Helen Stanton of Forum Books in Corbridge, The Bound, Whitley Bay, and The Accidental Bookshop, Alnwick, reviews her latest food titles
On The Himalayan Trail // Romy Gill
Romy Gill tells the story of Kashmir and Ladakh’s unique and tantalising cuisine sharing more than 80 extraordinary recipes. With everything from shammi kebabs (minced lamb patties) to wagen pakora (deep-fried aubergine in gram flour) to succulent meat curries like Kashmiri rogan josh or gustaba (lamb meatballs cooked in a yoghurt gravy); to aromatic vegetable dishes. Set to the backdrop of the snow-capped Himalayas, with stunning travel photography, it’s an intimate window into the life and the history of the Kashmiri and Ladakhi people, and why food is at the heart of this incredible place. Absolutely stunning.
The Brownie Diaries // Leah Hyslop
These are Leah’s cocoa-dusted recipes for happy times, heartbreak and everything in between. She’s got a brownie recipe to cheer you up, like the ‘Lonesome Tonight’ brownie, the ‘I Think I Love You’ brownie and even the ‘Payday’ brownie. Stuck indoors on a rainy Sunday afternoon? There’s a brownie for that, too. This really is the ultimate book for brownie and blondie lovers everywhere.
The Get Ahead Cook // Jane Lovett
A timely reissue of Jane’s classic is packed full of easy, uncomplicated and foolproof recipes to take the stress out of cooking. With dishes that are contemporary and beautifully presented, yet deceptively simple. Importantly for us, they all have get-ahead elements to lighten the load, making them invaluable for everyday cooking and especially for entertaining. One you’ll go back to time and time again.
Nistisima // Georgina Hayden
Nistisima means fasting food – food eaten during Lent etc – which just happens to be vegan. Drawing on the history and culture of the Mediterranean, Middle East and Eastern Europe Georgina shares the simple, nutritious and flavour-packed recipes at the heart of the practice and celebrates the very best of this tradition, all bursting with flavour and all surprisingly vegan. Gorgeous storytelling and photography too.
A Good Day To Bake // Benjamina Ebuehi
The Great British Bake Off contestant Benjamina writes so warmly about cakes and her recipes speak to a natural, seasonal and down-to-earth way of baking. Believing that every day is a good day to bake, here Benjamina also embraces the simplicity, mindfulness and the therapeutic comforts of baking. We’ll take a slice of that!
