4 ingredients - Tilted Forum Project - TFP - Sexuality, Philosophy and Political Discussion

spindles · 02-03-2008, 04:57 PM

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

Quote:

Over 340 Quick,
Easy & Delicious Recipes
using 4 or less Ingredients

This cookbook has over 340 quick, easy and very delicious recipes that you can easily whip up to WOW your friends and family, and ALL with only 4 or fewer ingredients.

You won't need to spend a fortune in measuring utensils. To use 4 Ingredients all you will need is 1 cup, 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon - it's cooking made real easy!

There are fantastic recipes for breakfast to dinner, entrees to desserts and lunchbox delights.

You will be super surprised and delighted with the fantastic dishes you can create using this easy to follow cookbook AND with ingredients mainly already found in your pantry!

If you are a busy person, or on a tight budget, have moved out of home, are still fine tuning your culinary skills, are going camping, are on the move and haven't a lot of room for a full pantry, OR you simply haven't had time to do the groceries, then this is the book for you!

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

Would this kind of cookbook appeal to you?

Charlatan · 02-03-2008, 05:16 PM

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?

spindles · 02-03-2008, 05:30 PM

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:

Quote:

4 Ingredients Fruit Cake

Serves 4. Recipe from Jen Whittington. Delicious & nutritious!

* 1kg mixed fruit
* 2 cups fruit juice/cold organic tea of choice
* 1 tbs. sherry, or similar
* 2 cups organic self raising flour

Preheat oven to 125C. Soak fruits in juice/tea and sherry for 2 hours. Stir flour into soaked fruit and mix well. Put into large lined baking tin. Bake for 1½ hours in the bottom of your oven on 130C. (If you have a fan forced oven please bake on 115C for 2 hours - remember to check after 1 1/2 hours though). Remove and leave to cool. Put into container or wrap in foil. Keep for 2 – 3 days before cutting.

allaboutmusic · 02-03-2008, 05:38 PM

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

spindles · 02-03-2008, 05:48 PM

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.

Willravel · 02-03-2008, 05:54 PM

Water, tea, honey, cream. Zzzzz.....

funydjane · 02-03-2008, 06:00 PM

4 or fewer.

Ratman · 02-04-2008, 05:42 PM

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.

Baraka_Guru · 02-04-2008, 05:45 PM

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.

Tully Mars · 02-04-2008, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru

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.

Baraka_Guru · 02-05-2008, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tully Mars

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

Yes, sometimes simpler is better.

Tully Mars · 02-05-2008, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru

Yes, sometimes simpler is better.

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

Mister Coaster · 02-06-2008, 07:51 PM

well... I've heard...

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

BEER!

spindles · 02-07-2008, 10:06 PM

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

02-03-2008, 05:16 PM	#2 (permalink)
Charlatan Drinking Your Milkshake Super Moderator Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Lion City	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 like paying taxes. With them I buy civilization.” - Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes

02-03-2008, 05:48 PM	#5 (permalink)
spindles Mine is an evil laugh Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Sydney, Australia	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. __________________ who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

02-03-2008, 05:54 PM	#6 (permalink)
Willravel [wil-ruh-VEL] Join Date: Aug 2004	Water, tea, honey, cream. Zzzzz..... __________________ ɯǝɥʇ ǝʌlos uɐɔ ǝʍ ʇɐɥʇ ǝɔuɐɹouƃı ɥƃnoɹɥʇ ʇou sı ʇı 'sɯǝlqoɹd ǝʇɐǝɹɔ uɐɔ ǝƃpǝlʍouʞ ɟı

02-04-2008, 05:42 PM	#8 (permalink)
Ratman Addict Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Somewhere... Across the sea...	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. __________________ The difference between theory and reality is that in theory there is no difference. "God made man, but he used the monkey to do it." DEVO

02-04-2008, 05:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru In the 6th percentile Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Toronto	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. __________________ "The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. [...] In our age there is no such thing as 'keeping out of politics.' All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred, and schizophrenia. When the general atmosphere is bad, language must suffer." —"Politics and the English Language," George Orwell "Humankind cannot bear very much reality." —"Burnt Norton," Four Quartets, T. S. Eliot

02-03-2008, 05:38 PM	#4 (permalink)
allaboutmusic Aurally Fixated Join Date: Oct 2007	I like this idea. I wonder if they sell the book here in the UK.

02-03-2008, 06:00 PM	#7 (permalink)
funydjane Tilted Join Date: Jan 2008	4 or fewer.

02-06-2008, 07:51 PM	#13 (permalink)
Mister Coaster A Little Loopy Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Outside Denver	well... I've heard... "Water, Malt, Yeast, Hops. 4 ingredients, infinate possibilities." BEER! __________________ If you have any poo... fling it NOW!

02-07-2008, 10:06 PM	#14 (permalink)
spindles Mine is an evil laugh Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Sydney, Australia	You lot just wanna drink something. This isn't a cocktail book you know __________________ who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?