Cookbook Ideas

[archiduc]

Hi Rohan,
How`s it going?

I suspect that you have learnt what only those who write recipes for publication know! It`s a lot harder than at first thought. Of course, I don`t know what you are going through in terms of your life but I do know what you are going through in terms of your project.

I suspect that you have too many recipes, too many thoughts and are in a bit of a "fog" at the moment. Trust me it can and will become clear. Go to first principles as I advocated earlier. Revise your list one the basis of process, cooked/uncooked - yes there is still a place for a good recipe for a fruit salad.

May I talk about fruit salad for a moment. I belong to another messageboard (BBCtv) and on this site folk there have been having a discussion about this. The question that was posed was what should one use as the "liquid" in the fruit salad. A difficult question, but as you and I know, it depends on the fruits used in the salad. Fruit salads for me falls into one of 3 categories.

First we have: the classic "English" fruit salad with ingredients like apples, pears, oranges, grapes etc., with a liquid of apple juice or orange juice.

Second, we have a RED fruit salad of strawberries, raspberrries, bluberries etc., - anything as long as it is red with a touch of "Creme de Framboise" in the syrop.

Third, we have a fruit salad made from fruits from the tropics like mango, paw-paw, bananas, kiwi, passion fruit, pineapple etc., and add a touch of Ginger Wine to the juices.

Serve each with light cream and brandy lace biscuits (brandy snaps), shortbread thins or tuilles.

I look forward to hearing from you, Remember that you can contact me via a private message.

Hope to hear from you soon - looking forward to hearing from you,
All the very best,
Archiduc
p.s. re. using ginger - you`ve already got there haven`t you?

 

[archiduc]

Hi Rohan,

I`m still looking forward to knowing what you are thinking and doing.

Please let me know how you are and what you are doing.

I sense that you are slipping in respect of your timetable and I must confess, I thought this would happen. Please, let me know how you are doing. Send me a PM.

Rohan, I look forward from hearing from you.

All the best,
Archiduc

 

[archiduc]

Hi Rohan,
What news do you have about the cookery book?

How is it going?

Tell you what - send me a PM!

Looking forward to hearing from you - Archiduc.

Rohan, how are you doing, PLEASE let me know.

 

[rmalik23]

Sorry for not replying. I recently had to switch schools, so it has been a stressful time for me. I have to get all the recipes again, since my files didn't transfer over from my last school. I will keep you guys posted as much as I can.

 

[rmalik23]

Here is what I have come up with so far.

Recipe List:

• Peanut Butter Bonbons
• Crème Brulee
• Macadamia Nut White Chip Pumpkin Cookies
• Butterscotch Apple Crisp
• New York Cheesecake
• Snickerdoodles
• Chocolate Tiramisu Cake
• Cinnamon Crumb Cake
• Tiramisu
• Chocolate Trifle

 

[archiduc]

hello

Sorry for not replying. I recently had to switch schools, so it has been a stressful time for me. I have to get all the recipes again, since my files didn't transfer over from my last school. I will keep you guys posted as much as I can.

Hi Rohan,
It is so good to hear from you again.

My heart goes out to you having to transfer school - not an easy thing to do at any time and it is especially not easy for you coming up to graduation. However, when it comes to this project, many of us are rooting for you. You will graduate and you will produce the cookery book!!!!!!!!!! (Or else I`ll want to know the reason why)

You raise an interesting point. Surely, any computer file saved under your name, in your previous school, is not only yours, BUT your previous school is legally bound (required in law) to give you a copy of that and any work that was recorded by their systems, i.e., any computer database? Any laywers out there?

Copyright issues apply not only to the work that you do but also to that which your previous school may retain in the sense that the work that you did in your previous school was your work and not theirs and thus they have no right, in law, to deprive you of a copy of any work, recorded on their systems, completed prior to your moving to another school. OK - I might be wrong but it could be worth checking out. Again - any lawyers out there?

Rohan, you will produce a cookery book. Might take a little longer but it will be done.

2 questions - can you get trifle sponges in your neck of the woods and can you get a good "custard" or "creme angalaise" from your local supermarket. If you can, I`ll give you the best recipe for a trifle - but I retain the right to name it in your recipe book. BUT it is the best trifle in the world!

Take care,
Archiduc

 

[archiduc]

Here is what I have come up with so far.

Recipe List:

• Peanut Butter Bonbons
• Crème Brulee
• Macadamia Nut White Chip Pumpkin Cookies
• Butterscotch Apple Crisp
• New York Cheesecake
• Snickerdoodles
• Chocolate Tiramisu Cake
• Cinnamon Crumb Cake
• Tiramisu
• Chocolate Trifle

Hi Rohan,

Great to see that you are beginning to narrow down the range of options for your cookery book.

I`m a bit concerned about the "chocolate tiramisu cake" and the "Tiramisu" and the "chocolate trifle". Are they all that different? I suspect that one is a variation of another and might be presented as such in your cookery book.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.


PAGE FOR CREME BRULÉE

A Creme Brulée is simply a rich custard, cooked, cooled, refrigerated and, at the last moment dusted with a rich mixture or sugars like granulated, caster sugar or demerara sugar. The sugar is browned, or burnt or "bruléed" by placing under a pre-heated hot grill or by using a cook`s blowtorch. The term "brulée" springs from ...burnt???? In the 20th century the mixture would be placed in glass/china vessels capable of withstanding the extremely hot temperatures of a professional grill or "salamander". Today we can make this delightful dessert using a good cook`s blow torch.

The cream can be flavoured by infusing with herbs like lavander or bay leaf. The sugar in the basic cream maybe replaced by using honey. (How many variations is this?)

A purée of raspberries, or a well cooked down compote of pears and apples with cinnamon, or bananas with dates with a sprig of thyme, placed below the custard creates a delightful base. How many variations is this???????

TOP TIP > The fruit mix must be well cooked and well reduced to remove moisture and drained and cooled before topping with the cooked custard. Top with the custard. Cool and allow to set in the fridge. Cover with sugar and glaze using a chef`s blow torch.


By my reckoning, I`ve given you at least 8 variations!


Hold fast, Rohan!

Regards,
Archiduc

 

[college_cook]

If you've ever flipped through a cookbook, you know that it is divided into various sections, and I assume you'll be doing something similar for your project. If you need an easy way to add a section with a goodly number of recipes I would recommend investigating chocolate truffles. They pretty much always start out with ganache (chocolate and heavy cream), but after that they are as many and varied as there are combination of flavors. A popular method is simply to use the same ganache recipe and then roll the truffles in various coatings. It gets slightly more complicated if you want to add flavor to your ganache, however. You can flavor you ganache with various fruits, espresso is a good one, spices or even herbs have been done with success. The great thing about truffles is that the basic recipe and the method are always the same.

Also, if you want to have a section for ice cream PM me and I'll do my best to get back to you. Ice cream is another thing where you can always start out with the same base, but once you decide to make flavors other than vanilla, it has varying degrees of complexity depending on what you want to flavor your ice cream with. Fruit flavored ice cream are as simple as adding a sweetened and reduced fruit puree to the base. Things like chocolate or caramel though, affect the end texture, so you have to use different methods to incorporate those flavors.


Good luck!

 

[archiduc]

Rohan,
You will make the cookery book!

You are capable of producing the book!

You`ve come so far to develop your knowledge -PLEASE send me a PM (personal message) so that I might assist you.

Looking forward to hearing from you,


archiduc

 

[rmalik23]

Idea change! I have decided to expand my idea to all foods. But, I won't be making a cookbook anymore because I really don't have the money to print copies. I will be playing in my friend's graduation project, which is a benefit concert. After the show, there will be a party, to all the bands that participated. I will be making a "celebration" dinner, if a label had to be put on it. I have decided to have 1-2 recipes from each culture.

1. Indian
2. Italian
3. Spanish
4. Chinese

 

[archiduc]

Idea change! I have decided to expand my idea to all foods. But, I won't be making a cookbook anymore because I really don't have the money to print copies. I will be playing in my friend's graduation project, which is a benefit concert. After the show, there will be a party, to all the bands that participated. I will be making a "celebration" dinner, if a label had to be put on it. I have decided to have 1-2 recipes from each culture.

1. Indian
2. Italian
3. Spanish
4. Chinese

Hi Rohan,

What can I say?

Clearly, you are experiencing difficulties and my heart goes out to you. Your original thought was to produce a cookery book and I still think that this is viable. It just takes a little bit of selling!!!!!!!!

You should be able to give 5/6 recipes for Indian sweets or desserts.

For italian desserts I would expect something like:
1. Zuppa Inglese
2. Panacotta with variations of serving suggestions based on the seasons like
WINTER - WARMED FIG AND STAR ANISE
SPRING - RHUBARB AND GINGER
SUMMER - STRAWBERRY, BLACK PEPPER AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR
AUTUMN - APPLE AND BLACKBERRY
3. Zablaglione
4. "ICE CREAM - YOU SCREAM- WE ALL SCREAM" how to make a vanilla ice and convert it to chocolate or coffee.

For Spanish:
What are you doing here?
> Creme Catalan
> Creme Jerez? - flavoured with sherry
> Spanish flavours - almonds, oranges, figs, lemons etc.?

For Chinese?
What are you doing here?

You could produce a recipe book if you are prepared to go out there and get sponsorship for your work. Knock on doors and explain what you, as a final year student is, doing.

Go and knock on the doors and you will be surprised to see how many doors open to you.

You can produce the cookery book that you wanted to produce at the start of this project. All it will take is a little bit more courage from you - and might I say Rohan, you have demonstrated an extratordinary degree of courage in posting on this site so many months ago>>>>

Courage mon brave!

Archiduc