… so, I was so intrigued by Lou and Steve’s (from Please Do Not Feed The Animals) little war over what they cooked for my last RR challenge that I’ve invited Lou to come up with this months theme… I love the idea that they’re both going to cook the same dish each month and then rate who’s is the best… (Lou won last month by the way!)
and so Lou’s challenge for this month is to pick a random recipe from your most recently gifted cook book and cook that…
… now I love this theme because we all seem to get those cook books, either for birthdays or Christmas, a housewarming or even just a pick-me-up gift from a friend and if you’re anything like me, you give it a quick skim… drool over the photo’s… ‘ooh’ and ‘aahhh’ over some scrummy recipes… and then pop it onto the shelf, where it sits forlornly gathering dust until you remember to use it… well now is your chance to cook from it..!
… go on… do it NOW… find that book and randomly select your recipe… and remember, NO cheating!!!
rules are the same as usual, include the logo, with a link back to my blog in your post and then simply email a link to your blog post to dom@thepersuaders.co.uk or you can also tweet me @belleaukitchen and use the #randomrecipes hash-tag!
as it happens i’ve been on the receiving end of a number of new cook books recently, not all of them gifts, some have been from PR companies trading their wares (not that i’m complaining…) but the most recent book I actually received as a gift… and felt very humbled to receive… was a preview copy of the fabulous Prepped! by Vanessa Kimbell, which was sent to me by Vanessa herself and even signed with love!
so I closed my eyes and the recipe I randomly selected is this brilliant Rhubarb Syrup…
… as the name suggests, the whole premise of Vanessa’s book is about prepping stuff in advance so you don’t have to spend so much time in the kitchen, so you make two of something, then use one now and one later, or you would make a base for something which then get’s used in many different ways… like this syrup which can then be used in a sorbet, a topping, in a Mackerel & Rhubarb pate… or like i’ve done here in a cocktail… well, can you blame me?
What a great challenge! I am going to wait till next week to pick…cause i am hoping for a couple new ones for my birthday!!! teehee x loving the pink of the rhubarb!!! 🙂
Great idea Dom/Don't feed the animals! I had my birthday last month and was given a lovely array of shiny new books, including the brilliant River Cottage cookbook- expect an entry from that great tome soon-ish!
I love the color of your drink. It looks refreshing and perfect for early summer evenings 🙂 The random cookbook recipe challenge intrigues me, what a fun idea!
Ohhh.. rhubarb syrup, I would have never thought of that!!
I'm with Andrea.. I like this recipe challenge!
Hi Guys thanks @Jenn and Andrea… do join in the challenge, it's lots of fun and a bit scary!
Ooh, I've randomly landed on a particularly fattening pasta dish for challenge 5. What a terrible shame!
Well my last gift was Kitchen by Nigella from my Mother-in-law so I see to have picked myself a rather good theme this month – yay! I'll let Steve choose the recipe at random – that way he can't blame me.
Love the sound of the rhubarb syrup and I can see it would work for so many things. I don't have any rhubarb in my new garden and not much space so not sure if I am going to rectify that or not. Hmmm.
Looking forward to everyone's entries this month again. Lou.
I got the book. Freshly delivered from Amazon this morning: Nigella's How To Eat. Got the recipe too… Just need to get cooking. Another great theme Dom.
Brilliant idea for an interesting challenge…quite fancy joining in, thanks!
Ooh, thanks Louise and Dom – I like this one and have already managed to pick a nice easy one. So relief for you from cakes and relief for me from any more roulades! You've made rhubarb syrup and put it in vodka, I just make rhubarb vodka – I wonder which tastes better?
ahhh actually choclette, i've just made a chocolate and strawberry roulade for your we should cocoa challenge, so your not quite rid of them yet!
Rhubarb syrup sounds really unique! What would you use it for?
Hmmm, do you think 'new' cookbooks from the library count Dom? Seeing as I only have about a dozen or so to go through 😉
Fantastic – my most recent was Kitchen – with any luck I'll pick out a fish recipe and I can use it for Forever Nigella as well!
Two words: Dorie Greenspan. Not new (in fact it was a Christmas present from my in-laws) but it's definitely unused. Yes, I am suitably ashamed of myself.
Rhubarb in any form is a winner with me. I'd love some of that syrup drizzled over vanilla ice cream. Or poured straight down my throat…
Love the theme, I mustn't forget to do this when I get back from holiday. My book is obviously going to be a cupcake book but that's no bad thing. x
Choclette and Dom – I'm willing to do a taste comparison test!!!!
If only I could remember what my most recent cook book is ….. my brain cells seem to be evaporating!!!!
This is a wonderful idea. Off to find my most recent cookbook and put your badge up. That will help me remember and hopefully will attract others. Thanks for hosting this.
@Bizzy. Welcome on board. And remember. NO CHEATING!!!
oh dear, I can't remember the last book I was 'gifted'. I'm inclined to gift myself more often than I get given books because I have so many (blush) It might have been Madhur Jaffrey's Curry Bible which my sister gave me a couple of years ago. I'll have a think and try and remember (it's my age, you know)I'll look tomorrow.
Ok so now I'm hooked all I have to do is choose a book……I had several last Christmas……more bedtime reading….!!
I love their war too Dom, it did make me laugh!
I am assuming we can use our last promo gifted cookbook?
I am adding the event to the food blog diary for you Dom. Hope that is ok?
Jac
x
Brilliant. I never would have thought of using rhubarb as a syrup.
I wonder if your new cook book is good one or not.