The British are Cooking!! A Casual Book Review.

I found a really interesting book at the library the other day that I wanted to share with y'all entitled, "How to Feed Your Whole Family with Very Little Money...and Hardly Any Time, Even if you Have a Tiny Kitchen, Only Three Saucepans (One with an Ill-Fitting Lid), and No Fancy Gadgets--- Unless You Count the Garlic Crusher..." By Gill Holcombe. This has got the be the longest book title known to mankind (if you know of a longer one, please post in the comments).

The book reads like a cross between a cookbook and a self help book on cooking food within a budget. It's also a lot of fun to read. It's written by a housewife with school age children who does not shy away from giving her personal opinions on just about everything relating to the subject. She has a very down-to-earth style, and a sense of humor that comes across very well.

I really appreciate the fact that she uses mostly whole food ingredients instead of convinence food, even as she keeps a  budget in mind. It seems like most cookbooks not aimed at aspiring kitchen gods who have access to stuff like goat cheese, dried figs and creme freche (whatever that is)  call for canned soup, canned biscuits or hamburger helper. I was thankful that wasn't the case here. She stays committed to giving recipies for cheap, wholesome food that you actually cook, not just heat up.

I also appreciate the fact that she describes things in a very down-to-earth way that doesn't call for any type of special equipment. I think the most specialized thing she called for was a jelly-roll pan, which is basically just a cookie sheet with sides on it.

On the flip side, she does expect her readers to have at least basic working knowledge of how to run a kitchen. There's a lot of recipe measurements that are inexact, like a 'glug' of wine or milk, or just a list of seasonings with how much to add up to the reader. On one hand, I sort of like this style. It feels more informal, and like a friend sharing a recipe figured out in their own kitchen. And her directions are otherwise very clear and easy to understand.  But if you're an absolute novice or the type of person who needs scientific certainty, I can see how it would be frustrating.

Readers should also be aware that this author is British. And when I say British, I mean imagine 'God Save the Queen'  playing on the wireless and Dr. Who playing on the telly during tea time as you read the book. Many of the recipies she lists are very, very British as well. Things like 'Rock Cakes' and 'Lancasture Hot Pot' and 'Spotted Dick'. If you're like me and like to watch Monty Python, Downton Abbey and Sherlock, read lots of Lewis, Tolkien, and J.K Rowling, listen to a lot of Queen, or otherwise have a (slight) fan girl relationship with British culture, this may be a positive for you (I'm actually pretty excited that she included a recipe for ginger beer after seeing it mentioned in 'The Magician's Nephew'). But be aware that several of the recipes may look a little unfamiliar to American readers.

Most of the ingredients she lists can thankfully be found cheaply and easily on this side of the Atlantic as well. But there are a couple ingredients that I suppose are economical and easy to find in the UK that definitely aren't in the US, like smoked fish. Some of the more general tips don't translate well to American kitchens either, like "enhance soup stock with a spoonful of Vegemite or Marmite". Thankfully these instances are rare enough that it only effects a few recipies.

The edition of the book I found was published by an American publisher, and it seems like the author attempted to edit it a bit for an American audience, but these mostly seem to take the form of a couple comments aimed at American readers and a note that you can substitute molasses for treacle in a few of the recipes. I almost wish they had just reprinted the original book; the author is so obviously British that the edits distract more than anything.

I did learn a few tips, and will be photo copying several recipes to add to my cookbook binder before I return it to the library. We tried a butternut squash soup recipe the other night that my family enjoyed immensely, and there's a couple more recipies I'm curious to try (what IS a rock cake, anyway?). If you happen to come across the book, it's definitely worth checking out.

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