NO COOK COOK BOOK!

 

Don’t we all have those days once in a while when we want to sit back, watch a movie, read a book and just chill? Maybe this feeling comes over us after a heavy day at work, or a festival break when every day has been an eating marathon, and the sight of food makes us want to run away.

It was probably on one of these occasions that I walked into a book shop and looked pointedly away from the recipe section. There was a great ‘3 for 2’ offer where one could pick up three books and pay for the two more expensive ones. I have always been a sucker for these book bargains and have often come across some treasures. In fact, it is difficult to prise me away at such times, as people around me have realised to their consternation.

To cut a long story short, I had picked up two amazing books by my favourite author and was scouring around for a third, when my eyes fell upon an intriguing title… NO COOK COOK BOOK! For one, it rhymed, and it began with the words ‘NO COOK'. Of course, I was intrigued, and I picked up the slender volume and browsed through it.

The author, Satarupa Banerjee, had obviously realised that there was a market out there to be conquered, one for all those who needed to put their feet up for a while and not worry about cooking over a flame.

The foreword said just that.

“Whatever the reason, give yourself a holiday from cooking, as you rush around doing your everyday chores. Rustle up a simple no-cook meal – an appetiser to begin with, followed by a cold soup and a sandwich; then a chilled dessert.” It ended with a promise.

“With the interesting new ideas that this book offers, I wish you many enjoyable no-cook meals.”

The first recipe is a coffee eggnog, followed by a meal in a glass which consists of curd, sugar and fruits, garnished with nuts. The recipes go in a natural progression – soups like Gazpacho and chilled Avocado Soup give way to Chicken and Rice Bowl, Cucumber Cheese Mousse and Savoury Prawn Cheesecake.

Gazpacho Soup - Unsplash

It is but customary to have salads in the next section. The names of the recipes are rather intriguing – Come to Lunch Salad which is a putting together of cooked rice and cooked prawns (probably prepared a day earlier) along with an easy salad dressing, Elegant Chicken Salad, which is served in lettuce cups, Cucumber Cheese Mousse and a most unusual Popcorn Salad.

                                                                      Cucumber Cheese Mousse - morsels & sauces

Pinwheel sandwiches and Tivoli sandwiches precede Chicken Chaat, Papri Chaat and Jhal Muri, a Kolkata special which goes well with hot tea, coffee or cold drinks.

The desserts sound equally striking – Papaya Fool, Lychee Pearls, Kesaria Shrikhand and Paneer Gateaux! That is not all. There is an exotic sounding Bavarois Diplomate, which is a souffle that can be prepared several hours in advance and left to chill.

Papaya Fool - BetumiBlog

For those with simpler tastes, Vanilla Ice Cream and Date and Nut Fingers are easier substitutes.

While the book has no illustrations, I thought it would make my post brighter if I added a few just to add colour to my post.

No guesses for what I will be delving into the next time I want to put my feet up! 😊

 

This post is part of #BlogchatterFoodFest.