Welcome to April in the Lambs’ Ears Cookbook Club. This month we eat, drink and read all about cake and cocktails – what could be better?!
Welcome to April in the Lambs’ Ears Cookbook Club – and this month we will be enjoying a wee nip or two as we eat, drink and read our way through First Cream the Butter & Sugar, and Strong Sweet and Bitter, our two cookbook selections for April.
Despite the fact that our March cookbook, Maggie’s Harvest, could have used a firmer hand from the editor, lots of lovely dishes were shared, and I’m thrilled to see so many of you diving into the archives on the delicious. website when cooking from our year-round selection.
Here’s just a few images from our Facebook group. If you want to see more, please join up and join in – we love new members!
Tomato Chutney from Libby Nicholls
Nectarine Creme Patissiere Tart from Catherine Pledge
Parsley, Preserved Lemon and Caperberry Salad from Sherry Mackay
I know many of you love to bake, so the April selection of First Cream the Butter & Sugar was a bit of a no-brainer, it’s full of delicious bakes for everyone. If you’re new to baking or a bit anxious, then this is the perfect book to get you started – it has loads of tips and shortcuts.
And, while you’re waiting for the bakes to cool down, why not have a bit of fun with cocktail flavour profiles and bone up on some basics about drink mixing with Strong, Sweet and Bitter. One of the things I love the most about this book is that I can eat, drink and read – and learn – from the stories behind some of the familiarly named cocktails. Who knew that the birth of the famous Manhattan was a result of the wave of vermouth-loving Italian immigration to the US?
Speaking of Italians, our May cookbook selection takes us back to the hugely popular Italian culinary tradition – it’s The Italian Home Cook, by Silvia Colloca. Italian-born Silvia has penned six cookbooks, based on the kitchen legacy of her mother and grandmother and her food is wonderfully authentic and simple. In this book she shares 100 recipes “you need to know”, with recipes divided into food group sections. It’s heartwarming home cooking that will make your families smile and have friends clamouring for a place at your tables. So, eat, drink and read about Silvia’s mor(e)ish food – I think you’ll love it.
So, recapping 2023 so far –
Our whole year “cookbook” for 2023 will be delicious. – either the magazines or anything from their website.
May – The Italian Home Cook, by Silvia Colloca
April – Strong, Sweet and Bitter by Cara Devine, or First, Cream the Butter and Sugar by Emelia Jackson
March – Maggie’s Harvest by Maggie Beer
February – Salamati by Hamed Allahyari
January – More Fish, More Veg by Tom Walton
YOU CAN BUY ANY OF THESE COOKBOOKS AT ALL GOOD BOOKSHOPS, OR ONLINE AT BOOKTOPIA USING THE LINKS IN THIS POST. (IF PURCHASED VIA THESE LINKS, YOU WILL GET A GREAT PRICE AND I WILL RECEIVE A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE COST.)
If you would like to join us in the Lambs’ Ears Cookbook Club, check out my original post here, or just click on the “Cookbook Club” link at the top of the page.
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