Even with the vast number of recipes available on the internet these days, there’s nothing quite like leafing through a beautiful book full of recipes. It’s a medium that’s stronger than ever before, with cookbooks topping bestseller charts throughout the year. If you’re anything like us then you’ll have shelves upon shelves of them in your home – some kept in pristine condition, others earmarked, stained and scrawled over after years of use.
It’s this national love for cookbooks that has prompted us to start our very own cookbook club. Each month we’ll select a cookbook that we think stands out from the rest and ask you, the Great British Chefs community, to cook a recipe from it. We’ll publish a small selection of recipes on our site so, even if you don’t already have the book, you can still get involved and see how your cooking compares to everyone else’s. Apply to join the Facebook group here and take a look at this month's book (and recipes) below. We've also included the winning post from last month's book, as well as some of our other favourite entries.
The Mediterranean is responsible for some of the tastiest cooking in the world, often focusing on humble ingredients at their very best. But at the toe of the Italian boot something very magical happens, when North African and Mediterranean flavours collide to create something truly unique. This fusion inspired Ben Tish to write his latest book Moorish, which is so beautiful and full of such tasty looking dishes we had to make it our cookbook of the month for June.
Covering everything from breakfast and brunch to barbecuing, slow-cooking and desserts, it's a fascinating journey through one of the most important parts of the Mediterranean. A combination of authentic recipes and dishes containing Ben's own twists means there's something for everyone, with flavours to suit everyone.
For a taste of what’s inside, take a look at the three recipes below. However, the full book really gives you an idea of just how important Moorish flavours and ingredients are to food not just in Sicily but across the Mediterranean. Head over to Amazon to bag yourself a copy.
There are few ingredients that sum up British summertime than lamb and fresh peas, but in this recipe the combo is given a distinctly Sicilian twist thanks the the mint and cumin dressing which is drizzled over the duo. While you can cook the chops on the hob, they really sing when given a lick of smoke from the barbecue, so wait until the weather's good and bring a bit of Italian sunshine into your back garden.
Deep-fried bread sounds good enough on its own, but when it's topped with anchovies, cheese, tomatoes and fennel, it become a pizza-like disc of deliciousness that has us all booking the next flight to Sicily. Just don't think about the calories.
Almond frangipane tarts are a common bake in the UK, but replacing the nuts with verdant pistachios gives the dish a more luxurious, exotic flavour. Paired with fragrant cardamom and sweet orange, this is a recipe for when you want to impress.
Last month we went all veggie with Sabrina Ghayour's beautiful book Bazaar. Cookbook club members got stuck into the Middle Eastern-inspired recipe with gusto, creating a vibrant range of dishes that prove meat and fish don't make a meal. Congratulations to David Walker who took the top spot this month – he wins a cookbook! Take a look at his dish and all the other honourable mentions below.
Make sure you post photos along with commentary of the dishes you cook from Moorish in our Facebook group to be in with the chance of winning.
