Cook From The Heart
Alida Ryder
Penguin Books, 2013
Well described by its sub-title, Food For Every Mood, this is a cookbook exhibiting a touch of nostalgia, written by a thoroughly modern South African cook who blogs, tweets and uses Facebook and other online communication systems.
Well aware that her emotions control what she likes to cook and eat, Alida took this further, developing the results into a recipe collection categorised by eight states of mind, starting with happiness.
Being happy translates into light, summery fare seasoned with herbs and lemon and often partnered by cold beer or wine. Blueberry flapjacks, home-made fish fingers with tartar sauce, and lamb chops with salsa verde are among the suggestions here, while family finales include watermelon and mint popsicles.
The chapter titled “Melancholy” was, says Ryder, the easiest to compile, based on fare her mother cooked to comfort her when she was sick, sad or heartbroken.
Perfect mashed potato introduces the recipes, and you will find roast chicken with wine, herbs and garlic, the ultimate cauliflower cheese, Welsh rarebit and apple pie, updated with salted caramel. Butternut soup comes with croûton and feta, while creamy polenta is teamed with savoury mushrooms and soft egg.
The sweet treats consist of hot fudge sundae, lemon syrup pud, and pancakes with cinnamon sugar.
When in celebratory mood Ryder turns to beef Wellington, glitzy cupcakes and gnocchi with Gorgonzola cream.
There’s also a mushroom and truffle risotto and another classic, mustard and herb-crusted rack of lamb, and somewhere in the middle you will find a simple cocktail of reduced pomegranate juice and sparkling wine.
She professes to love best the fare grouped under the heading of nostalgia, as this bring backs memories of her mother and grandmother who ran her own catering company in Pretoria.
The recipes include avocado Ritz, which is making a comeback in various guises, crêpes suzette, devilled eggs, marble cake, quiche Lorraine and marshmallow fridge tart.
“Tranquillity” induces thoughts of Asian fare, including an appetising Vietnamese prawn salad, while anger brings on more prawns, this time red with chopped chilli.
Fiery lamb vindaloo fits in well, but I cannot figure out why Alida’s award-winning chocolate peanut butter cake is slotted into this section: one would have expected to find it in the following chapter, “Love”, which is dominated by chocolate starring in delectable creations. Ryder makes stylish use of leftovers in the final chapter, called “Lazy”.
I like the fact that she recommends using free-range eggs and humanely-reared meat. The index is detailed and recipes are illustrated with full-page colour photographs.
This culinary collection is practical, written with enthusiasm, and presents a good balance between updated traditional, classic and trendy. The recipes do not intimidate, and readers are sure to find something to suit most moods.
In fact, one could add a ninth emotive state here – by fulfilling expectations, this cookbook induces satisfaction. - Weekend Argus