Sunday, March 6, 2016

Food and Drink with DK Canada!

I must admit, I'm not the best cook, but I do enjoy baking. (And the consuming of baked goods!) DK Canada has put together a Food and Drink Boutique showcasing some of their great titles.

"With comprehensive wine encyclopedias and clear, easy-to-follow cookbooks – this selection of our illustrated epicurean titles will be sure to please your favorite foodie!"

Which one caught my eye? Baking with Mary Berry: Cakes, Cookies, Pies and Pastries from the British Queen of Baking. I'm not sure how I haven't come across Berry's cookbooks before - she has "six decades of cooking experience and more than 80 cookbooks to her name and is considered Britain's queen of baking. And I've only just discovered The Great British Bake Off, where Berry is a judge.

This a perfect cookbook for those looking for basic, satisfying recipes perfect for beginners or experienced bakers.

The first chapter deals with techniques - most of the basic skills I was familiar with but others were new to me, such as steaming a pudding and different types of pastry. Berry really does cover it all, from muffins, loafs to cakes, pies, tarts, cookies - and British favourites. This was my favourite chapter! Devon scones, treacle tarts, Banoffi pie, sticky toffee pudding and more. Absolute comfort food that reminds me of my gran. Every recipe looks delicious and there are some unusual pairings I have to try - Chocolate and Beet cake!?

The layout of the book is clean and easy to read. The recipes call for ingredients most bakers will have in the fridge or cupboard. The methods are also clear and easy to follow with only 3-7 steps in each. My only wish is that colour photos had been included with every recipe. Those that are look delicious. No nutritional info is included. But butter, sugar and chocolate are, so it's probably better to just enjoy a treat without worrying.

This is a cookbook I'll be using and enjoying for many years.  Here's Mary Berry's Apple Strudel recipe and the treacle tart recipe. See an excerpt of Baking With Mary Berry.

1 comment:

Vicki said...

I've never seen this book before, I bet I'd like it. Thanks for sharing!