Whenever I enter a food rut, I find myself cooking the same fail-safe dishes over and over again. More often than not, these are quick and easy and very often involve pasta (guilty...). For me, one of the most wonderful things about food is the opportunity to try new things, but when you're a time poor (as well as actually just poor) student, trying exciting new dishes often takes a back seat.
If I ever feel the urge to try some new recipes, I often head to Pinterest for inspiration, but I also love to spend time in the cookbook section of book shops. Cookbook shopping can be hard. There are so many to choose from and it's often difficult to determine which book features the sort of recipes you can and will recreate at home.
There are a few main things I look for in a cookbook; the first is ingredients lists - often extensive and some things featured are extremely hard to get hold of (yes, I'm looking at you, Nigella). Personally, I look for recipes that feature affordable ingredients that I can pick up at the supermarket. Another thing I look out for is substantial dishes. Although I love cake as much as the next girl, I want a book with a wide range of balanced meals that are both nutritious and tasty, with the occasional sweet treat thrown in for good measure. The third thing I look for is a more superficial one; photographs. Having worked on food shoots, I really appreciate the work that goes into food styling and photography, and there is nothing I like more than flicking through a cook book that simply looks gorgeous. But for me, the main purpose for buying cookbooks is to encourage me to try something new. There is no use in buying books that feature things you already make - stretch yourself and try a totally new ingredient or cooking method, you'll probably love it.
I have recently bought two new cookbooks without knowing much about them. Both were discovered whilst flicking through (and drooling over) cookbooks in a Waterstones. The first is Eat The Week By Anna Barnett. I have to admit, I had never even heard of Anna Barnett before, but this book caught my eye thanks to its unusual recipes and clever layout. This book is sectioned into days of the week like; Make it fancy Wednesdays and Slow Sundays. as well as handy sections like Cornershop dash and Carbs for comfort. Eat The Week is very nifty, mixing indulgent dishes with very healthy ones in the most effortless way. Although slightly guilty of doing a Nigella, the ingredients lists are still accessible enough and well worth it for these delicious recipes. I also have to admit that this book is also very easy on the eye, combining rich coloured patterns and backgrounds with most mouth-watering of food photography.
The second book I picked up was Anna Jones' A modern way to cook. Having visited Anna's blog on a number of occasions (and leaving feeling very envious of her blog/food/life) I sort of knew what to expect from this book. Following on from The modern way to eat, this book features over 150 ridiculously clever vegetarian recipes. For those of you who know me, you'll know I'm a fully fledged carnivore, so the fact this book has got me excited says a lot about how good it is. Not only does Anna feature a wide range of delicious dishes with a very modern twist, but throughout the book, she also has these clever tables showing which ingredients go with each other in certain dishes (like this stir fry matrix below). This is a very clever book from a very clever lady, not to mention the beautiful Nordic-esque minimalist photography throughout.
I can't wait to try all of the delicious recipes these books have to offer and it's Thanks to them, I am confident I will be out of my food rut very soon.
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