23 Nov 2009

Can you ever have too many cookery books?

When I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease nearly three years ago, I sorted through all my foodie books weeding out the ones that would be unable to inspire my new restricted diet. Never one for baking bread, making pasta or pies my collection was surprisingly, positively brimming with gluten free recipes, although I made enough room for a couple of specific gluten free cookbooks... it is an addiction I am allowed to indulge after all.

But in doing this I did notice how I indulge much more in the researching and buying of food books than using them. Only a few are splattered with sauces and splodged with butter, as I tend to use the books for a reference to the principles of a dish I wish to cook, rather than cook a recipe step by step. And I free style much more after being in India without ANY cookbooks to rely on.

For example, one of my best friends gave me Maggie Beers' cook book last Christmas and as another festive season approaches, I realised I have not cooked a single recipe from it. I have read it from cover to cover propped up on my knees in bed, after which I dreamt of my own living in my own veranda wrapped house surrounded by a heaving diverse orchard....So with more time on my hands these days I decided to start a list - recipes I want to cook, detailing the books, recipe and pages it can be found to make it all the easier to put into action:

Chickepea flatbread

Fig Cake

Italian Christmas cake

Gluten free BBQ sauce

Almond macaroons

Gluten free choux pastry

Slow roasted shoulder of pork

Plum cake

Celeriac remoulade and much much more...

And as a testament to the power of lists, I have cooked the chickpea flat bread twice, tried my alternative Italian Christmas cake, made BBQ sauce, slow roasted a shoulder of pork... and the celeriac is lurking in the fridge. I think I need to add more recipes to my list as Ihaven'tcooked a familiar recipe all week! And the beauty of this is, I keep finding more and more naturally gluten free recipes hidden in all these undiscovered cookbooks.

You may also enjoy reading:

Gluten Free Girl

Andrew Whitely uses his gluten free loaf

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