A Plan Is Born

I own cookbooks. Seriously, I own LOTS of cookbooks. I seem to collect them, piles of Jamie’s and Delia’s and Gordon’s finest are shoehorned in and about my kitchen gathering dust and telling tales of grand dinners that never were.

It’s true; I’m a sucker for a cookbook. I can’t seem to help myself. I’m browsing in the local bookshop and my eyes will inevitably be drawn towards the cookery section. Soon enough I’ll be struck by a new fancy title from some king or queen of tv chef-ery. Before you can say “Rick Stein” I’ll be off on a fantasy trip. I’m holding court in my kitchen at home, pouring forth fantastic dish after fantastic dish to the wild amazement of my friends and glamorous invited guests.

Of course it never really happens. I cook a few recipes, at best, and then at the first sign of trouble the book is tossed into the collection, wedged somewhere between Jamie’s Italy and my Imperia pasta machine never to see the light of day again.

Well, “No more!” I say. I’ve been inspired by Carol Blymire’s French Laundry at Home Blog (yes, that one is somewhere in my pile too…). I have decided to cook every single recipe, one after another, from the very next cookbook that I buy. Not only that, but to keep me honest, I’ll be sharing the experience right here on this blog.

And my next cookbook? In case you haven’t guessed, I have decided to go for Gordon Ramsay’s “Great British Pub Food”. In my next post I’ll tell you why I’ve chosen this one – sight unseen!