Friday, August 19, 2011

Murdoch Books - Spice It

Spice itLike the other books in the “It” series published by Murdoch Books, “Spice Iit” is an excellent source for interesting, easy to follow recipes. Like its siblings, Spice It is a beautifully presented book jam packed with full page colour photos and smaller photos used to demonstrate any of the harder to follow techniques used by a particular recipe.

This book is divided into five different sections based on intensity of flavour: fragrant, intense, hot, sweet, and blends. I find dividing the book in this manner makes it easier to cater for guests, especially when they are not comfortable with dishes that use the hotter spices such as chilli, mustard, wasabi etc.

My favourite section of the book, “Blends”, is the last section where the ingredients for popular Asian and European spice blends are listed. In addition to these spice blends, recipes that use them are listed in succession.

The variety of recipes covered in this book cross Mediterranean, Indian, Asian and European. There is something in here for everyone. In addition, the first chapter of this book provides an insight into the types, preparation and storage of spices.


Whenever I’m in the mood for something spicy/aromatic, which is quick to cook, this will be one of the first books I reach for. My favourite recipes from this book are Pork Vindaloo and slow-cooked chilli beef.

This book is a pleasure for both the novice and more experienced cook.

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Friday, August 12, 2011

Murdoch Books - It Series

Whizz itSpice itBake itSteam itWok it (It Series)Grill it

In 2005, Murdoch Books released a lovely set of hard cover books called the “It Series,” which are compilations of recipes from the Murdoch Books Test Kitchen. Each book is dedicated to a particular cooking technique, whether it is steaming, whizzing (food processors, blenders, etc.), baking, grilling, stir-frying, or the use of spices.

Being a compilation, you may recognise recipes from other books published by Murdoch Books such as those from the “The food of” series. I do not think this is a bad thing, but it is something to be aware of.

These are beautiful, chunky, little books, each of which contains approximately 400 pages. Each recipe has a full-page colour photograph of the completed dish. In general, all of the recipes are simple, easy to read and well explained. If more explanation is required, additional photographs are included.

What I like most about these books, is that each one is not only contains gorgeous recipes, but they also quite educational for the novice cook. Each book includes a detailed discussion on the book’s topic.

I own four of the six books: “Wizz It,” “Spice It,” “Bake it” and “Steam It,” each of which I will review in this blog. If you have the other two books, please post a comment and let me know what you think of them.

Since purchasing my books, a number of these have been re-released as cheaper paperbacks in 2010.


Bake it (It Series)Spice it (It Series)Grill it (It Series)Wok it (It Series)

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Friday, August 5, 2011

Murdoch Books - "Food of" Series

Food of India (Food Of Series) Food of China (Food Of Series)Food of Spain (Food Of Series)Food of Morocco (Food Of Series)Food of France (Food Of Series)Food of Thailand (Food Of Series)The Food of Italy: A Journey for Food Lovers (Food Of Series)

The "Food of Series" is a fascinating seven book series, each of which is dedicated to one particular cuisine. The seven cuisines covered in this series are Indian, French, Italian, Thai, Chinese, Spanish, and Moroccan.

I first came across these books when my cousin gave me "The Food of India" as a Christmas present in 2007. This book had me hooked on the series. What I loved most about this book and the others in this series, is the use of raw ingredients i.e. I was not required to buy readymade pastes from the supermarket.

Making each dish from scratch can be time consuming, however, it allows you to get a true appreciation for the cuisine, and later adapt the dishes to suit your or your guest’s, individual tastes.

I later found "The Food of Italy" and "The Food of Morocco" at a book sale near work. Like its Indian sibling, these books exhibited all the characteristics required to make it a "must buy now" item. Each recipe was easy to follow, beautifully illustrated and the ingredients were relatively easy to find.

These books do an excellent job at demystifying each cuisine. For example, the food of Italy taught me how to make pasta and gnocchi. I remember hearing people tell me how hard it was to make pasta and gnocchi. To be honest, it is not that hard as long as you dust your dough with plenty of flour while you are working with it.

Each book includes a brief overview of the cuisine including a discussion of the regional variations, influences, and food myths. There is also a discussion on the eating style, so that you are able to create a realistic eating experience.

I have since purchased The Food of France, The Food of Thailand, and The Food of China. I am waiting eagerly for them to arrive. I will add individual reviews for each of the books in time and include pictures from my favourite recipes.

Now all I need to buy is the food of Spain and my collection will be complete!