Off The Shelf - 'Love is A Pink Cake' by Claire Ptak

Bought at: Pre-ordered via Amazon

Recipes Made: Blondie Peanut Butter Cookies p.29, Sticky Toffee Date Pudding p.77 and Pear Eve’s Pudding p.81

Blondie Peanut Butter Cookies (made with crema di pistachio)

Since I cannot eat any peanut products, I made the Blondie Peanut Butter Cookies with crema di pistachio instead. This substitution didn’t really work unfortunately. As you can see in the photo, the cookies turned out flat as pancakes and some of them struggled to cook through properly. Maybe I could try this again with pistachio butter instead, but possibly it’s better to move on to a recipe that doesn’t contain peanuts and need a substitution at all! I’m sure they are good made as they are intended to be!

Sticky Toffee Date Pudding

The first time I made the Sticky Toffee Date Pudding I also made the sauce for the pudding as well as I had all the ingredients needed for it. The sauce is quite different to any I have made before as an accompaniment to a sticky date pudding, and it was probably a little rich for my tastes (2 cups of double cream in a recipe will do that!). The sauce was nice, but I found the pudding almost didn’t need it. The pudding was light, and did not dry out even when I kept it in the fridge. Once reheated it was soft and pillowy and was very delicious on it’s own (which is how I ate it the second time I made this), or with some ice cream. I will definitely be making this again as it was very easy to make and can be made in advance.

Edit 24/07/2023 - I have since found that the Sticky Toffee Date Pudding was nice without the sauce and didn’t dry out in the fridge because I somehow did not read the recipe properly either time I made it! The recipe says to drain the dates once they have been soaked in water, I did not do this so the texture of my pudding was very different - though very nice and much more to my tastes than the original recipe made as intended as it turns out. I would personally continue to make it with the water in. The recipe with the water from the dates drained, definitely needs some kind of sauce (whether or not it is the one from this recipe or another you have made before and liked). Made as per the recipe in this book, the pudding is too dry and dense to eat on its own - though nice with a sauce! So really you can choose your own adventure on this one!

Sticky Toffee Date Pudding

My Mum made the Pear Eve’s Pudding not long after I got this book, and I was a little skeptical as apart from sticky date pudding I’m not a massive fan of pudding. This pudding was great though, and the leftovers reheated really well. It was quite a cake-like pudding, and the top crisped up nicely similar to how some cakes can be when they first come out of the oven. There aren’t too many ingredients in this recipe, but it was still delicious and had a nice flavour. Another recipe to be made again!

Favourite Things About the Book: I really love the look and feel of this book. The photography, style of recipes and flavour used really feel like what I’ve come to love from Claire’s books. I love her book ‘The Violet Bakery’, and this book feels like a extension of that but with it’s own distinct differences too. The book is divided into two main sections, California and England, the two places Claire is connected to and influenced by the most. Within those sections recipes are then divided by Mornings, Afternoons, After a Meal, Party Party and Savouries and Holiday Treats (with a pastry section at the end of the book too). 

Claire has a really unique way of baking, that to me doesn’t feel distinctly American or English (though I would definitely associate her recipes with more English style baking if I had to choose). It has a focus on ingredients that I don’t associate with American style baking, yet a individual way of putting flavour together that I wouldn’t associate with traditional English baking either. It’s interesting and diverse, and doesn’t feel like so many other baking cookbooks that can start to feel all a bit the same. Even if you own previous cookbooks from Claire, I think there is still something new to be discovered here. 

Bookmarked Recipes (to make later!): Big Sur Cookies p.27, Pistachio Green Plum Cake with Candied Violets p.47, Lemon Meringue Pie Bars p.55, Poached Pear Pavlova p.76, Nectarine and Cherry Cobbler p.147 and English Angel Cake p.168.

Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2023 Part 1 - A Recap

It’s time for a recap! Maybe the best part of my Cookbooks Worth Waiting For series, is when the wait is over. In this case the wait is mostly over as one title I still don’t have, but I will add my thoughts on it when I do.

Otherwise below are my thoughts on the cookbooks on my Cookbooks Worth Waiting for List for the first half of 2023. As always there are some great books being released this year, so another list will be on its way soon.

Did you add any of these cookbooks to your shelves so far this year? What did you think of them? Or were there other books you have added to your collection you liked more? Let me know in the comments below.

And just a quick note, all books bar one have been purchased by me and the links are just for your reference - I suggest searching around to find the best price or try to support a local/independent bookshop! Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.

1. Dark Rye and Honey Cake by Regula Ysewijn - If you love Regula’s other books, there is no way you could be disappointed with this one. The research and food history is very interestingly explained, in a way I feel only Regula could! Regula seems to have a knack for all elements in terms of bringing together a cookbook - her writing is excellent, her photography is amazing, and along with her husband’s illustrations she’s got a real winning trifecta right there. Of course the recipes are great, though I don’t see myself making many of these (mostly due to the fact I do not own any kind of waffle iron). However I do not think that detracts from this book in anyway. Many cookbooks bring more than the recipes, and it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be on my shelf. I have learnt a lot from this book already, and if you love food history also, I think you will love it too.

2. A Table Full of Love by Skye McAlpine - This book presents really well - the design, the photography, the colour scheme. It’s a smaller sized book than Skye’s previous two, and a small part of me wishes it was the same size as the others as there’s something about seeing an authors works all together on the shelf and looking all neat, and having some kind of continuous link via their size (but maybe this is just me?). I have been enjoying the writing in this book, and to me, it stands out more in this book than in Skye’s previous works. I can’t say I am thrilled with the recipe selection however. There isn’t much in this book that immediately draws me in recipe wise, and makes me think I need to cook that ASAP. In terms of recipes this book doesn’t feel intrinsically different than Skye’s previous book, ‘A Table for Friends’, and although the idea of the book is eloquently written about, I struggle to see what this book brings to the table that hasn’t already been done by Skye previously. I suggest having a flick through this one before purchasing, to make sure the recipes and the whole thing take your fancy - though like I said, it looks beautiful and the photography is stunning. What takes your fancy recipe wise will be purely personal preference and is certainly no slight on Skye’s brilliant ability to produce stunning cookbooks. 

3. Sweet Enough by Alison Roman* - I mentioned in my previous version of this list how I was a little disappointed that Alison’s next book was all about baking. I love baking (obviously!), but really associate Alison with her general cooking and savoury dishes. I like this book, it’s very Alison (especially the writing, gosh I LOVE her writing), but I don’t think I’m quite the target audience for it. Alison shares recipes in ‘Sweet Enough’ that suit people not as keen on baking, sweet things (hence the title) and maybe wouldn’t consider themselves dessert people. I am very much keen on baking, like sweet things and am a dessert person, so the offerings in this book don’t draw me in like I usually am with Alison’s recipes. I tried the Salted Pistachio Shortbread (p.173) which I liked but I found mildly too salty (on p.14 Alison says if you think any of the recipes are too salty then she takes that as a compliment, so compliments to the chef I guess!), the Plummy Pudding (p.146) and the Old-Fashioned Strawberry Cake (p.91). I am (maybe oddly considering the the title/point of this book) looking forward to trying the recipes in the savoury subsection in the Pies, Tarts, Galettes chapter as I have a feeling this is where the Alison Roman magic may lie for me in this book. This is definitely the book for you if you aren’t super keen on baking, and find many baked goods and desserts too sweet or too much effort. Alison is catering to a crowd who are probably not usually spoken to in cookbooks focused on baking, and that is a good thing - as everyone deserves to be a ‘dessert person’ in their own way.

4. Love is A Pink Cake by Claire Ptak - To say I am enjoying this book is an understatement. It is everything I expect and want from Claire Ptak, great recipes, interesting flavour combinations and new ways to cook things or new ways to use flavours I hadn’t considered. If ‘Sweet Enough’ by Alison Roman is for those not traditionally keen on baking or desserts, ‘Love is A Pink Cake’ is for those who are, and who want to explore the baking world that Claire has created with her bakery Violet and her previous books even more. Everything I have made from this I have thoroughly enjoyed - except when I swapped crema di pistacchio for peanut butter in the recipe for Blondie Peanut Butter Cookies on page 29, it did not work and that was because I made my own changes! I have made the Sticky Toffee Date Pudding (p.77) twice (it’s even fantastic on its own, no sauce, no ice cream, nothing!) and the Eve’s Pear Pudding on page 81 got a traditionally not pudding loving family very keen to eat the leftovers and make it again as soon as possible! 

5. The Flavour Thesaurus More Flavours by Niki Segnit - While this book has technically been released, getting a copy seems to mean waiting a while and paying anywhere from $40-60AUD. I saw a copy on Amazon (AU) for $29.99 with a release date of early August and locked in my preorder, so I will add my thoughts here after that! Unfortunately that price has gone up now on Amazon, however it is currently at $39.99 which is still less than other retailers currently.

   14/08/2023 - I finally have my copy of ‘The Flavour Thesaurus More Flavours’, and it was certainly worth the wait! It is so well researched as is everything Niki does, and I am really enjoying the various flavours/ingredients which have been included this time around. There are things like quince, passionfruit, pistachio, date, lychee and so many more that really complements Niki first book ‘The Flavour Thesaurus’. I really appreciate how Niki explains the plant led focus of the book, without the book being exclusively vegan or vegetarian (many of the flavours omitted from her first book happened to be plant based so the flavours chosen for this book naturally had that in common). As Niki says “The book would neither be quite vegan nor even vegetarian but loosely, forgivingly, non-dogmatically plant-led or flexitarian..” without getting into the well known arguments about eating less meat and more plants. I think the focus on plant based ingredients for this second volume makes sense as a compliment to the first (many meat/animal products were already covered there like egg, cheeses and various types of meats), but also as so many ingredients/flavours we use in cooking and baking come from a plant based source (think lentil, raisin, garlic, mint etc). If you have ‘The Flavour Thesaurus’, you also need ‘The Flavour Thesaurus More Flavours’.

6. Heartbake by Charlotte Ree - This book surprised me in the best way. I am not, unlike Charlotte, a lover of love, so I wasn’t sure if the memoir part would be for me. I ended up listening to the audiobook of the memoir section and I was hooked early on. To hear Charlotte speak so thoughtfully and eloquently about her life and how food has nourished her in more ways than one, felt like a privilege. It’s amazing to follow someone on Instagram for a while and think ‘wow their life looks great’, and then to hear that SO much was going on behind those little squares on that app. It really shows we don’t know what’s is going on behind closed doors and that Instagram is really a highlight reel most of the time. I think Charlotte’s story also highlights the healing power of food, and the deep connection food has with our memories and emotions. And maybe also the fact that being true to oneself and not hiding the hard bits of our lives all the time can be massively freeing and, maybe in a small way, be helpful to others. The recipes in this book are also really good. David Lovett’s Focaccia (pp.245-8) is AMAZING, and I am constantly thinking about when I can make it again! I think the only downside to this book is despite the amazing cover, the fact that it is covered in fabric makes me worried to use it in the kitchen as it might get dirty/ruined! I am one of those few people who like my cookbooks to remain in as pristine condition as possible despite being used, so fabric covered cookbooks always bring me a level of stress I know is probably ridiculous (I have already considered using a sticky lint roller over this beautiful cover as it is getting little bits of fluff and dust on it, please tell me I’m not the only one!). Let’s just say if a paperback edition was ever released I’d probably buy it solely for kitchen use to allow the original to remain her in glorious yellow pristine condition (hopefully minus the dust etc, where is that lint roller….).

* this book was gifted to me by Hardie Grant. There was no obligation to talk about the book, and my opinions are my own. And honestly, I love Alison Roman so I would have bought this book myself anyway!

Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2023 - Part One

It’s a new year, so that means more cookbooks worth waiting for! 

These are the upcoming releases in the first half of 2023 that I am most looking forward to. They are all by authors I have already got books from on my shelves and that previous experience has made me all the more excited that these cookbook authors are bringing out new titles. 

When I originally started writing this list in early January, I could only come up with four titles that I was most looking forward to. Then thankfully prior to when I was planning on posting this, I was reminded of a couple of others and now the list is a rather hefty six! Hopefully amongst the list you will find at least one book to add to your wish list too. 

I’ll be back with a recap of this list once all the books have been released and I’ve had time to have a good look through. Plus another cookbooks worth waiting for list will be on it’s way for the second half of 2023. And just a disclaimer, opinions expressed in my cookbooks worth waiting for series are my own and all books have been purchased by me (links below are just for your reference/further research - links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024). 

Let me know in the comments if any of these cookbooks are on your wish list for 2023, and if not which ones are?

1. Dark Rye and Honey Cake: Festival Baking from the Heart of the Low Countries by Regula Ysewijn (February 2023) - I bought one of Regula’s previous books, ‘Oats in the North Wheat in The South’, about a year ago and I found it so interesting in terms of food history, that I have since also bought ‘Pride and Pudding’ and have preordered ‘Dark Rye and Honey Cake’. Books like these that focus so heavily on the history of food in a particular area, sit at a neat intersection between two of my favourite topics, food and history. They are probably not completely unique in terms of bringing a historical focus to a cookbook, but the fact that it is done so well, with amazing photography (also by the author) and well written too makes Regula’s first two cookbooks really stand out, and gives me no hesitation in feeling like her next will be just as good. Whereas Ruglua’s first two cookbooks are about British food and food history, ‘Dark Rye and Honey Cake’ is about the food of the Low Countries - which consists of Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg . I am particularly interested in this as I can’t think of any cookbook that focuses on the food of this area, and it’s definitely not an area I know very much about (I had to Google what countries the ‘Low Countries’ consists of so that probably says it all regarding my lack of knowledge about this region!). 

2. A Table Full of Love by Skye McAlpine (February 2023) - Similar to Regula’s previous books, I really like Skye’s first two cookbooks. We use ‘A Table for Friends’ regularly (see here for a Off The Shelf post about it), so I am imagining this next book will bring more family favourite recipes to our table. The combination of Skye’s recipes and food styling and photography is always such a joy, I am really looking forward to this new book. 

3. Sweet Enough by Alison Roman (April 2023) - Ok, I have to be honest here. While I am in some way looking forward to this book, I am not looking forward to it as much as I would like. When Alison first announced she had a new book in the works, my mind went straight to all the amazing dinners we’ve had from her recipes (see here for my Off the Shelf post on Nothing Fancy) and the cool savoury recipes she has shared in her newsletter that I have made again and again (A little eggplant Parm I’m looking at you!). I don’t associate Alison’s cooking with much baking or sweet stuff, so I was a little disappointed her next book would solely focus on that. I’m sure based on the quality of her recipes generally, and knack for great flavour combinations, that this book will be good. I just think I need more time (I guess I have until April…) to get over the fact this isn’t the book I thought it would be, and open my mind to the (most likely great) possibility that I will enjoy this book just as much as the two previous ones from Alison.

4. Love is A Pink Cake by Claire Ptak (April 2023) - Claire’s book ‘The Violet Bakery Cookbook’ has been a firm favourite of mine for years, and is one I always recommend when anyone is looking for a book about baking that’s a bit more interesting (check out my Off The Shelf post about it here). I recall seeing on Instagram what feels like ages ago (maybe during 2020?), that Claire was working on a new book, and apparently this one has taken a while to work on, 5 years according to Claire, so it’s really exciting to see a release date for it. I love the title, which is taken from an illustration by Andy Warhol of the same name, and cover image, which is a close up of a pink flower with a yellow centre. It’s a little different from many cookbook covers, which makes me even more intrigued to discover what is inside the book. I am obviously keen to see what recipes this book contains, not only due to the cover, but as I have really enjoyed cooking from Claire’s recipes over the years, and everything she posts on her Instagram for her London bakery Violet looks dreamy. Finally visiting Violet Bakery is quite high on my ‘one day if I ever go to London again’ to do list, so a new book from Claire should do the trick for now.

5. The Flavour Thesaurus More Flavours by Niki Segnit (May 2023) - I discovered Niki’s first book ‘The Flavour Thesaurus’ at a workshop years ago, and I bought it straight away. The premise is that you can look up a flavour and see what other flavours complement it, using Niki’s categorisation of flavours via her flavour wheel. It has remained a great cookbook shelf investment since, especially for someone like me who works as a recipe developer too. A new version of the flavour thesaurus concept isn’t something I thought I needed, but based on how useful Niki’s books are (her book ‘Lateral Cooking’ is also great if you love developing or fiddling around with recipes), I don’t doubt it will be beyond useful in my kitchen. 

6. Heartbake by Charlotte Ree (May 2023) - also a special mention to this part memoir part cookbook by Charlotte Ree, which feels like it will be a deeply personal voyage of life’s tough bits through food. I’ve followed along with Charlotte’s journey of creating this book via Instagram, and I have so appreciated her honesty in sharing how these things come about and how emotional the whole process can be (especially so with a memoir). I am imagining this book to be somewhat in a similar vein to those cookbook/memoirs by Ella Risbridger, but also something quite different from those as well. Sharing a look at a final copy of the book on Instagram, Charlotte showed how the first section of the book is the memoir and the second is the recipes, and with the bright yellow cover I think seeing a copy will make anyone want to pick it up and see what it’s about. Reviews of the early copies of the memoir section distributed by Charlotte have been immensely positive and make me even more keen to see more. 

Off the Shelf - 'The Violet Bakery Cookbook' by Claire Ptak

Bought at: online from Booktopia, a regular online haunt of mine for books. 

Recipes Made: Squash, Brown Butter & Sage Quiche (pp.86-87), Banana Buttermilk Bread (p.104), Lemon Drizzle Loaf (pp.114-115), Ginger Molasses Cake (p.125), Summer Spelt Almond Cake (p.137), Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookies (pp.140-141), Quince Ice Cream (pp.184-185) and Roasted Quince (p.241). 

For the Quiche I used the basics of the recipe and instead of squash and sage I used purple sweet potato, goats cheese, thyme and topped the quiche with goats cheese stuffed zucchini flowers. The quiche was amazing and the recipe was really easy to follow. Claire’s recipes are very clearly written and she has managed to keep all the chef-y inside tips in there without making everything seem daunting. 

Purple Sweet Potato & Zucchini Flower Quiche

The Banana Buttermilk Loaf is a great way to use up over ripe bananas and I have made it many times. I have often been known to deliberately buy the over ripe bananas in the quick sale section of the green grocers just to make this bread. When I make it I tend to cut it into slices once cooled, wrap individually and freeze. The loaf is quite different to other banana breads, which can be quite cakey. This one uses 6 bananas so the flavour is perfect and the texture is more dense. 

I made the Lemon Drizzle Loaf when bergamots where in season last year and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t think the drizzle added too much to the cake, so if you wanted to skip it and just have the icing I think the cake would still work really well. 

Lemon Drizzle Loaf using Bergamots

I was really looking forward to making the Ginger Molasses Cake as I love the combination of ginger and molasses in cakes. I didn’t end up being a fan of this one however. The flavour was nice but the texture of the cake was too wet for my liking. 

Ginger Molasses Cake

The Summer Spelt Almond Cake I have made many times, in many different forms. It is a great all rounder and works well with lots of different fruits, flavour combinations, sugars and flours. In the version pictured I used raspberries only and the rosewater icing - with the addition of crystallised rose petals it probably looks a bit too much like a Valentine’s cake, but it did taste really good! 

Summer Spelt Almond Cake with Rose

The Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookies have been my go to biscuit recipe for a while now. They are great as the recipe uses up egg yolks that may be left over from something else, and the raw dough freezes really well too. The dough also bakes well from frozen as well. I have made this with a few different flavour combinations, however the winner always seems to be raspberry and white chocolate. 

Raspberry & White Chocolate Biscuits

The Quince Ice Cream I have posted about here, and the Roasted Quince I tried out this year when quinces were in season. I have a recipe I usually use which poaches them, but I thought I would try this one out as well. I wasn’t as keen on the final result of the roasting, I found it took significantly longer for the quinces to cook than the recipe said and they didn’t turn a deep ruby red colour like the should have. They still tasted really good, but I think I will stick to poaching next year. 

Favourite Things About The Book: The recipes are really a stand out in this book, which I think is evidenced by how many I have tried (and still want to try)! It really feels like you aren’t missing out on the Violet Bakery in London having this book, and there is such a vast range of recipes that it really covers all seasons and tastes. The recipes also come with great advice from Claire, in a way that feels like you are generously benefiting from her years of experience and training.

Even being someone who has baked for a long time, I still find I learn things from this book. Claire’s flavour combinations and use of less common ingredients is also a real high point of this book. At first glance things to me seemed a little out of left field, and maybe a bit like they were being designed to suit the ‘healthy’ food trends that have been hanging around the past few years. But once I really read the recipes, and tried some of them out, these ingredients (think spelt flour, agave, rye flour, buckwheat flour etc) are really being used as they bring something to the recipe and make the end result the best it can be. These ingredients are used because of their taste or the texture they bring to the bake, and this to me is extremely refreshing.  

Bookmarked Recipes (to make later!): Honey & Rosewater Madeleines (pp.126-127), Chewy Ginger Snaps (p.134), The Violet Butterscotch Blondie (p.143), Loganberry-Vanilla Birthday Cake (pp.213-214) and Carrot Cake (p.219).