It's probably similar to ebay or amazon, but what is so good about this site is that I can order secondhand books for a really small price and there are no surprises at the end. With that I mean: delivery is almost always for free! (Yaaay, we love free)
So here's what happened, my obsession with cookbooks kind off got out of control. I started ordering cookbooks mainly from Jamie Oliver (there are still 3 on the way) and I have probably used my credit card 10 times as much in the last month than in all the years before. But it is so worth it. Most of the books only cost me about 3 to 4 pounds!
But here's the real reason why I'm writing about cookbooks: I really want everyone to go out or online and buy yourself a cookbook that really speaks to you. It doesn't have to be from Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey or any famous chef. It can also be a book on cupcakes or just any food magazine. Because what these cookbooks do, is help me to come up with new recipes and it should do the same for you. Here's what I do when I want to "invent" a new recipe.
Step 1: I take one of my cookbooks and look up a recipe that looks like a really tasty dish but isn't that complicated. Then I follow every step in the book. Nothing crazy, I won't add anything or leave anything out. And then I eat it. Omnomnom!
Step 2: A couple of days later I will make it again and then change some of the flavours, add some extra herbs or even re-size the portions. I really want to make this dish mine. For example: I made a cheese cake a couple of weeks ago and the first time it was just a plain ordinary cheesecake. The next time I made it, I used different cookies, added some lemon, orange and ginger and I made a lemon curd to go on top. And I like my cheesecake a bit darker that it normally should be, so I popped it back in the oven for an extra 15 minutes and turned the grill on for 2 minutes. Now it's a completely different dish!
Step 3: Let other people taste it. If they like it, good for you. But sometimes they know exactly what's missing to give your dish that extra "umpf!". So use those tips the next time you make it.
Step 4: This is an optional step. If your creation is an absolute hit among friends and family: Master it! Make it your signature dish!
So cookbooks are not just there to simply copy every dish, they should inspire you to come up with new recipes!
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