Newsletter: Publication day for Eleanor Ford’s new book – A Whisper of Cardamom

Sugar and spice do very much add up to all things nice in Eleanor Ford’s brand new book A Whisper of Cardamom, which we are excited to have for you on publication day. Eleanor Ford is a multi-award-winning food writer – most recently for her third book The Nutmeg Trail – with a special interest in, and aptitude with, spice. For our newest feature we caught up with her to discuss her latest book, in which she explores the culinary magic created by sugar and spice.

Read More
Behind the Cookbook: Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well

The latest book to be added to ckbk’s collection is Pellegrino Artusi’s era-defining work, Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

The book is a foundational text on Italian cuisine, first published in 1891 (not long after Italian unification) and still of key relevance today. It is celebrated by contemporary Italian chefs such as Giorgio Locatelli (who described it as “life-changing”) and writers including Bill Buford and Anna del Conte.

Read More
Consuming Passions: Freekeh

Amoul Oakes is a London-based chef, originally from Lebanon. Her restaurant in London’s Maida Vale, Amoul’s, was open from 2003-2018 and was acclaimed by critics including Jay Rayner for its soulful home-cooked dishes, which reflected Amoul’s recollections of the food made by her mother and grandmother. Her book, Amoul: Some family recipes is now available in full on ckbk. Here Amoul shares her enthusiasm for the ancient grain freekeh, and offers a bonus recipe for freekeh served with chickpeas and spinach.

Read More
Newsletter: Christmas with ckbk – everything you need to prepare for the main event 🎄

No matter how many office parties or meetups with friends and family the coming weeks hold, Christmas Day itself is central to the holiday season. And for the cook of the household that can mean a lot of work and expectation. Tip one: delegate. Tip two: take your time to look through the wealth of Christmas recipes and resources on ckbk to make your Christmas lunch a pleasure to cook and eat.

Read More
Consuming Passions: Rosewater and Orange-Flower Water

Until bullying vanilla swept them aside, the flavours of orange blossom and of roses were the UK’s favourites in both sweet and savoury food. Following vanilla’s all-conquering rise, flower waters are now comparatively rarely used in Europe and the USA (except in better restaurants from the Near and Middle East and the Indian continent). 

What a lot we are missing, ignoring the flavour heritage of many centuries of British cuisine that has fascinating roots…

Read More
Newsletter: Go green with garden-to-table cooking + indulge with Cookiepedia

Canadian Luay Gharafi, the author of Seed to Table: A Seasonal Guide to Organically Growing, Cooking and Preserving Food at Home, joined his local Community Supported Agriculture program in 2009 and was immediately hooked. From there he went on to study in Toronto, enrolling in George Brown University's culinary arts program. In his food, fresh produce, and its cultivation, comes first.

Read More