On The Hob

This book helps you become a MasterChef in your own kitchen. Impress your friends and family with “MasterChef at Home,” the fantastic follow-up to “The MasterChef Cookbook.” With over 200 recipes from the three 2010 series, as well as nine complete menus from the winners, and top tips on how to present your food, for a real show-stopping feast. “MasterChef” is an incredibly popular BBC1 show with over 7.8 million viewers tuning in for the finale in 2010. All the techniques for preparation, cooking and presentation are demonstrated in step-by-steps. To make “MasterChef at Home” a true companion to the series, judges John Torode and Michel Roux offer handy hints, and MasterTips throughout to demonstrate the best flavour combinations and how to make the most of unusual ingredients. “MasterChef at Home” is the perfect addition to the kitchen of any budding MasterChef.

Click for more information and to buy Masterchef at home from Amazon

Click for more information and to buy Masterchef at home from Amazon

This is a learn-to-cook book for everyone, whether you are a complete beginner in the kitchen or you want to advance your skills. Enrolment in “Cookery School” is simple – buy the book and work your way through each chapter. Containing over 100 recipes and skills covering all the techniques you need to master along the way, the book is made up of five chapters: Starters, Fish, Meat, Puddings and Super Advanced. Each week on Cookery School, the students will master recipes from each of these areas, and you can cook along with them using the book. The recipes are ordered from Basic through to Intermediate and on to the most challenging Advanced level. All the dishes are aspirational, even the most basic ones, from Griddled Leeks with a Honey and Mustard Dressing, to Pan-fried Beef with Tarragon and Chervil Sauce and Baked Beetroot or Clam Chowder with Mini Garlic Bread Loaves, these are dishes that you will be proud to cook for your family and friends, for everyday or special occasions.

Find out more and Buy Cookery School from Amazon

Come Dine with Me, How to throw the Perfect Dinner Party

The Channel 4 TV show Come Dine with Me and it’s Celebrity spin off have released a book for all of us aspiring for the perfect Dinner party.  Subtitled “How to throw the Perfect Dinner Party” this is much more than just a recipe book.

Planning the Party

The first 60 pages of the book focus on the planning of a dinner party, it may sound easy but the book makes you sit back and think what recipes complement each other, difficulty, timings and little hints such as keeping track of what you’ve cooked for who in case they come around again!

But planning a party isn’t just about food, this section of the book reminds you to think of drinks, how clean your house is, setting the table, and common cookery mistakes to avoid.  Even a few tips for being the perfect host or guest.

The Recipes

The final 130 pages show winning recipes from the series, split into starters, mains and desserts.  Plus the top ten winning recipes.  The recipes contain a clear list of ingredients and simple numbered instructions.  The only negative is that not all recipes have accompanying images of the dish and while they have clear cooking times there isn’t an overall preparation time, but I suppose everyone cooks at different speeds.

My favourite recipes

Some of my favourite recipes from the book are

Starters

• Latkes & grilled vegetables with goats cheese and a basil oil
• Chilled Melon with parma ham parmesan cheese and rocket
• Slow cooked chilli with nachos

Mains

• Vegetable Mossaka
• Jamaican Chicken
• Filet of Beef in wild mushroom sauce with potatoes dauphinoise & spinach

Desserts

• Spiced orange chocolate cheesecake
• Warm banana tarts served with ice cream & rum
• Hot chocolate fondant with a lemon pot & raspberry coulis.

To be honest I had trouble getting them down to just three favourites (especially the desserts).  If you’re planning a dinner party this is a great book to have to hand for fantastic recipes from the TV series and good tips to ensure your party is a success.
Now I just need to find more excuses for dinner parties!