Using Dusty Cookbook Number 5

Stand back - it is a madness explosion over here!
I have now done 2 recipes from the latest dusty cookbook.
Madness!

This time it was the chocolate coconut cake.  I think we might even do this again.
For lovers of coconut it is a winner.
Something like a super moist, chocolate cake sandwich filled with juicy coconut.

Our small people liked it and even suggested that we have it again.
That is always a good sign.
I'm thinking that this one may be worthy of the tick in the margin - the ohjoh sign of recipe greatness.

I'm now flipping through the pages for some dinner inspiration .... trying to channel my inner 1980's cook but struggling to get my head around some of the ingredients - lots of butter, cream and things in jars and tins.

How are your dusty's going?

Dusty Cookbook No. 5

It has been a LONG time between dusty cookbooks.
Initially I said that this year I would do one each fortnight - I must have been drunk!
It is now September and my annual total of Dusty Cookbooks is a hefty 4.
Disgraceful!
But let us not dwell on the fact that I have completely fallen off the Dusty Cookbook wagon.
We shall just jump back on and introduce Dusty Cookbook Number 5!

This little baby - complete with very sticky front cover - arrived in a Christmas present from my Mum in 1989.
Inside amongst the very '80's photos, I have found only a few ticks beside a couple of recipes.  This book, I have to admit, is one that usually stays on the shelf collecting dust.

NOT TODAY!!

"Hundreds & Thousands Biscuits" are just out of the oven making my kitchen smell fabulous.
 

Just biting into one now ……..

Hmm, they are OK but you need a big glass of milk or a cup of tea to wash them down - they are a bit dry.

Not sure if they are worthy of a tick in the margin (the Ohjoh measure of recipe greatness).  

Will see what the smalls say when they arrive home from school.   

Mind you, after school they would eat the dog if he looked like a biscuit!

Have you been dusting off your cookbooks?  Have you discovered any fabulous new (yet old) recipes??

Cheers

Jenny

zombie gnocchi

In Dusty Cookbook Number 4 the gnocchi looked like this ...

After having that Masterchef moment of "crap, not enough time to get this finished properly and get kids washed and into bed before we all turn into hysterical monsters" - I'm sure that was on an episode somewhere….

I added buckets of extra flour, swore and wished I had a back-up plan.
I didn't.
So I dropped spoonfuls of the incredibly sticky, pumpkin goo into boiling water and crossed my fingers.

We ate this

It is now known as "Zombie Gnocchi".

Everyone said it was nice - in a "screwed up nose, don't offend the crazy lady" kind of way.
No-one has requested a repeat performance.
Perhaps some recipe books get dusty for a reason.

Dusty Cookbook Number 4

Ok so the wheels may have fallen off ever so slightly…
I did say I would do a new Dusty Cookbook every 2 weeks.
This is book number 4 and we are in April - so not quite going to plan.
Ah well, never mind.
We'll just plough on, shall we?

This is our "Dusty" number 4, complete with dirty sticky marks on the front cover which means that at some point it was loved and used … that would be before babies when cooking was a fun adventure!

Now I tend to cook dishes that:

• feed the majority of tastes at the table, 
• provide minimal groaning and tantrums, 
• take the least amount of time,
• can be created with whatever is left in the fridge that is still edible.

(maybe I should be meal planning ????)

This lovely birthday present was from a beautiful girlfriend when we both lived in Melbourne in 1999.  Now I'm in Perth and she is in New Zealand - Em, I miss you xxx

The book is by Donna Hay and has some good, quick recipes together with a couple that just don't work.
Sorry Donna but it is true.
Even my Mother In-Law who is a genius in the kitchen agrees that the Baked Raspberry Cheesecake on page 174 is a dud.  She has tried it twice and I've tried it once and neither of us could get it to set.  Just a friendly heads up for you in case you want to try it.

As winter sport gets into full swing here and the Mum's Taxi service hits peak load, I need quick and easy so I'm hoping this book may give me some new options to throw into the mix.

Have you dusted off an old cookbook for inspiration lately??
Are you a "Mum's taxi" driver too??
Cheers
Jenny x

Dusty Cookbook Number 3

At last … a week late, oops … here is the next cookbook in the Year of the Dusty Cookbook.

This is a lovely book that was a gift from a sister many years ago.

I have only used it a few times but everything was delicious.

It has such lovely photos, such a great philosophy … 

Kid no. 2 (also known as the carnivore) may not be very thrilled as she has a bit of an aversion to fruits and vegetables.  Ah well … tough …

Have you chosen your next book yet?

Loving a bit of Matt

Matt with the Cravat (think Masterchef attire) we are very fond of you in my house!


More precisely we are very fond of your cookbook.

Thank you for breaking up the previous fatty fortnight from The 1984 Women's weekly.

And I believe you, Matt!



You say on the cover that these are "Fast, fresh and unbelievably delicious 204 recipes you'll want to cook again and again".
You are correct!
We have and we will!

To date we have made (or done versions of, as it does depend on what is in the fridge sometimes at our place):
Lamb Burgers with Feta & Yoghurt Dressing p64 (twice because they were such a hit with the kidlets the first time)

Bun Cha With Noodles p69

Corn Fritters p104

Peaches and Cream Soft Serve p211 (made this twice!!! so easy and so yum on a hot summers night)

Jennifer's Flapjacks p184

There are many other sticky notes inside the book which flag promising recipes that we or may not get to this week.

I only wish I was paid to give this book praise but I'm not.
It was a christmas gift from the Mr and the kids.
I probably would not have purchased it myself but we are loving a bit of Matt.

Have you chosen a cook book to dust off and use at your place?

Dusty Cookbook Number 2

Our arteries need a break after Women's Weekly 1984 so this fortnight (even though I think I am a week late already) we are using a not so dusty book.
In fact it is the latest addition to the collection that arrived at Christmas - is that cheating???
Mr Matt with the Cravat - and we're loving him just a little bit.
He has a bit of a joke, keeps things real and the food we've made so far have been really good.

So even though it is not so dusty & almost cheating we're happy with Matt.  I needed something fresh and modern to cut through the heavy, fatty goodness of the last book.
Ok Matt with the Cravat - it is your turn!
What have you chosen?
Pick up a book that is feeling neglected and give it a go.
Happy cooking
Jenny x

A Dusty Struggle and some Choc Fruit Squares

It has been a bit of a struggle finding things to cook for dinner out of my number 1 dusty cookbook.
Sooo much cream, sooo much butter and a few scary, heavy combo's that just scream heart attack!
Maybe a time warp back to 1984 in the heat of a West Australian summer wasn't such a great idea.
Still, we must plow on.
Whilst dinners have been a struggle, this book is very good for cakes & slices (which is not good for the self imposed post christmas, cake withdrawal programme - an attempt to fit back into clothes worn pre-christmas … which is sadly not working).
It has been far too hot here to bake anything but the kids and I have found a couple of no bake options to try.

A couple of important points before we continue:

I am not a food stylist
I am not even a great cook
I am good at eating
It is too freaking hot to do much at all

This is the first new recipe that we have tried out of 1984.

Sultanas are a fruit so these squares must be healthy, right??? - especially if you ignore the chocolate, biscuits and sugary condensed milk.

We made a couple of little changes:

No walnuts for us as my kids don't like nuts.

We substituted the sherry for orange juice and the dark choc for milk choc as that was all that was in the pantry.

It is really quite yummy.
Next time I would use a smaller tin to make it a little thicker and if the weather is cooler the chocolate on top may actually harden (although soft and gooey is quite delicious).
We will make this one again as it will make a nice treat in a lunch box.
So we'll call this a "Dusty Cookbook" success!

(not so good for the Cake Withdrawal Programme however ….)

Have you pulled out a Dusty Cookbook yet?

Jenny xx