The Hackney Butchers Association

This books rocks!  It is a book for foodies, even the index is delicious. I bought this to take on a recent holiday to Turkey and read it cover to cover quite a few times.  The recipes are simple, totally achievable and look beautiful. The photography got me hooked within minutes of opening the book.  This a passionate book by someone who clearly loves their food, and it's very contagious! I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes Eastern Mediterranean food.  It draws influence from Turkey, Syria, Jordan and the Lebanon. The recipes are all based on traditional ideas but have a very light modern feel.  It's really very clever. Bulgarian born Silvena, affectionately includes the teachings of her half Turkish dad, which gives the book a personal feel.  It's a history book, family story and inspiring cook book all in one.  A lovely book. The meat dishes are incredible, (including Grilled Red Mullet with toasted citrus and Nastur...

Gulf baharat 1 tbsp red pepper 1 1/2 tsp cumin 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp ground loomi (dried lime) 1 tsp cloves 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp saffron threads

250g fresh red chillis, halved & de-seeded 5 cloves garlic 100g coriander 100g flat leaf parsley 1 tsp ground cumin a pinch of ground cardamon 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2tbs olive oil Briefly blitz the chillis with the garlic. add the other ingredients & blitz again until you have a textured paste. This keeps for up to a week in a sealed jar in the fridge. You can use it to dip bread into, or to add a bit of zing to grilled meats etc.