How cookbooks spark creativity
To cook well, you need to know what good food tastes like. The same rule applies to contract caterers, including us! Moreover, cookbooks offer all the inspiration you need for a never-ending feast of dishes. So all you have to do is read, learn, cook and repeat. *POOF* – suddenly, you’re whipping up meals that make people smile.
The joy of a good recipe
Chef Susi, our Head of Food Development & Innovation, is THE person to ask for cooking tips and suggestions. At Fooditude, her job is creating recipes for the meals we deliver and serving to office canteens throughout London.
We asked Chef Susi from Fooditude for the three top cookbooks she uses for inspiration. She pointed out that choosing ‘a top three’ for cookbooks was insane. So what was her reason? – there are thousands out there worthy of a mention.
Fair point, Chef Susi. Nevertheless, we’ve whittled our list down to three cookbooks that have been an enormous inspiration in shaping Fooditude’s menu recipes. And here they are:
1. Jerusalem
Sami Tamimi and Yotam Ottolenghi
If you’ve been lucky enough to dine at one of Ottolenghi’s several restaurants in London, you’ll know the big flavours that Ottolenghi’s cooking brings to the table. Through his cookbooks, we can add a little bit of Tamami’s and Ottolenghi’s magic dust to our menus. From spicing our chicken with za’atar to grilling our aubergines to perfection – this book opens the doors to inspiring new exciting recipes.
2. Nopalito: A Mexican Kitchen
Gonzalo Guzmán and Stacy Adimando
This cookbook is a chance to enjoy 100 recipes from the notoriously tasty Nopalito Mexican restaurant in San Francisco. We love this cookbook because it includes the fundamentals of Mexican cooking and lays out how to transform simple ingredients into unforgettable dishes. If you’re lucky enough to enjoy our chef’s cooking, you’ll taste how this book has influenced our menus, from our pico de gallo to our frijole.
3. Thai Food
David Thompson
Often referred to in our kitchen as ‘the bible of Thai food’ – this cookbook is the most battered, dog-eared and marked cookbook on our bookshelf. But why? Our chefs love Thai cuisine’s aromatic, light and fresh tastes – especially when creating dishes for our ‘Fuel’ packed lunch range. Plus, this mighty cookbook brings fragrant and zesty flavours to our salads and noodle dishes.
Not only does this book provide brilliant recipes, but it also provides explanations for why ingredients have been used – and that information is especially important to us.
Turn your office canteen into a foodie haven
So if your workplace is not already enjoying our varied and vibrant menus at the office canteen, why not try it? We’d be delighted to show you how Fooditude can feed your teams happy. To get the ball rolling, get in touch with us by emailing: ccovello@fooditude.co.uk
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