This month, the Silver Travel Cook Club invites you to explore the culinary wonders of The Saturday Kitchen Cooking Bible: 200 Delicious Recipes from the Nation’s Favourite Chefs. This incredible collection brings together dishes inspired by cuisines from all over the world, offering everything from comforting classics to vibrant international flavours.
Whether it’s a French-inspired tart, a spicy Thai curry, or an Italian pasta dish, this book showcases recipes that celebrate the diversity of global cuisine. With expert tips and techniques from renowned chefs, you’ll be inspired to recreate the flavours of your travels or discover something entirely new.
What will you cook first? A rich dessert, a flavourful main, or a zesty starter? Let The Saturday Kitchen Cooking Bible take your taste buds on a journey around the world!
It’s always hard to pick a favourite from such a rich collection of recipes, but this Butternut Squash Tagine really stands out. Bursting with aromatic spices and tender vegetables, it perfectly embodies the vibrant flavours of Morocco. Hearty and comforting, this dish is ideal for cozy dinners or for impressing guests with its bold, warming essence of North African cuisine.
Recipe: Butternut squash tagine with couscous
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 1cm/½in cubes
- 200g/7oz tinned chopped tomatoes
- 200ml/7fl oz vegetable stock
- 3 preserved lemons, rind only, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp clear honey
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- small handful coriander, to garnish
For the herby couscous:
- 400g/14oz couscous
- 600ml/1 pint 2fl oz hot vegetable stock
- 2 lemons, zest only
- 100g/3½oz toasted flaked almonds
- 1 tbsp each chopped fresh parsley, chives and coriander
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Method:
- For the butternut squash tagine, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for a further 3-4 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the cayenne pepper, ground ginger, ground coriander, ground cumin, cinnamon stick and ground turmeric and stir well. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the spices are fragrant.
- Add the butternut squash cubes and stir well to coat the squash in the spices.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, preserved lemons and honey, then season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the butternut squash is tender but still holds its shape.
- Meanwhile, for the herby couscous, place the couscous into a large bowl and pour over the hot chicken stock. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside until the couscous has absorbed all of the stock, about three minutes.
- Fluff up the couscous using a fork, then stir in the lemon zest, flaked almonds, chopped herbs and olive oil until well combined.
- Serve the couscous with the tagine on top and a little chopped coriander to garnish.
How to win a copy of The Saturday Kitchen Cooking Bible
Comment below and tell us what’s the most memorable dish you’ve ever tasted from another country, and would you recreate it at home?
A winner will be chosen at random in early February 2025.
The competition closes on 31 January 2025.
55 Responses
Lovely pasta in Italy, nothing like my home grown version!
a curry we made at a class in India, amazing, tried to reproduce it once home but was not quite as good
I once had a sea salt and chicken sesame from China, it was amazing
Lasagna in a Italian restaurant in Marbella Spain. I would love to know the recipe to try and cook it myself.
A marvellous paella in Seville and i have made it since but nowhere near as good
Paella. Cooked outside in a paella pan over a fire. With chicken and seafood. When I was working in Spain and living with a Spanish family they would often go off on a Sunday – fishing or swimming beside a huge lake and they just built the fire and bring everything with them and I’ve never tasted anything so good since.
We had a wonderful Asado in Argentina a few years ago where there was free flowing wines and a wonderful display of horsemanship. I do not think that I could recreate the meal at home but perhaps a mini version.
Simple – freshly caught and grilled sardines (a pile of them!) in Menorca with olive oil, herbs, fresh bread and a chilled glass of white wine. Sitting at a simple cafe in Menorca alongside the clear blue sea – nothing much else around
Simple – freshly caught and grilled sardines (a pile of them!) in Menorca with olive oil, herbs, fresh bread and a chilled glass of white wine. Sitting at a simple cafe in Menorca alongside the clear blue sea – nothing much else around
BBQ Snake on an island in Brazil
Bunny chow in Johannesburg was so tasty and very surprising. I thought my brother was joking when he told me about this dish from his local takeaway so I had to try in. Fabulous tasty, but not too spicy curry, served in a loaf of white bread. It gave memories of using a slice of bread to mop up the gravy from a stew as a kid. We have had our curries at home in a small loaf several times since, I highly recommend it.
Maldivian Tuna Curry – absolutely hits the spot and definitely would try to make at home as love cooking, seeing this reminded me of the Maldives and how good that tasted – thank you for the inspiration
One of the most memorable dishes I’ve ever tasted from another country was **Italian Risotto alla Milanese**. The rich and creamy texture of the risotto, infused with the deep flavors of saffron, made it an unforgettable experience. 🍛 The balance of the savory broth, the slight bite of perfectly cooked arborio rice, and the luxurious finish with Parmesan cheese was heavenly.
Would I recreate it at home? Absolutely! While it requires patience and a bit of technique, the payoff is incredibly rewarding. Plus, it’s a fantastic dish to share with friends and family, bringing a taste of Italy to my own kitchen. 🇮🇹🍽️
My husband worked in the hospitality industry but I am the adventurous one when it comes to food and always ask him to recreate dishes I’ve tried! Too many to mention though my favourite is a feast of chicken wings & ribs with his own secret recipe!
Has to be creamy mash with spring onions crispy smoky bacon with cabbage marinated in the bacon juice
Was in Londonderry and I’d recommend to all
Fresh scallops caught from the back of a boat in New Zealand – the captain cooked them up for us. Melt in the mouth delicious. A memory that will stay with me forever.
The oysters in Australia were wonderful, raw or cooked various ways. I’ve never tried to do anything similar at home. Perhaps a good cookery book would help?
I had crab 🦀 in Marland. Caught cooked and served fresh that day. It was not very filling but was great to share with our friends in America. Never had freshly prepared crab before.
Alligator in cheese sauce
empanadas in Argentina. I would love to recreate them but I suspect they won’t taste anywhere near as good!
Have had many memorable meals abroad but what sticks out the most for me was when we holidayed on a Greek island and every afternoon we walked for 45 minutes to taste the most amazing Baklava and iced coffee I’ve ever had. To talk that distance daily it must have been wonderful.
I had an amazing seafood pasta dish in Paris but I’ve never been able to exactly recreate it.
Chicken Tikka Biryani in India – flavour to die for
Lobster thermador , made for my husband and I when we married on the carribian island of Grenada. It was absolutely delicious. I would love to be able to create it again on our anniversary.
A large crab cooked in cream & brandy served in its shell with new potatoes & salad sat in the open air at Roquaine Bay .Guernsey.The combination of a perfect meal,sunshine & a beautiful location could not be replicated at home.
The most memorable dish is lutfisk (aged, cured cod rehydrated to a gelatinous texture) in Norway, but not for any positive reason, so I wouldn’t recreate it at home or indeed eat it again
I had a Lamb Tagine at a road side cafe in the High Atlas Mountains. It was the most delicious meal ever and yes, I have tried to recreate it at home but it’s never been quite the same.
This book will improve my cooking no end
Grilled sardines straight from the sea and barbequed on a beach in corfu. One for trying outdoors in appropriate weather!
Chipotle Chicken from the United States and I did find a copycat recipe and re-created it at home, as well as re-creating the Red Velvet cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.
Stuffed vine leaves in Turkey. Tried it home was horrible.
In Wellington we went to a Moroccan restaurant and the food was delicious. It was a lamb stew with plums and spices.
Any pasta dish in Italy. No matter how simple a dish, they make it taste fantastic.
Khachapuri from Georgia is death by cheese. Would I make at home, its possible but think of the calories!
I really enjoyed the varied range of Tagines I had on a tour to Morocco. I had been worried they would be too spicy, but that was not the case at all, and I liked the fruitiness of some of them.
Eating in Portugal during the early ’80s as a vegetarian was hard work but I was saved by my host’s Greek au pair who made me a wonderfully rich and flavourful layered aubergine, mushroom & lentil bake. I’ve tried many times to recreate it with little success and am still looking in hope for a recipe.
Not sure if anyone would rate this cuisine as the best they have ever had, but for my husband and I it was certainly the most memorable. We were on a cruise with a ship called ‘ Voyages of Discovery’ not operating now. Our cruise was to Greenland and Antarctica for two weeks. The year….? Guessing now, maybe 2015 . We joined our ship , and booked a welcome breakfast trip, in a place called Quacortok.. we had to depart the ship by tender, and arrived at our destination. This was a small wooden cabin, our breakfast was a buffet, Greenland style. we began at one end of a long wooden table. In order not to offend our hosts, we sampled, cold cooked prawns, pieces of white raw fish , cubed pieces of whale blubber, some small berries, thick greyish looking dry bread, with no butter., prawns, and as many glasses of a thick red wine, that you could drink?……. But! I have to tell you that these Invites are the most healthiest people on earth.! They don’t have. Heart disease, nor cancer. Men do not have facial hair.(So don’t shave) One of the biggest Foodie challenges we have ever had to face.
My best meal that I’m hoping to have a go at recreating at home was arancini- not eaten in Italy but at the Birmingham School of Food restaurant where trainee chefs and staff serve the most wonderful food. Would definitely recommend making a booking if you’re in the city.
I’ve never forgotten the chicken and cashew nut noodles we sampled in Bangkok. I have tried to recreate them at home, but they’re just not the same without the sounds and smells of Ko San road.
Sitting outside in the plaza in Bordeaux eating pizza on the eve before my daughter’s wedding. There were 24 of us and it was magical in the warm evening.
Spaghetti in a paper bag, cooked with fresh seafood, mussels, prawns, lemon, white wine, garlic. Served at a restaurant on the Amalfi Coast in Italy with views to die for. Washed down with white wine and a few limoncellos. Have never forgotten it, not have I tried to recreate it!
Pancakes in Hoi An Vietnam. Made with rice flour.
We stayed in Malta a few years ago and ate Stuffat tal-fenek, which is a delicious rabbit stew. Rabbit can be very dry when stewed, but this was wonderfully juicy!
Haven’t tried to recreate it at home as I don’t want to ruin the memory!
Frogs legs in I can only describe as a sweet/fruity cream source. In North Belgium around the millennium. Can’t remember the name of the dish but it was delicious. Unfortunately no hope of reproducing it at home
I once Had a Pizza that amazed me, It was in Italy but the Menu was in Italian, so I just asked for Pizza. When it came it was covered in Chips ( French Fries ) We could barely eat it for laughing. So on return home we did it for Friends, who also could not stop laughing.
Visiting Turkey years ago and the food was the BEST! Those hot loaves of bread, straight off the baker’s paddle and on to the table where we all tore in, tearing off chunks to dip in the various dips and sauces. Heaven!
My all time favourite was after a cookery course in Tuscany . Tuscan bean soup , it is delicious , easy to make and. Great starter or lunch . It is a staple in my household.
SAUERKRAUT IN GERMANY ON AN EXCHANGE VISIT WITH MY PENFRIEND , WHEN I WAS STILL AT SCHOOL. I’D LIKE TO RE-CREATE IT, BUT WOULD LOVE TO MAKE IT MORE PALATABLE!
Ramen in a spicy curry sauce in a tiny restaurant in tokyo
The meal was Steak and chips, which was in itself nothing memorable. It was the location and atmosphere of the tiny little shack. The seats were covered with vinyl, and felt very slippery. I asked why the seats were slippery, and was informed that it was to stop the rats jumping up and then onto the table. I then decided to eat my meal cross legged on the seat.
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca. We had this when first in Italy. So delicious, yet so quick and easy, we make it often now.
The first time I had a real pizza was in Rome and although 40 odd years ago,I can still remember it. Bliss. No pizza anywhere has ever been the same again
I had a seafood dish in Italy that tiny squid in it.
My most memorable and favourite dish is Adjaruli Khachapuri, eaten in the Georgian Black Sea resort of Batumi. Basically, it’s a canoe-shaped bread full of melting cheese, butter and an egg yolk – it’s like pizza on speed. I’ve not tried to recreate it as it’s hard to find the right cheeses in the UK, but I have found Georgian restaurants in London where I’ve tried it.
We rented a car in Chile and had a week based in Puerto Varas in the Chilean Lake District. On our last day we decided to head west away from the lakes towards the coast. Tourists don’t get into this area – it doesn’t figure in the guide books and I couldn’t find anything in English about the area on the Internet. We were hoping it would give us a flavour of the real, rural Chile. There was a network of gravel roads on the map with few settlements. Signing was non existent so I was trying to count road junctions and hoping they were all shown on the map. It was the kind of area you could get lost in for months and perhaps never be seen again…
We found a small village called Parga with shop, school, church and a few houses. We parked by the church and walked down the road, stopping to take a picture of one of the houses. The road became a footpath with street lights and headed towards the river. An old man on a bicycle appeared peddling furiously after us shouting something. At first we thought it was along the lines of “You can’t go down there.” We then picked up the word empanada and realised he was trying to sell us some. As it was getting near lunchtime we decided to take him up on the offer. Michael has a very limited amount of Spanish and he had no English so this was all done by sign language.
We assumed we would be taken to the house and buy a couple of empanada from his wife. We followed him and were taken through the back garden past with all the vegetables into a large wooden shed at the end, where there was a production line in operation. One old lady was rolling out the pastry and another two were filling and cutting out the empanadas. These were then handed to someone else who deep fried them in a huge saucepan of boiling oil over a wood burning stove.
In our innocence we indicated what we thought was one empanada each.
We were sat down at a rickety wooden table like honoured guests with a piece of kitchen towel as a table mat. Someone disappeared to the house and came back with two china cups so we could have tea to drink. What we hadn’t realised was that one empanada meant one bowl with 12 empanadas … and every one stood and watched as we ate. News rapidly spread round the village and we soon had an admiring audience.
They were delicious but very filling. We managed about three each before getting full. The remainder were carefully wrapped up and given to us – so guess what we had for tea that night. It was a definite highlight of the holiday. Our H&S police would never allow it to happen here…