Cookbooks

Cookbook Corner

10-MINUTE SOURDOUGH: BREADMAKING FOR REAL LIFE

Vanessa Kimbell £18.99, Kyle Books In her new book, the queen of sourdough, Vanessa Kimbell, offers a fool proof guide to slow bread for busy lives. Sourdough is one of the tastiest and most nutritious breads you can make, but it has a reputation for being both tricky and timeconsuming. 10-Minute Sourdough is packed full of fuss-free no-knead recipes which require no more than 10 minutes' active work in total (not including fermentation time or time in the oven), meaning anyone can turn their hand to sourdough baking, no matter how little time they have. The book contains five easy master sourdough recipes for a tin loaf, a cake, a ciabatta, a pizza, and a boule, alongside key information on how to create and maintain a starter, ingredients and equipment and helpful Q&As and troubleshooting advice. Taking you through the seasons, the bakes range from a Beer Boule, Orange Curd Cake, and a Garlic & Rosemary Sourdough Bundt Focaccia, perfect for any summer entertaining, through to wonderful ideas for autumn, including Apple Spelt Sourdough Bake with Cinnamon Butter, Traditional Ginger Cake and even a Spiders’ Legs Halloween Bread.

WAGAMAMA YOUR WAY

£20, Octopus wagamama your way: fresh, flexible recipes for body + mind follows the hugely successful 2019 title, feed your soul, which really struck a chord in lockdown when the brand’s Wok from Home YouTube films went viral and more than 10 million people tuned in to recreate the iconic katsu curry at home. The new book brings the wagamama story up to date, with all-new healthy recipes that reflect their ethos of flexitarian meals, plant-based ingredients and Asian flavours, emphasising wagamama's drive for positive eating and positive living, inclusivity and wellbeing. Each of the 70 recipes will include hints for alternative ingredients so you can create plant-based versions of any meat dishes. From vegan katsu curry and vegetarian firecracker to mandarin and sesame salad, prawn tempura ramen, and sticky mushroom and squash stir fry, expect to find new variations on wagamama favourites, as well as nourishing quick eats and soulful comfort food.

TOFU TASTY

Bonnie Chung £14.99, Pavilion Books Reliable, versatile and essential, Bonnie Chung’s kitchen is never without tofu. It’s her go-to pantry saviour for so many last-minute dinners and she eats it almost every day in one of its many forms. Tofu has experienced a true renaissance in this new era of plant-based eating, as we search for more sustainable sources of protein. This is a really exciting time for tofu, and Bonnie shares recipes for cooking it with confidence, as well as suggestions for making different types of tofu from scratch. In Tofu Tasty, Bonnie hopes to expand your tofu horizons, sharing with you the many different types and the multitude of ways in which you can cook it. You’ll find all of her favourite dishes, which will hopefully make their way, quickly and firmly, into your cooking repertoire. The book is organised into seven chapters to distinguish between the different types and textures of tofu. All of the recipes are vegetarian to start with and some include twists that may include meat, fish and other swaps, as you prefer. With more than 60 vibrant recipes included from across Asia — picking the best from Japan, China and Korea — and other dishes of Bonnie’s own invention, if you have any preconceptions about what tofu is like, forget them...

PAIR WITH...

a freshly squeezed fruit juice, ice-cold infused water or herbal/fruit tea would complement this board beautifully.

INSPIRED GRAZING

Laura Billington £22, Meze Publishing At its heart, this book aims to fuel a passion for grazing, whether you’re a kitchen connoisseur or a cheeseboard newbie. Inspired Grazing will give you all the hints and tricks you’ll need to pair flavours, build your own beautiful boards, and bring that personal touch to all your creations. Inspired Grazing compiles creations that are bound to impress no matter what the celebration. Laura’s recipes take you on a tour of the seasons, through chapters representing Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, so this book will have you prepared for even the simplest of events, as well as show-stopping gatherings. Whether you’re planning a party platter for Oktoberfest or trying out the playful Cheesesteak Sliders with your friends, there is something for everyone to enjoy. There’s even a few boards for little grazers, perfect for the kids to snack on when you’re spending quality time with the family. With stunning photography, this book is packed with boards so beautifully crafted, they almost look too good to eat! From the vivid Rainbow Board (see opposite for the recipe) that would make an incredible summer garden party centrepiece, to the Winter Celebration Board which adds an extra special touch to the holidays, every board is visually exciting as well as delicious.

THE RAINBOW BOARD

This board pays homage to music, art, poetry, creativity, love, light and positivity. The rainbow has been a symbol of hope for centuries. “Rainbows introduce us to reflections of different beautiful possibilities, so we never forget that pain and grief are not the final options in life.” ~ Aberjhani

160g raspberries 150g black grapes 200g red grapes 180g green grapes 75g physalis 80g strawberries 45g blackcurrants 45g blackberries 115g cherries 40g redcurrants 45g blueberries FOR THE FRUIT DIP 330ml double cream 250ml mascarpone cheese 2 tbsp icing sugar 4 cherries, stoned 4 blackberries 4 raspberries 4 strawberries 4 blueberries

1 Place the raspberries in two rows around the edge of half the board. You could use them in different ways to add interest, such as alternating the direction they face. 2 Halve the black grapes and arrange them on the opposite side of the board, so they almost meet the raspberries at the edges. Fill in any gaps between the raspberries and black grapes with some of the other grapes and physalis, so that you have a full outer circle of fruit. 3 Slice the strawberries into quarters and place them on your board inside the semicircle of raspberries. Place the blackcurrants on your board inside the semicircle of black grapes, then fill the rest of that row with the blackberries. 4 Add a row of cherries next to the strawberries and fill any gaps with the redcurrants. Place the blueberries next to the blackberries and you should be left with a small gap between the two sides. 5 Fill this space with the remaining red grapes, then the green grapes and physalis, overlapping the colours to create interest and contrast. 6 To make the fruit dip, combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Decant the dip into a ramekin or small bowl and serve alongside your board.