Masterchef madness

I became a fan of the Australian television phenomena Masterchef late in the series, but still found the final tense, have been more inventive in the kitchen lately and can't resist another food-themed post.

Winner of the series, Julie Goodwin, will have a recipe book published in April 2010 by Random House. It is sure to be a great seller, as there has already been a myriad of posts online from viewers speculating she only won because her cookbook idea for home-style recipes, presented to Donna Hay during an episode, was sure to be a hit among the demographic that predominantly purchases recipe books.

I am not a prolific buyer of recipe books, unlike most Australians given how many are published each year. However, I do have many of Donna Hay's and love getting Jeremy to bake items from the chocolate section in Flavours, and own a relatively small stack of others.

The two favourite recipe books I own are:

The Edmonds Cookery Book, a staple in all New Zealand kitchens that my mother gave me. First published in 1907, it is still popular and remains New Zealand's fastest selling book. Inside are a range of seemingly fail-safe recipes, including all the basics like scrambled eggs, along with a great conversion table for when you are stuck with recipes requiring a certain number of grams of butter and only have measuring cups and spoons. Tonight I made roasted potatoes in their skins with a mayonnaise, garlic and lemon rind dressing from this.

The Tra Vigne Cookbook is a favourite as Jeremy worked in the restaurant around the time I met him and we had our wedding reception there. The Italian-themed recipes from American celebrity chef Michael Chiarello follow the seasons of the Napa Valley, where the restaurant is located. Jeremy makes the lemon-baked fish with spinach salad, cooked and presented in brown paper bags, so well that I would never attempt it. In addition to the recipes and beautifully worded introductions to each section are photographs reminding me of the restaurant and cantinetta where I would sit outside sipping expresso and reading while waiting for Jeremy to finish his shift.

There are two recipe books on the horizon in Australia I find interesting. Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights, probably as I am a Sophie Dahl fan (I loved the whimsical The Man with the Dancing Eyes with its delightfully matched illustrations) and it looks gorgeously decatent.

Cook in Boots by Ravinder Bhogal contains the odd combination of food and fabulous shoes, that will actually appeal to types like me. A peek inside shows quirky titled chapters that are actually pretty relevant and recipes that are manageable while still being different from all the rest out there.

What are your favourite recipe books (and why?) and which do you this you'll try next?

Recipes in books that aren't recipe books

The colder days in Sydney have had me cooking porridge for breakfast. Not the one minute instant oats in the microwave kind, a chic french kind. Using Grandma Louise's oatmeal with grated apple recipe that only takes a couple of minutes longer and includes only a few more ingredients, but tastes a thousand times more delicious. Although, since my last name is LeBard, it may appear that this is a family recipe passed down to me, it simply came from a book, French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano.

A number of books I have read contain recipes, even though they are not recipe books. I recently posted a review on Family Life by food writer Elisabeth Luard, whose autobiography of her children's upbringing included a couple of recommendable recipes I have tried (one I included in the review).

More recently, I finished The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs (also reviewed), which contained a recipe for muffins at the end that I am still to try.

Have you ever used a recipe from a book that isn't a recipe book?

Recession reading

Part of my bookshelf.

One library in Sydney, Stanton Library, was recently reported in the local council news to have increased in popularity this year, possibly due to the economic climate:

"In the first three months of this year, there were 13% more visitors to Stanton Library and 6500 more books borrowed than in the same period last year. Another 1460 new members have joined the library."

Have you altered you book buying habits due to the economic climate? How?

So far this year I have:
+ purchased second-hand books for the first time
+ swapped and borrowed books much more than usual
+ used discount offers emailed to me from bookstores
+ cleaned out the bookshelves and boxed fifty books to sell