… now that we’ve finally got a permanent place of our own again in London I’ve been thinking about which cookery books I should take down with me and which I should leave up at the cottage… it’s really hard as part of me feels I should take the inspirational books with me but another part of me thinks I should take just the practical books… I just know that there’ll be a crucial moment where i’ll be wishing I had something somewhere I don’t… we were leaving in a hurry for London yesterday morning and The Viking shouted to me that I should just grab a book and run for the car as we were going to be late… it was like one of those ‘life flashing before the eyes’ moments as the titles of all my dear cookbooks flickered across my mind… what should I take… which of my book-babies would I leave behind… and of course this inspired me for the theme of this months random recipes…
… if you had 10 seconds to grab one book, which one would it be…
… you probably won’t be surprised to learn that I chose Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course… it’s not my favourite book by far, this challenge is not necessarily about favourites but it’s my ‘go-to’ book for whenever i’m stuck for how to do something or for a recipe for something that’s so obvious I really should know how to cook… so that’s what I grabbed and randomly opening it on page 229 is a recipe for Baked Aubergines with Tomatoes… as it happens I have a fridge drawer full of aubergines… one of those random impulse purchases… so i’m good to go… how about you?
FABULOUS theme Dom and can I grab 10 please?!! LOL! I am IN as always! Karen
Great idea.
I already know which book it is – it took me 5 seconds to decide…..
Perfect challenge! I just moved and whittled my cookbook library down to less than 6 cookbooks! 🙂
Dominic, how fun! And I would happily participate except I've only just cooked something waaaaaay out of my comfort zone! AND I developed the recipe myself – Lamb Shanks Braised in Red Wine. I think I was very tactful in my post about the smell, while at the same time letting those new to lamb cookery know to be prepared for the distinctive smell.
I think this sounds like the most fun challenge yet! I know I would choose my current fave Jerusalem to bring with me anywhere, and I'd love to see what would come up on a random page…
I'm sooo boring! I would, of course, grab The Silver Palate Cookbook! Fast and fun challenge!
This is a great theme! I have no idea which I'd pick.. guess we'll find out soon enough! 🙂
This is such a good idea for your next challenge. I didn't need 10 seconds to decide. I knew exactly which one to choose (if fact I was thinking this self same thing recently – if we were to move to the UK on a work contract which cook book would I choose to pack) so y decision was already made – don't you just love the coincidences of life.
Lovely theme, I'll need to bypass the Fanny Cradock Cookery Programme and grab another book… Off I dash!
oh this is a good one, surely I'll manage to make something this month!
ooh sounds like a good challenge. I'll need more than a count of 10 to choose one. I'll try my best to enter this month but I can't promise!
Ooh crikey, that's a challenge, especially as my books are scattered all over the house.
AAARRRGGHHH. 10 seconds to dither. I am so indecisive. I might get the kids to do the grabbing for me.
Great challenge, Dom! I don't even have to think. I'd have to take the one cookbook that comes in the luggage with me whenever we move on to the next country. The Illustrated Good Housekeeping, 1980 edition. Like your Delia, it is not my favorite book but it is an all-around reference for so many methods, techniques and recipes for baking and cooking. In the days before the internet, it was my lifeline. And when we move, often it takes a while to get internet set up so it still is.
I know exactly what book, just have to choose a recipe randomly and then cook it and submit it. I failed participating the past few months, fingers crossed I do so this time round.
This was a fab challenge 🙂