So I wondered about writing a cookbook

But it seems you have to be a celebrity to get anywhere with one of those. I was quite curious about the number of celebrities who are popping up with cookbooks – and on the whole I think anything that gets people cooking is a good thing. So you may not be convinced about Tana Ramsey’s need to cook – given that her husband is a professional chef – but if it helps you get the food on the table for you and your kids whilst your husband plays away then fair enough. Or if you’d like to know how yummy mummy Gwyneth Paltrow  keeps Apple and Moses happy and well-fed whilst still finding time to exercise, make blockbuster movies and keep the house tidy – well there’s a book on that too.

No, I am not being cynical – I have hundreds of cookbooks (maybe that’s an exaggeration but I have over thirty) and I don’t stop buying them. If each book only gives me renewed enthusiasm for cooking and one or two new recipes then they have been money well spent. Except…

In another of this month’s magazines (again I won’t name it) there is a celebrity interview with Eva Longoria who (despite being recently divorced) still looks young, sexy and is making films (how do these rich, celebrities with personal stylists manage it?) and cookbooks. Her book is called, Eva’s Kitchen: Cooking With Love For Family & Friends and she describes it as a ‘memoir of my life with food’ (quoting from page 40 of said magazine). I find this interesting because on page 42 she then explains in more detail about her diet. She is quoted as saying,

‘I get food delivered by a company called Sunfare. The bag arrives every

morning: breakfast, lunch, dinner, two snacks. Perfectly proportioned and calorie counted.’ (Eva Longoria as interviewed by a well-known UK monthly magazine - there is more, should you wish to purchase the mag.)

            Hmm, so now I’m really interested to read her cookbook.

           

There is a similar company operating in the UK (The Pure Package - it may only be London so far) and for £339.50 for ten days you can get this whole deal – and apparently it saves you money as well as time – as you no longer have to shop for your food, just wait for your daily delivery. And if you think this is the way forward you can sign up for a full 90 days at the special price of £2965.50. Please keep in mind that this is for one person – not a couple, not a family but one person. It does not include alcohol, tea, coffee, cleaning products, toilet rolls and all the other things you tend to buy on your weekly shop. It doesn’t include cat food, dog food, rabbit food (though you may be forgiven for thinking so when you look at the sample menus) – am I over-reacting when I think that this is a gross waste of money and even a little bit sad? And what do these people do if a friend drops by just before dinner – do they scramble around in their freezer to see if there’s any oven chips so they can eke an extra portion from the day’s meal?

Ah well, I think Eva can keep her cookbook for the time being but I must admit if Gwyneth’s book can make me look like that then it may be worth a sneaky peek.

For any of you still inclined to cook – here’s a Spanish inspired recipe. Please don’t be put off by the looks of the dish – as I’m not a food stylist I am afraid it was not easy to make this photograph look good, it really tastes delicious though.

This is really normally a starter or tapas but as I was serving it as a main meal I kept it a bit saucier – if you do make it for tapas I suggest you reduce the sauce much further so the livers go really sticky.

Recipe: Sherry glazed chicken livers with Carmargue rice and salad

Source: Marks and Spencer Spain (don’t know if these are still in print but they’re lovely)

Ingredients:

Chicken livers (thawed – one pot, about 200-250g, will serve 2 people)

Olive oil

Sherry vinegar

Sherry

2 shallots, finely chopped

Garlic, chopped

125ml Chicken stock (home-made if possible)

Fresh thyme

Fresh Parsley

Honey

Cayenne pepper

Salad ingredients

Carmargue Rice

Here’s What I Do:

Cook your rice (this can be a long time with Carmargue). Prepare your salad – add any ingredients you like, as there is a nice sauce with this meal I dressed the salad with just olive oil and a sprinkling of Carmargue salt. I topped it with a few shreds of Manchego cheese because I love any excuse to eat Manchego. Trim the livers – they’ll have sinewy bits that aren’t nice to eat – then pat them dry with kitchen towel. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the livers in a single layer until brown on the outside and just pink inside. Transfer to a warm plate and keep warm in an oven. Add the garlic to the pan and as soon as it starts to smell fragrant add the vinegar, sherry and shallots and bring to the boil, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, thyme, honey and a pinch of cayenne and bubble until reduced (if you are doing this as a main meal, reduce by about half, otherwise for tapas reduce to around 3 or 4 tablespoons – it should look thick and sticky). Return the livers to the pan, cover in the sauce/glaze, check for seasoning and then sprinkle with the parsley. Serve with the rice and salad.