Bloggerview with Lindy Wildsmith where she spills the cannelini beans

Cicchetti

the new book by Lindy Wildsmith and Valentina Harris

Name Lindy Wildsmith



Occupation Cook and food writer



What would you like to plug Cicchetti, my new book co written with Valentina Harris

 http://www.amazon.com/Cicchetti-Delicious-Italian-Food-Share/dp/1937994155



Name your three dessert island ingredients shade, drinking water and fish

Food stuffs that you would put in room 101? ready meals and rice pudding

What would you like to have for your last supper? Calves liver and spinach

What cook book do you use the most? Le ricette regionali italiane Anna Gosetti della Sarda

Your favourite spice is ….. crushed coriander seeds

Best dinner party guests and what would you cook them? My grandparents, parents and children. 

Stuffed zucchini flowers; Wild salmon, broad beans, celeriac remould, new potatoes and dill sauce; 

Gooseberry frangipane and panna cotta

What was your tea time treat as a child? Freshly baked scones in summer and crumpets in winter

What was the first thing you learnt to cook? I can’t remember that far back.....

And what was the first thing you taught your children to cook? Pizza and fairy cakes

What was your mother’s signature dish, and do you try to copy it? Charlotte Russe – no but I keep meaning to.

What dish gets you out of a tricky situation with your partner? Anything with seafood – specifically seafood risotto or spaghetti con le vongole

What would you say was your most memorable meal? The time I burned the mushroom risotto – too many drinks in the garden

And what would be your biggest disaster? The above

What do you wish you had never eaten, but had to? Le palle del nonno – Grandfather’s balls – deep fried profiteroles stuffed with ricotta

What do you consider to be the Best of British? The people

What do you think are the best and worst things about London restaurants? The Variety is the best the worst has to be the bill.....


QUICK FIRE ROUND

Favourite restaurant Walnut Tree

Nigella or Delia Neither

Muesli or fry up Both

KFC or Burger King Neither

Gin or Vodka Gin

Wine or beer Wine

Food Villain Mass production

Food Hero Seasons


And finally your top tip for cooking.Taste, taste, taste as you go along.

Cicchetti, the italian cookery book you have all been waiting for.

Cicchetti

co authored by Lindy Wildsmith and Valentina Harris

the cookbook that a lot of people have been waiting for.

Available at all good bookshops and Amazon as of the 15th August 2013

http://www.amazon.com/Cicchetti-Delicious-Italian-Food-Share/dp/1937994155

The sales of this book must be going through the roof, as of today, July 8th 2013 there are only 18 copies left on Amazon, and it has yet to be officially published. there is also a note saying that more are on the way, so don't worry, just click on the above link to order your one.

This book is written by two people, firstly there is  Lindy Wildsmith who brought us the definitive guide on curing meat in the book, cleverly entitled,"Cured" and Valentina Harris who anyone with a slight interest in food will have heard about due in part to her infectious knowledge about Italian food. 

So here we have a marriage of like minds and the issue from the partnership is truly one of the best food books I have seen in a while. There is something very homely about the writing and the food, giving a feel of achievability, something a look of cookery books don't seem to care about. With this one if you are unable to make everything in it then really perhaps cooking really isn't for you. Just sit back and enjoy the endeavours of others . As the whole point of Chicchetti is to have just a small amount, there is, as you would imagine rather a lot to choose from. Cleverly broken down into regions of the country you get to choose from everything not just from the region that owns the name Cicchetti. Everyone will have their favourites, I know I do already but I will be also making some of the ones I am not too sure about, that is the great thing about this book, you don't have to make a vast quantity to see what its like. Genius idea.

There is at the start of the book a step by step guide on the ways to fry and the use of polenta in recipes and a whole raft of useful tips that will make the preparation that much easier if you are not altogether used to the terminology of Italian cookery. In fact, the book is peppered with nuggets of stories that make it a good read as well. Also  the names of the dishes make so much more sense when they have been translated for you, as in Agnello a scottadito literally meaning "burn your fingers" so the cutlets have to be piping hot and eaten with the fingers, the book is full of such gems.

I once spent the whole summer in Italy, way down south below Naples and this book has brought back so many memories of my time there and reminded me of the amazing food and hospitality of the people of the region. There was not one day that I didnt have something like this to eat

Where possible, use food that you have grown yourself as it adds to the pride you have in offering your food to friends, just knowing that you have delivered, literally from field to plate makes a huge difference, and the flavour is usually in a class of its own too.

These two make a great partnership and hopefully there will be more coming from them in the future as they have nbeen able to produce a book of note. its the sort of book you should buy two copies of one for yourself and another for a really good friend so you can share the love of the food.

Bloggerview with Lindy Wildsmith, the author of "Cured" one of the best food books this century

Name and occupation
Lindy Wildsmith
Food and travel writer
Runs the Chef’s Room fish and cookery school

What would you like to plug?

Cured:salted spiced dried smoked potted pickled raw Jacqui small 2010

 www.thechefsroom.co.uk fish and cookery school in Wales

The first British Charcuterie festival at the Festival Hall site


 

Lindy demonstrates how to cure pork

Name your three desert island ingredients
Drinking water, vegetation and a boat to get out once I have had enough.

What would you have for your last supper?
Calf’s liver griddled with sage and a lick of extra virgin olive oil, spinach and a puree of mashed potato

What foodstuff would you banish to room 101?
Junk food

What's your favourite restaurant?
The Walnut Tree – near Abergavenny

What's your favourite tipple?
Depends on the time of day and the occasion – Champagnefor Christmas morning and very special moments. Prosecco for celebrating. Campari before dinner, grappa after dinner…..I could go on.

Which book gets you cooking?
I love looking at old cookery books where the written word is more important than the picture but
ingredients inspire me to be creative rather than books.

What's your dream dinner party line-up? And what would you cook for them?
My grandparents, parents and children all as young adults. Gravadlax with citrus and cinnamon. Rare shoulder of wild boar with pomegranate and a plum scented Charlotte Rousse

What was your childhood teatime treat?
Honestly? Cadbury’s chocolate fingers….and crumpets around the fireside.

What was the first thing you learnt to cook?
The first thing I remember making is Yorkshire pudding – my father was from Yorkshire and it was
everyone’s favourite. Also scones, pastry and cakes

What was the first thing you taught your children to cook?
Probably pizza – but cakes and scones as well

What was your mothers signature dish and do you try to copy it?
Charlotte Rousse – I often helped her make it but have never attempted to make it but am seriously thinking about it. It was amazing….

What would you make to impress your partner?
Anything with seafood

What was your most memorable meal?
There have been so many but….. my first ever meal al fresco was at the Royal Yacht Club at the port of Pireus outside Athens when I was fourteen. It was the first time I had seen or eaten fried squid, the first time I had experienced sitting out until late in the heat of the night - the scent of white jasmine in the air.

What was your biggest culinary disaster?
I can’t remember one! I am not saying things don’t go wrong but I usually mange to work around them – I need to think about that one! The first time I cooked duck – no one told me that even a large duck would not feed 8 people. Luckily there was plenty of other stuff to eat.

What's the worst meal you've ever had?
Not a worst meal…..but a worst pudding in Rome. Deep fried, ricotta filled chou buns……affectionately known as Le Palle del nonno – grandfather’s balls. I rest my case.

But wait yes there was a terrible meal. I was driving down from the UK to Rome with a couple of mates in a Mini. This was back in the 70s. We were travelling on a budget but at the same time loved the luxuries of life. We wanted to go to Monte Carlo and visit the casino. Once there we realized that we could only just afford to park the car. We walked around the harbour and checked out the casino by which time it was getting late and then we raced like bats out of hell as far as we could out of the town to find affordable food and lodging. We arrived on the border in Manton – it was now dark and we spotted a small place called Hotel des Roses. It was painted pink and looked a possibe and so it was. It had seen better days but dinner was included and by this time we were starving. We dropped our things and made a bee line for the dining room. It was crammed with people like us anxiously anticipating food. Suddenly the waiters appeared and a lidded tureen was placed in the middle of each table. The lids were raised around the room and we all leaned forward to see what was inside. As if under starter’s orders, everyone recoiled. It was the most evil smelling watery broth. We ate the bread. To follow, escallop of shoe leather and frites. We ate the frites. Later that evening we discovered two British boys were running the place.

What's the most outlandish thing you've ever eaten?
Seafood with pickled cabbage

Who's your food hero/food villain?
Food heroes….anyone who cooks regularly
Food villain….ready meals

Nigella or Delia?
neither

Gin or Vodka?
gin

Muesli or fry-up?
Difficult! I love both but if I had to choose - fry-up

Wine or beer?
Cider

KFC or Burger King?
Fish and chips

What do you consider the best of the best of British?
Such a big question!
Food - a home cooked roast Sunday lunch in winter
Chef - Shaun Hill
Instituation – Royal family

What's the best/worst thing about the British restaurant scene?
Pubs masquerading as restaurants.

What do you think will be the next big thing?
Is there anything left? Prawn cocktail and Black forest gateau….no! I have a feeling that French food is going to make a huge comeback

What would you do if you could choose any other career?
Architecture

What do you have for Christmas lunch?
Turkey and all the trimmings, Christmas pudding. This is a once a year celebration why would you want anything else? You can eat everything else any day of the year.

Make a wish
That my new kitchen does not bankrupt me.