Writing a cookbook: a talk with Sybil Kapoor and Jenny Linford

Read about a chat with food book authors and how to write one yourself

CookeryBook_Blog_21May

A few weeks ago, during London Craft Week, I took part in a workshop to hand-make a notebook.

During this course, I learned the basics to create a very simple and important object from scratch for those who write, want to write and write down thoughts and reflections, and even more important to write down old recipes, new and experimental.

The old cookbooks of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers have been passed down from generation to generation, all very much lived and written with pen and paper. There were no phone applications when writing a recipe on the kitchen table mixed with flour and ingredients of the moment. I think we all received as a gift cookbooks from our families; it is important to continue the tradition and pass that story to those who like us want to cook and explore tastes and smells. Some of these cookbooks will become books. Here is a wonderful event organized by the British Library where two renowned names in writing and cooking talk to us about how to write a cookbook.  

You may love to cook, and perhaps write too, but what really goes into making a cookbook? Take a peek behind the scenes with two highly respected food writers, Sybil Kapoor and Jenny Linford, to find out about the process of writing and creating a cookbook, as they share their trials, tribulations and top tips.

Sybil Kapoor is the author of eight books including her latest Sight Smell Touch Taste Sound A New Way to Cook.  She began her career as a chef in London and New York and has since won many awards for her writing, including two prestigious Glenfiddich Awards, two Michael Smith Awards from the Guild of Food Writers and Food Writer of the Year at The Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards 2015. Her features have appeared in the GuardianThe Sunday Times, and the Financial Times. Her bestselling books include Modern British Food, Simply British and Taste. She contributes to The Economist’s 1843 MagazineHouse & Garden and the award-winning Borough Market Market Life magazine.

Jenny Linford is a food writer and author of over 15 books including The Chef’s Library, featuring the favourite cookbook choices of over 70 acclaimed international chefs, and Food Lovers’ London, first published in 1991 and still in print. Her work has appeared in Delicious, the Financial Times, Modern Farmer and the National Trust magazine. She runs Gastro-Soho Tours, offering personal guided tours around London’s food shops. Travelling to Denmark, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore and Spain as well as travelling around Britain to meet producers including bakers, chocolate makers, asparagus growers, ice cream makers and farmers, her most recent book, The Missing Ingredient, showcases the voices of the people she has encountered and championed over 26 years.

Food Season is supported by KitchenAid

More info:

How To Write A Cookbook
British Library St Pancras

Mon 20 May 2019, 19.00 – 20.30

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world’s greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library’s collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation and includes books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, photographs, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages. Up to 10 million people visit the British Library website – www.bl.uk – every year where they can view up to 4 million digitised collection items and over 40 million pages.

The British Library’s Membership scheme is a way for people to support the work of the British Library, while also gaining access to benefits including: unlimited free access to exhibitions, access to the exclusive Members’ Room (with a guest), access to the Knowledge Centre Bar (with up to three guests), 20% discount in British Library restaurants and cafés, 20% discount in our Shops, priority booking for events, along with four free tickets to British Library events. Membership is available at a range of prices and full details are available at www.bl.uk/membership.  Membership is separate from access to our Reading Rooms, which is available to anyone holding a British Library Reader Pass and which remains free.

About KitchenAid

2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the iconic KitchenAid Stand Mixer.

In 1908, after watching a baker mix bread dough with a heavy iron spoon, Ohio-based engineer, Herbert Johnston, developed a stand mixer to help alleviate the backbreaking work. By 1919, the first household mixer, boasting the unique planetary action and famous curves, was ready for market. During a product test, the wife of an employee exclaimed: “I don’t care what you call it, it’s the best kitchen aid I’ve ever had!”.  And the rest, as they say, is history …

Since the introduction of the stand mixer in 1919 and the first dishwasher in 1949, KitchenAid has built on the legacy of these icons to create a complete line of products. Today, the KitchenAid brand offers virtually every essential for the well-equipped kitchen from utensils and cookware to large and small electrical appliances offering professional performance to both chefs and passionate home cooks.

KitchenAid is part of the Whirlpool Corporation, the world’s leading major home appliance company. For further information on KitchenAid, visit www.kitchenaid.co.uk

Ingredients: British Asparagus

Asparagus are in season, go buy or grab some and make a delicious risotto!

British-asparagus-spring-pasta-1-980x1225

It’s officially British asparagus season! Just make sure you grab a few bundles and make the most of it whilst it’s here. Easy to cook, the British asparagus is delicious served simply. You can boil it, steam it, grill, roast and even BBQ. The British asparagus is in season from the end of April until June. Chefs consider the British harvest to be the best in the world.

One of the main producers in the UK is Wye Valley Produce a grown by fourth-generation farmers, by the Chinn family, in the Wye Valley, near Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire. They planted their first Asparagus crop in the Spring of 2003, and the Wye Valley brand has since expanded to include rhubarb, blueberries and green beans. The light, sandy soil and south-facing slopes of the meandering Wye Valley capture the earliest spring sunlight and create a microclimate that is perfectly formed to produce some of the earliest, and the best, produce in the UK.

Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name Asparagus officinalis, is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus Asparagus. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. A distant cousin of the onion, the asparagus is also a member of the Liliaceae family. Its history goes back as far as that of the leek and has been consumed for over 2000 years. The plant originated in the eastern Mediterranean countries and traces of wild varieties have been discovered in Africa. Archaeologists believe that it was also cultivated in Egypt.

In ancient Greece, asparagus was considered to be a plant with sacred and aphrodisiac virtues and the Greeks were interested in its biological and pharmaceutical qualities.

Hippocrates, the ancient Greek doctor, used asparagus to treat diarrhoea and pains of the urethra. This plant, in fact, contains asparagines which is known for its diuretic properties. The Romans, for their part, appreciated the plants’ gastronomic qualities. They ate it as a starter or as a vegetable accompanying fish. During the Middle Ages, the Asparagus was largely forgotten but continued to be cultivated by the Arabs. Caesar’s legions returning from the Orient brought the asparagus back to Europe.

Starting in the 16th  century, asparagus was served in the royal courts of Europe and in the 17th century, it was cultivated in France for Louis XIV who was, very fond of it. At that time, according to the records, it was the size of a swan’s feather and was grown solely for the requirements of the nobility. Only in the 18th century did the asparagus make its appearance on the local marketplace and in numerous culinary works.

HEALTHY FACTS

British asparagus is packed full of goodness, so not only are you getting a delicious vegetable but a healthy one too:

–       Eating asparagus promotes healthy bacteria in the large intestine and can help reduce bloating

–       Asparagus contains vitamin K, essential for healthy blood clotting

–       It is a rich source of vitamin C, which boosts your immune system

–       Asparagus is a mild diuretic and is believed to help detoxify the body

YUMMY RECIPES

British asparagus spring pasta

A super quick and easy dish for those mid-week meals that require little preparation time.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

You’ll need:

400g British asparagus

170g frozen peas

350g pappardelle pasta

2 knobs of butter

1tbsp olive oil

4 scallions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

200ml crème Fraiche

A handful of chopped mint

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan, grated

What to do: 

Put a large pan of water onto boil for the pappardelle. While you wait, trim the ends off the asparagus and chop into 2-3cm pieces. Once the water has come up to boil, blanch the asparagus and the peas for 2-3 minutes and then place in a bowl of ice-cold water

Keep the pan of water on the hob and boil the pasta according to pack instructions.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan, then add the olive oil, shallots and garlic and gently fry for 5 minutes until soft. Add the crème fraiche to the pan and stir to gently warm through making sure it doesn’t split. Add the fresh chopped mint, asparagus and peas to the pan and stir through along with a little of pasta water to loosen the mixture up.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain well and add to the sauce. Season to your liking and then serve with a grating of parmesan, a sprinkle of more fresh mint and a drizzle of olive oil.

(Recipe from the British Asparagus Association)

 

Asparagus risotto with wild garlic pesto

Risotto makes a lovely light supper, and shows off the asparagus’s delicate flavour. You could use a shop-bought pesto if you want to save on time or can’t get hold of wild garlic.

Serves 4

200g asparagus spears, woody ends snapped off, cut into 3cm lengths
80g butter
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
400g risotto rice
125ml white wine
1.2 litres hot vegetable stock
60g spinach leaves, finely shredded
80g Parmesan, grated, plus shavings to garnish
salt and pepper
20g pea shoots, to garnish

For the wild garlic pesto (or use 150g regular pesto,shop-bought or homemade)
130g wild garlic leaves
1 garlic clove, sliced
130ml olive oil
3 tbsp dry-roasted pumpkin seeds
25g Parmesan, grated

What to do: 

First make the pesto: mix half the wild garlic leaves with the garlic clove and olive oil and leave to stand for 10 minutes, then add  to a food processor or blender and blitz to a smooth paste. Add the remaining leaves with the pumpkin seeds and Parmesan and pulse  for a few seconds until you have  a coarse pesto. Taste and season  as necessary.

Now make the risotto. Melt half the butter and the olive oil in a widebased pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over a low-medium heat until softened but not coloured.  Add the rice and cook slowly, stirring for 5 minutes. Pour in the white wine and reduce until the liquid has evaporated. Gradually add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly. When most of the stock is absorbed, add the asparagus and spinach with the remaining butter and grated Parmesan. Stir in the wild garlic pesto and season to taste.

Serve, garnished with pea shoots, Parmesan shavings and a drizzle  of olive oil.

Bring a wide pan of water to the boil, add the asparagus and simmer for about 5 minutes, then drain and plunge quickly into iced water and drain again well. Leave to cool.

(Recipe from the book: ‘Nurture: Notes and Recipes from Daylesford Farm’  by Carole Bamford, published by Square Peg).

 

Roasted asparagus with spring onions and goat’s cheese

Serves 2

We serve this dish as a starter in the Field Kitchen. It is simplicity itself and makes a perfect lunch with a few slices of chewy, crusty bread and butter. We use a goat’s cheddar as it lends itself well to grating, crumbling or shaving, but a younger, fresher goat’s cheese will still hit the mark.

1 bunch of asparagus
olive oil
4–6 spring onions, depending on size
50g goat’s cheddar
½ lemon
salt and black pepper

What to do: 

Heat the oven to 210°C/Gas 7. Snap the tough lower stalks from the asparagus then split any larger stems in half lengthways so that they are all roughly the same size. Toss the asparagus in a baking dish in just enough oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 8–12 minutes (depending on thickness) until just tender. Trim the spring onions; nip off the root, cut off the darker ends and peel away the first layer of skin. Slice very finely at an angle. Break up the slices with your fingertips. As soon as you take the asparagus out of the oven, squeeze the lemon juice over it and toss the spring onions through. Pile on to a plate and crumble, grate or shave the cheese on top.

(Recipe from riverford.co.uk/recipes)

Roasted Asparagus

Serves 4

One of the simplest, and most delicious, ways to cook asparagus is to roast it in the oven.

INGREDIENTS

800g Asparagus
2 cloves of garlic (left whole)
Salt & pepper
Lemon juice
Parmesan (shaved)
Olive oil

What to do: 

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 ºC
  2. Rinse your asparagus spears and if the ends are woody, cut them off
  3. Line a roasting tin with foil or baking paper and arrange the asparagus on the lined tin
  4. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Throw in a couple of whole garlic cloves for extra flavour
  5. Put the tray in the oven and roast for approximately 10 minutes, depending on how thick your spears are
  6. To serve, squeeze over some lemon juice and top with shavings of fresh Parmesan

(Recipe from the Wye Valley website).

Discover more:

www.wyevalleyproduce.co.uk

http://britishasparagus.com

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