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Newsletter: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The best of Scotland for your Burns Night celebrations + Nik Sharma focuses on the Veg-table 🥕

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Behind the Cookbook: The Three Chimneys and The Three Chimneys Marmalade Bible

In our latest feature, influential Scottish chef and restaurateur Shirley Spear goes behind the cookbook on both her books—The Three Chimneys: Recipes & Reflections, and The Three Chimneys Marmalade Bible. Head chef of The Three Chimneys on the Isle of Skye until 2005—the pioneering restaurant she founded with her husband Eddie in 1984—Shirley charts her journey from uncertain beginnings to a position at the forefront of a now-thriving Scottish food scene. 
From choosing the location for the restaurant, to showcasing many gloriously-named regional dishes—step up Rumbledethumps and Skirlie.

It was always her intention to highlight Scotland’s great culinary heritage, and her descriptions of menu creation and her much-loved dishes make for a mouthwatering read.
After Shirley has thoroughly whet your appetite, explore her recipes and create yourself a Scottish feast. Try Smoked Ham and Haddie Soufflé, the ‘haddie’ referring to the treat that is smoked haddock. Follow that with a Whisky and Lemon Syllabub, which she serves with Skye strawberries, but you could serve with any seasonal fruit. Marmalade, that globally loved Scottish creation, is important enough to have a whole book to itself. Try Marmalade Breakfast Scones, or Fish Kebabs with Marmalade Marinade.

There is extra call this week to go on a culinary tour to Scotland, as it is Burns Night on January 25, that annual celebration to honour Scotland’s favourite poet, and shine a light on all things Scottish. So raise a glass to “that great chieftan ‘o the pudding race” and surround your haggis with dishes from our collection of Burns Night Recipes.

For even more then take a look at our Scotland Bookshelf.

Read Shirley Spear's Behind the Cookbook Feature

Plant-based magic from Nik Sharma

‘This is a book about vegetables, some more familiar than others, but all equally satisfying.(…)My intention in this book is to give you techniques, flavors, and ideas—with foundations in science and in history—to become an inventive and frequent vegetable home cook.’ Nik Sharma

Molecular biologist turned cookbook author and food photographer Nik Sharma is a flavor king. His books The Flavor Equation and Season, centre his bold approach, inspired by and often referencing his Indian heritage. His latest book, new to ckbk, Veg-table: Recipe, Techniques, and Plant Science for Big-Flavored, Vegetable-Focused Meals, does exactly what it aims to do, and takes us confidently into the plant kitchen.

The book contains a comprehensive front section, full of information to enhance your understanding of garden produce, and tips on the science and practicalities of veg cookery. The recipes are gorgeously photographed, and organised by product type. Try Stuffed Cabbage Rolls in Tomato Sauce, some Acorn Squash, Kale & Chilli Miso Sauce, or one of over a hundred more tempting dishes!

Find all 110 recipes from Veg-table

French classics from a master of the art 

You will have heard of Julia Child, and likely have the essential Mastering the Art of French Cooking on your bookshelves. But you may not know about its co-author Simone “Simca” Beck, a Normandy-born cookbook author and cookery instructor who was highly instrumental in bringing French food to an American audience in the mid 20th century.
We are delighted to have her book New Menus from Simca’s Cuisine newly added to ckbk. First published in 1979, in what was meant to be her retirement, the book is full of ideas and recipes from her kitchen in the South of France. A hundred recipes that range from the traditional to those she had newly developed. As Simca describes it: ‘While the approach here is toward simple cooking, it does not mean there are no sumptuous menus or desserts to be found–for this would not be truly French.’
 
From a Crème de Concombres—a simple refreshing cold cucumber soup—to the ‘dressy’ Gateau Elegant Au Citron, these are recipes worth discovering from an important and perhaps under-celebrated cook.

Ingredient focus: forced rhubarb

Rhubarb is an edible stalk, and biologically a vegetable, although often eaten in Western cuisines as you would a sweet fruit—Rhubarb Crumble  is an excellent thing, and almost a national dish in the UK.

There are several varieties of rhubarb, some of which are entirely green, but it has been cultivated across its history in favor of the vibrant pink stalks we know today.

The term ‘forced rhubarb’ refers to rhubarb grown under cover, or in darkened hothouses, a practice which was discovered accidentally at The Chelsea Physic Garden in the 19th century, which brings the plants on ahead of warm weather and encourages the bright pink color. The forced rhubarb season runs from December to March, so make the most of it now.
The plant’s tart aromatic fruitiness works very well sweetened in bakes, such as this Rhubarb & Almond Galette, but is also a great partner to fish, try Griddled Mackerel Fillets with Rhubarb. For more ideas explore these 16 Forced Rhubarb Recipes. 

6 of the best recipes for Lunar New Year

Celebrations for Lunar New Year 2025 start on January 29. We have a whole collection of Lunar New Year recipes to make the festivities go with a swing, and here of 6 more of the best.

Chocolate Sesame Balls

from China Modern: 100 Cutting-Edge, Fusion-Style Recipes for the 21st Century by Ching-He Huang

Fujianese Fried Rice

from Classic Food of China by Yan-Kit So

Northern-Style Dumplings in Chilli Oil

from New Beijing Cuisine by Jereme Leung

Steamed Chicken and Mushroom Dumplings

from Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites From Dim Sum to Kung Pao by Bee Yinn Low

Spicy Xian Pork Noodles

from My Asian Kitchen by Jennifer Joyce

Steamed Fish with Sour Plum

from China: A Cookbook by Terry Tan