NEWSLETTER: Fun with fungi + the reviews are in for Magrets & Mushrooms!

Enjoy our favorite gooseberry recipes

Fantastic Fungi

Eugenia Bone, cookbook author, recipe developer and food journalist, is also a passionate mycologist (one who studies fungi). Mushrooms became such an interest that she partnered with filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg to make the movie Fantastic Fungi, documenting the mushrooming community across the US and the amazing scientific, medicinal and culinary properties of the fungal kingdom. Fantastic Fungi: The Community Cookbook, is the cookbook spinoff which accompanies the movie, offering a diverse collection of mushroom recipes from people who truly love and understand them.

In a new feature, Mushroom Magic: a Forage Through ckbk’s Fungi Recipes Ramona Andrews shines a spotlight on the fascinating and comprehensive compendium of mushroom knowledge and recipes which Eugenia has assembled from her expert mushroom-obsessed contributors, and also explores ckbk's wider collection of books and recipes on this topic.

Ken Hom notes their important role in Chinese food – such as in his recipe for Braised Chinese Mushrooms, while Roberta Muir offers ideas for both Asian and Italian mushroom feasts – she recommends this Beef Rib Eye with Mushroom Sauce. Our collection Cooking with Porcini showcases recipes using one of the most popular wild mushrooms (also known as ceps or penny buns). Read more here.

If you want even more mushrooms, take a look at our Mushroom Bookshelf.

Find more than 100 recipes from Fantastic Fungi

Pictured above: Chanterelle and Crab Salad from Fantastic Fungi by Eugenia Bone

You are loving Magrets & Mushrooms!

Magrets & Mushrooms – Jeanne Strang’s sequel to her seminal cookbook on South-West France Goose Fat & Garlic – is the first book published under the ckbk imprint. We are delighted so see the first responses that are coming in as the book is reviewed by readers on Amazon.

Nick says it’s: “a real classic; and a great read”, while Francophile considers it: “A worthy sequel to Goose Fat & Garlic”.

Ali S writes: “Food has moved on and tradition has evolved. There are new ingredients and techniques, but the unique style remains the same, evocative of the region and of the author herself. It brings the cookery of the region up-to-date and I, for one, can't wait to work my way through this new collection. A fitting tribute to a wonderful cookery writer.”

Lucy says it is a: “much anticipated treat for all lovers of French food.’

We quite agree with the Yorkshire Foodie, who calls it “mouthwatering.”

To find out more about this remarkable book and its journey to publication, read the foreword by Orlando Murrin, President of the Guild of Food Writers.

New culinary journeys

What do you call a trio of cookbooks? A deliciousness, perhaps. We’ve got three books newly added to ckbk ready to take your tastebuds to pastures new.

The recipes and photographs in Renee Erickson’s book Getaway: Food & Drink to Transport You are an invitation to travel with her to her favorite places, in the US and into Europe.

A Seattle native, James Beard award winning chef, and author, Renee found herself taking the planned culinary trips for this book from her kitchen during lockdown.

The result is a book filled with a desire to visit the places evoked through their food, and the hope that the recipes will bring them to your kitchen. Bake an Onion Tart with Lancashire Cheese for a great British flavor combination, and then head to France for these Clams with Dijon Broth.

Your appetite for kitchen travel whetted, next take a deep dive into The Food of Northern Spain with food writer Jenny Chandler, a book that brings the ingredients and classic recipes of the region within reach. Try Beetroot Gazpacho, an intriguing version of the original refreshing soup Jenny came across in the Basque country. And who could resist a cinnamon and lemon scented Santiago Almond Tart (shown below).

Or perhaps you are ready for a staycation, and to take a journey into a new way of cooking and eating. Self-taught cook Calum Harris is on a mission to bring vegan food to all; you may have seen him on Instagram, on TV as a contestant in Jamie Oliver's Great Cookbook Challenge, and now with his book The 20 Minute Vegan: Quick, Easy Food (That Just So Happens to be Plant-Based). Start the day with his Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes, and settle down for supper with his Crispy Chilli Tofu (pictured).

Ingredient focus: gooseberries

The gooseberry bush grows wild in most northern temperate climates. There are several varieties of this fruit, but the most common is a light, almost translucent, green, and the size of a grape. When fully ripe they can be delicious raw, the sweetness just tempering the characteristic mouth-puckering tartness. They come into their own when cooked, with a unique honeyed floral flavor added to their acidity.

They are especially prized in England, where Gooseberry Fool is a singular treat. They pair very well with oily fish, cutting through its richness, such as in this dish of Grilled Mackerel with Gooseberry Relish.

Try this decadent Elderflower and Gooseberry Cake or any of the dishes in our 12 Ways with Gooseberries collection.

6 of the best baby potato recipes

Jersey Royal season in the UK is an annual treat, putting the new (or baby) potato at the top of everyone’s shopping lists. New potatoes are worth savoring, a very different offering to your humble spud. Here are 6 recipes in celebration.