Worth having someone else carry to your house!
There seems to be an obesity problem, and I’m not just talking about our waistlines! Browsing the food section of the bookshop it seems that cookbooks are just growing and growing in size! Which means you probably don’t want to lug them home. Well, not unless you buy two and are equally balanced, so getting a workout as you walk back! But if you’re not keen on that idea, then maybe request these from Santa and let the sleigh take the strain!
Here’s my five heavyweights for your consideration:
1. The Big Fat Duck Cookbook by Heston Blumenthal – this seems to be one of the weightiest around, weighing in at over 11 and a half pounds! That’s some serious book going on. Not the kind of book you’re going to whip out to cook up a last minute Wednesday night supper in half an hour, but a book to savour and enjoy in wonder and astonishment. Those of you whose molecular gastronomy is more up to speed than mine may well cook from it, the rest of us will just enjoy it! If you want a lighter weight Duck, then try The Fat Duck Cookbook.
2. A Day at ElBulli by Ferran Adria – must be something about those molecular gastronomy blokes, they add extra weight to the paper by some magical means. But compared to the Fat Duck tome, this is lightweight, as it tips the scales at a little under 7 pounds. Pah, nothing! Not so much a recipe book as an insight into everything that goes into making these eating experiences memorable. Great photographs take you through a day in the life of the restaurant, from sunrise to the end of service.
3. The Silver Spoon - this is definitely on my Christmas list, as I adore Italian food, and have had to eat my way around Milan and Bologna on various work trips. Tough, I know. In fact I don’t know how I don’t own this one already, it’s an absolute classic, the equivalent of Delia’s Complete Cookery Course in Italy. Looking forward to getting food stains and flour throughout its 6lbs worth of pages. I love the fact that recipes come with recommended wines, all Italian I would guess, and there are menu suggestions too. I can see the pasta machine getting a good work out if Santa lugs this down our chimney!
4. Vefa’s Kitchen by Vefa Alexiadou - possibly doing for Greek food what The Silver Spoon has done for Italian, this is just over 5.5 pounds of Greek delights. You just know this is going to take you way beyond dolmades and kleftico, and get into some fantastic regional dishes. I think this is a book to prop open on a cold night when it feels like the sunshine and warmth has gone for ever, and dream of a little taverna by the sea, a cold beer and amazingly well cooked simple food that tastes divine. No sign of molecular anything here, just a deep exploration into an underrated cuisine.
5. Happy in the Kitchen by Michel Richard - I know nothing about Michel Richard, although love that he calls himself Captain Crunch. Five pounds of technique meets whimsy, I like the fact that its recipes are playful and fun to cook. It also says they’re unique, often wildly simple and always genius. If you’re in Washington DC, you can visit his restaurant, Citronelle, and the food looks amazingly beautiful.
So, 34 pounds of cookbook delight that would definitely be worth getting your bookshelves reinforced for!
