‘Tis the season… to get cooking!
Hey girls & boys,
Since I am alone in an apartment now, I have very very little motivation to cook myself anything. I always loved to cook, especially when it gets colder but I am not as motivated when I’m on my own. I usually just make myself a noodle soup or drink litres of hot tea when I’m too lazy to cook. What I do enjoy however, is reading cooking magazines, browsing for cosy cooking blogs or even watching cooking shows! And I just can’t wait for Christmas because this is the season where everyone comes together, eating and enjoying the company (: Today’s post is a guest post from fabulous Catherine, I hope you’ll all be nice to her! 🙂
It’s the season to put on more layers, turn up the heating and stay indoors in the warm, and millions of people are spending their evenings curled in front of the telly, tuning into top TV cookery shows to inspire their winter warmers, bakes and cakes.
Cold weather dining is traditionally built on a foundation of hearty fare like thick soups, chunky stews and autumnal fruit pies. British cuisine, however, has come a long way since the humble roast, and whipping up a storm in the kitchen has never been more fashionable.
Popular TV chefs like Nigella Lawson, Gordon Ramsay and Nigel Slater have all launched new shows this year, many with cookery books to accompany them, and even a few celebrities have been showing off their flair in the kitchen. Fashion guru Gok Wan shared his expertise in Gok Cooks Chinese, author Marianne Keyes released a baking bible and even Pippa Middleton has turned her talents to writing recipes.
Cookery shows have been a staple for decades, but amateur cookery competitions such as The Great British Bake Off, Come Dine With Me, Dinner Dateand MasterChef have enjoyed a recent surge in popularity, proving that you don’t have to be Jamie Oliver to wow in the kitchen. It seems the British public are hungry for fresh ideas and mouth-watering recipes to get their juices flowing.
If you’ve been inspired by the likes of Paul Hollywood, the Hairy Bikers or Gordon Ramsay, thousands of best-selling cookbooks are now available in digital form, and tablet readers are perfect for gadget geeks to work from, as the colour screen can really show off those tantalising pictures. Going digital also cuts out the need to navigate the busy local high street in search of gift ideas during the festive season.
Of course, there are some benefits to hitting the shops, and browsing the actual physical books at your nearest bookshop can be a great help when it comes to making that final gift decision. If you’re planning a serious pre-Christmas shopping session, remember to pop something comfy on your feet – you can shop for Clarks shoes at isme.com for plenty of cold weather staples, from ankle boots to leather brogues.
Well, thank you Catherine! As for me, I love to actual browse and compare recipes in the internet and actual books either way. I love to have a real cookbook in my hand, to browse through all the -mostly- stunning pictures of tasteful food. When it comes to getting inspirations, I love to collect and save recipes for later on my pinboard. I’m especially hoarding everything SMITTEN KITCHEN is posting! I love her sense of purity and how she really wants to find THE only pasta sauce that matters 😀 Still didn’t get the time to actually cook something that matters. I’m gonna post if I will! Still trying to find a healthy way to eat. Not too much, not too less, not too much fat but still tasteful. -sigh- It’s easier said than done, but I’m trying! BTW for all my German readers, I personally thought that this newly launched cooking magazine is just beyond greatness! Carefully edited, with beautiful pictures and not over the top recipes. And it’s affordable too 😀 Next post will hopefully be the one I wanna post for daaaays now but never had the time to do it. Gnahaha. So be prepared.
Much love & See you soon! <3
Sam