|
“In my experience, many of us who write about food have been obsessed since childhood.” Catherine Kurtz
This week we are thrilled to bring you two ckbk authors in conversation. As food writers turned novelists, they sat down to talk all about food, fiction, and food in fiction.
|
|
|
Orlando Murrin is a Masterchef semi-finalist, and multi-faceted food writer and broadcaster—his book about his time as a chef patron in South West France resulted in the much loved cookbook A Table in the Tarn. He has added crime novelist to his considerable cv, with his books featuring accidental sleuth Chef Paul Delamere. The second in the series Murder Below Deck—that began with the gripping Knife Skills for Beginners—is newly published in paperback in the UK and the US.
|
|
|
|
Catherine Kurtz’s debut novel Feast is a sensory journey, a story of a girl born with an extraordinary sense of taste. Feast is published in the UK on June 4, and in the US on June 9. Catherine also works as a food writer under the pseudonym Cat Black, is co-author of Sex & Drugs & Sausage Rolls, and is an international chocolate judge.
|
|
|
|
Orlando and Catherine discuss their journeys to food writing, and what saw them turn to fiction.
They share some favorite dishes, both real and fictional, and Orlando’s protagonist, Chef Paul Delamere, has been kind enough to give us at ckbk a bonus extra—one of his very real and very delicious recipes—Parmesan Bites from Knife Skills for Beginners.
|
|
|
|
Pictured above: The Ultimate Strawberry Tartlets from A Table in the Tarn by Orlando Murrin
|
|
|
Cookies are one of the first things we learn to make in the kitchen, licking the spoon when allowed—there is a reason that cookie dough ice cream is universally popular—and marvelling at the results of our endeavours not too long after. A culinary first love, but one that lasts. Cookies are easy to make, chewy and sweet and comforting to eat, don't require any particular reason or mealtime to have a place in our hearts, and are infinitely variable.
|
|
|
|
From oatmeal raisin, to chocolate chip, and beyond. Here’s to cookies!
|
|
Chinese vegetable know-how
|
|
|
“The purpose of this book is to provide practical information for someone buying fresh produce in a Chinese or Asian market. The seasonal variety of roots, shoots, greens and melons can be fascinating but ultimately daunting. What is it? How do I choose a good one? Should it be green or yellow, soft or hard? Peeled or left whole? And then, how to serve it?? Is that the flavor it should have, or have I done something wrong?
|
|
|
The following pages attempt to answer these questions clearly and concisely. They also attempt to describe how the Chinese prepare vegetables that we consider “Western”. Vegetables do not, after all, owe allegiance to any one nation or culture; preparing the veg you know in ways you hadn’t thought of can be an adventure too.” Martha Dahlen
|
|
|
|
Writer, gardener and cook Martha Dahlen has a PhD in Botany, and lived and worked in Hong Kong for 21 years, during which time she travelled extensively in South East Asia. All of which found her passionate and well qualified to write about Chinese vegetables. A Cook’s Guide to Chinese Vegetables is her thoughtful, practical, and beautifully illustrated guide to the subject.
|
|
|
|
There is a wealth of advice and explanation, and the recipes add up to a Chinese vegetable banquet! Find Szechuan Quick Braised Eggplant, a Yellow Cucumber Soup, this Simple and Spicy Shanghai Cabbage, and a delicate dish of Braised Mushrooms and Crab.
|
|
Ingredient focus: watercress
|
|
|
Watercress is a perennial plant with a long season—April to October, or even year round in some climates. It grows wild in Europe and Asia, and also in America since it was introduced by European immigrants. A member of the crucifer plant family similar to mustard, it shares a hot peppery taste. It is mostly eaten raw, in salads or as a garnish, where its bright sharp pepperiness enlivens dishes.
|
|
|
|
It works well in soups, both hot and cold. Or for maximum vibrancy and punch, use it raw in a salad.
|
|
6 of the best hamburgers
May 28 is National Hamburger Day, celebrating the classic combo which elevates a sandwich to main meal status. Here are six sizzling hamburger recipes for you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
from The Great American Burger Book by George Motz
|
|
|
|
from Burgers by Paul Gayler
|
|
|
|
|
from 4 Grosvenor Square by Danilo Cortellini
|
|
|
|
from Burgers by Paul Gayler
|
|
|
|
|
from The Everyday Art of Gluten-Free by Karen Morgan
|
|
|
|
from Let's Cook Japanese Food!: Everyday Recipes for Authentic Dishes by Amy Kaneko
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
