COOKBOOKS PART 3: These books are actually quite clean

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kitchen3.jpgEncyclopaedia of Asian Food, Charmain Solomon Exactly what it says it is with pictures naming all those strange ingredients you have no idea about down at the market. Solomon is the doyen of Asian food writers over here. A few authentic recipes. Worth reading just to learn about the food and ingredients. Stainfactor 6Longrain: Modern Thai Food, Martin Boetz This bloke has a tres chic restaurant and bar in Sydney and has some poor sod grating coconuts by hand all day long. He also wants you to be making your own coconut milk all day long. Recipes are complicated and there are a few mistakes. Look forward to when he eventually opens in Melbourne. Gift from Jackie who bought it cheap from work. Stainfactor 2The Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver The best thing about his books and TV shows is that he has detuned overcomplicated recipes so they are accessible to everyman without having to shop for a bucket load of esoteric ingredients. Jackie uses for Stainfactor 9River Cafe Cookbook Two, Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers I connect with their restaurant where Jamie Oliver was talent spotted. But this book doesn’t connect for me beyond one or two recipes. Present from Roger and Cath in Sydney. Stainfactor 1Quaglinos The Cookbook, Richard Whittington I should have a connection with this book as I had a photo of my granny at the original joint from 50 or 60 years ago. Beautiful space to eat, shame about the faux leopard skin bodices and the crap cookbook. Remaindered and bought by Jackie. Stainfactor 0Toast, Nigel Slater An excellent biography of the foodwriter. Should be in a completely different bookcase.Happy Days with The Naked Chef See previous nakes entry. Stainfactor 9Marie Claire Dining, Donna Hay Sent by PR. I’ve never cooked from it but Jackie likes its simple appeal. Jackie’s Stainfactor 6Something Italian, Maurizio Terzini This bloke is a food icon in Australia running the famous Icebergs (who my mate Ian tells me is going downhill) overlooking Bondi Beach. Sent by his PR at Penguin who never returned my phone calls. Publicity 0The River Cottage Meat Book Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Present 2004. Great reference on the politics and buying of meat. But I haven’t found anything outside my repertoire that I want to cook. Use as reference Stainfactor 5Wild food from land & sea, Marco Pierre White impractical porn from the 1980s from my good friend Jim Ross. On the pornfactor: Stainfactor 5

Ed Charles is a journalist and digital consultant who spend the better part of the part two decades in Australia. He trained with IPC in London and has written for major international and national business and lifestyle titles. Establishing this blog in 2005, he was one of the first of a handful of food bloggers in Australia. He's spoken at the Melbourne Writers Festival and Emerging Writers Festival and has broadcasted regularly on food and digital media issues. He is currently writing a history of mankind told through food.

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