If there’s one thing that I’ll hold my hands up and say ‘I’m dreadful at this’, then it’s cooking. I’ve never had the want or thrill to cook, and I always find the stress that it causes me to not be worth the meal that I’ve prepared.
Now, I’m sure I’m not the only person who thinks this. And don’t get me wrong, I enjoy whipping up a spaghetti bolognese or a curry from time to time, as I consider this easy stuff. But when it comes to expanding my culinary repertoire, I’m just not interested.
However, I get a lot of stick for this from friends and family, so when I was sent The Cornish Cookbook from Meze Publishing to try out, I thought I’d have a peek and see if I could try to make one recipe from scratch and follow the exact instructions laid out.
From first glance, I knew that I was going to like this book. Beautifully designed and with gorgeous photos, The Cornish Cook Book celebrates the best of Cornwall. With over 25 recipes contributed by a diverse selection of restaurants, bars, cafes and small producers across the county, this is a great little book as a gift.
I also like how it’s not too bulky. It’s a great slimline addition to my woefully slim cookbook shelf.
So onto the recipe!
I decided to make the ‘Traditional Steak Pasty’ that comes from Philps Bakery in Hayle. I love pasties, and was actually excited to try this one recipe out – as it’ll cover pastry (which I’ve never attempted before) and actually making a staple Cornish dish.
Following the exact instruction was easier than first anticipated. There weren’t any complicated culinary terminology jargon that other recipe books insist in adding in, and the ingredients and instructions were simple to find & follow.
From the images, I think you can agree that the pasties turned out a success!
Only problem I had was when it came down to crimping, but I don’t think this is something that just happens first time round.
I’m definitely going to try some more recipes from this Cookbook, and can’t wait to see if they turn out like these.
A huge thank you to Meze for sending me this book over in exchange of a review.
Alice's World 