bunyip's Profile

From: Melbourne, VIC Australia

Joined: December 27th, 2009

About me: I've been cooking for over thirty years, and I can remember the days before EVO, couscous and (ghasp!) microwaves. My cookbook collection reflects this personal and national gastronomic history. My own cooking has actually got simpler over the years, and I can do much of my repertoire without looking at a recipe. But I still love collecting cookbooks, although these days I'm a bit over food porn with great big colour photos - I really prefer food writing to recipes.

Favorite cookbook: The Cook's Companion

Salmon with macaroni from A Year of Good Eating: The Kitchen Diaries III

Simple but delicious. Poaching the fish in 600 ml of cream (that's two bottles), which is then poured over the fish and pasta, sounds richer than it is. This is partly due to the dill in the crumb topping. I... read more >

recipe reviews (225)
book reviews (106)
useful review votes (103)

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bunyip's Reviews

Cookbook Reviews

The French Kitchen

By Diane Hokuigue
Methuen (Australia) - 1983

This is indeed, as the publishers claim, a comprehensive guide to French cooking for Australians. All the classic techniques and dishes are covered, with useful comments about adaptation to local ingredients (fish, for example). Photos are mostly for instructional purposes - like how to bone out a chicken - rather than of finished dishes.

Very well written. Holuige is a much better writer than the charming but rambling Julia Child, who has understandably never been popular in this country.