Five cookbooks for people who just can’t cook
With the abundance of celebrity chefs on TV these days, it can be a bit daunting for those of us who aren’t exactly gifted in the kitchen.
But you know what? Never feel ashamed and just give it your best shot.
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There are loads of cookbooks out there that are aimed at folks who don’t know the difference between a soupçon and a saucepan. We’ve picked five of our current favourites and popped in a bonus recipe too.
1. Fried Chicken and Friends: The Hartsyard Family Cookbook by Gregory Llewellyn and Naomi Hart
Fried chook has been given another look. No longer the sad and crusty remains of sorry takeaway establishments, the American-style feed is now all the rage and the best news is, it’s not all that hard to replicate at home.
The duo behind Sydney’s much-loved Hartsyard in Newtown prove it with their mighty fine collection of recipes, many of which were penned in cafes with Hart’s newborn baby clasped to her chest. They share their knack for making the perfect buttermilk fried chicken, crab cakes, beef poutine and waffles with bacon and maple syrup.
2. Slow Cooker Central by Paulene Christie
What could be easier than chucking all the ingredients in a pot and walking away?
That’s why we can’t get enough of this slow cooking treasure trove from social media sensation Paulene Christie who ended up with over quarter of a million followers when she started a Facebook group to share her recipes.
There are more than 250 recipes to try here, and Christie has road-tested them all so you can blindly follow.
3. The Magic Soup: Food for Health and Happiness by Nicole Pisani and Kate Adams
Soup is another one of those marvellous dishes where the amount of actual effort required is infinitely less than the happiness gained from scoffing a bowl. Once you’ve chopped stuff up, you’re halfway there really.
We love this handy little collection of around 100 healthy broths, many of which are ideal for those watching their waistline without wanting to sacrifice tasty flavour.
4. Taking You Home: Simple Greek Food for Friends & Family by Helena and Vikki Moursellas
As things get tough in the motherland, one thing we can all agree on is that the Greeks do good food and the best news is, it doesn’t take too much effort to fake it at home.
Drawing on their yia-yias’ (grandmothers’) hand-me-down know-how, Taking You Home will walk you through the perfect slow roast pork belly or start you off simple with how to preserve olives.
5. Meatballs: The Ultimate Guide by Matteo Bruno
Melburnians have been spoiled for cosy winter comfort food by former film and TV producer turned foodie Matteo Bruno, who drew on his Italian and French cattle farmers’ family heritage in founding his Meatball & Wine Bar empire that stretches to three outlets and counting.
This fun and easily approachable guidebook contains no fewer than 60 meatball recipes, with the basic ingredient of minced beef, pork, lamb, chicken or even seafood simple enough for anyone to grasp. Bruno also shares how to make their hearty sauces.
Here’s our favourite meaty feast – go on, we know you can do it:
The Cheat’s Meatball
A quick and easy way to make meatballs is to utilise existing sausage meat and re-form it into balls. You can use any variety of sausage – whatever you feel like on the day. The sausage ingredients and binding agents are perfect for grilling.
Pan-Fry
Makes 55 Meatballs
• 350 g (12 oz) of your favourite sausages (about 5)
• 350 g (12 oz) minced (ground) pork
• 100 g (31/2 oz) feta cheese, cut into cubes
• Fresh herbs (any variety, leaves picked and chopped)
• Olive oil
1. Remove the sausage filling from the casings and break the meat apart with your hands.
2. In a mixing bowl, season the minced pork with salt and pepper, add the feta cheese and fresh herbs, and mix everything together with the sausage meat. Roll the mixture into 20 g (³/₄ oz) balls with your hands.
3. Pour a good drizzle of olive oil into a frying pan and place the pan over medium–high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. You can do this in stages. Constantly move the pan in a circling motion. This will help the balls roll around the pan and brown evenly. Do this for around 6 minutes until the balls are golden on all sides.
Serve immediately.
Cheesy Bread
Grilled bread, melted cheese, tasty meatballs – need we say more? Many a meatball dream has been formed on a bed of grilled bread and melted cheese. Use any style of bread and cheese you like. You can’t go wrong.
Serves 4
• 1 ciabatta loaf or baguette
• 1 garlic clove
• Favourite melting cheese
• Favourite butter (optional)
1. Preheat the oven grill (broiler). Set to medium.
2. Cut the bread into thick slices and rub the garlic clove into the bread. It helps to bruise the garlic first.
3. Add slices of cheese to the bread and toast under the grill until bubbling.
4. Optional: Spread some of your favourite butter over the bread before putting on the cheese.
Recipe and image from Meatballs: The Ultimate Guide by Matteo Bruno (Murdoch Books) $35 available now in all good bookstores and online.
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