Not many cookbooks take you on an adventure around the world, but this one sure does. It is literally a "taste of the world" with so many countries and cultures represented ... or as she calls it "a passport for adventurous palates."
With each chapter you'll feel like you had traveled around the world yourself, as page after page opens up a new culinary adventure, from the chapter on making your own spice blends, to exotic dishes from Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe and more.
With each chapter you'll feel like you had traveled around the world yourself, as page after page opens up a new culinary adventure, from the chapter on making your own spice blends, to exotic dishes from Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe and more.
The pictures in the cookbook are stunning and the recipes easy to follow. What more could you want? It is simply the best, where the stage is set for you to turn "every day dining" into a total dining experience.
“When you discover the true virtues of dining ~ creating a mood, styling the food, pushing your culinary boundaries, spending leisurely time at the table, savoring each bite, and engaging with others ~ it brings a magical ‘dining quality of life’ into your life,” Alice Phillips writes in the introduction to her cookbook, "Ally’s Kitchen: A Passport for Adventurous Palates."
After reading the cookbook cover to cover, I chose to travel to Africa to prepare this wonderful Moroccan Leg of Lamb using pastured lamb I purchased from Thames Farm ... ooooo laaaa laaaaaaaa it is amazing!
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| Get the best leg of lamb you can |
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| Let it soak up that marinade |
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| Just look at the crust it's getting |
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| Let rest 15 minutes before slicing! Yes, it was yummy! |
Ingredients
6-8 lb. boneless leg of lamb (I used a 5 lb. bone-in leg of lamb)
1 tbls. lemon pepper
1 tbls. ground cumin
1 tbls. dried mint
1 tbls. dried oregano
1 tbls. dried basil
1/2 tsp. red chili pepper flakes
1 tsp. sea salt
2/3 cup olive oil
4 tbls. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbls. prepared mustard (regular or stone-ground)
1 tbls. minced garlic
1/4 cup pepper jelly
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
Method
Put the lamb in a large pan. With a sharp knife, score the top in a crisscross pattern 1/4 - 1/2 inch deep.
In a small bowl combine all of the remaining ingredients, whisking together well. Pour the sauce all over the lamb, working it into the scoring. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour, then let it come to room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the lamb (uncovered) in the oven and bake about 20 minutes per pound until it reaches your desired finished temperature.
Test it with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part: rare at 120-125, medium rare at 130-135, medium at 140-145, medium well at 150-155, or well done at 160+ F.
When the lamb has reached the desired internal temperature, remove it from the oven and let rest 15 minutes before slicing. Always slice across the grain.
For more about this one-of-a-kind cookbook, check out the following links:
Ally's Kitchen website
Cookbook Trailer (video)
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the cookbook for this review. All opinions are my own.
Enjoy,
Mary
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