The Bay Tree Home Deli Recipes

Title: The Bay Tree Home Deli Recipes
Author:Emma MacDonald
Publisher: Duncan Baird Publishers 
Rating: 3.5 Forks

Impressions:
At first while I was flipping through the cookbook I wasn't too sure I would like it. The recipes looked fairly complex and did not seem very appealing. When I went back through the book and thoroughly looked at the recipes, I was quite impressed. They had a number of recipes I would definitely try. I really liked that the cookbook includes both light meals and main meals. Sometimes you just want something that is not only quick to make but also won't be very heavy, especially if you are eating late at night. It was also fantastic to see that they showed you how to mix and match store bought and home made items to create a perfect meal. No one wants to admit that something was store bought, but if you mix it in with other things- it definitely can be said to be home made!


The cookbook has a unique layout, they have a recipe for how to create the meat (curing, smoking, etc) and then have recipes for how to use that meat. My favourite has to be the home cured bacon (- who could resist?!  Also, I'd love to try the Slow-Cooked Mexican Pulled Pork with Pickled Red Cabbage (Page 36). Pulled pork in a taco shell- how can you go wrong? They continue this layout into the other sections of the book- Fish & Shellfish; Dairy & Cheese; Dressings, Rubs & Sauces; Vegetables; Fruit; and Bakes.

They include a number of recipes I would never have thought of making. Things like Salmon Gravadlax Sushi (Page 57). After reading the recipes though, I think some of my next guests will be in for quite a treat.

Overall Impression:
I really enjoyed this cookbook and will definitely try some of the recipes from it. The recipes are a little more involved than I would like, but sometimes it is nice to immerse yourself in cooking and just forget the world.