Cook Something Different Challenge

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

I have a very handsome Collection of Cookery Books to inspire me, and a growing Collection of Veggie Books. I can't see how this cannot be very OS if one can cook, set one's heart to cook properly and deliciously, who knows the cost savings that are possibly involved? An example we could all use is making Chinese Food. If we have fab recipes, great ingredients (gotten as cheaply as possible!) and have or willing to acquire great skills I reckon we could save on £££ with Chinese Takeaways; unless of course we wished to take ourselves to a really top class Establishment.

kittywight

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver wrote: »

I have a very handsome Collection of Cookery Books to inspire me, and a growing Collection of Veggie Books. I can't see how this cannot be very OS if one can cook, set one's heart to cook properly and deliciously, who knows the cost savings that are possibly involved? An example we could all use is making Chinese Food. If we have fab recipes, great ingredients (gotten as cheaply as possible!) and have or willing to acquire great skills I reckon we could save on £££ with Chinese Takeaways; unless of course we wished to take ourselves to a really top class Establishment.

do you have an independent health food store near you hun?
we have one local to us, and can get virtually every herb/spice known to man, less than half the price of spices bought in supermarkets and double the size only diffrence is, in my store they come in little plastic bags , rather than shakers like in the supermarkets... the spices are changed and bagged regularly also, so are fresher.. some could be sitting on the supermarket shelves for years

scottishminnie

well I can tick off week 1 of the "cook something different challenge". I made Creme Caramel for tonights dessert - really easy and a success so that's another one for the tried and tested pile.

GreenQueen

Well.....

At the weekend I started gently, and picked out one book that I've never used - Asian cookery, with sections for most of the Asian countries. After I got it home I couldn't find anything I wanted to cook.

I looked through it again on Saturday, and nearly all the recipes used ingredients I'd never heard of - and I'm a fairly experienced Indian and Chinese cook. One recipe for roast chicken had three different marinades to be put on at different stages in the process, with lots of unknown ingredients. Instant donation to the charity shop!

On a positive note, we have soup and baked potatoes on the menu plan for Friday, and I found a recipe for pumpkin and nutmeg soup in a weightwatchers recipe book - sounds fab and I have some pumpkin to use up - will let you know how it goes!

GQ

GreenQueen

Just remembered after I posted.

Was thinking of putting a post-it note inside the front cover of each of the books as I look through, so that I can list "want to make" and "this is good" (and possibly "never make again!"). Although I liked the idea of keeping notes together in a notebook, I think keeping each list with its relevant cookery book is going to be more useful to me, and wondered whether anyone else would find it helpful.

GQ

Oscar_the_Pug

What a great thread idea! :beer:

I got the river cottage veg cookbook for Christmas and since then have made:

Chacouka
Swede and potato pasties
Ribollita
Mushroom stoup
Mushroom risionotto
Patatas bravas

Have plans to try the porotos granados and leeks with romesco sauce this week!

Also tried Nigella's viennese red cabbage, from How to Eat which was most delicious!

countrymusicfan

I cook 3 new meals every week for the pleasure of it. But if you want recipes that use what you have, one I just found is the Philadelphia website. It has a what's in the fridge section. If that should help. Saves money to use what you have. :money:

Kittenkirst

Mmmm we tried deep fried duck gyozas yest with hoisin dipping sauce yesterday & steamed duck moneybags with ginger & soy dipping sauce (we gad roast duck Saturday so lots of leftovers) x

kittywight

got my chinese pork and peppers in slowcooker, i hope its nice it smells delicious, got a friend coming over later so i hope it doesnt dissapoint

gonna do some egg fried rice to go with it

Turkishdreamer

This is great, been sorting through my book shelves, only moved a month ago, supposedly scaled down my Cook Books, but still have so many.

Just discovered my old school recipes folder (30+ years old:o), has some fab old recipes, plus loads of old recipes cut from magazines when I first got married 32 years ago.

Just soaking fruit for a tea bread and bread for a bread pudding. Make these all the time, but not with these recipes, different ingredients.

Also found my savoury bread & butter pudding recipe, which I haven't used for years. That is Wednesday's dinner sorted.