Weekly Feedback, 21-26/09/2015, 'Mary Berry cooks the Perfect, step by step.'

The week of trying recipes from 'Mary Berry cooks the Perfect, Step by Step.' is over and I must say it has been a fantastic week full of yummy and comforting dishes. We could not fault one. We gave high five to every single dinner we enjoyed. 

The Mary Berry Week.

Moreover, everything we tried we will do again, but we want another complete week using the same book trying the other tempting recipes that Mary Berry has in there. It has been such a delicious week. 

Our Cup of Tea Really. 

The Step by Step.

 The recipes are not complicated and if they are some techniques, I found that the step by step explained everything clearly, helping me all the way through. It is an excellent cookbook and for me it was a fantastic gift that I received on my leaving-do. Not only can I recommend the book as a must have at home, I would also say, it is a great present to give not only to people liking cooking but also to the loved ones that want or need to learn  to cook.

A to Z to Cannelloni and Béchamel. 

 If I was a parent with one of my adult children leaving home to fend for him/herself, moving to his/her first flat, I would certainly buy that book for my kid. For I would know for sure that I gave a kitchen bible to my child and if he/she follows it, the young adult would have bags of good recipe not only to feed him/herself nicely but also to impress either friends or parents when they come around.


The podium for our favourite dishes as we gave the entire week, the high five and thumbs up was a rather funny affair. However after moult debates and laughs for we liked them all, we came up finally to a very cheesy podium: 

The Soufflé.

Joint third were the 'Twice-Baked Mushroom and Camembert Soufflés', a light and fluffy adventure on a plate,









But also the 'Dolcelatte and Leek Soup with Parmesan Crisps' which was a delightful bowl of soup. 

The Beautiful Dolcelatte and Leek Soup.

Meltingly cheesy. 

Our second was the 'Swiss Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom Bake'. The dish converted my partner to find spinach rather nice which is no mean feat. This number melt my heart.







Coming to the top spot of the Mary Berry week are those little tubes of pasta full of goodness, the 'Cannelloni with double Cheese Sauce.' Now you cannot tell us that it is the double cheese that did it for the soup had the Dolcelatte and the Parmesan going for it. But nailing Cannelloni with that perfect recipe was the Wow me over. Cannelloni was something we wanted to learn both, my partner and I. to make it a very regular dish in our home. That recipe of Mary Berry has the hearty goodness of a big keeper, big time. 

Cannelloni Time.

Chinese Cabbage from the garden.

Now, we also tried some sides, the 'Buttered Peas with Spring Greens and Mint', and the 'Pan-fried Courgettes with Crispy Shallots.' from the Mary Berry's book. As keen gardeners, I must confess both had their 'Veg Appeal' to us, but not only them, the entire two sections of  'Mary Berry Cooks the Perfect', titled respectively 'Vegetables' (from page 186-225) and 'Salads' (from page 228-245) just as well. They are a how to use your vegetables and bring them to the lime light of a side show to remember for us.

Chinese Cabbage prepared for the Spring Green part of the Buttered  Peas.

Having tried those two recipe, and absolutely loving the result on the plate, we are ready to try every single dish in those sections as starters or sides that sing along the brown affair of the Sunday Roast. Yes, me Babies, 'Yeehaw' for Mary Berry, big Converter big time, for someone has started to like his veg a little 'big' more to include or not forge them anymore on Sunday. 

Pan-Fried Courgettes and Crispy Shallots.

Frosted Mint.

Our Garden Mint.

For the sweet, the 'Lemon and Limoncello Possets' were beautiful treats to finish off a meal, with the added bonus of the mint leaves frosting technique which went down a storm in my home. As the result we are going to grow more mint. This was a little unexpected, it did put more projects and plans in our head, and the chilli lover and grower that he is, and the tomato lover and grower that I am, are looking for different varieties of mint to join the two mint we already have.  It might turn us into 'Mint Buff' before you know it, showing proudly our mint as much as we do with our different chillies and tomatoes. 

Minted.

The golden  Chicken for the Swiss Chicken Bake.

Parmesan Crisps.

What a week to remember, not only one simple technique caught the attention of my partner, but many. He was not working attentively at his desk, he was in the kitchen with a glass of wine, relaxing and watching the step by step being done eagerly, that and the TV of course which I always put on 'Grand Designs' as I cook about. However his concentration was on the complex bits to do. He was there for the soufflés difficult parts like an Angel coming to the rescue. He took on the techie bit of the Parmesan Crisps on himself, with great delight. The golden chicken task of Thursday, frying those babies just right, it was him. The military operation towards filling a Cannelloni, again, was a team effort overseen by its hands on General.

Cannelloni Mission: Filling the Belly Ammunition.

 Finally, the Christmas cake was a joint affair.

Treacle going in the Christmas cake mixture. 

The Mary Berry week got all hands involved on the kitchen counter. Of course we will do it again. It was deliciously a lot of good fun, good dinners, and good skills to learn.