If you like the classics (e.g. Jane Austen, Emily Bronte etc) you will really enjoy reading and using "Modern Cookery for private families" by Eliza Acton. It was originally published in 1845 and has now been brought back to life by Quadrille Publishing Ltd and Jill Norman.

When I first heard about this book I was intrigued by the title and you know straight away the kind of voice and tone to expect. From what I understand, this was one of the first cookery books of its kind and a pre-cursor to the (perhaps better known) Mrs Beeton books. Before then, familes and cooks had their own recipe books detailing family favourites with their own signature twists. Cooks took them household to household to provide wholesome meals for the families they worked for and the families themselves used these suggestions to inform the cook's offerings to them each day.

The recipes in the book are a reflection of popular recipes of the time ranging from basic pastry methods right through to cooking fish and meat and then on to desserts. The style in which they are written is not only very charming but very unusual. Depending on the recipe, she bases the amounts of ingredients on the weight of the other ingredients required. For example, in the sponge cake recipe, a lot of the quantities are largely reliant on the weight of the eggs used. Acton does of course use proper quantities too but after some thought I decided I quite liked this way of doing things. I'm going to give that way of cooking a try but whilst it would be potentially more time consuming, I think the results would be far more accurate in the long run.

All in all, this book is the most unusual recipe book I've had the pleasure of reading. I think it's worth a read if you're into something that bit different and if you fancy a glimpse into a more gentile time.

Bake and Decorate by Fiona Cairns

Bake & Decorate by Fiona Cairns is one of the most visually engaging books I have ever come across. A feast for the eyes with its stunning images and the recipes are every bit as good as you might imagine them to be.

I made a batch of the 'classic shortbread which took no time at all and was made of ingredients that you would just have hanging about in your kitchen. The response from my family and friends was amazing. Everyone said it was the lightest  most melt-in-your-mouth shortbread they'd ever tasted. Here's some I made earlier! There's only a small amount there but the recipe in the book makes approx 60 biccies!

The recipe offers two suggestions, one makes the melty variety, one makes a more granulated, crunchy version. Cairns has also recommended flavourings that you can add to the mixture to make it a bit different. The vanilla sounds yummy! I'll definitely be trying this recipe and the others in this book again! Cairns also advises when you can freeze the raw dough and just bring it out to bake when you need some fresh biscuits which I think it an ideal idea for when you are unexpectedly entertaining guests!

There are baking and decorating handy hints for the reader at the beginning and end of the book. Even if you're the most experienced baker, you may learn a useful new tip! The recipes in the book are so delicious and make beautiful additions to an afternoon tea or would make a special home-baked gift.

RRP £12.99 Published by Quadrille.

French Country Cooking - My own taste of Brittany!

The Roux Brothers are without doubt two of the greatest chefs of my lifetime, so I was excited to get my hands on their book, “French Country Cooking”. Originally published in 1989, the recipes have stood the test of time, true classics. There are over 150 diverse recipes featured and the photography makes everything even more mouth watering. Having spent my past six summers holidaying in Brittany, I had wanted to learn more about dishes from this region for a while and this book was perfect for me to do so.
 

French Country Cooking starts with teaching the reader the rudiments of cooking and baking pastry, sauces and stock which you refer back to in many if the recipes. The book is made up of recipes that have been passed through generations. Rather than being split into courses, it is separated into regional dishes and each section also features a nice couple of pages about that region and ingredients that specifically come from this area. I particularly enjoyed this structure to the book because it offers more of an education than some recipe books I’ve read in the past.

If you are a regular visitor of France like me, you will appreciate the opportunity to learn the genuine, traditional recipes of the region unlike anglicized versions you may see in other cookery books. It was particularly nice for me to see and learn to cook dishes from Brittany that I look forward to tucking into every year. For people who haven’t visited but want to sample the real taste of France, these easy to replicate, stunning offerings will be just what you’re after!