Monday, December 29, 2014

Happy, Healthy!

Time to make those good for you dishes that taste great and make your belly happy!


So pick your best Happy, Healthy Diana Henry recipe and join in on the fun.  Post and link your happy and healthy dish by Sunday, January 4th. 

Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you. 
 
If you missed our December Potluck last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all of the wonderful ways we celebrated our IHCC chefs!



Monday, December 22, 2014

December Pot Luck!

Oh, yes ... we all love a Potluck around here!
Pot Luck Badge

And, what's not to love, when Potluck means not only do you get to choose the recipe, but you also get to choose the chef.

That's right, choose any Diana Henry recipe you like, or if you prefer take the opportunity to revisit any one of our previous nine IHCC chefs:

Nigella Lawson
Mark Bittman
Giada de Laurentiis
Jamie Oliver
Tessa Kiros
Rick Bayless
Madjur Jaffrey
Yotam Ottolenghi
Donna Hay
Nigel Slater

That makes for a veritable smorgasbord of English, American, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern and "modern Australian" recipes to choose from.

To join in just post and link your December Potluck dish from any one of our IHCC chefs by Sunday 28 December.  Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.
New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome pageIf you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Party Pleasers! theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the fabulous party pleasers everyone made.


Monday, December 15, 2014

Party Pleasers!

No matter what or how you are celebrating this year, there is sure to be a Diana Henry recipe for you!

This week it is all about Party Pleasers!

Those recipes that are perfect for family gatherings, block parties, potlucks, cocktail parties, romantic dinners for two, or whichever way you like to celebrate in December. 


So pick your best Party Pleasing Diana Henry recipe to join in the fun. Post and link your party dish by Sunday, December 21st.  

Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.  

If you missed our December Mystery Box Madness Challenge last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all of the wonderful ways our ten mystery ingredients got used. 

Note: Your hardworking IHCC hosts have been a little behind this month but we managed to finally decide on January's Cooking Club Themes. They are now posted on the sidebar, along with January's Mystery Box Madness ingredients. (Thanks Joyce for your suggestions--you can see we used a few!)  ;-)



Monday, December 8, 2014

Mystery Box Madness December '14

It's time for our second Mystery Box Madness.  The first MBM challenge was so much fun! It was so interesting to see which chefs were celebrated, as well as the ingredients chosen, and the way in which those ingredients were combined! This month's Mystery Box Madness ingredients are equally exciting and we can't wait to see how the ingredients lend themselves. 


chocolate
cherries
cinnamon
rolled oats
couscous
pomegranate
curry
coconut milk
lentils
hot peppers/chiles

You get to choose any dish from our current guest chef, Diana Henry, or any one of our previous ten IHCC chefs:

Nigella Lawson
Mark Bittman
Giada de Laurentiis
Jamie Oliver
Tessa Kiros
Rick Bayless
Madjur Jaffrey
Yotam Ottolenghi
Donna Hay
Nigel Slater


So where's the challenge? - your dish must contain at least three of our mystery ingredients!!

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?!  So put your thinking cap on, get those cookbooks off the shelf, and make and post your dish by Sunday, December 14th.  Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome pageIf you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Gifts From The Heart theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the homemade treats with made from the heart!

If you have a suggestion for January's Mystery Box Madness ingredients we would love to hear it! Please leave a comment on this post below.



Monday, December 1, 2014

Gifts from the Heart!

Xmas Shortbread

This week we're making Gifts From the Heart ... exploring Diana Henry recipes for food gifts and other goodies that are perfect for holiday giving.

Cakes, cookies, chutnies, jams, chocolates, pickles, special vinegars, mustards, even homemade liquors, are all perfect for seasonal gift giving.  Like most cooks, we love to give and receive homemade edible gifts for Christmas, and we're sure that within the pages of your Diana Henry cookbooks, or online, you will find loads of inspiration to make some special holiday treats for your family and friends.

So get those cookbooks out or look at any of the appropriate online sources, choose any Diana Henry recipe suitable for a  Gift From the Heart, and post your dish by Sunday 7 December.

Please remember to link a thumbnail image below, and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your post.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Pot Luck theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the wonderful dishes everyone made.



Monday, November 24, 2014

November Potluck at IHCC!

 Ahhhh... POTLUCK!!! It's our favorite week of the month! 

Potluck means  that YOU choose the recipe, YOU choose the chef!
 

That's right, choose any Diana Henry recipe you like, or if you prefer, take the opportunity to revisit a favorite of our previous ten IHCC chefs:


Nigella Lawson

Mark Bittman

Giada de Laurentiis

Jamie Oliver

Tessa Kiros

Rick Bayless

Madjur Jaffrey

Yotam Ottolenghi

Donna Hay

Nigel Slater


Oh the possibilities!!!

To join in just post and link your November Potluck dish from any one of our IHCC chefs by Sunday, November 30th.  


Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.  

If you missed our Sweet Cloves & Liquid Gold theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the wonderful garlic and olive oil-filled dishes.


Monday, November 17, 2014

Sweet Cloves and Liquid Gold


A drizzle of liquid gold takes a dish to new heights, from the simplest of dishes to the most complex.  Olive oil is the very soul of cooking.  Of course, you can't really mention olive oil without, at the same time, mentioning sweet cloves of garlic.  It's as if olive oil and garlic magically combine to create meals that are almost mystical.  Let's not forget the olive, a powerful and central ingredient. This week, steep yourself in these ancient ingredients as you prepare dishes using Sweet Cloves and Liquid Gold.

Make a Diana Henry recipe featuring garlic, olives, and/or olive oil and post it by Sunday, November 23rd. Please remember to link a thumbnail image below, and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your post.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.


If you missed our Mystery Box Madness theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the different ways our mystery box ingredients were used
 

Monday, November 10, 2014

Mystery Box Madness November '14

Mystery Box Badge

This week we're introducing our first ever Mystery Box Madness Challenge.  We have a Mystery Box chockful with wonderful ingredients:

harissa
eggs
saffron
pumpkin
maple syrup
dates
rose water
spinach
oranges
chickpeas

You get to choose any dish from our current guest chef, Diana Henry, or any one of our previous ten IHCC chefs:

Nigella Lawson
Mark Bittman
Giada de Laurentiis
Jamie Oliver
Tessa Kiros
Rick Bayless
Madjur Jaffrey
Yotam Ottolenghi
Donna Hay
Nigel Slater


So where's the challenge? - your dish must contain at least three of our mystery ingredients!!

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?!  So put your thinking cap on, get those cookbooks off the shelf, and make and post your dish by Sunday 16 November.  Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome pageIf you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Stock Your Exotic Pantry! theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the glorious icy treats everyone made.


Monday, November 3, 2014

Stock Your Exotic Pantry!

A well-stocked pantry is one of the keys to successful cooking.  With an IHCC chef as globally influenced as Diana Henry, having a pantry stocked with more exotic ingredients comes in handy.

Collage Images from Images.com, Stirring the Pot, Couscous & Consciousness & Kahakai Kitchen

This week our theme is "Stock Your Exotic Pantry" and we are thinking about things like jams, dressings, sauces, condiments, herb and spice mixes, pickles, and/or preserved items with exotic flavors

Make a Diana Henry recipe to Stock Your Exotic Pantry and/or a recipe using an exotic pantry items (or items) and post it by Sunday, November 9th

Please remember to link a thumbnail image below, and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your post.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our What Came First? ...The Chicken or The Egg? theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the cluck-worthy dishes everyone made.

Monday, October 27, 2014

What Came First...The Chicken or The Egg?


What Came First...The Chicken Or The Egg?

This week we are making any Diana Henry dish that involves chicken and/or eggs. Choose your Diana Henry recipe then make and post by Sunday, October 19th. Please remember to link a thumbnail image below, and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your post.


New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.


If you missed our Potluck last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the wonderful dishes everyone made.


*Photo Credit: http://www.discovery-zone.com


Monday, October 20, 2014

October Pot Luck!

Oh, yes ... we all love a Potluck around here!
Pot Luck Badge

And, what's not to love, when Potluck means not only do you get to choose the recipe, but you also get to choose the chef.

That's right, choose any Diana Henry recipe you like, or if you prefer take the opportunity to revisit any one of our previous nine IHCC chefs:

Nigella Lawson
Mark Bittman
Giada de Laurentiis
Jamie Oliver
Tessa Kiros
Rick Bayless
Madjur Jaffrey
Yotam Ottolenghi
Donna Hay
Nigel Slater

That makes for a veritable smorgasbord of English, American, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern and "modern Australian" recipes to choose from.

To join in just post and link your October Potluck dish from any one of our IHCC chefs by Sunday 26 October.  Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.

In other news ...
Starting next month we will be introducing a new theme, on a regular basis - a monthly Mystery Box Madness Challenge.  Each month you will be presented with a new mystery box of special ingredients.  Your challenge, should you decide to accept it, will be to post any dish you like from any one of our IHCC chefs as long as your dish contains at least three ingredients from the mystery box.  Sounds like fun, doesn't it?!  We know some of you like to plan ahead for challenges, so mystery box ingredients for the forthcoming month will be posted in the side bar along with upcoming themes.  Be watching soon to see what ingredients we will be cooking with in November.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome pageIf you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Icy Cold!, be sure to click on the links and check out all the glorious icy treats everyone made.


Monday, October 13, 2014

Icy Cold!

Diana Henry has lots of great recipes for cold dishes, both sweet and savory. We thought it might be fun to make some of these Icy Cold frozen items, beverages, soups and other chilled dishes.

 Ice Cubes Image from forwallpaper.com

Pick any chilly Diana Henry recipe from one of her cookbooks or online to make and post by Sunday, October 19th. Please remember to link a thumbnail image below, and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your post.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Welcome Diana Henry! theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the wonderful dishes everyone made.


Monday, October 6, 2014

Welcome Diana Henry!


This week we Welcome Diana Henry to I Heart Cooking Clubs!

For the next six months we are going to be celebrating the recipes of Diana Henry.  Diana was raised in Northern Ireland and started cooking when she was just six years old. Like many of us, her love of cooking has been a constant in her life.  Diana has explored food while traveling, both in and out of her kitchen.  Diana has authored several cookbooks, writes a column for The Telegraph, and has her own website.  The next six months are going to be a tasty adventure!

Are you ready to get in the kitchen with Diana Henry? 

Choose any Diana Henry recipe to welcome in our new chef.  Make and post your dish by Sunday, October 12th. Please remember to link a thumbnail image below, and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your post.


New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Cheerio Nigel! theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the wonderful dishes everyone made.



Monday, September 29, 2014

Cheerio Nigel!


We've had a great old time over the last six months, cooking our hearts out with Nigel Slater.

We've made classic British dishes, been on picnics, done great things with vegetables, and kept an eye on the budget.  We've travelled the world, and the menu - we've done brunch, and nibbles, and bread and cheese, and a whole lot more.

And now it's that sad time when we have to say goodbye to Nigel, in readiness for welcoming in our new IHCC chef next week.  So in one final fling get those Nigel Slater cookbooks down off the shelf, and choose any recipe you like for a fitting farewell, and post your dish by Sunday 5 October.

Please remember to link a thumbnail image below, and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your post.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Ladle It Up! theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the wonderful dishes everyone made.



Monday, September 22, 2014

Ladle It Up!

It's time to get out your favorite soup pot and find those Nigel Slater recipes for soups, stews, curries, and other bowlfuls of goodness.

Get ready to Ladle It Up! 


Pick any Nigel Slater bowl-friendly recipe from online or one of his cookbooks and post and link by Sunday, September 28th. Please remember to link a thumbnail image and to leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish. 

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome pageIf you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our September Potluck! theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the wonderful chefs and dishes everyone made.

We look forward to seeing what you ladle up! 



Monday, September 15, 2014

September Potluck!



Potluck Week is your chance to  make any Nigel Slater recipe you like, or if you'd rather, you can make any dish from one of our previous nine IHCC chefs:

Nigella Lawson

Mark Bittman

Giada de Laurentiis

Jamie Oliver

Tessa Kiros

Rick Bayless

Madjur Jaffrey

Yotam Ottolenghi

Donna Hay

So many chefs and dishes, so little time!

To join in, just post and link your September Potluck dish by Sunday, September 21st.  Please remember to link a thumbnail image and to leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your Potluck creation.


New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome pageIf you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.


If you missed our Lentils, Legumes, and Pulses theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the comforting dishes everyone made.
  
******Special Announcement******
The vote is in and and you've chosen Diana Henry!
 We will begin cooking the recipes of Diana Henry on October 5th!!

  Diana was raised in Northern Ireland and started cooking when she was just six years old. Like many of us, her love of cooking has been a constant in her life.  Diana has explored food while traveling, both in and out of her kitchen.  She has written eight cookbooks, her newest is entitled Change of Appetite, and was just published this past March.  You can find her cookbooks on Amazon, as well as in stores. Diana can also be found online via The Telegraph where she has been writing and sharing recipes for ten years.  She also has a beautiful website where you can view additional recipes and get to know her a little better!  
Please see the links below if you're interested in looking over her cookbooks and/or viewing her recipes online at The Telegraph and/or her website.  
 
 
Over the next few weeks you will notice changes to the IHCC page as we go under construction for our new chef!  We will be getting a whole new look, a new header, and a new badge! If you have any ideas or suggestions, and/or you'd like to throw  suggestions for themes we'd love to hear from you!  Please leave a comment below and one of us will respond.
We are very excited to be cooking with Diana Henry!!


Monday, September 8, 2014

Lentils, Legumes, and Pulses, Oh My!

Call them what you will... lentils, legumes, pulses...

They are healthy, versatile, and a great way to fill up while on a budget. 

This week at IHCC we are all about

Lentils, Legumes, and Pulses, Oh My! 

                            *Photos from Kahakai Kitchen, Stirring the Pot, Couscous & Consciousness & Freeimages.com

Choose your favorite variety (here's a list of them to get you started) and find a Nigel Slater recipe featuring these versatile ingredients to make and post by Sunday, September 14th.

Please remember to link a thumbnail image and to leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish. 

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome pageIf you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Bread Ahead! theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the wonderful picklish dishes everyone made.


Monday, September 1, 2014

Bread Ahead! (And New Chef Poll Announcement!)

OK, Carb Lovers--you know who you are! 

This week there is BREAD AHEAD!



Time to make those Nigel Slater recipes for or featuring bread or other yeasty creations!

Pick any Nigel Slater bread-centric recipe from online or one of his cookbooks and post and link by Sunday, September 7th. Please remember to link a thumbnail image and to leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish. 

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome pageIf you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.


If you missed our In Quite A Pickle theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the wonderful picklish dishes everyone made.

****New Chef Poll Announcement****

Can you believe this is our final month of cooking with Nigel?  Time really flies! 
Time to pick a new chef to cook with from October through April 2015. 

We have four fascinating and fantastic female chefs to choose from:
  • Diana Henry 
  • Claudia Roden 
  • Mollie Katzen 
  • Rachel Allen

The poll is now up on the sidebar and you have the next 10 days (until 11:59 PM EST, Wednesday, September 10th) to do your research and thinking and to cast your vote for our next chef. We will start cooking with our winner on Monday, October 6th.

 Happy Voting! ;-)



Monday, August 25, 2014

In Quite A Pickle!

This week we're In Quite A Pickle....with Nigel Slater!

Sounds kinda fun, huh?

This is your chance to get out those cookbooks and get pickling! Make your own pickle or feature a dish with pickled ingredients.  

Choose any Nigel Slater recipe that gets you In Quite a Pickle, and post your dish by Sunday, August 31st

Please remember to link a thumbnail image below, and leave a comment after you link, so that we don't miss out on your post.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our August Potluck last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the wonderful dishes everyone made.

*Photo credit to The Guardian.com and Googleimages.com


Monday, August 18, 2014

August Potluck!

Potluck Week is your chance to  make any Nigel Slater recipe you like, or if you'd rather, you can make any dish from one of our previous nine IHCC chefs:

Nigella Lawson

Mark Bittman

Giada de Laurentiis

Jamie Oliver

Tessa Kiros

Rick Bayless

Madjur Jaffrey

Yotam Ottolenghi

Donna Hay

So many chefs and dishes, so little time!

To join in, just post and link your August Potluck dish by Sunday, August 24th.  Please remember to link a thumbnail image and to leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your Potluck creation.


New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome pageIf you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.


If you missed our Zest It Up theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the citrusy dishes everyone made.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Zest It up!

Bitter Orange Spoon Sweets 3

This week we're going to Zest It Up ... diving into all those lovely Nigel Slater recipes that feature endlessly versatile citrus fruits.

Oranges, lemons, mandarins, tangelos, tangerines, grapefruit, limes, clementines, kumquats, even those extraordinary looking Buddha's hands, if you're lucky enough to be able to find one - the variety of citrus fruit available is incredible.  And even more limitless are the uses to which you can put them.  Citrus lends itself to both sweet and savoury applications.  It can play the starring role as the hero ingredient of your dish, or be the support player which makes all the other ingredients shine.

Whichever way you decide to go, Nigel will be able to help you bring a little sunshine into your week and zest things up.
So get those cookbooks out or look at any of the appropriate online sources, choose any Nigel Slater recipe for a dish to Zest It Up, and post your dish by Sunday 17 August.

Please remember to link a thumbnail image below, and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your post.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Moreish Meals theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the wonderful dishes everyone made.



Monday, August 4, 2014

"Moreish Meals!"

 *Photo credit: Oliver Twist (film), 1948

Second or maybe third helpings anyone? 

Sometimes one helping just isn't enough so this week we are making Nigel Slater dishes that are so good, you just want to keep eating more...

"Moreish Meals"

Pick any Nigel Slater recipe from online or one of his cookbooks that you think is worthy of multiple servings. It can be something sweet, something savory, homey comfort food, or something truly decadent. Whatever you want more of.
  
To join in, just post and link your "Moreish Meals" by Sunday, August 10th. Please remember to link a thumbnail image and to leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish. 

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome pageIf you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.


If you missed our Serving Up Salads theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the wonderful world-traveling dishes everyone made.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Serving Up Salads!

 

Salads are so very versatile!  They can take center stage as a colorful and gorgeous main course, shine on the side as a light side dish, or whet your appetite before the main arrives.  Come to think of it.....salad can even be made into dessert!!!

Who knew Serving Up Salads was so much fun?

Grab those cookbooks, or look online, and choose any Nigel Slater recipe that gets you Serving Up Salads!  Please make and post your dish by Sunday, August 3rd.  

Please remember to link a thumbnail image below, and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your post.

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Off The Spice Rack theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the wonderful dishes everyone made.

**photo credit to Sue of Couscous & Consciousness and Deb of Kahakai Kitchen