be joy. I love her enthusiasm for food, and I think her next book sounds perfect. With the subtitle ‘Life-changing skills & thrills for enthusiastic eaters’, I think it will be a great book for many - I mean I’m sure I’m not the only one who could describe themselves as an enthusiastic eater, and I’m sure if there’s anyone who can teach us a few new things and make things a bit easier in the kitchen it’s Alice.

Chai Spiced Quince Muffins

Each quince season I like to make at least two batches of this quince chutney, and hopefully poach some for cakes, tarts, crumbles etc. 

This year I was beginning to worry I had missed quince season altogether as none of my regular green grocers had any in Autumn. As soon as Winter arrived, they appeared in the stores (near me anyway), I’m not sure if it’s technically late in the season for them, or if in the past I was just often lucky to find them earlier.

I originally found some really small quince, that looked a little sad honestly, and I wasn’t sure even a quarter of my wish list of quince recipes I wanted to make would be fulfilled. Luckily I soon found some really big quince a few weeks later at another shop and my hopes for all the quince wish list recipes was restored. 

I made a double batch or so (it sort of ended up being double and a half of the recipe) of my favourite quince chutney. I now have 12 jars of it so that should be enough to get me through to next quince season! 

Next was to poach some quince. I often end up overdoing this and have so much poached quince I don’t know what to do with all of it. This year I have only done one batch, though the four quince I poached were so spectacularly large they barely all fit in the baking tray at once. 

I poached them using the recipe for Fragrant Quince Butter with Rose from my Cosy Winter Bakes eBook, and just didn’t finish off the recipe to make quince butter, but rather left them as poached quince. (However you can use whatever poached quince you have using whatever recipe you prefer or always use to make the muffin recipe below.)

I decided to make muffins with some of the poached quince, as after all that fuss poaching them I felt a more simple recipe to use them in was in order. This is a great recipe to use if you have a bit of poached quince left from something else, or get into a bit of a quince recipe rut after poaching lots of quince. 

I used the chai spice mix from Gewürzhaus called Raj’s Majestic Chai Masala. If you can’t find anything similar you could also use 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger and 1/2 tsp ground cardamom. 

Chai Spiced Quince Muffins

Ingredients: 

300g self raising flour

165g panela sugar (or brown/muscovado sugar)

2.5 tsp chai spice mix

1.5 cups roughly chopped poached quince (drained of any syrup/poaching liquid)

1 tsp vanilla extract

125ml milk

125ml oil (any flavourless oil will do e.g. canola, vegetable etc)

x2 eggs

slivered almonds, for garnish

Method: 

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius and line a 12 hole muffin tray with muffins cases. 

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and chai spice mix. Then add the roughly chopped quince. 

In a medium bowl or jug whisk together the vanilla, milk, oil and eggs until well combined. 

Add the oil mixture to the dry ingredients and gently mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. 

Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffins cases in the tin, and generously top each muffin with some slivered almonds. 

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the muffins spring back to the touch. 

Allow to cool on a wire rack, however they are lovely eaten warm. 

Muffins are best eaten the day they are made, however any leftovers will freeze well for future muffin enjoyment. 

Makes 12 muffins.

Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2022 - A Recap

Earlier in the year, I compiled a list of cookbooks due to be released in the first half of 2022, that I was really looking forward to. 

Now that all of them have been released, and I’ve had time to bake a couple of things and read through the books, I thought it would be nice to come back to the list and see how they faired after looking forward to them so much.

1. Cinnamon and Salt: Cicchetti in Venice by Emiko Davies - This book is as lovely as you might expect if you have any of Emiko’s other books. I especially like the in depth history about cicchetti in Venice, it is clear a lot of time and research has gone into this book. The recipes are interesting, but I have to say there aren’t many I will probably make. Sometimes down to the fact that I can never be bothered to deep fry anything, and also they are things that I would enjoy in small quantities at a restaurant, but maybe not make myself - here is a recipe from the book Emiko shared via her newsletter which will give an idea of the types of recipes in this book. Having said that, I don’t think this book is any less useful. As I said the history is very interesting, and it’s almost like being in Venice again when I am immersed in it all.

2. Around the Kitchen Table by Sophie Hansen and Annie Herron - As I suspected, I am really enjoying this book. It has a cosy calm vibe and there quite a few recipes I want to make. I have already made the Pot-Roasted Rhubarb (p.70) which was a great way to cook up some rhubarb very easily. We also made Angela’s Chicken (p.162), however was a little underwhelmed by the flavour (feedback was maybe it needed some dried black olives to up the flavour, or my personal favourite capers and/or anchovies). I guess some recipes won’t hit the spot with everyone, but I am still looking forward to trying more from this book, and would still highly recommend it.

3. A Good Day to Bake by Benjamina Ebuehi - Benjamina has done it again! I am really loving this book, Benjamina’s use of flavour is so exceptional, and again (like her first cookbook, A New Way to Cake), makes this book different from other baking books. I have already made the Miso and White Chocolate Cookies (p.168), and the rhubarb Ginger and White Chocolate Cake (p.80) - both will be made again! To find out more about this book check out this review from Shipshape Eatworthy which I found really helpful.

4. The Year of Miracles by Ella Risbridger - The most recent release of all in this list, so I haven’t made anything from this book yet. There are of course many recipes I would like to try, but beyond that I am so enjoying Ella’s writing and the beautiful illustrations by Elisa Cunningham as well. I have been enjoying reading though the book so much, that I ended up purchasing the hardcover version of Midnight Chicken (Ella’s first cookbook) - I already own the paperback version, however after seeing Ella’s new book in all its hardcover full colour glory, I could see how much I was missing out on in her first cookbook!

5. Nistisima by Georgina Hayden - When I added this to my cookbooks worth waiting for list, I said I had a feeling that this book, being all vegan recipes, would be the exception to my general distain for all vegan cookbooks. I was right, and would recommend this book to everyone. I have really enjoyed getting to know more about the process of fasting as part of the religious year, and the variety of recipes there are in this book. This book was picked as one of the cookbooks of the month in Jamie Oliver’s Cookbook Club on Facebook in April, so if you are interested to see some more you can find more there - here is Jamie introducing the book for April.

Did you add any of these books to your collection too? Let me know what you think of them in the comments below!

Keep an eye out for my next cookbooks worth waiting for list, which will feature the cookbooks I am most looking forward to in the second half of 2022. 

Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.

Where to High Tea (in Sydney!)

Since I last did a list of where to have afternoon tea in Sydney, lots has changed. Some of the places don’t exist any more sadly, so I thought after having a lovely high tea recently, it was time to update my list of go to places.

The last list I created was back in 2018, and I still stand by the recommendations that are still open, sadly Rabbit Hole Tea and Petal Met Sugar have since closed. However sometimes, it’s nice to do a bit more than afternoon tea, and celebrate something special with a high tea. 

Recently I went to have a high tea with friends at the QVB Tea Room - for those outside of Sydney or Australia, QVB is the Queen Victoria Building in the centre of Sydney city, a beautiful old building containing shops and cafes, well worth a visit if you are in Sydney. 

I have had high tea at the QVB in the past, but not for some time. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice everything on the high tea stand was, and my friends dietary requirements were able to be catered for as well (at no extra cost either). The room you sit in for high tea is elegant and beautiful and it’s just a really nice place to be. 

The group that run the QVB Tea Room also run the high tea at the Gunner’s Barracks in northern Sydney. The location is a bit more difficult to get to, but the views of the harbour and city are lovely. I have to say this high tea doesn’t change much, so I have found it’s not worth going back too often! 

For a more relaxed vibe, The Tea Cosy at The Rocks in Sydney does fantastic Devonshire teas, and do a high tea like offering, with scones and finger sandwiches. 

Outside of Sydney, the high tea at The Hydro Majestic hotel in Medlow Bath(Blue Mountains, NSW), is also worth a visit. The views of the Megalong Valley are stunning and there is also an option for an Eastern High Tea if you aren’t a fan of the regular scones, sandwiches and cakes. 

Where is your favourite place to enjoy high tea?