Consuming Passions: Saffron
Consuming Passions: Saffron

Spices are addictive. Perhaps not scientifically speaking but spices possess a fragrant ability to tantalise the appetite, to evoke memories of childhood baking or rambling through souks abundant with spices. As a lover of gingerbread, I am easily seduced by the aromas of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. But it is the scent of saffron that triumphs as my favourite spice – slightly floral with a hint of smoke capable of transporting me to the land of the Arabian Nights with its fragrant rice dishes and golden hued stews.

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Consuming passionsSusan LowSaffron, Sam Bilton, Fool's Gold
Newsletter: The perfect serve for Wimbledon + consuming passions for berries
Newsletter: The perfect serve for Wimbledon + consuming passions for berries

t’s that time of year to make a racket about strawberries with Wimbledon gracing our screens this week - our Wimbledon collection absolutely smashes it. As well as the ubiquitous berry, we’ll be serving up the likes of dainty Cucumber Sandwiches, Homemade Ginger Beer and jugs of fruity Summer Cup, a gin-based herbal long drink created in the 1820s by James Pimms at his oyster bar in London.

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ckbk newsletterckbkWimbledon, Strawberries, Potatoes, Chocolate, Blackcurrants, Blueberries
Newsletter: How to keep all your family well fed + inspiration for Independence Day cooking
Newsletter: How to keep all your family well fed + inspiration for Independence Day cooking

Cooking for a young family is always a challenge, with time at a premium, a range of different bodies to keep healthy and well-fed, and disparate tastes to cater to. We have a generously stocked Family Bookshelf to help you tackle that challenge. Find sound advice on organising your kitchen, batch cooking, tips and shortcuts to maximise time, and catering for fussy eaters.

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ckbk newsletterckbkIndependence Day, Family
Consuming Passions: Blackcurrants
Consuming Passions: Blackcurrants

In the latest instalment of our Consuming Passions series, Elly McCausland, author of The Botanical Kitchen, recalls the childhood origin of her passion for blackcurrants. This small, intensely colored and flavored summer fruit is familiar in Europe, where its short season runs from July until mid-August, but it remains something of a rarity in the United States — in fact Wikipedia claims that just 0.1% of Americans have ever tasted one. Perhaps that is about to change…

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Consuming passionsSusan LowBlackcurrants, Summer, Fruit
Newsletter: Key tips on training to be a professional chef + don't forget to share your recipe reviews
Newsletter: Key tips on training to be a professional chef + don't forget to share your recipe reviews

What are the core elements of a chef’s culinary education, and how does ckbk support professional chefs through their careers?

The Chefs’ Knowledge is the latest new book to be added to ckbk. Published by The Chefs’ Forum, a UK chef community network, this book brings together 100 fundamental recipes which every chef should master early in their career, along with plenty of hints and advice. In our launch feature Ramona Andrews talks to several of the leading British chefs who contributed to the volume.

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ckbk newsletterckbkBasil, Chefs, Chefs Forum
The Chefs' Knowledge: the know-how and recipes you need to get started as a chef
The Chefs' Knowledge: the know-how and recipes you need to get started as a chef

Whether you are already a professional chef, or are training to become one, ckbk offers the material you need to develop your skills, explore different culinary specialties, and build your own style. ckbk’s virtual bookshelves offer a treasure trove of inspiration and reference material to support your cooking.

The latest cookbook to be added to ckbk, The Chefs’ Knowledge, is the result of a collaboration between The Chefs’ Forum and dozens of top chefs active in culinary education across the United Kingdom. The book includes 100 basic recipes as well as a wealth of hints and tips for any budding chef. We caught up with several of the chefs who contributed to the volume, to get their take on culinary education and the important role played by cookbooks.

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Behind the CookbookRamona AndrewsThe Chefs' Knowledge, Paul Gayler, Graham Garrett, Chandos Elletson, Daniel Galmiche, Chefs
Newsletter: Father’s Day treats + Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman take us from Simple to Spectacular
Newsletter: Father’s Day treats + Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman take us from Simple to Spectacular

Following the success of their book Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four Star Chef, top food writer and home cook Mark Bittman and stellar chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten have done it again. New to ckbk Simple to Spectacular makes the most of their joint expertise, presenting a wide range of dishes, from the most approachable to the most elaborate.

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ckbk newsletterckbkFather's Day, Martini, Fennel
Consuming Passions: Cinnamon
Consuming Passions: Cinnamon

Adam Hoss is an Ohio-based author, who has published two novels, the most recent being One Hundred Below, a murder mystery set at Antarctic research station. He is also a keen cook and a ckbk subscriber. In this contribution to our Consuming Passions series, Adam describes his love for cinnamon, one of the most versatile spices in any cook’s spice cabinet.

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Consuming passionsSusan LowCinnamon, Adam Hoss
Newsletter: Raise a glass to World Gin Day + your chance to win a copy of Ethiopian cookbook Tekebash & Saba
Newsletter: Raise a glass to World Gin Day + your chance to win a copy of Ethiopian cookbook Tekebash & Saba

Newly published, and new to ckbk, Tekebash & Saba: Recipes from the Horn of Africa is an exciting new addition to our Africa bookshelf. In this beautifully illustrated book, restaurateur Saba Alemayoh recounts personal and political histories of Tigray, the northernmost state of Ethiopia. It is a compelling read about her mother Tekebash Gebre’s life through food, and her own journey to the opening of her Melbourne restaurant in 2015.

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ckbk newsletterckbkAfrica, Gin, Blueberries, Cake
Newsletter: Making your Memorial Day weekend delicious + a new addition to your Mexican cookbook shelf
Newsletter: Making your Memorial Day weekend delicious + a new addition to your Mexican cookbook shelf

With Monday May 29 Memorial Day, families across the US will be gathering to attend parades, remember loved ones, and celebrate the unofficial start of summer. Like all family holidays eating together is of central importance, with an emphasis on family favorites. We have plenty of good things to suggest, dishes that your loved ones can enjoy together.

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ckbk newsletterckbkMemorial Day, Doughnuts
Behind the Cookbook: Zarela’s Veracruz
Behind the Cookbook: Zarela’s Veracruz

Zarela Martinez is one of the US’s leading authorities on Mexican cuisine and currently co-hosts the podcast Cooking in Mexican From A to Z on the Heritage Radio Network with her son Aarón Sánchez.
Zarela’s Veracruz, was published in 2001, and was accompanied by a 13-part PBS TV series. In this edited extract from the original book proposal, the author describes how she came to write about the cuisine of this region, a bustling modern area of Mexico which contrasts in many ways with Oaxaca, the subject of her previous cookbook.

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Behind the CookbookckbkMexico, Zarela Martinez, Zarelas Veracruz
Newsletter: Blissful Belgian baking + new link-up with Eat Your Books brings your print and online cookbooks together!
Newsletter: Blissful Belgian baking + new link-up with Eat Your Books brings your print and online cookbooks together!

When food writer and photographer Regula Ysewijn publishes a new book, you know it will be something to savor; rich in history, full of tempting recipes, and a visual treat. Ysewijn is known for her dedication to British food culture – her debut cookbook Pride and Pudding was an exceptional homage to British culinary history and its puddings.

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ckbk newsletterckbkDark Rye and Honey Cake, Regula Ysewijn, Eat Your Books
ckbk and Eat Your Books: link-up and special offer
ckbk and Eat Your Books: link-up and special offer

ckbk is pleased to announce an exciting collaboration with the cookbook indexing website Eat Your Books. This partnership adds direct links from Eat Your Books to the recipes on ckbk, which means ckbk users can now use Eat Your Books to search across both their print cookbooks and the ckbk collection. Read the full article for details, including a special offer code offering a free month of trial access to Eat Your Books.

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ckbk news, PromotionckbkEat Your Books
Newsletter: Celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III
Newsletter: Celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III

On May 6 the world will turn its attention to the UK, to gather and celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III – the first Coronation since that of his mother in 1953. The festivities will no doubt be in all shapes and sizes, from grand lunches, to street parties, to a seat in front of the telly looking at those splendid carriages! What they will all share is something to eat, and what might be appropriate?

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ckbk newsletterckbkCoronation Chicken
Consuming Passions: Wild Garlic
Consuming Passions: Wild Garlic

Di Murrell is a British food writer and food historian who has written extensively on food-related aspects of the waterways of Britain and France. Following her earlier celebration of sardines, in this piece she shares her love of wild garlic (along with other foraged woodland items). Commonly known in the US as ramps or ramsons, wild garlic is easy to find, growing abundantly in damp and shady woodland areas, and has a huge range of culinary uses.

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Consuming passionsSusan LowWild Garlic, Di Murrell, Ramps, Ramsons