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Bold: Nisha Katona

Hello friends and cookbook lovers! I’ve been exploring Nisha Katona’s latest work, Bold. As the visionary behind the Mowlgi chain of restaurants and the Mowgli Charity, Katona truly embodies the spirit of courage and innovation. The book begins with a poignant Shakespearean quote:

There is a tide in the affairs of men

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;

Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

On such a full sea are we now afloat;

And we must take the current when it serves,

Or lose our ventures

The quote simply means that that fortune favours the brave, the bold and those wise enough to seize life’s opportunities as they occur.  Now, I was interested in this quote because part of it forms the title for Agatha Christie’s Taken At The Flood.  which, coincidentally, I was reading around the same time as I picked up Bold.  I love that Katona has used it as a metaphor for her work and for this book!  

Bold

Bold – The Look

Bold is a beautifully styled book.  The cover is bright red with gold lettering and a pink plate.  It is both gorgeous and bold!  Certainly eye-catching!  The cover is also slightly padded which gives it a luxuriant feel when you hold it.  It’s so inviting, you can’t help wanting to open it and flick through the pages.  

And that flick will not disappoint, either.  The photography is beautiful!  Just look at these and tell me you don’t want to start cooking now!

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From Top Left: Crunchy Nut Chicken Burger, Liquorice and Almond Chicken Satay, Speckled Spiced Scotch Eggs, Beetroot Pannacotta

Bold – The Book

You will notice that some of the combinations within the book are, well…bold!  This is not a book for the unadventurous cook, and for that, I am grateful!  I feel that recently, there have been a plethora of books where the contents have been pretty much the same-same.  This is so creative, and for that, I 100% applaud Katona! But there is also enough that feels familiar – burgers, fish cakes, pasta, spanakopita, Welsh Rarebit, that it is not so different as to feel alienating.  These are meals for the home cook but have a little twist to keep things interesting. 

Would I have ever thought of a Cod and Popcorn Gratin? No.  Do I want to try it?  Hell yes!  As soon as I get my hands on some venison I will be making her Landed Gentry Potickers.  The recipes in Bold for  Simla Salmon Fishcakes, Cashew and Mushroom Stroganoff and Chilli Crab Mac and Cheese are right in my wheelhouse.  I also really want to try the Roasted Corn and Elderflower Iced Tea!  I have mentioned my dislike for beetroot many times on this blog, but the look of that beetroot panna cotta in the photo above has made me want to give it another try!  And how much fun does that Full English Cassoulet look in the photo below? 

Bold Flavours 2
Pink Peppercorn Pavlova, Cassoulet de Full English, Kashmiri Crusted Cote De Boeuf, Caper Puttanesca

Bold  – The Cook

I’ve made two things from Bold, the first was Thai Tequila Trout

Thai Tequila Trout 1

This was delicious, bright, and zingy with citrus, and some really nice punchy flavours coming through from the herbs!  

The second was the Singapore Sling Pineapple Upside Down Cake.  I adore Pineapple Upside Down Cake, it is probably my favourite tasting cake and it also has a kitschy retro appeal that delights my soul!  This one was exceptional.  So delicious!!!  

Singapore Sling Pineapple Upside Down Cake

To be honest, the recipes I made did not take me too much out of my comfort zone.  However, trying them, seeing and tasting the results has given me the confidence to try some of the more out there recipes – Miso Parmesan Doughnuts and Butterscotch Brussels Sprouts, i’m coming for you!  I think this is a book that will delight anyone who wants to try something a little bit different but does not want to be overwhelmed or daunted by recipes that are too “cheffy” or have a load of ingredients that you have to source from specialty shops!  

You can find more of Nisha’s recipes from Bold here

Have a wonderful week!

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Salmon Rillettes: Sad Cypress

Salmon Rillettes4

Hello crime readers and food lovers! Welcome to Dining with the Dame for May and my take on Sad Cypress.  I loved this one!  And I also loved the Salmon Rillettes so this was a win-win for me! Now it may be a bit risky to base my recipe on the supposed murder weapon (poisoned salmon paste sandwiches) but the rillettes were absolutely delicious!  

Sad Cypress -The Plot

First up, the name comes from a quote from Shake’speare’s Twelfth Night:

Come away, come away, death,
    And in sad cypress let me be laid.
Fly away, fly away, breath;
    I am slain by a fair cruel maid.

The beautiful Mary Gerrard is dead.  Prior to her death, Mary had been the gardener’s daughter in an estate owned by the Welman family.  Elinor Carlisle, niece to the recently deceased Laura Welman stands accused of her murder.  

Her motive?  Elinor had recently been jilted by her fiance (and kind of cousin) Roddy for Mary.  

Her means?  Salmon paste sandwiches laced with morphine.  

Her opportunity?  Tea time whilst clearing out the Welman estate.  

All fingers are pointing to Elinor being the murderer.  But did she do it?  Luckily the local doctor who has a bit of a crush on Elinor brings in Hercule Poirot to determine who is guilty.  

Salmon Rillettes

We have:

  • A poison pen letter
  • Some missing morphine
  • An elderly aunt possibly bumped off before her time
  • A very large fortune left to Elinor.  
  • A mysterious figure lurking in the bushes
  • A possibly perfidious cousin
  • A strange mark on a nurse’s wrist
  • Secrets from the past impacting the present
  • Poirot hilariously calling himself a “pukkah sahib”

Such a good story!!  

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Sad Cypress – The Covers

 

Sad Cypress Collage 2

There are some great covers here – many of which contain aspects of things we have mentioned, the roses, the morphine, the poison pen letter.  We also have our first Japanese cover, some French covers, a Spanish cover and a German which may actually be my favorite.  Here it is in full:

Sad Cypress

 

I also want to call out this one because…what?  

 

I understand the rose and the tea set.  The weird green guy?  Not a clue!  It reminded me of Dumb Witness when Emily Arundell, who had been poisoned with phosphorus was said to have a luminous haze around her head.  

The Recipe – Salmon Rillettes

I based my recipe for Salmon Rillettes on the recipe for Rainbow Trout Rillettes, Rye, Cucumber and Watercress Sandwiches from Food for Friends by Hardie Grant Publishing.  That recipe is by Philippa Sibley and her book New Classics.  I swapped out the trout for Salmon and used white bread for my sandwiches.  

Salmon Rillettes Recipe

Elinor went across the hall and brought back from the pantry a big plate of sandwiches.  She handed it to Mary saying:

“Have one?”

Mary took one.  Elinor stood watching her for a moment as the girl’s white, even teeth bit into the sandwich”

Agatha Christie – Sad Cypress

Links to The Christieverse

Peter Lord, the doctor who is crushing on Elinor tells Poirot that he was recommended by Dr Stillingfleet.  He is a character in a short story called The Dream which appears in The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding.  

 

Other Food & Drinks Mentioned in Sad Cypress

  • Raspberries
  • Fish Paste Sandwiches (multiple references)
  • Cocktails
  • Tea (multiple references)
  • Doughnuts
  • Pink Sugar Cakes
  • Milk
  • Salmon and Shrimp Paste
  • Salmon and Anchovy Paste
  • Beer
  • Fresh Fish for lunch

June’s read will be One Two Buckle My Shoe

Have a great week!