Cook Something Different Challenge

wellscomp

Oh I like this idea. Am actually cooking a recipe from a cookbook I had at Christmas today, so this can be my starter. Not sure I'll manage this weekly but will definitely make more of a regular effort to make use of the lovely books I have. (Also nervous about throwing any away!). I've also got a stash that I keep renewing from the library, with the excuse of wanting to just try that recipe/have another look through before they go back.

So today am cooking sweet potato and salmon fish cakes in Lorraine Pascal's Home Cooking Made easy. Next it will have to be a library book recipe.

P.S. I don't think that my children will like them! My 2 sons will try them but my daughter (and prob my sons) will have to have pasta with some of the cooked salmon. I don't cook separate dinners for them most of the time and don't class a handful of pasta and mayo/cheese to be a hassle to accommodate a daughter who has never liked potato in any shape or form! I must just not allow myself to not cook lovely new dishes for my husband and I for fear of the children's fussiness getting in the way.
Thanks for the thread.
Claire

Turkishdreamer

Oh no. Another thread for me to be addicted too:j.

I am a Cook Book addict, we have recently moved from England to Scotland and my 'downsizing' involved having to reduce my Cookery Book collection, which accounted for 6 book shelves full and 5 large cardboard boxes full. I just couldn't do it, although made of a show of trying.

Now we are settling in, I am rediscovering Cookery Books I haven't used for ages and each week since Xmas have had a Baking/Cooking afternoon. Loving it and will really love this thread too.

Thanks - 'I think':)

AlwaysHappy

Ooh yes, I'm in - coincides with something I had started to think about before christmas and then have introduced this year. I went through all of my cookery books and wrote down in a notebook the recipes I wanted to cook (some books had none or very few so were recycled...). I have set myself a challenge of two new recipes each week and then I pop the findings into my notebook as to what the results were and whether to do again. I have loooooaaadds of cookery books (though not so many now!) and it will be quite a while before I manage to complete the project - set backs occur when there are so many lovely recipes also posted on here.......

hamish222

Great idea. I have a about 100 cookbooks but always cook same things. Clearing out all stuff in my freezer before payday so can do big butcher order and then loving the idea once I have used up all my bits and bobs this week.

scottishminnie

Great idea daisiegg - I vowed to do this when I was given a nice shiny new Hummingbird Bakery book and I did for about 10 weeks then went back to making my tried and tested. I've set myself a challenge this year to make a new dessert each week (we dine with my parents on Sunday evenings and I supply pudding).

I have thousands of recipes, mostly torn from magazines and gathered up in US supermarkets and from friends. I laminated them all last year and I promise to get them sorted out this year into a folder, that will give me some impetus to use them as there are some truly amazing things in there.
I've just given into a weakness though and ordered the Barefoot Contessa's newest book as I love her to bits (and I adore her kitchen) so that will also provide plenty new inspiration although it's not to say my trusty old Be-Ro book won't be used too:)

Turkishdreamer

scottishminnie wrote: »

I have thousands of recipes, mostly torn from magazines and gathered up in US supermarkets and from friends. I laminated them all last year and I promise to get them sorted out this year into a folder, that will give me some impetus to use them as there are some truly amazing things in there.

What a good idea. When we downsized just before Xmas I gave away 6 years of Sainsburys Magazines, as did not want to move them the 500 miles. Wish I had thought of this. Gives me the opportunity to keep collecting though, I WILL get round to sorting out and laminating.

Thanks:T

Sue14

A good idea for a challenge, I have loads of cook books, (mostly bought from charity shops and car boot sales), but a lot are unused, and I keep saying that I'll try some new recipes, and get rid of some of the books if there isn't anything in them I want to try, but keep going back to the same things all the time, so from next week I will start trying some new recipes. Luckily I only have to cook for OH and myself, and he will eat anything I cook (he has to really otherwise he would starve as he can't cook, lol!), he recently bought me the new Jamie Oliver book so maybe I'll try something from that first.

AlwaysHappy

Well - I've done my two new recipes for the week - I baked some little stem ginger gingerbreads from the Bake Off book which I thought were nice but my son thought too gingery !! and this evening I have made some hummus from my kenwood processor book - I know, a bit of a cheat BUT in my defence, it was on my list - off to pore the list for inspiration for next weeks two. Can't wait to see how everyone else is doing now that I have subscribed at last.

kittywight

can i join in

i have so many cookbooks, but tend to always use the same ones

this week i am going to try a recipe from the hillbillyhousewife website (its the 9th recipe down) http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/recipes/crockpot#id=I1_1327175864412&parent=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hillbillyhousewife.com&rpctoken=463324418&_methods=onPlusOne%2C_ready%2C_close%2C_open%2C_resizeMe

asian crockpot chicken and peppers , athough im going to change the recipe and use pork

i also want to start cooking healthier and using my slowcooker more, before the warmer weather starts

xx

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

I'll join you I am trying to expand my culinary horizons by making new dishes and new types of Cuisine to make myself a better Chef and more able to cater for myself with the right role for ready made ie when I am cream crackered after shopping and just need to stuff something remotely delicious into my gob.