How about a James Bond recipe book?

I was thinking about it reading another thread: why not write/publish a James Bond recipe book? With all the meals mentioned in the novels, not counting the cocktails, there is certainly enough for one. Sauce béarnaise, sole meunière, etc. With abstracts from the novels to accompany the recipes and tips from chefs and bit of history about the meal and its relationship with Fleming and his creation.

I usually hate recipe books, but I would buy that one.

Comments

  • Posts: 7,500
    That's not a bad idea! But who's gonna write it?
  • MrcogginsMrcoggins Following in the footsteps of Quentin Quigley.
    Posts: 3,144
    There is one it's called License to Cook as far as I remember .
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited February 2015 Posts: 23,883
    As long as there is a recipe for quiche I am all for it. ;)
  • Posts: 1,552
    James Bond's perfect Scrambled eggs - From 007 in New York:-

    12 fresh eggs

    Salt and pepper

    5-6 oz. of fresh butter

    Break the eggs into a bowl. Beat thoroughly with a fork and season well. In a small copper (or heavy-bottomed saucepan) melt four oz. of the butter. When melted, pour in the eggs and cook over a very low heat, whisking continuously with a small egg whisk.
    While the eggs are slightly more moist than you would wish for eating, remove pan from heat, add rest of butter and continue whisking for half a minute, adding the while finely chopped chives or fines herbes. Serve on hot buttered toast in individual copper dishes (for appearance only) with pink champagne (Taittainger) and low music.
  • edited February 2015 Posts: 7,500
    If the concept has any drawbacks, it is that Bond's taste in food is very old school (for obvious reasons). It might come across as a bit dated today...
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,727
  • edited February 2015 Posts: 1,552
    @jobo just because times have changed, doesn't mean tastes have. Whilst peoples concepts of food have undoubtedly changed, people still love their "Grandmother's recipes", high dinning restaurants use recipes that have been used for years.

    A recipe book with 1950s/60s era could be a novel idea, especially when you think of Bond's world wide travels, you could involve Jamaican recipes, Japanese etc - I'd buy it!

    Edit: BBC Food article on Bond's tastes in the novels - discussing him eating kebabs and curries etc.
  • Posts: 14,797
    jobo wrote: »
    If the concept has any drawbacks, it is that Bond's taste in food is very old school (for obvious reasons). It might come across as a bit dated today...

    That would be part of its charm I think.
  • Posts: 7,653
    Like the 007 after shaves, not my cup of tea and I gladly leave it to fans that enjoy getting monetary swindled. ;)
  • Posts: 14,797
    SaintMark wrote: »
    Like the 007 after shaves, not my cup of tea and I gladly leave it to fans that enjoy getting monetary swindled. ;)

    I'd rather buy a recipe book, providing it is done properly, than a videogame or a fanfic... herr I mean a continuation novel.
  • Posts: 5,772
    There's also that book :

    51IyYy%2Bov3L._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

    Although riddled with mistakes and really hard to read, it still offers the recipes for the many alcoholic beverages Bond drinks in the novels and movies.
  • Posts: 14,797
    Gerard wrote: »
    There's also that book :

    51IyYy%2Bov3L._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

    Although riddled with mistakes and really hard to read, it still offers the recipes for the many alcoholic beverages Bond drinks in the novels and movies.

    If it is riddled with mistakes, it means the true recipe book needs to be written still.
  • Posts: 7,653
    Ludovico wrote: »
    SaintMark wrote: »
    Like the 007 after shaves, not my cup of tea and I gladly leave it to fans that enjoy getting monetary swindled. ;)

    I'd rather buy a recipe book, providing it is done properly, than a videogame or a fanfic... herr I mean a continuation novel.

    the problems with continuation novels is that every author wants to leave his mark on it and all of them had a special reasoning why they chose what they did. I can see the personality of each author in their continuation novel but none brought any excitement. Well except Deaver as he is quite a master with his twists and as such the story entertained even if his 007 was difficult to recognise.
    The books are the only aspect of 007ness I tend to buy along with the dvd's & soundtracks [I admit I never bought QoB, but my generous daughters gave it as present, they must really hate me. :(( ;) ].

    But a recipe book, I have plenty is a bridge to far, which is by the way an excellent book and a fairly decent movie.
  • Posts: 7,500
    JCRendle wrote: »
    @jobo just because times have changed, doesn't mean tastes have. Whilst peoples concepts of food have undoubtedly changed, people still love their "Grandmother's recipes", high dinning restaurants use recipes that have been used for years.

    A recipe book with 1950s/60s era could be a novel idea, especially when you think of Bond's world wide travels, you could involve Jamaican recipes, Japanese etc - I'd buy it!

    Edit: BBC Food article on Bond's tastes in the novels - discussing him eating kebabs and curries etc.

    That is the point for discussion: Are we talking a book With only recipes or dishes that are mentioned in the novels, or are we talking more of a trevelogue sort of thing With dishes from the places or countries Bond visits? Without remembering every detail of hand, I can't remember that meny Jamaican or Japanese recipes mention in the books (I mean; some are mentioned, but probably not enough for a substancial recipe book...)?
  • Posts: 3,272
    I have bought the Licence to Cook book, and so far made 2 dishes from it - spaghetti bolognaise (TB), and chicken and spinach salad (Hildebrand Rarity I think).

    It's very well written, and the author/chef is so obviously a Fleming fan, he is very well versed on the subject of every dish Bond has eaten in the novels.

    Highly recommended.
  • Posts: 7,500
    I have bought the Licence to Cook book, and so far made 2 dishes from it - spaghetti bolognaise (TB), and chicken and spinach salad (Hildebrand Rarity I think).

    It's very well written, and the author/chef is so obviously a Fleming fan, he is very well versed on the subject of every dish Bond has eaten in the novels.

    Highly recommended.

    That's interesting. Maybe I'll have a look at it.

    Btw (nitpicking, I know); why spell the Italian/English dish 'Spaghetti Bolognese' (I say "English" because the Italians would traditionally not use Spaghetti with the Bolognese ragu) in French, 'Blognaise'? I hope that's not how it is written in the book?
  • Posts: 3,272
    jobo wrote: »
    I have bought the Licence to Cook book, and so far made 2 dishes from it - spaghetti bolognaise (TB), and chicken and spinach salad (Hildebrand Rarity I think).

    It's very well written, and the author/chef is so obviously a Fleming fan, he is very well versed on the subject of every dish Bond has eaten in the novels.

    Highly recommended.

    That's interesting. Maybe I'll have a look at it.

    Btw (nitpicking, I know); why spell the Italian/English dish 'Spaghetti Bolognese' (I say "English" because the Italians would traditionally not use Spaghetti with the Bolognese ragu) in French, 'Blognaise'? I hope that's not how it is written in the book?
    No idea how its written in the book. That was my spelling. Sorry teacher, I won't do it again.....
    ;))
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    License to Cook is now $0.99 for Kindle. (£0.64) A great bargain as the hardcover version is $36
  • SarkSark Guangdong, PRC
    edited February 2015 Posts: 1,138
    JCRendle wrote: »
    James Bond's perfect Scrambled eggs - From 007 in New York:-

    12 fresh eggs

    Salt and pepper

    5-6 oz. of fresh butter

    Break the eggs into a bowl. Beat thoroughly with a fork and season well. In a small copper (or heavy-bottomed saucepan) melt four oz. of the butter. When melted, pour in the eggs and cook over a very low heat, whisking continuously with a small egg whisk.
    While the eggs are slightly more moist than you would wish for eating, remove pan from heat, add rest of butter and continue whisking for half a minute, adding the while finely chopped chives or fines herbes. Serve on hot buttered toast in individual copper dishes (for appearance only) with pink champagne (Taittainger) and low music.

    The continuous wisking is absolutely vital. For most of my life I made the mistake of making scrambled eggs more like an omlet, ie pouring the eggs in and letting them harden a bit before flipping them. Since I started whisking constantly they've been extremely light and fluffy.
    jobo wrote: »
    If the concept has any drawbacks, it is that Bond's taste in food is very old school (for obvious reasons). It might come across as a bit dated today...

    The food is probably one of the least dated things from the Fleming novels (besides the rip-roaring sense of adventure obviously).
    SaintMark wrote: »
    Like the 007 after shaves, not my cup of tea and I gladly leave it to fans that enjoy getting monetary swindled. ;)

    There's a pretty huge difference between the two IMO. Bond branded items (that Bond would never use himself) are a rather cynical marketing ploy.
    the problems with continuation novels is that every author wants to leave his mark on it and all of them had a special reasoning why they chose what they did. I can see the personality of each author in their continuation novel but none brought any excitement.

    Odd, because one of the worst continuation novels occurred when the author tried not to leave his mark and wrote 'as Ian Fleming'. ;)
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    Colonel Son? Better than Gardner I would say though?
  • Posts: 1,548
    How to make the perfect quiche as featured in A Vie to a Kill! Possibly the greatest achievement made by Sir Roger during tenure as 007!
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    edited March 2015 Posts: 15,423
    The closest you've got to this is How To Archer written by "Sterling Archer" himself. ;)
Sign In or Register to comment.