Neil’s cookbook of the week: Konbini by Brendan Liew and Caryn Ng

‘Konbini: Cult Recipes, Stories and Adventures from Japan’s Iconic Convenience Stores’ by Brendan Liew and Caryn Ng is a brilliant and fun book to flick through. I was sceptical at first, but it is a great read, with the understanding this is a different world where you can get great food from basically the corner shop. This is not based around a restaurant, a hotel or a famous chef; it is food that everyone eats, either for a lunch on the go or to quickly put together at home — both nostalgic and simple.

It is interesting, as influences come from China and Korea, with spice from India. This is food in Tokyo and what the workers eat, starting with onigiri, which is basically rice wrapped around a filling of, say, chicken, fish, salmon roe, and finished with nori seaweed — very popular with packed lunches.

The other part of the store is the hot snack section, which sounds delicious when I see crab croquettes, fried chicken and steamed buns with various fillings. Osouzai is a proper sort of takeaway for a hearty evening meal picked up on the way home, with stews and curry and braised pork belly with black vinegar, which sounds delicious.

Desserts are quite different to what we know in the West, however some cream-filled choux puffs and croissants with custard are very familiar, and a very recognisable pot of custard like a crème caramel — all very interesting stuff, and remember, all purchased from the konbini or local store. It is a lovely book and refreshingly different.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: Taboon by Hisham Assaad

A quite different book for me this week, but a good one. ‘Taboon: Sweet and Savoury Delights from the Lebanese Bakery’ by Hisham Assaad is a colourful and beautifully put-together book which I like a lot. It will guide you through the treats available from a part of the world I went to a long time ago, and I thoroughly enjoyed the delicious food of the Middle East. The food from this region has so much flavour and uses different ingredients than we use in the UK.

It comes down to flour, water and salt, and the addition of what is around you — say sesame, olive oil, good cheese, figs, pistachio, honey and of course spice. The use of spice in this book is subtle and flavoursome, with za’tar spice and pepper from Aleppo, and bread rolls with olive and chilli sound delicious. The sound of aniseed bread for Ramadan sounds interesting as it is such a strong flavour; I shall give that a go. However, the sound of layered cheese pie sounds absolutely delicious, and I found a recipe in the book for clotted cream!

There are so many stories to tell from this book and many I want to eat. In difficult times — and an area like the Middle East has been difficult for so long — it amazes me that food is still cherished, enjoyed and talked about and maybe, just maybe, able to bring people together more. Taboon, incidentally, is a portable, traditional Palestinian oven made from clay and straw.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: Orkney Spirit by Liz Ashworth

‘Orkney Spirit: Food Journeys’ by Liz Ashworth is a welcoming, warm, lovely book by someone I have met a few times. Orkney is not a place that I have been to as yet, but the world is a big place and the clock is ticking.

The food here is great, with some wonderful names in the book like Orkney Fuarag — a form of Cranachan consisting of oatmeal (of which many recipes in Orkney do), crowdie and honey. A warming recipe of Mealie Tatties, which is adding some freshly stoneground oatmeal, a knob of butter and salt to cooked and just-drained potatoes. Another brilliant name is Fatty Cutties — a biscuit of sorts that has many versions, but given a lift with bicarbonate of soda, the addition of currants and cooked on the griddle. It is unique to Westray, a place where we get some very fine cheese.

What makes this book stand out for me is the personal touch — the memories and the stories that Liz brings. It is a charming book, and it seems everyone is a lot happier in these remote places away from the madding crowds. There are many mentions of F. Marian McNeill in this book, who was a resident of Orkney and wrote the classic cookbook The Scots Kitchen, which I hope you all now have. There is a recipe in this book that makes my mouth water — slow-roasted North Ronaldsay mutton. I adore that meat; I must try and chase some down. Liz is quite a character and worked at Baxters, the soup people, for a long time. I adore this book with all her tales. It will make you want to go visit and have a dram of Highland Park.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: The Condiment Book by Claire Dinhut

My choice of book of the week this week is a mad one. It is called ‘The Condiment Book’ by Claire Dinhut. It is not my normal go-to book at all, but after reading it through, it is making me think differently. It is a fabulous collection of how to do so many things in the kitchen that you were possibly too scared to do — how to make everything from flavoured salt to kimchi, to pickles, to jelly and hot sauce. It is not a book to read in the normal sense, but a very well put together, informative and concise book of how to make stuff quite simply.

The book is dedicated to the curious soul, and I see that. I imagine the inside of the author’s head is vibrant — full of busy thoughts, ideas and fun. Colourful thoughts about food and what goes with what: taste, seasoning, piquant, sharp or sweet. It is a bit mad actually. It feels very Willy Wonka, and I like it. I have dipped in and out quite a bit, and for those who want to make their own ‘whatever’, this is the book for them.

I must say the fermenting section is very good as it explains things very well. We all struggle sometimes with a kimchi or a sauerkraut, but Claire does a very good job with a step-by-step explanation. The ultimate manual to explore what isn’t strictly necessary — but to many of us, is essential. The queen of condiments, I think.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: Hors d'Oeuvres by Mollie Stanley-Wrench

This is a sweet little book — another passed down from my dad. It is ‘Hors D’Oeuvres and How to Make Them’ by Mollie Stanley-Wrench, who was quite an accomplished author and cookery book writer. There are some fabulous recipes in this small, pocket-sized book, and many of these dishes and recipes we still use today.

This is a book from 1952 and was probably bought new by a relative and handed over to my father when he started cooking in the ’50s in Fishers Hotel, Pitlochry. It was quite a tough life then; some months there simply wasn’t enough work to go round, so you were sent home until business picked up a bit. I still find the extent of knowledge back then amazing. Folk must have travelled far and wide to compile books like this.

Influences from all over the world are in this little book — Chinese dishes, Scandic herring dishes and American ideas — but it almost always comes back to France, where the majority of folk, even today, look for inspiration in the kitchen. I can’t quite imagine a place like Coupar Angus in rural Scotland, just after the war, having much need for a book of appetisers or hors d’oeuvres. Was there even a need for dinner parties? I shall find out.

It crossed my mind — where on earth in rural Scotland in the ’50s would you find aubergines, anchovies, crayfish, cumin, even olives? Remember, there was still rationing in place for many food items. Nonetheless, I like this book a lot. The section on savoury butters is brilliant, and the recipe for kabobbed oysters is interesting. It is just a kebab with fatty bacon and oysters, baked and served with cayenne and lemon. I shall keep dipping in and out of this book and wonder where they found Roquefort in 1950s Scotland.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: The Scottish Cookery Book by Christopher Trotter

‘The Scottish Cookery Book’ by Christopher Trotter is a good book, in fact it is a very good book indeed. I know Christopher well and have always admired his work. Our paths have crossed several times throughout our time cooking, and I respect what he does to showcase what our great country has to offer. This book could be written now as it is timeless, and he has come up with dishes that look stunning, and I know taste good because I have cooked them. He is a brilliant ambassador for Scottish food and history and many of us will cook these dishes currently or will have done so in the past. This is a celebration of Scottish cooking old and new. I love the menus at the back of the book, giving us ideas around local and seasonal produce. Brilliant — and remember this book is almost 30 years old. Superb recipes for skirlie, clapshot, shortbread, border tart, rowies, clootie dumpling and of course roast grouse with rowan berries, a dish I cooked a few weeks ago at a wine event some of you may recall. It is still current, especially venison with dauphinoise, pheasant wrapped in bacon, barley risotto with lamb and trout with almonds. What’s not to get excited about? This book won’t be going back in the bookshelf for a while. I salute you Christopher for writing this with the future in mind. Don’t just sit there folks, go and get a copy.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: Recipes of All Nations by Countess Morphy

‘Recipes of All Nations’ is quite a book. It is compiled and edited by Countess Morphy and is one of the most interesting books I have come across. It is unusual for a book of this age to be so concise, but it covers so many countries, and the dishes and recipes look great. This book was recently given to me by my father, and it is one he used to swear by when he was teaching young students. A go-to for inspiration, it must have opened up the world for people with classic French to Chinese and Swedish dishes. Couscous from Morocco, Bombay Duck in India, fried grits in New Orleans, and a delicious-sounding pea soup with boiled, pickled pork. My dad always tells me about a rabbit dish, which I must try. Not sure you will find this book, but if you do, I suggest taking it home. It is full of very good recipes and easy to do. Published by Selfridge and Co., this must have been an important book. Shockingly, Countess Morphy was my age when she died in 1938. That was her pen name; her real name was Marcelle Azra Hincks.

Neil's cookbook of the week: The Sweet Polish Kitchen by Ren Behan

This week is a sweet book. Sweet for providing a sugary treat but also, I found it truly a sweet little book. It will be nostalgic and will attract many for the heritage memories. It’s called ‘The Sweet Polish Kitchen’ by Ren Belhan. Many of you know I don’t have a massively sweet tooth, but I do enjoy cooking sweets, cakes and puddings. This is a good purchase for something exciting and a bit different, with 80 recipes from cakes, classic home bakes and nostalgic treats too. There is a lovely introduction about family and cafe culture, which is a great read in itself. I obviously struggle with the pronunciation of the dishes here, but I get the food. And I adore that they have a sourdough starter here too.

Polish food is often overlooked and it shouldn’t be. There is a huge repertoire I don’t know about and dishes I didn’t know existed but will be normal for many. Cheesecakes look particularly good, with the classic Polish version made with raisins, which I like the sound of. The use of fruit, candied peel, apples, lemon, pear, cherries, bilberries, plums is a big deal. There are too many recipes to choose from, but one that I am drawn to is the Carpathian Mountain cake: a choux pastry with pastry cream, fruit and toasted almonds. Sounds blooming lovely. Modern twists but with classic recipes and bold folkloric styling.

Neil's cookbook of the week: Mrs Beeton's 'All About Cookery'

An oldie, a classic and a good one this week. Mrs Beeton’s ‘All About Cookery’ is an incredible book, which must have hundreds if not a thousand recipes, dishes and ideas of what to cook. My copy was given to me recently by my father. He has had it for years but has now passed it down to me. It is in very good condition and is absolutely fascinating in the way language was used in the late 1800s, with plenty of pages for advertising cookware, gelatine and biscuits, and showing off by using French terms and cooking methods.

It must have been a book for the middle to upper classes as I do not imagine folk living in the slums of the big cities had access to woodcock, ptarmigan, or veal to make delicious cutlets. They would have recipes handed down from mother to daughter, but very little would be written. So reading this (and it does take some time to get through it), is interesting. A September dinner for 6 to 12 persons had turbot in a cream sauce, sirloin of beef, damson tart, partridges. This food was only for those who could afford it.

Nonetheless, this is a great book for finding a dish or using an ingredient that you may never have cooked before and using a different technique. I guess many households have a Mrs Beeton tucked away. She must have made quite a few shillings from her writing. This copy is in remarkable condition. Keep your eyes peeled in the charity shops for a copy.

Neil's cookbook of the week: What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci

Something a wee bit different this week from the movie star Stanley Tucci. ‘What I Ate in One Year’ is a very interesting read. It is what it says on the tin: a documented diary of what he ate in a year, at home, in restaurants, hotels, and friends’ houses. It is funny in parts and interesting. He loves food, and this comes across well.

He is a great cook, and his recipes pop up in books from other chefs. I imagine his life revolves around food and it is constantly on his mind. As it says on the back cover, ‘sharing food is one of the purest human acts’, and I totally agree. With great food comes conversation, fun, laughter, memories being made, and flavour. I believe we would all like to spend a day with Stanley. What does he do, how does he cook, what would he cook (a simple pasta dish?), would we go out? I would like that.

This brilliant read is hard to put down, littered with anecdotes and tales from good to terrible food eaten. Of course some name-dropping, but he is allowed — he is a well-liked food star. This is also a very personal book, talking about his family and kids, one of whom is a chef. It really is interesting, different, and fun, and I love that he likes to eat at St John. A few good recipes and a cocktail or two. It is a really well put together book, a slice of his personal life and family, worth the read.