Friday 6 July 2012

Win The Forgotten Skills of Cooking *closed*

I think many of us are feeling the pinch, but what better way to try and save money than by cooking your own food from scratch. It was something previous generations have always done, but I feel a lot of modern parents were never taught the skill. With the introduction of fridges, freezers and microwave ovens, not to mention the take away shop cooking for a lot of people has become an alien concept.

To help you out I am running a competition to win a book called "The Forgotten skills of Cooking" by Darina Allen. The competition is being sponsored by The Works - Britain's Leading Discount Book Store. 

The book is described as

An Andre Simon Food Book Award winner, Forgotten Skills of Cooking is an indispensable guide to traditional cooking methods. Darina Allen, who runs the renowned cookery school at Ballinasloe, brings the reader back in touch with the skills used in everyday life a generation or two ago, which have been fading fast in recent years. The cookbook is divided into chapters covering everything from bread making and preserving to making your own butter and yogurt. There are useful chapters dedicated to the forgotten skills of smoking fish and curing bacon, with Forgotten Skills of Cooking going beyond the reach of the average modern cookery book and yet managing to explain everything in a simple and easy to implement manner. Forgotten Skills of Cooking contains over 700 recipes, but is more than a simple recipe book. The recipes are designed to show the reader how to use cheaper cuts of meat and use homemade produce to its fullest potential. The book even walks readers through the process of starting a small vegetable garden and keeping chickens. The definitive guide to traditional cookery, this cookbook balances useful tips and techniques with Allen's intimate memories of her childhood and Ballymaloe, creating an essential resource which is also a joy to read.

This is a very appropriate book for me to be able to give away considering I have been highlighting the pleasures of home cooking with my granddaughter this week.  This book does take it a bit further than just basic cooking is explains about growing your own and even smoking fish and curing bacon.

To win this book is quite simple ; leave me a comment to tell me what you enjoy most about good old fashioned home cooking. This comment is mandatory. Please make sure in this comment you leave me a way of contacting you if you win.

For an extra entry go to The Works Homepage and sign up to their newsletter, box at the bottom of the page, and come back and leave a second comment to say you have done so. Please note if you are picked as the winner on your comment as having signed up it will be verified before the winner is announced.

For another entry please tweet "I want to win The Forgotten skills of cooking with @pooohbear2811 and @TheWorksStores http://tinyurl.com/cqdemw7" and come back and leave another comment. 


The Works are offering one book as a prize. I have received no payment with in cash or kind for running this post. 


Open to UK entrants only, competition closes 21st July at 8pm BST.




and the winner is 
 Natalie Holland8 July 2012 21:13
I love old fashioned home cooking because that way - you know what is going into your food! Both my children have cows milk sensitivity, I have multiple allergies to fruit and recently found out I'm gluten intolerant & am trying to reduce it now to avoid the horrible side-effects... so, really the way we can eat the best food possible - is from me cooking it from scratch.

well done Natalie. tweeted you for details 





ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

86 comments:

  1. It tastes great!

    @ashlallan

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    Replies
    1. Would love this book!

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    2. Whenever I cook at home with older recipes and family recipes, I absolutely know what's going into the food that we're eating, and that it's solid, good stuff, with no hidden nasties.

      Which of course, automatically makes the food taste better!

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  2. i am already signed up to the newsletter

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  3. I love knowing exactly what has gone into my food - REAL food made from REAL ingredients and no nasty chemicals

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  4. I have signed up to The Works newsletter

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  5. I've tweeted @janesgrapevine

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  6. The satisfaction of creating a dish from start to finish is beyond compare.

    @gholmes724

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  7. I have signed up to The Works newsletter as gholmes724 ((at)) gmail ((d0t)) com

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  8. https://twitter.com/gholmes724/status/221633637085483008

    I have tweeted as @gholmes724

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  9. I enjoy old fashioned cooking because I know what is in it. Everyone was much thinner in the days before 'ready meals' which I think tells a big story.
    @01592_katie

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  10. I have signed up to the Works newsletter @01592_katie

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  11. I love old fashioned cooking because I can produce meals which all the family can share despite having different allergies (and it's nice to know only wholesome ingredients are in there!).

    Hazel Rea - @beachrambler

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  12. I like cooking home-cooked food because I find it relaxing and like it when my family says it tastes really good.
    @maisietoo

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    Replies
    1. I like taking the time to make a proper meal - no ready meals!

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  13. I have tweeted as @beachrambler (Hazel Rea)

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  14. I've signed up to the newsletter.

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  15. I have tweeted as @maisietoo: https://twitter.com/maisietoo/status/221700294113890304

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  16. I love old fashioned home cooking because that way - you know what is going into your food! Both my children have cows milk sensitivity, I have multiple allergies to fruit and recently found out I'm gluten intolerant & am trying to reduce it now to avoid the horrible side-effects... so, really the way we can eat the best food possible - is from me cooking it from scratch.

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  17. I tweeted about your giveaway.... @starcatch3r :D

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  18. the finished product something that has had thought effort and contributation tastes far better than a microwave box meal

    @siobhanmarie4

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  19. donald macdonald9 July 2012 at 13:40

    the taste of home-made is so very different and the joy from having created something special out of the ingredients is more satisfying still. the words 'home made' make the taste buds tingle!!

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  20. maxime goodwin9 July 2012 at 22:16

    I love cooking from scratch mainly soups bread and dinners but my baking could do with a bit of help!!!

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  21. The satisfaction from cooking a decent meal from scratch then getting to sit down with the family to enjoy it. x

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  22. The way it feels like a science experiment - the power is completely in your hands!

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  23. I like to cook everything from scratch. No additives or preservatives just lots of taste

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  24. Cooking is skill everyone should learn

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  25. I love cooking traditional meals from scratch as they taste so much better than shop-bought, and are normally cheaper as well.

    @ammalinetheduck

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  26. I simply just like to cook, specially when i do it together with my daughter. barekar@hotmail.co.uk

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  27. I would love to have this book. I love cooking, I try to show my children the good old fashioned way of doing things and the tasty, simple, ecconomical receipes that my gran use to teach me when I was a little girl.

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  28. I love cooking and baking from scratch, we even keep our own hens for the best ever fresh eggs. One daughter lives in Cheng Du, in China, and emails home for my recipes when she or her partner want a taste of home. when my other daughter was away at Uni, she was the hostess with the mostest and all her flat mates and friends loved her home cooking......especially the best ever homemade cheese sauce!
    Oh and baking is the best stress buster ever!
    Laraine

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  29. signed up for their newsletter :-)
    Laraine

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  30. Cooking is starting to become such a joy for me

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  31. I love starting to cook with fresh ingredients from scratch and knowing there are no nasty chemicals in the food and its lovely to see the finished product knowing I have done it all myself

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  32. I have signed up for your Newsletter

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  33. I love cooking from scratch and I find it very rewarding knowing exactly how I ave done it and all the work I have put into it. What I am not very good at is knowing what cuts of meat to cook with and how to use it all yet, but I am learning!

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  34. I'm trying to live frugally and good home cooking saves me money! Not to mention it's healthier and yummier!

    nonameorlogo@gmail.com

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  35. Its the taste - it can't be beaten @Minxismad

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  36. Tweeted and following on twitter @Minxismad

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  37. fun of cooking it and it tastes so much nicer

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  38. I love that it tastes healthier!

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  39. i love proper cooking in the form of baking... notihng better than making a cake or some biscuits then sitting down with a cup of tea to demolish it!

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  40. have signed up for newsletter - louisesrunning@gmail.com

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  41. I love cooking from scratch as I always know exactly what the family are eating and it tastes so much better, too. I love ringing the changes, though, so new recipes always welcome.

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  42. I cook using fresh ingredients every day. I'm vegetarian by choice and gluten free by necessity so it's almost impossible to find ready prepared meals that I can eat. I love cooking because it's really satisfying to experiment with combinations of flavours and receive compliments for my efforts. I wouldn;t say my cooking is good old fashioned cooking as that makes me thing of meat and two veg - whereas my meals then to be two veg and two more veg :-)

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  43. signed up to the works newsletter

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  44. I love that the product never looks perfect but is slightly misshaped :)

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  45. I enjoy the fact that it is all your own work, and its cooked the way you like it. In fact here, that's all we do. Can not remember the last time something was cooked out of a packet.

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  46. Signed up to the newsletter. Thanks for that did not know they had a website. Go in the local Works shop a lot for books etc for Grace.

    @phyllgerry

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  47. Have tweeted with @phyllgerry

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  48. The lovely smell of baking

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  49. The lovely smells of baking

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  50. i dont often cook from scratch but when i do it does have more taste to it, its also nice to know exactly whats going into the meal

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  51. signed up to newletter @lillyfer85

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  52. Would love to win this! I am not very creative or imaginative with handicrafts but I love cooking and passing those skills on to my young relatives. Good old fashion cooking is often not a skill that is passed on in today's busy world where fast foods and ready meals are taking over. It reminds me of my mum and the wonderful meals she used to make and on a tight buget too..... stews, shepherds pie, homemade scotch eggs and wonderful, wonderful puddings like jam rolypoly, treacle tart and fruit crumbles!

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  53. I just love cooking, I find it really therapeutic creating a meal and watching everyone enjoy it

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  54. i find it satisfying if the family have enjoyed it, knowing i cooked it all from scratch

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  55. i have also tweeted
    @zeniebeenie

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  56. I try whenever possible to cook everything from scratch. I now get great pleasure from showing and getting my grandson to help. He loves it.

    teatree58@ntlworld.com

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  57. I enjoy the traditional old tastes and smells.

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  58. I have signed up for the Works newsletter.

    @NickHopkins1234

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  59. I have tweeted.

    @NickHopkins1234

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  60. My most rewarding moment was watching my thirteen year old son making his first roast dinner! A perfectly cooked chicken, home-made stuffing, roast potatoes and every kind of veg, and even made a mean bread sauce! Yes his Yorkshire pudding sunk because he checked it too much, but everything was delicious! I want all four of my children to know that not all meals come from a tin or a packet! That healthy food can be delicious food, and them learning to cook has made them want to try new foods, home cooking is the way to go!

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  61. I have signed up to The Works page too :-) x

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  62. I have tweeted about your book! @Carriecakes80 xxx

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  63. Home cooking smells so good and tastes fab!

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  64. I have signed up for the newsletter!

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  65. I am following and tweeted! @littlebean0709

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  66. I love what is called 'good old fashioned home cooking. I really don't think that you can beat the taste of freshly prepared meals made from scratch with delicious, fresh ingredients. I love to cook and bake cakes, biscuits and pies from scratch and honestly feel that the little extra time it takes is well worth the effort, both in taste, but also as you know exactly what has one into the food you are eating, rather than filling yourself with artificial preservatives, artificial flavours and colourings found in many processed foods.

    coppelia100@btinternet.com

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  67. I have signed up to The Works newsletter

    coppelia100@btinternet.com

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  68. I feel nothing beats good old fashioned cooking. The flavours and taste of a meal prepared by hand from scratch using fresh ingredients can never be matched by anything you can buy in a supermarket! Also, apart from the flavour and taste side, when you make your own meals, cakes, pastries, puddings, you know exactly what you are putting into your recipe, whereas when you buy processed and ready prepared foods from supermarkets, they often as not tend to be full of artificial flavours, preservatives, colourants and additives!

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  69. I have also tweeted about the competition :-) as @solarsangel

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  70. u always no wot has gon into proper homemade food.... my gran taught my mum, my mum taught me now its my turn to teach my son.... this would be his first cook book. he's 12 and wants to join the army as a chef!!!

    verity
    kinkykitty45@googlemail.com

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  71. I love knowing that what I'm feeding my family is actually good for them.

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  72. I've signed up to The Works newsletter

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  73. And I've tweeted (@bobbybirdy)

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  74. The memories it brings back, you can't simple classic meals.

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  75. Rebecca Woodroof21 July 2012 at 14:36

    it tasts great and is really rewarding at the end of it!

    @xrebecca

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  76. competition now closed, winner announced soon

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