Cookbook watch March 2018

Oh it's been SO long since I talked about cookbooks. Let's remedy that immediately and dive right in.

First, I finally got an Instant Pot. I've been reading raves about this gadget for a few months now and I added it to my watchlist on Amazon. It finally got back into stock (for a few brief minutes) and I managed to snag one. However, once I got it and did  a test run (with water) it scared me a little and now I'm stuck. What should I cook? Any recommendations?

I have promised to try it tomorrow, and first out will be the saffron risotto from "Dinner in an Instant" by Melissa Clark. It does sound really good and I think risotto will be one of the things that can really work out in the Instant Pot. The book is nice - it has 75 recipes, all with good, clear photos. It has a fairly unadventurous chapter division (like meats, desserts etc) and it's easy enough to navigate.

Another book specifically for the Instant Pot is the "Indian Instant Pot Cookbook" by Urvashi Pitre who's otherwise known in the IP community as the "butter chicken lady". She is extremely well known for her recipe for Butter Chicken in the IP, but this cookbook has a lot more recipes - all Indian. I really like Indian food and I look forward to trying this. I do wish it had more photos though - it's just a few.

And finally a Swedish cookbook, "Frukost Hela Dagen" by Anna & Rasmus Axelsson. The title means "breakfast all day" and it's basically a bunch of breakfast recipes that work for any meal. They are all free from gluten and lactose, which is quite nice - even though I don't have any dietary restrictions. The recipes are from the super popular café named "Pom och  Flora" - do visit if you're in Stockholm. So far, I've tried their steel-cut oats (made with oatmeal "milk" and oats) and it was delicious.

Quick cookbook reviews

There's been a LOT of new cookbooks coming out lately, and I thought I'd give you a quick run-down.

I'd get these:
Roy Fares won pastry chef of the year a few years ago, and has been cooking on a popular Swedish tv- show. He's also written his first book: Sweet. And it's absolutely awesome, do get this if you're at all into baking and desserts. Everything sounds delicious and very approachable - I've tried one recipe so far, and it was easy to follow and turned out as I had imagined it. As a bonus, the book is peppered with photos of Roy himself, who is quite easy on the eyes.



Jonas Cramby writes a blog for a popular Swedish magazine and he loves tex-mex. His first cookbook contains completely from-scratch recipes and is aptly named Tex-Mex From Scratch. Everything sounds so awesome, and just a little bit daunting. I feel a strong need for a tortilla press and a tortilla warmer... and maybe a shot of tequila. But seriously, I love the book. It's great.



The popular home baker Martin Johansson has just came out with his third book, which has more easy sourdough breads and also pizza! Definitely a must have, if you like his other books. Or if you didn't get those, but want to learn more about home baking, in a very easy and unpretentious way.


And for everyone who's had a baby, or just needs to juggle things a lot to get food on the table at a reasonable time, try Debbie Koenig's great book, "Parents need to eat too!" It has chapters on naptime cooking, one-handed cooking, "un-cooking" and lots of make-ahead tips. Debbie is a also a blogger, and one that I have "known" for a very long time, so I'm extra-excited about this book.

And I'd skip these:
Jan Hedh's latest, called "Sura degar och söta bröd" (Sour doughs, sweet breads) which as usual, annoyed me. His recipes are ridiculously detailed, and a good portion of the book is just various advice, pretty unstructured. I know a lot of people love his books, but I'm not one of them.

"Mannerströms stora kokbok" by Leif Mannerström is another epic work that's surely to be admired by most foodies. Mannerström is a very renowned Swedish chef, although known to the public perhaps mostly because of his participation as a jury member on the Swedish Masterchef. He's very opinionated, and usually feels that things can only be done one, correct way. His way. Thanks, but that's not my style.

Danyel Couyet has, on that note, written a book with classics, "his way". You'd think I like this better, but sadly, I found it pretty pretentious and annoying. Some things are just not very "twisted" and some are outright crazy. (Some sliced flank steak atop your pasta bolognese?)


And that's it for today. I have many more books to talk to you about, but we'll see when I get around to them :)

Cookbook Watch - Indian Cooking in Sweden

These days, I rarely buy cookbooks in physical shops anymore. I research, then order online. And I get some review copies from publishers, too. But this book really caught my eye, and before I could help myself, I paid for it and left. (well, I did start to look up the price online, but couldn't get a good connection. Besides, you should support local book shops!)

So, what is this? An Indian cookbook, called "David Batras inte så tråkiga indiska kokbok", which translates into "David Batra's not so boring Indian cookbook". Is David Batra a well known chef, you ask? He is not. He is however a well know Swedish comedian, so when he promises a "not so boring cookbook"... He delivers.

Apparently, he cooks a lot in his spare time. His dad is Indian and this book is filled with David's own favorite recipes. Some are from his dad or his aunt, many are his own take on Indian classics. All are quick(-ish), and can be made with ingredients found at almost any supermarket.

Photos are pretty, and plentiful. I've read half the book and already planned next weeks menu. So, in short: two enthusiastic thumbs-up!

Cookbook Watch - some fall news

I'm way, way behind on my cookbook reviews, so I'll try to make up for it... first a batch with some books for kids, one for party people, and one by a Desperate Housewife!



Systrarna Eisenmans Mingelmat is written by Lisa & Monica Eisenman, who formerly ran the Cookbook Café in Stockholm. They closed down quite a few years ago, but I still remember that café fondly. Great food, great baked goods, great cookbooks. Since then, they've written several cookbooks - mostly about cakes and cookies, but also a few other ones. This one is ALL about party food of various kinds. And it's truly a bible in its genre, with 565 recpipes for canapés, toasts, mini pizzas and all sort of things. Anyone who likes to throw a party will love this book - and I know I'll use it often. A keeper.



I had no idea Eva Longoria could cook. To me (and I suspect to most people), she's Gaby in Desperate Housewives, and that she actually owns a restaurant was complete news to me. But she does. And she's written a cookbook, too. A nice one! In Eva's Kitchen, she shares her, and her families favorites. What I love is that the food is Tex-Mex - Mexican food, as cooked in Texas. It's fresh, feisty, and much healthier than you might imagine.



Mums för de minsta ("Yum for the smallest"") by Linda Hallberg is a coobook for babies, up to toddlers. It has a lot of nutrition basics, that new parents usually worry quite a bit about, and hands-on recipes for good starter purées as well as tasty food for slightly older and more adventurous eaters.



Laga mat med barn by Karolina Sparring translates to "Cooking with children" but the real aim is "Cooking FOR children", because this is a book that kids (6+) can use on their own. It's nicely laid out and attractive, and my only fault with it is that the recipes themselves aren't all that exciting. However, I realize that for most families, that's not much of an issue.

Got a kid? Get this book.

Sorry for the crappy iPhone picture. And sorry for not posting a more extensive review. But you have to get this book: River Cottage Baby and Toddler cookbook, by Nikki Duffy. Well, at least if you cook for kids, or babies, or toddlers. I just love it - such a great read, such a great cookbook, such a great philosophy. I whole-heartedly stand beside the same ideas about feeding your child as the author has, and well, it's just great. Good, clean food, from scratch. No worries.

Cookbook Watch - June 2011

Laga mat tillsammans by Sara Begnér, (Norstedts) ("Cook together") is a book about cooking with kids. I think that's a great idea, and this book is perfect if you want to find new family favorites that are also somewhat h
ealthy and good for you. (Even though that's not the emphasis of this book, Sara has previously had a very strong health aspect in her writing.) Letting kids help in the kitchen is rewarding in so many ways - not only does it teach good habits and life skills, but it's often more fun to eat what you've helped make.

The book has nice photos - both of the food and of Sara and her family. A bit too many of the latter for my taste - it takes a lot of space, and the recipes themselves are kept brief. Some recipes use shortcuts like store-bought tortellini and meatballs, but there are also much more ambitious dishes like Osso Buco.



Camilla Läckberg is a famous author, and Christian Hellberg a successful chef - maybe not the most obvious pair to write a cookbook, but Fest, Mat & Kärlek (Party, Food & Love) is actually their second. (I reviewed their first book here.) This one is all about party food, what you're likely to eat with good friends. Most things look impressive but are actuallty quite simple. There's a lot of luxurious dishes including oysters, scallops, lobster and truffles, but also thai-spiced kebabs, and tomato salad with lime and tons of coriander, and a very yummy sweet potato dip served with fried flour tortillas. It's a beautiful book, with a nice layout and good photos, and definitely a good idea for those that like to entertain. It's a plus if you like seafood a lot, though.



Macarons are popping up everywhere these days - in bakeries (sadly, often pre-bought, frozen, industry shells with tons of additives), magazines, blogs and books. I don't have a lot of macaron books - up until recently, only the Japanese one called I Love Macarons, and frankly, that one isn't very good at all. So, I was excited, yet sceptical, when I recieved Macaron - Chic & Delicious French Treats by Annie Riggs, that just came out in Swedish at Bonnier Fakta.

I'm happy to report that it's great! The macarons are pretty and look just right (as opposed to the Japanese book, where they look lumpy and bumpy) and the recipes seem very promising. She uses pretty much the same basic recipe that I do, so I do trust that - she has a tad more sugar and less almonds, though. The book has about 20 flavor combinations, with detailed recipes. Some of them sound pretty exciting - I want to try blackcurrant chocolate ganache, and definitely banana toffée! If you like making macarons and want some new ideas - get this book!

Cookbook Watch - Food, Love, and cooking for the whole family

Familjens Hälsokokbok, at Bonnier Fakta
This is the second book from Jacob Wismar (I've reviewed his first one here) and I like this one much better. The title translates to "the Family's Healthy Cookbook" and that's exactly what it's about - family food, and if not necessarily super-healthy, it's at least not unhealthy. I'm mostly interested in his homemade fish-fingers, and - very excitingly - his homemade falu-style sausage! Will definitely try those, and report back as I get around to it.



Om Mat och Kärlek (Ica bokförlag)
I had no idea who Tareq Taylor was when I picked up this book, which title means "About Food and Love". I know now that he's a cross-over cook (with Arabic-Swedish-British roots) and he's done quite a bit of cooking on Swedish TV. And he's run several successful restaurants, in Malmö. The book is, unusually, divided into decades. As we all know, food has evolved quite a bit, and it's interesting to think back to what was popular in the 70's, 80's, 90's and the 2000's. I like this way of presenting food, especially since it's followed by plenty of personal anecdotes. In short, I like this book quite a lot, and I'll definitely try out some of the recipes. The lamb marinated in marsala served with pickled pears is calling out to me...



Barnens första kokbok is a translation of Children's First Cookbook by Annabel Karmel, and just came out in Swedish at B Wahlströms Förlag. Since I can't wait to get Titus cooking, I'm collecting all sorts of cookbooks for him. (Yes, yes, I realise it might take a while... but he's definitely showing interest!) This one is very approachable and has good instructions, with lots of pictures. The food is pretty good - perhaps not haute cuisine, but not too boring either. And although it's a bit cutesy (lots of kids with a smudge of jam on their nose, and big red exclamation marks for all the steps that include using a knife), I think I'll give it a go. Or rather, I'll pass it on to Titus, and hope he'll enjoy cooking from it.

Cookbook Watch - Sweden, Skåne and Styling

Jamie Upptäcker at Bonnier fakta
Jamie Does... is the latest book from Jamie Oliver. It's made to accompany the tv-show, where Jamie travels around Europe and discovers food from Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Morocco and most excitingly, Sweden. (I was actually one of the consultants for the production company before Jamie came to Sweden - sadly, I didn't get to meet him.) The recipes are classic dishes, but with an unmistakable Jamie twist which might not necessarily yield the most authentic results.

I really enjoyed the chapter on Sweden. You'll find dishes like Split Pea Soup, Meatballs (topped with warm lingonberries, or suggested as a substitute, blackberries!), beetroot-cured salmon, and a very unorthodox Pyttipanna with salami and quail eggs topped with flowering dill.
The book is quite charming, but I don't know if I'll cook a lot from it. I will try Jamie's supposedly Swedish cardamom buns with blueberries and orange though, as they sound amazing!


Skånska Smaker, by Mattias Kroon, at Ica Bokförlag
Skåne is the southern-most part of Sweden, and they have a very distinct cuisine. There haven't been a whole lot of cookbooks available, so I'm happy to see this one - the title means "Flavors from Skåne". The food is *very* rustic, and often includes pork, eggs and potatoes. Yum, in other words! You'll find the traditional dishes here, but also a lot of contemporary takes, like a warm tomato salad with crumbled goat's cheese. The book is divided into chapters by main ingredient, for example canola, elderflower, pork, apples, distilled white vinegar, eel, cabbage and goose. The photos (by Åsa Siller) are remarkable, and if you have ancestry from Skåne, I imagine you'll love this book. I hope it'll get translated into English!



Food Presentation Secrets just came out in Sweden (Ica bokförlag), with the title "Stajla maten", by Cara Hobday and Jo Denbury. As a food blogger, I was pretty excited. Would I learn new cool tricks to make my food look better? Well, I was underwhelmed when I opened the book. Probably because I had expected something else. This is all about presentation, as the English title clearly states, and it'll teach you tricks like how to cut your vegetables into spaghetti or roses, how to make a perfect lattice top for pies, how to fan out an avocado and.. lots of stuff like that. And I have to admit, I find it rather boring.

Cookbook watch: Instructional, easy cookbooks

Jamie Oliver's 30-minute meals. I have almost all of Jamie's cookbooks. I skipped the last one - the "Jamie Does..." since I was pretty disappointed with his America-book and when I looked through the European one, I wasn't wow-ed. So, I really debated whether or not to get the new one, but in the end, the great reviews made me give in and I'm glad I did. It's pretty unique - as the title implies, it has instructions and recipes for how to get a meal on the table in 30 minutes. Not a dish, mind you - a complete meal. With sides, and sometimes a starter or a dessert. I admit that I haven't tried anything just yet, and I'm not completely sure the book is for me - it's clearly geared towards those that don't want to free-style a lot in the kitchen, and that are perhaps less confident cooks. Like my husband. He's looked through this and has promised to try it out - and I think he'll like it a lot. The instructions are clear and detailed - but they are in order according to the entire meal, so if you just want to make one dish, you have to read carefully. Still, I find this a rather unique concept and I like the book!



The Barefoot Contessa - Ina Garten - is not very well-known to me - probably because I've never seen her TV-show. I have a few of her books though, and I love her latest one: "How easy is that?" As the title implies, it has easy recipes for cocktails, starters, lunch, dinner, vegetables and dessert. All are very approachable even for inexperienced cooks, but also suitable for those more adventurous. It's not super-simple three-ingredient stuff - but everything is easy and straightforward to make. On the top of my list: Roasted shrimp with feta, creamy parmesan polenta, and mocha chocolate icebox cake!



Someone else, also much more famous in the US than in Sweden, is Rachael Ray. I've watched the show occasionally though, and I enjoy the cooking segments. So, her new book, "Rachael Ray's Look + Cook", is totally fun! It relies on step-by-step photos, as well as written instructions (that are a bit hard to read though, as they're squished together to make more space for the photos) and thus perfect for those of you who prefers a lot of pictures to guide you along! And the photos themselves: mouth-watering! The chapters are "cozy food", "make your own take-out" and " fancy fake-outs" and then comes a whole other section of the book with more recipes, but no photos. I'm not sure I like that as much - I can see the point (to get more recipes in) but I really prefer to have SOME photo to show the final result. Anyway - there's a lot of quick and easy dinner ideas here, and I'll get a lot of use out of it!

Cookbook watch: educational books

Ratio by Michael Ruhlman. Well, I'm late to the party, you've already read about this book on all the other food blogs, and possibly in magazines as well, It's worth all the buzz, because it's a pretty smart book. And this book will definitely make you a smarter cook, too. It will help you free yourself of recipes (though, why would you want to, if you like me have 200+ cookbooks), and help you develop your own style of cooking and baking. It'll make you successful in dough-making, especially, whether it's pie, biscuits or bread you're making. It's not a flashy book, but it's a helpful one.



Similar in it's non-flashiness, is Ideas in Food by Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot. It, also, has a lot of information and a lot of science: how food actually works. It'll tell you what the ingredients do, on a molecular level as well as on a gastronomic. And it has tons of recipes. It's a great resource and a good read, but I do miss inspiring photos.



Mat, vin, öl, sprit ("Food, wine, beer, spirits") by Michel Jamais and Mathias Emilsson is all about the pairing of food and drinks. Not just wine, but as the title implies, also beer and hard spirits that you might not automatically think would go so well with food. It has some complicated and impressive dishes, as well as simpler ones. I'd like to try the Sainte-Maure goat's cheese, on a crisp made from sourdough bread and topped with a sauvignon blanc-reduction. Sounds pretty yummy, no? I find this book very educational and informative, as well as inspirational. And you don't have to appriciate alcohol to enjoy the book - I'll probably just cook the food and not bother about the actual pairings, as I'm a very occasional drinker.

Cookbook Watch: various

Dylan's Candy Bar
This iconic candy shop is one we sadly missed on our New York trip. However, the book is quite wonderful - filled with candy! It's not a cookbook per se, but there's a lot of inspiration in it - for parties, for crafts, for candy-eating in general... I love the bright, gorgeous photos - it's very upbeat and perky, and you can't not feel good after leafing through this. And, also, obviously, it makes you crave candy in the worst way, so if you have any New Year's resolutions in that general area, skip this. If you don't mind giving in... get it. It's lovely.



Kung i Köket ("King in the kitchen") is a cool cookbook made by the men of the Swedish cooking team. They've competed in the World Cup, as well as Culinary Olympics, and they've done so very well. This book is geared towards the home cook who wants to impress - lots of stuff that looks hard and chef-y, but is actually not difficult to make. And, as a bonus, the book has a lot of photos of the chefs, model-style. And some are very, VERY cute!



Bulle, Burgare, Biff - en kokbok om färs ("Ball, burger, patty - a cookbook about mince") by Tobias Holmberg was a surprise to me. I didn't expect to like it much - after all, how much can you say about minced meat? Enough for a whole cookbook on the subject? Hardly. Well, turned out I was wrong. There's a lot to say. Or at least a lot to cook. This book goes straight to the point - just recipes (and pretty pictures) and not a whole lot of chatter. The chapters are obvious but helpful - beef, pork, lamb, fish, chicken, veal, game and vegetarian. And while all the recipes have the same starting point - mince - Tobias really takes them in different directions. Sure, there are some burgers, but also veal mince wrapped in prosciutto and served with a sage risotto. And empanadas with lamb mince. And a classic Swedish cabbage pudding. And chicken meatballs in coconut broth, flavored with galangal and fresh coriander. Yeah, you get the point. There's a lot of really good food in this cookbook. And that's what truly matters to me, in the end. Keeper!




Fina Feta Fiskar is written by Klara Desser, whose usual focus is food with a low glycemic index. (I've reviewed a few of her books before.) Her books are always very well written, and with beautiful photos taken by her husband Hans. This one focuses on fish - the title means "Fine Fat Fish", and has a lot of recipes for fat fishes like salmon, mackerel and herring. Not my usual preference to tell you the truth - I like salmon, but am no big fan of the other two. Nonetheless, this book is quite inspiring, since it has so many ideas and recipes. The two I'll try first are for salmon though - one thai-inspired soupy stew with red curry and coconut milk, and one for pan-fried salmon with a sauce from green peas, coconut milk, mint and ginger. Sounds good!

Cookbook Watch: A little bit of this, a little bit of that

I know you're all dying to hear about the NYC trip - or maybe not, but I'm dying to tell you! I just have to download all the pictures, and get writing - soon! Meanwhile, how about some more cookbook reviews?



Modern fransk husmanskost ("Modern French Home Cooking") is written by Yvan Cadiou who's a highly trained French chef from Brittany. He's done some cooking shows for French TV and BBC, and has written cookbooks in French - this one, however, is as far as I can tell only available in Swedish. First of all, the name totally puts me off. It seems so boring, and frankly, anything but modern. And not very suited to the chef - just look at his website!. Then again, maybe it's well suited to the book, which is also.. well, not that modern. I expected to be surprised and inspired, not to see the same ratatouille, salade nicoise, pot au feu and duck a'l'orange as in every other French cookbook. Not to say that it's not delicious - it sure is - but it's not what I think of as modern, exactly.



Hela årets kokbok ("Cookbook for the whole year") is written by Fredrik Eriksson who runs Långbro Värdshus in Stockholm and is well known for being an advocate for locally produced food. His "year" isn't really a whole year though - it starts with Easter, moves through early vegetables into the grilling season, then on to shellfish, harvest time and finally christmas. Food-wise, maybe that is a full year? I'm not sure. Either way, with 200 recipes, you'll certainly be busy for the whole year!



Johanna fixar Fest ("Johanna holds a party") by Johanna Westman is a book to help you arrange children's parties. Or really, if you *are* a kid, it's to help you hold your own party. I love how Johanna's books (she's written quite a few) are never dumbed down, but they're still simple and clear enough for kids to use. The book has a whole year of parties - and not just the obvious holidays either, no, this also has Chinese New Year and waffle day in addition to things like Valentine´s, Easter and Christmas. Each occasion has general party ideas, some tips, but mostly recipes which is why I think this is a cookbook first and foremost rather than a party-planning book. And as such, it holds a much wider appeal. This is great - even if you don't have kids, or if you don't really throw parties. I think my favorite chapter is "Mother's Day, and other luxury breakfasts" and I can hardly wait until Titus is old enough to read...

Cookbook watch - big, huge cookbooks

Allt Om Mat Stora kokboken ("The big cookbook from All About Food")

An extremely ambitious cookbook by the most classic Swedish food magazine, Allt Om Mat. The closest equivalent in US would probably be the Gourmet cookbook, by Gourmet magazines. (The magazines aren't that much alike, but the books are at least in the same genre.) All the recipes are well-tested and therefor reliable, which is what I really like about them. It's perfect for when you don't feel adventurous and prefer to follow a recipe - like my husband. Everything turns out like it should, which is definitely a big advantage. The book is nicely ordered - weekdays, Friday nights (easy and slightly more glamorous), Saturdays (including starters and/or desserts) and Sundays with dishes that take more time. There is also a large focus on parties and events, and there are lot of party menus and buffets. And last, but certainly not least, a big section on Swedish holidays. I like this book a lot - it's definitely a keeper.



Bonnier is one of the big publishing houses in Sweden, and they have published a large, definitive cookbook since 1960. Even staples must be updated, and although this one was re-written in 2002, it was time for another major revision. As all staple cookbooks, this is big. Really big. 1800 recipes, in fact! Well, in theory this would be the only cookbook you'd ever need. In reality? Perhaps not. It's great if you're just starting out in cooking, but if you're more of a cooking buff, maybe this isn't for you. Still, I like having at least one of these around, for looking up things like meat temperatures and stuff like that.



Yeah, so Bonniers have published their big cookbook for 50 years now. Guess what, they just re-published the very first edition from 1960, too! This is exactly like the old edition, since the original pages have been photographed and re-printed. This gets me more excited than the updated one - it's a lot of fun looking at old staple recipes, and marvelling at the ingredients and methods used. And the photos! They might not be food-porny like what you see in modern cookbooks, but I love them - it's all very retro. My favorite sections are probably the ones about kitchen layout, the menu suggestions, and a chapter on cooking with kids.

Cookbook watch - books with cookies & sweets

Marie Skogström is both a chef and a pastry chef, and she's been a finalist for Pastry Chef of the Year several times if my memory serves correctly. Her book, Chokladdesserter (Do you really need me to translate that?) doesn't mention this at all, but knowing it makes me appreciate her recipes a little extra. The goodies really speak for themselves though - a caramel panna cotta topped with chocolate ganache, anyone? A lingonberry chocolate soufflé? Yes, I thought so. This book is a keeper, and gets to move into my over-stuffed bookcase.



277 sorters kakor ("277 types of cookies") is the latest from Swedish pastry chef Jan Hedh, and it's filled to the brim with cookie recipes. Cookies, in the broad sense, that is - some are actually cookies, some are cakes, some are small gateaus. Jan Hedh is a very classical pastry chef, and has tons of recipes for old-style European sweets, that he's learned from various colleagues during his long career. A lot of them feel decidedly old-fashioned, but fabulously-looking nonetheless. As always, his recipes are extremely exact (don't even think about attempting them without a precise set of scales) and usually somewhat complicated. That in itself can be quite deterring - but if you get past it and look to the finished results, you can have some fun with this book. If you want something a bit more approachable, read on...



Sju sorters julkakor might at first glance look exactly like "Sju sorters kakor" or Swedish cakes and cookies as it's called in English. (Yes, a Swedish cookie cookbook that's available in English!) It's not. The name means "Seven kinds of christmas cookies" but obviously this holds a lot more than seven cookies. I love that they've used the same red gingham design as some of the other staple books that Ica Bokförlag has published - not only because it looks great but also because it implies that this book is a staple. And it just might be. Not just for christmas, either - oh no, this is a book to be used all year round. My only problem is where to begin. With cookies? Cakes? A cheesecake perhaps, topped with christmassy pomegranate seeds? Cinnamon brownies with saffron frosting?? Seriously, that sounds so good it ought to be illegal. Get the book (if you read Swedish) - you won't regret it.



Lyxlagat Sött & Gott ("Luxury cooking - sweet and tasty") is the fourth book by Frederik Zäll (who's probably best known as a musician, in the band Escobar), but it's the first one I've read. For this one, he's paired up with super cool pastry chef Daniel Roos (who's a total doll, and heads up the pastry department at luxury restaurant Operakällaren) to present awesome desserts. They're definitely made to impress - but easy enough to pull off at home. (Well, at least that's the claim!) It has yummy goodness from cover to cover - it begins with a Mango Tart with Coconut Meringue, and ends with homemade chocolates filled with a tea-chocolate ganache. Every recipe also has a suggestion for music and something to drink - a bit unclear if it's meant to actually match, or if it's more something you could drink while cooking, but it's nice either way. Frederik has a very personal way of writing, and the book is extremely friendly. Thumbs up!

Cookbook watch: bake more bread

Enklare Bröd ("Simpler bread") is the second book by Martin Johansson, whose had a smash hit with his bread blog (Pain de Martin) and his first book about sourdough bread. (Reviewed by me, here.) His second book is all about simpler baking. He uses two basic techniques - one is the no-knead method invented/made popular by Jim Lahey , and the other is a rest-and-fold method that's a bit more labour intensive. (Just a bit though - it's still simple.) What it's not is fast. Both methods rely on time to give the bread the right texture. Martin talks a lot about how the dough develops, and he has great step-by-step photos for folding and shaping the dough. I like the book a lot, but I'm not so sure it's really "simple" just because there's no kneading required. It still takes a lot of planning, and I haven't really gotten into the habit of preparing a dough the night before I want to bake. I tried two of the rest-and-fold breads, and they turned out very nicely!



Baka surdegsbröd ("baking sourdough bread") by Göran Söderin and Georg Strachal is a good introduction for those who want to get into sourdough baking. I already have a lot of bread books I prefer, but this is definitely nice for someone who's a little less cookbook obsessed than I am. Clear instructions are given for how to start a sourdough (various ones - rye, wheat and more exotic ones using oatmeal, potatoes and lentils!) and how to care for it. I might give this book to someone else, but before I do, I'll definitely be trying the spelt bread with oranges...



And bake with the kids, too! Baka med barn means just that, and while this book has a short chapter on sweeter baked goods, the main focus is on bread. And on fairly healthy breads, too, using a lot of wholemeal flours. I love the photos of all the kids in this, but the photos of the actual finished baked goods could be better. The instructions are clear and step-by-step, but the ingredient lists are usually at the end of the page which annoys me just slightly. Anyway, I can't wait until my little guy is old enough to help out in the kitchen - or more to the point, until he's old enough to cook and bake. I'll be the one doing the helping.

Cookbook watch - Mediterranean cookbooks

As always, Swedes are completely obsessed with mediterranean food and the market for more cookbooks about this style of cooking seems never-ending. The latest batch...



Medelhavsbufféer ("Mediterranean buffets) by Tomas Tengby and Marco Baudone (Tengby is a journlist and talks about the food traditions, while Baudone is the chef.) should be a clear winner, since it deals with two popular subjects at once! Swedes often serve buffets at any sort of celebration with more than six guests, rather than having a three-course meal. (Not that I'm complaining, mind you - I don't really like to cook plated food for more than 4-6 myself.) It's divided by country - starting with France, Italy, Spain and Greece, but also including Morocco, Turkey and Lebanon. The latter make the book much more interesting, and the recipes look lovely. It helps that the photos are absolutely beautiful, shot by Roland Persson.



Mina smaker från Provence ("My flavors from Provence") is written by Danyel Couyet, who runs several restaurants in Stockholm together with Melker Andersson. His most famous one is French, Le Rouge in Old Town. I haven't been, but I hear it's really good. When I first started looking through this book, I wasn't that thrilled. That eventually changed - I found tons of things that I want to try. The recipes are classic French, but usually with a unique twist. I can't wait to try his beef stew, or the apricot-almond tarte!

These two books have an unusual format - it's a spiral-bound pad, that is sturdy enough to stand on its own so you can have the recipe easily available as you cook. It's unusual, but pretty nifty. Photos are by one of my favorite food photographers, David Loftus. (He usually shoots Jamie Oliver´s books.)



Mitt goda Toscana ("My tasty Tuscany") by Stefano Catennachi is all about gourmet Italian, but with a Swedish perspective. Or well, say a Stockholm perspective. Tuscan food seems to be more about high quality ingredients than much actual preparation, and when I was reading through the book it seemed that every other recipe said "oh, you can easily find this at a well-stocked food hall". Well, convenient if you're in a big city, but if you're not, you're pretty much out of luck. That said, there are recipes here that I'd love to make - first on my list is a luscious-looking risotto with ricotta and salsiccia...

Cookbook Watch - fall 2010 part 1

Ok guys, I have SO many books to tell you about. Some that I have been waiting for a long time - like Nigella Lawson's latest book, Kitchen, and of course, a lot of new books on the Swedish market. You'll have to wait a bit more for my take on Nigella, since I'm really savoring it. As always, she's a great writer, and I really enjoy reading her books much as I would any good book rather than just leafing through the recipes.



So, without further ado. Here are some new books in Sweden - only available in Swedish, I'm afraid. First, let's talk a little about Håkan Larsson's Fredagkväll ("Friday Night"). This book has ideas for Friday nights, to put it simply. Easy menus - with one or two courses - with a touch of luxury. It also includes wine pairings, which might be fun and useful - I personally don't drink a lot of wine, and am not all that interested. I tried a pork tenderloin with basil oil and asparagus chèvre risotto - it was good, but nothing special. And that sums up my thoughts on the book: rather nice, if not exactly unique.



Smart & Gott is the latest book by Liselotte Forslin, who does a lot of freelance work, so I've read many of her recipes in various magazines. I like her general outlook on food, and her recipes always seem fresh and seasonal, with a lot of vegetables. This book however, is a little too goody-two-shoes for me. It's called "Smart & Tasty - healthy recipes for everyday" and healthy is exactly where the focus is. Namely, low(ish)-fat, small(ish) portions and frankly, not all that exciting. The book has everything from breakfast blueberry porridge to a quick dessert (fresh orange slices dusted with cinnamon) but nothing inspires me to cook. This book is great if you're stuck in a fast-food rut and need ideas to eat healthy, but if you're already on a varied diet, this won't have much that you haven't seen before. (And personally, I'm pretty annoyed by general statements like "you should always choose organic if possible", but that's a subject for another day.)



Former pro-boxer Paolo Roberto surprised everyone a few years ago by writing several cookbooks and having a cooking show. He really can cook! This is his third book, Italiensk Fastfood (I don't think you need a translation of that) and the goal is to make people realize that you can cook good food from scratch, without a lot of time. Well, I don't know if the recipes here are all that much faster than the ones from his previous books, but that's forgiveable since I absolutely love everything I've tried from his recipes. It's not complicated, and it doesn't take a lot of time, nor require a lot of ingredients. The food is good, and so is the writing. Definitely recommended!



And a brand new book from a food blogger! Therésia Erneborg writes a blog about sweets, called "Söta Saker" ("Sweet things") and she just wrote her first book. I'm betting it's not her last! She's a journalist, and her writing is very clear and entertaining. The book is filled with sweets - everything from candy and cookies to cakes, and what I really love are all the beautiful photos! The book feels quite "vintage" rather than ultra-modern, and I really like that. It has personality! More importantly, it has delicious, wonderful recipes, and lots of them. If you're a sweet-lover, this is definitely the book to get this season.