4 ingredients
 

I heard this cookbook mentioned on the radio on the weekend - sounds like quite an interesting idea

http://www.4ingredients.com.au/

Would this kind of cookbook appeal to you?

I am all for making simple food. Some of my favourite dishes are very easy to make.

Last night, I made a pasta that had only a handful of ingredients (cherry tomatoes, prawns, olive oil, garlic, spring onions and some cream), the pasta was just flour and eggs.

Dessert was just eggs, chocolate, butter and cream -- it made a souffle.


I suppose I could buy a cookbook like this but it would depend on the recipes.

What about you? Would you buy a book like this?

I'm not really sure I'm in the target market, though having small children would make this kind of thing more likely to be useful. I can't think of too many things I cook that have that few ingredients (your main in the 'simple' meal last night was 8 ingredients itself, though if you used a packet pasta that reduces to seven - making pasta is fairly time consuming, so that also reduces the simplicity). Gotta say my 4 yo thinks making pasta is cool - he happily winds the handle on the machine :)

I'm tempted to get the sample recipe emailed to me just to see what kinds of things are in it (and going into a store that stocks it just to flick through the pages).

I do wonder if it would end up in the 'cookbooks that sound cool but don't get used much pile'. For example, my wife bought the AIS (Australia Institute of Sport) cookbook (I think it is called "Survival of the Fittest") - the recipes are actually from athletes so are mostly fairly healthy and ok tasting - but we really have only used it a hand full of times.

edit: I subscribed for the free recipe:

I like this idea. I wonder if they sell the book here in the UK.

You can buy it online from the website above - it does not say it is selling in the UK (yet), though the media report I heard on it said they had sold 350,000 copies in Oz/NZ so it would not surprise me if you could find it in shops in the UK/US soon.

Water, tea, honey, cream. Zzzzz.....http://www.buddy-icons.info/img/smile/1667.gif

4 or fewer.

I like the minimalist approach. Especially for beginners, it helps hone your taste to the different combinations of herbs/spices, tastes (savory, sour, sweet, heat), textures, etc., before they go whole hog. Last night I made one of my faves:

A bowl of rice

Some meat (beef, pork, chicken, fish) cooked by any method. Last night I used leftover salmon.

A veg (optional, anything is OK)

Sriracha (rooster sauce)

Put it all in the bowl of rice.

It's easy, balanced, fast, and delicious. The Sriracha shows how sweet and hot can work together when you try more advanced recipes.

I've seen books like these, and I think they're great. Simplicity in cooking is sometimes underrated. Here's my contribution:

Coffee, sugar, cream, and whiskey. From the four major food groups.

Sounds good. I like it better without the cream, sugar and coffee.

Yes, sometimes simpler is better.

Jack neat, sunset and a good cigar are a good recipe in my book.

well... I've heard...

"Water, Malt, Yeast, Hops. 4 ingredients, infinate possibilities."

BEER!

You lot just wanna *drink* something. This isn't a cocktail book you know :)