Food

People laugh when I tell them I collect cookbooks. I do not have a huge collection but I have those books I can use regularly and extract recipes from that are tasty and healthy. I received a beautiful Italian cookbook for my birthday two years ago, Italia has provided me with recipes, dreams of beautiful gluten free pasta and simple saucces. The friend who gave me this lovely book always encourages me with lovely thoughts and caring actions.



I have also received a lovely cookbook for Christmas which I will devour in the winter. I love my slow cooker, I was never allowed one when I was married; making beautiful rich and saucy casseroles, lamb shanks and cooking whole chickens in them is satisfying and produces both comfort food and a wonderful smell that emenates from every corner of my home. I have not had time to peruse many of the recipes yet but most certainly will do as the weather cools. When I first got my slow cooker/crockpot I made everything I could think of including steamed puddings in it. Now ageing and reliable I even stew apples and rhubarb in it much to my friend's amusement.  

  

My other favourite cookbook author is Annabel Langbein. Her range, literally given their titles are The Free Range Cook and similar variations of it are all supported by television series, You Tube videos and online tutorials linked to her website. I met her once and she was curious as to how I could cook. A simple demonstration of my method for reading recipes has been usurped by the use of my ipad to photgraph and then enlarge all recipes. I will write more about Annabel in another blog post. The book below is my favourite, one her earlier books and the only one I have filled with sticky notes, bookmarks and have adapted recipes from. It is wonderful, as is her special autograph to me which fills a whole page. If a blind cook can win Masterchef USA I can cook anything I put my mind to.