Crave by Ed Smith Cookbook Review
Crave by Ed Smith Cookbook Review
Crave by Ed Smith is a cookbook of recipes arranged by flavour, from fresh and fragrant to creamy and cheesy
I first saw Crave by Ed Smith in a Waterstones. It was the cover that caught my eye – simple but vibrant. Now that I’ve made a few of the recipes, those are still the words I’d use to describe it.
Crave is a cookbook arranged by flavour, so that you can quickly leaf to the section you most want to eat. It’s a clever concept, and one that I haven’t tried before. All my other cookbooks are arranged in the more traditional starter-main-dessert way. So, I thought what the heck. Let’s give it a go.
What are the recipes like in Crave by Ed Smith?
Like I said, the recipes in Crave by Ed Smith are arranged by flavour – or cravings. And that makes perfect sense for those times you’re sat at home craving something cheesy and creamy to eat. No matter what you’re after, Crave has a chapter for it.
Other chapters include fresh and fragrant, tart and sour, chilli and heat, spiced and curried, and rich and savoury.
The cookbook starts with an introduction on why Crave is organized the way it is. After all, why would you want to leaf through an entire cookbook to find something you actually feel like eating, when you can pincer in on a recipe in an alternatively arranged way. The cookbook also talks about why you might have certain cravings. Maybe its to do with the weather, your mood, or even your biology.
And using this cookbook showed me something new about myself. I thought I’d spend most of my time in the rich or creamy parts of the book. But actually, I ended up making just as many fresh and fragrant recipes. I guess I’m not just a cheese addict after all!
In terms of photography, most of the recipes have a full-page, facing picture of the dish. The photography itself is lovely and printed with a non-gloss finish so there’s no glare.
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Not Ceasar Salad recipe
Ed Smith starts his cookbook with a chapter on fresh and fragrant recipes. And the Not Ceasar Salad is one of those. According to Smith, it’s a recipe loosely based on the classic salad, not one that slavishly follows every rule.
We make it for lunch one day and underestimate the time it needs to cook the potatoes through. So, taking a leaf out of Smith’s book, we adapt the recipe to suit. A quick zap in the microwave and the potatoes are done, and the salad is complete.
It’s a delicious salad, but one that’s brought to life by the dressing. I wish I’d known about a dressing like this sooner – I’d have eaten much more salad. We also didn’t have any mint of parsley in the house, and I don’t think the recipe suffered too much by omitting it.
Slow-cooked, minted courgettes with white beans and fresh cheese recipe
This is one of the first recipes I made from Crave, and again it’s from the fresh and fragrant part of the cookbook. I loved the idea of letting beans do there thing over a low heat, and did I mention I’m a cheese addict?
Having made it, I can say it’s a good recipe. But I would make some adjustments. I don’t think you need two pots to make this dish – separating out the elements doesn’t add anything material except extra dishes. And I’d also whack up the flavour by doubling the garlic. Smith also gives a couple of different kinds of cheese you could use, but I think feta works the best.
Apart from that, it’s a solid recipe, and one that makes for a delicious and warming bean stew.
Poussin, artichoke and pea tray bake recipe
I’ve recently discovered a love for artichokes, so this recipe jumped out at me. It’s also another one from the fresh and fragrant chapter of Crave.
But I have to say I liked the idea of it more than the resulting dish. If I were to be brutal, I might call it a bit bland (sorry Ed). It’s just a bit shallow in flavour and it needs a something more.
But having said that I like the idea of the dish so much that I’d try making it again, with some tweaks. So, I’d add stock to the traybake instead of water, pop a few crushed anchovies in for a savoury kick, and crumble feta on when it’s all baked. I also think an aioli would be better on the side rather than a yoghurt dip.
As I type this, I’m realizing that my tweaks might put the recipe in the creamy and cheesy section of the book instead. Which I’m a-ok with.
Sriracha lemon linguine with chilli pangrattato recipe
I loved the look of this recipe as soon as I clapped eyes on it. Just look at that gorgeous swirl of linguine, and juicy red sriracha sauce. Of course, this is a recipe from the chilli and heat chapter of Crave.
And I’m pleased to say that the recipe is a good one. The pangrattato is an especially clever touch, and one that brings much-needed texture to the finished linguine.
But beware – it was incredibly hot and spicy. So much so that I had to swirl in a few mounds of Greek yoghurt. The yoghurt didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the dish, although next time I’d just halve the sriracha and omit the additional chilli flakes from the recipe.
Three-cheese, chickpea and kale soup recipe
This is the first recipe I made from the cheesy and creamy section of Crave, and it’s a good one. It’s perfect for when you want a big bowl of hot molten love. And one that doesn’t leave you feeling too full.
If you can get the three different cheeses I definitely would – the stilton, cheddar and parmesan work wonders together. And the potatoes add just the right amount of body. It’s one of my favourite recipes from Crave, and it’s comes together in no time at all.
Swede, sage and cheddar gratin recipe
This is another great recipe from Crave, and again from the cheesy and creamy chapter. It’s basically like a lighter version of a potato dauphinoise, but one that still gives you a brilliant thwack of cheesy goodness.
And the sage leaves are a brilliant addition and give the whole dish even more dimension. We had this as a side to steak one night, and then again as a side to roast chicken. It’s a good recipe to have in your arsenal.
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Overall thoughts on Crave by Ed Smith
Crave by Ed Smith is a good cookbook to get inspiration from. But I would use your own palette to guide how you make the food. So, if you think chucking in an extra ingredient would help, then I’d do it.
But even though I’ve had one or two small misses with some of the recipes, I’ve still grown to like this cookbook quite a lot. I enjoy the way the recipes are organized, and there are lots of achievable dishes to make. Smith also doesn’t seem to add much faff to his recipes, so you know you won’t be cooking things in an unnecessarily long way.
Have you tried Crave by Ed Smith? Do you have any favourite recipes? Let us know :)
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