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• Monisha Bharadwaj has perhaps the most successful Indian cooking school in London. She has written numerous popular cookbooks and is recognised as an authority on Indian food.
  

  'Healthy Indian in Minutes' Now Released!
  

  You might consider a gift voucher for one of Monisha's fun classes.
  Visit Cooking with Monisha for more information or you can email Monisha at monishabharadwaj@hotmail.com. What a fantastic gift for the Valentines Day or Mothers Day.

  13 February 3-6pm 17 February 7-10pm 27 February 3-6pm 4 March 7-10pm 13 March 3-6pm 17 March 7-10pm 20 March 3-6pm

  Chef's Evening - Valentine's Dinner Easy Indian Curries-using spices cleverly Healthy Indian Curries in Minutes Stylish Indian in Minutes Easy Indian Curries - using spices cleverly Biryani Masterclass Indian Food Walk

Competition - Competition - Competition - Competition

• Make the Moment Divine!
  With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, take the opportunity to make the moment Divine and show that special someone just how much they mean to you. Whether you’re rekindling an old romance, starting a new one, or confessing to your crush, what better way to do it than with delicious Divine chocolate?
  
  This year, Divine has combined two of their most sought-after flavours, bringing us the Strawberry and Raspberry Duo, which is available in Waitrose and www.divinechocolateshop.com for £3.99 RRP. A beautiful package, containing a bar of creamy white chocolate and real strawberries, together with a bar of 70% dark chocolate with raspberries, making a fabulous gift for the one you love.
  
  It’s not just the taste of the chocolate that makes you feel good.  At the heart of all Divine’s delicious range is the quality cocoa, grown with pride by the farmers in Ghana who co-own the company. By choosing Divine you’ll ensure farmers receive a better deal for their cocoa!
  
  So whether it’s for giving, sharing, cooking or just indulging, visit www.divinechocolateshop.com for a selection of irresistible gift combinations, because a Divine gift makes everyone feel good.
  
  There are 2 prizes of 10 delicious bars of Divine chocolate to be won. Enter this competition to be one of the lucky ones (UK residents only). Just answer this simple question:
  
  Which God is often seen as the icon of Valentine’s Day? a) Cupid, b) Venus, c) Zeus
  Email your answer, name and address to mfj.competition@yahoo.com.
  Closing date - 15th February 2010.
  
  
  
• Browns Bar & Brasserie are offering a fabulous Valentine's brunch menu for two on
  Sat 13th and Sun 14th February at 13 of their restaurants.
   
  Brunch for him and her for £20  Choose from a Champagne Breakfast of either
  
      * Smoked Salmon, Scrambled Eggs, Toasted Ciabatta and fresh Strawberries with Greek Yoghurt
      * Traditional English breakfast
      * Eggs Benedict
      * Eggs Florentine
  
  With a choice of any of the drinks below to accompany your meal - Tea and Coffee complementary
  
      * Piper Heidsieck
      * Browns Bellini
      * Bucks Fizz
      * Bloody Mary
  
  Visit Browns Bar & Brasserie here
  
  
  
• £20.10 for 2010: A Fantastic Offer from The Forge Restaurant
  
  Set in the heart of Covent Garden, The Forge is one of three restaurants in the area from owner Robert Seigler. It provides a relaxed atmosphere complimented by elegant décor and excellent service. In celebration of the turn of the decade, The Forge Restaurant is offering a fantastic value 3-course meal for only £20.10. This offer is available any Sunday or Monday and includes half a bottle of the house wine and a coffee.
  
  Critically acclaimed Chef, Andrew Barber, has created a delightful menu, examples include: Seared salmon with herb risotto, Chargrilled feather steak with chips and Bearnaise sauce or Caramelised cep and artichoke risotto. For dessert choose from a range of tempting dishes including Chocolate tart with pistachio ice cream, White chocolate cheesecake with blackberries or Apple and blackberry charlotte with custard.
  
  The Forge Restaurant boasts exposed brickwork and large arched windows which add to the rustic warmth of the restaurant, creating an escape for diners from the bustling streets of Covent Garden.  An expert team, passionate about innovation, quality and service will ensure your visit is exceptional whether you are visiting for a quick lunch or a leisurely dinner.
  
  Head chef, Andrew, comes with excellent credentials and is one of the reasons the restaurant is such an overwhelming success: with a background cooking in some of London’s finest restaurants, having previously worked at Bleeding Heart and Tate Britain.
  
  The wine list, artfully compiled to complement the food, is a work in progress and continually growing. With 500 wines currently on the list, and 40 available by the glass there’s something to suit all tastes.
  
  The Forge restaurant is open from noon until midnight, 7 days a week, offering diners the opportunity to sample their delicious food at any time of the day. They also offer a pre or post Theatre, 2-course set menu for £13.50 making it an easy choice for a great value meal. 
  
  Visit The Forge here
  
  The Forge, 14 Garrick Street, London, WC2E 9BJ.
  For bookings at The Forge Restaurant, call 020 7379 1531   
  or email info@theforgerestaurant.co.uk
  
  
  
• Swissotel, The Howard and the Lalique boutique in Central London invite love-struck couples to experience a once in a lifetime fairytale for two on either February 12th, 13th and 14th 2010.
  The enchanted evening will begin at Thames side hotel, The Howard, where the couple will be met by a horse-drawn carriage set to transport them directly to the alluring Lalique boutique on Conduit Street . On this occasion, the store will be closed exclusively and decorated to create an intimate atmosphere.
  A 5 course gourmet dinner with wine pairings will be served on the boutique’s fine cutlery by a private butler, while a beguiling harp player serenades the happy couple.
  Lalique, known for its smoky frosted-glass sculpture, Art Deco crystal, and unique perfume bottles has teamed up with The Howard, to extend this charming opportunity to the public just ‘Once Upon A Time…’
  After the romantic meal, a Jaguar Limousine will take the starry eyed lovers back to The Howard for an overnight stay in one of its luxurious suites overlooking the River Thames.
  The London Valentine’s Fairytale is priced at £2010 per person and includes Champagne and in-room breakfast.
  For bookings and more details:
  Serhan Oezalkan
  Tel: +44 (0) 20 7300 1827
  Email: london@swissotel.com
  
  
  
• On Sunday, February 14th 2010, Volupté heads south of the river to the most famous nightclub in the world – The Ministry of Sound, in a bid to raise money and awareness for the VDay Movement.
  Five rooms, bursting to the seams with live entertainment: a full banquet and show in the Main Box, a full live vintage band, swing dance lessons, taxi dancers, spoken word, live guest speakers, DJs, aerial acts to leave you breathless, soul, funk…and much, much more...
   “The V-Day movement is growing at a rapid pace throughout the world, in 130 countries from Europe to Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, and all of North America.
  
  VDay is a charity seeking to stop violence against women, and has become a global movement, having claimed Valentine’s Day as its own.– www.vday.org
  
  There are two types of ticket available for this year’s event:
  
  The Volupté Valentine’s Extravaganza - which includes a 3 course meal accompanied by a full, live cabaret show to entertain you whilst you dine, plus entrance to the club. Enjoy your evening in true Volupté style.
  Price: £149.00 (Doors open at 5.30pm till 1am)
  
  Tickets are now available from Volupté - 0207 831 1622
  Club Tickets – which will include 5 rooms of mind-blowing entertainment.
  Price: £25 (Doors open at 7pm till 1am)
  Tickets are now available from Volupté - 207 831 1622 OR Ticketweb - 08444 771 000
  
  Sign up to the special database: www.vdayatministry.co.uk and you will also be given the chance to win 2 free tickets to a Volupté show in January or February 2010. Volupté have hundreds of tickets to give away! Winners will be notified in January. (Terms apply).
  
  Volupté is located at: 9 Norwich Street, London EC4A 1EJ. Minutes form Chancery Lane underground station on the central line.
  
  Ministry of Sound is located at: 103 Gaunt Street, London, SE1 6DP
  0870 060 0010 www.ministryofsound.com
  
  Ticket info and V day enquiries please contact:
  Denise Farrell 020 7831 1622 or denise@volupte-lounge.com www.volupte-lounge.com
  or
  Karen Farini 02078311622 or Karen@volupte-lounge.com www.volupte-lounge.com
  
  
  
• Floridita’s “Eat Cuban” cookbook wins Gourmand World Cookbook of the year 2009!
  
  Eat Cuban is a vibrant look at the food and culture of this atmospheric country. Known for its cigars, music, cocktails and art, Cuba has a colourful reputation and its cuisine is rapidly becoming more and more popular.
  
  This book is full of delicious and exciting recipes from La Floridita. Recipes are a blend of traditional Cuban, French and Nuevo Cucina from Latin America, forming a stunning combination of exciting flavours. Starters include such delights as Red Snapper Ceviche with Coconut and Lime; and Chickpea, Spinach and Tomato Broth with Chipotle and Swiss Cheese Flautas. Main dishes have wonderful blends of flavours and include Criolla Stone Crab with a Mojo; Char-grilled Chicken with Courgettes, Sultanas and Pine Nuts; Char-Grilled Veal Chop served with a Chimchirri Dressing; and vegetarian dishes such as Mozzarella, Sweet Pepper and Courgette Quesadilla with Salsa Cruda and Sour Cream. Light bites, bar snacks, side dishes and desserts such as Chocolate and Coffee Flan finish off the book beautifully.
  
  Eat Cuban also tells the story of Cuban food, travelling from the opulent days of the 1950s to the austerity of the revolution and on to the present day. This is a wonderful introduction to an exciting new global cuisine.
  
  To get your copy please click here and visit the online shop.
  
  
  
• VALENTINA’S MASTERCLASS – Dinner party with a difference
  Valentina Harris announced the launch of her new website “Valentina’s Masterclass” www.valentinasmasterclass.co.uk at a Dinner at Ransome’s Dock. Valentina, author of some 20+ books on Italian cookery, has teamed-up with www.auswineonline.co.uk to offer this new service. Valentina and auswineonline are both based in London and have recently launched what is proving to be a very popular way to hold a “dinner party with a difference”. You invite up to 8 of your friends to a “Valentina’s Masterclass” in your own home. Valentina provides the expertise and skills to teach you all how to make and enjoy the wonderful experience of home made pasta, risotto and original genuine Italian fish and meat dishes from scratch. Wonderful food accompanied by a selection of superb boutique Australian wines.
  
  Valentina commented “The difference about these masterclasses is that as well as the culinary experience we combine Italian food with a selection of fine Australian boutique wines - a completely new angle on the delights of food and wine matching. You choose the menu with our guidance, matched with our stunning award winning Australian wines”.
  
  Gift vouchers for your friends and family are available. For larger groups of up to 25, there is a Central London venue available. These unique food & wine pairing events can be a great activity for team building and corporate entertainment.
  
  Watch this site for reviews of Valentina’s new books: Pasta Galore, published by Octopus, and The Food and Cooking of Tuscany,  published by Anness.
  
  

• The Brickhouse restaurant and supper club has just launched an extremely good value five-course menu for a £25.  Book for supper and enjoy live performances from a whole host of acts, from cabaret to aerial acrobats, and sample delicious cuisine by talented Head Chef, Matthew Reuther.

The five-course feast starts with Confit Duck Croquets served with Pesto and Date Chutney, followed by Pan-fried Salmon with Fennel, Cress and White Wine Velouté.  The third dish is mouth-watering Guinea Fowl with a Parsley and Anchovy Crumb and served with Salsa Verde. The meal also includes a full Cheese course served with a selection of Homemade Bread and Biscuits. Polish off the perfect meal with a delicate pudding of Summer Fruits, served with Champagne Jelly and Mascarpone Ice Cream. 

There is also a £25 five-course menu for vegetarians that includes Carrot Soup, Aubergine Roulade with Stilton Rice and Red Pepper Coulis, Globe Artichoke served with a Mushroom Gratin and Hollandaise, Cheese and the Summer Fruits Pudding.

Have dinner at The Brickhouse and enjoy a gastronomic and visual feast that won’t break the bank. 

The Brickhouse, 152c Brick Lane,  London  E1 6RU
Tel: 020 7247 0005
www.thebrickhouse.co.uk

• Ruinart’s latest collaboration is with renowned architect and designer India Mahdavi for the Ruinart Rose gift set.
  
  “The gift box is graceful and delicate and when opened, a myriad of cream, pink and gold paper ribbons cascade out with printed verses from classic French poems on them, to read aloud to your partner, before the exclusive and signed champagne flutes and bottle of Ruinart Rose are discovered”.
  
  
  
• Weekend of foraging and fishing with acclaimed Chefs and Restaurateurs Mark Hix and Mike Robinson             

Chef, food writer and restaurateur Mark Hix will be hosting this country weekend with a difference. This long weekend will give you a chance to experience trout fishing, foraging for seasonal treats in the countryside's natural larder and select wine tastings. Mike Robinson, who runs his eponymous cooking school in Berkshire and restaurant in Fulham, will be joining Mark to give a day of foraging, game cookery, a venison butchery class and hosting the last night's sumptuous dinner.

This weekend will teach you traditional survival sustenance, whilst enjoying the total luxury of staying at Temple Guiting. With creature comforts from beautiful accommodation to a relaxing massage on the first evening of your stay, plus delicious meals throughout, the weekend includes a hands-on cookery demonstration, as well as making the most of the stunning local area, including a Cotswolds pub lunch. A unique combination of memorable experiences and learning new skills.

Dates:Arrival: Friday 23 April 2010. Departure: Monday 26 April 2010

Duration:3 nights
Price per person: £1,500, based on two people sharing a suite.
Price includes:
All meals & wine, fishing, foraging and cooking classes with Mark Hix and Mike Robinson, a wine tasting evening, trips and tastings, massage, accommodation.
www.sophieconrantg.com
For further information please contact sian@sophieconrantg.com 0777 585 6784

Iberica Food and Culture

Michelin-starred executive chef of Iberica Food and Culture is Nacho Manzano, who cooks at his restaurant Casa Marcial in Asturias, in the top left-hand corner of Spain. He is especially well known for his fish cookery and for his new take on traditional dishes. He has become an international ambassador for Asturian cooking.

Head chef Santiago Guerrero is a charming young man from Madrid. He trained both in Spain and in England and has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain, as well as The Castle Hotel, Somerset and The Waterside Inn. Before joining Iberica Food and Culture he worked as the Executive Sous-chef and acting Head Chef at L’Albufera restaurant in London's Melia White House Hotel, voted best Spanish restaurant outside Spain by their Ministerio de Agricultura Caza y Pesca. Quite an accolade.

Iberica is truly a Spanish centre. There is the ever-popular tapas bar, a beautiful restaurant on the first floor, an art gallery on the landing, a wine niche for small events and presentations, and a deli. This might not be as big as Harrod’s Food Hall but it is stocked with the best of Spanish foods and ingredients, many of which can only be found in Spain or here at Iberica. It’s a measure of the respect with which this amazing establishment is regarded. More deli news here in a few weeks.

At Iberica's imposing 15-metre bar you can choose between fifty hot and cold 'pinchos' and 'tapas' served from 11.30am till late into the night. There are plenty of simple cold dishes, such as cheese and charcuterie platters, shellfish and vegetable salads, croquettes, sausages, tortillas, rices and main-courses which reflect some of what regional and new Spanish food has to offer.

You can linger at the bar with a glass of Spanish wine or enjoy leisurely tapas with a drink at a window table where you can watch London pass you by. Prices start at an amazingly reasonable £1.50 for potato omelette with alioli sauce. The staff can suggest wine and tapas pairings so you don’t need to be an expert on either Spanish food or drink. Help is at hand.

We started our lunch with the Trio of Ham. This meat was carved wafer thin from the whole hams displayed in the aforementioned deli. What could be more evocative of fine food from the peninsula? Ham Croquets and Cheese Croquets will be familiar to those who have enjoyed leisurely hours in celebrated tapas bars in Madrid or even Barcelona. These were creamy, rich and real Iberian comfort food.

Dried tuna ‘mojama’ with homemade thyme bread and almond vinaigrette was new to me. A charming presentation on a slate platter. It’s the attention to detail which sets this establishment above so many others. Quality and care.

Stewed beef cheeks in rioja red wine with creamy chickpea purée is a culinary stunner. This is a slow-cooked dish of tender and flavourful meat. The sauce is glossy and rich and deserving of bread to dip. A dish for a cold winter in London.

Fried fresh squid with alioli is one to fight over. The seafood was tender with breading that was crunchy and light. The garlic mayonnaise had plenty of punch and was a delicious foil for the delicate squid.

Black Rice with cuttlefish, prawns and alioli must be Iberica's signature dish. I have had black rice in the past but it’s never had either the colour or the flavour of this version. Most have been pale grey and pallid, while this had a truly inky teeth-blackening lacquered sheen. Seafood in every bite. A must-try.

Caleya´s caramelised rice pudding and Fried Milk were our dessert choices. They showed two diverse faces of dairy-based sweets. Both were creamy and rich but the textures were different. The Fried Milk was a cube of white, set cream in a crunchy golden crumb. A delight to eat. The rice pudding will be nothing like your mother makes... unless your mum happens to be Spanish and an amazing chef. This was a light cloud with a golden lining.

Iberica offers London's longest list of Spanish wines by the glass, ranging from classics such as Cava, sherry and Rioja to many that will be new to British clients. There is nothing worse than being obliged to buy a bottle of your favourite tipple when you can only drink a glass. The bar stocks a wide range of Spanish beer, cider, brandies, liqueurs, Castile's sweet and dry anis, and Galician aguardiente. An ideal spot to learn more about Spanish beverages of all kinds. They will also be happy to supply you with Asturian sparkling waters, coffee and tea if you need to work in the afternoon.

Iberica Food and Culture is a culinary ambassador. It seems to take that role seriously. It takes pride in every aspect of its business, both culinary and cultural. It isn’t just a fine tapas bar but an inspiring departure from snow-laden skies. Iberica isn’t just Spanish, it’s Spain, and remarkable.

Tapas Bar
Monday-Saturday: 11:30am - 11pm     
Sunday:12 - 16 pm (paella menu)

Iberica Food and Culture
195 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PS.
Phone: 0207 6368650
Emailana@ibericalondon.co.uk
Visit Iberica here

Mestizo Restaurant

I had my first little peek at Mestizo last year. Just a cocktail and some nibbles but it was enough to give an indication that this was a spot to linger over and enjoy. A real meal was in order so off I went with guest in tow to see if that first impression was accurate, or merely an illusion encouraged by one too many of Mexico’s famous beverage.
 
You might say you like “Mexican” food. You might have had “Mexican” food on trips to the US, and Taco Bell might be your favourite fast food but, dear reader, your experience is probably a faint shadow of the real extravaganza awaiting you at Mestizo.
 
Mestizo Restaurant and Tequila Bar has a convenient location just around the corner from Euston Square Underground station, and a few minutes’ walk from Euston main-line station. Its atmosphere is of dark wood charm but the impressive bar hints at fun times to be had. This establishment has a collection of Tequilas (over 130 at last count) enough to make any London-based Mexican quite home-sick. The restaurant has a cult following amongst the local Brits and, evidently, expat Mexicans. That has got to be an indication of this restaurant’s authenticity. It already has the vote of those in the know.
 
Mestizo offers food that is hard or impossible to find outside Mexico. I wonder why these dishes haven’t had the exposure of other ethnic cuisines. It must be that Europe has only a slight cultural exchange with those countries that rest south of Texas and California. Mexican food has migrated to its neighbour to the North, but has often been adulterated in transit. Tex-Mex food might be vibrant and zesty but it isn’t a patch on food to be found south of the border.
 
We started our evening with cocktails. Mestizo Spice got our attention. This was an amazing concoction of Casco Viejo chilli-infused reposado tequila, cherry brandy, crushed strawberries, diced red chilli and lime. It’s a tall delicate pink drink with a kick. I am not a cocktail habitué but this particular recipe evoked all that’s impressive about Mestizo – good taste and style.
 
Our starter was a Mixed Antojitos Platter which was an assortment of flauta (crispy fried rolled tortillas filled with chicken and topped with lettuce, sour cream and green tomatillo salsa), quesadilla (corn pastries filled with cheese, served with sour cream and salsa roja), jalada jalapeño peppers stuffed with cream cheese, served with sour cream) - don’t miss these -, and tamales (steamed corn husks filled with masa and pollo con mole) – an authentic taste of Mexican comfort food.
 
The Mestizo staff are charming and helpful. Several of them are Mexican and all of them can steer you through what will likely be an unfamiliar menu. Mole Poblano was my co-reviewer’s choice for main course. This is a classic dish of boneless chicken breast served with a traditional mole sauce made of dried chillies, herbs, spices, almonds and chocolate, served with beans and rice and some flour tortillas. Mestizo make all sauces, beans, condiments and salsas in-house. The tortillas, however, are produced by a specialist bakery, although Mestizo do make their own moreish tortilla chips. The chocolate sauce was savoury and well flavoured with a silky texture. An introduction to the subtleties of Mexican cuisine.
 
Mole Huasteco (a traditional dish from the state of Hidalgo, Mexico) was new to me. It’s a boneless chicken breast served with a huasteco sauce, made from over 32 ingredients, including dried chillies, tomatoes, onion, almonds, garlic, sesame and pumpkin seeds. This is a rich and aromatic dish with an almost liquorice or aniseed finish. This must surely be a signature dish. If you only expect to make one visit to Mestizo then order this.
 
Mestizo is a restaurant for convivial gatherings as well as intimate soirées. Many other guests had ordered the Taco Tray. This is for two or more and is evidently the meal of choice for groups or couples. It looks spectacular, like so many of Mestizo’s dishes, as well as being fun to eat. Perhaps a good ice-breaker on a first date.
 
The Mestizo desserts are worth saving a chink of space for. We ordered Flan Caresro which is the Mexican take on Crème Caramel. Light and sweet in a pool of caramel sauce. Pastel de Quesco y Coco is a cheesecake perfumed with coconut served with mango coulis. An exotic end to a memorable meal. I am sure it will turn out to be the first of many. The Sunday Brunch is said to be worth a visit. Mestizo is without a doubt one of my top five London restaurants.
 
Restaurant review: Mestizo Restaurant and Tequila Bar
103 Hampstead Road
NW1 3EL
London
www.mestizomx.com
Phone 020 7387 4064
Email eat@mestizomx.com

Tike Grill and Bar – A taste of Istanbul

Tike (pronounced ‘tikay’) is an authentic Turkish restaurant in the City of London. It’s part of a small but classy chain which began in 1998 in Istanbul. Since opening their first restaurant the four cousins from Adana who together make up Tasty Med have expanded their empire to reach beyond Turkey into Greece, Ukraine and now England. Tike serves traditional "charcoal grilled" barbequed lamb, chicken, kebabs, authentic dishes, fresh salads and pide from the wood-burning oven.
 
Fenchurch Place is an open square just in front of Fenchurch Street main-line station. It’s a stone’s throw from Tower Hill and Monument underground stations. Its location has made it a favourite eatery for city workers who can enjoy a quick lunch, a lingering mid-day meal, an early evening dinner or a convivial gathering before the homeward commute.
 
Tike has become the meeting place of choice for the discerning expat Turkish population. They enjoy a taste of home at amazingly reasonable prices. There can surely be no higher recommendation than the esteem of those who should know more about Turkish cooking than I ever will.
 
Located in a stunning Richard Rogers-designed building, Tike spans two floors and makes the most of the large windows to the front over both levels. The modern decor reflects the style of the building, and the ground floor has an informal atmosphere, set around the bustle of the popular bar and the open-plan bread oven which offers the prospect of amazing food to come.
 
Inspired by the skills of the Turkish baker, we ordered Lachmajun. It’s a thin bread topped with minced lamb, herbs and spices. Pide are small pies stuffed with kisir cheese and vegetables, and still warm from the oven. A glass of fine Turkish red made a delightful start to the meal. Tsatsik - light yogurt dip with cucumber - and warm bread kept us company.
 
Our tray of small dishes were soon to arrive and they were an attractive selection which offered an array of flavours, fresh light salads and creamy dips scooped up with more fresh warm bread. Cherkez Tavugu - creamed chicken breast dip with walnuts - was a particular favourite and a little different from the mezze of the more mundane Turkish restaurants in London. We continued with:
 
Patlican Salad - charcoal grilled aubergine dip with lemon juice and a hint of garlic.
 
Gavurdayi - finely chopped tomato, parsley and onion salad with a pomegranate juice dressing - was particularly delicious.
 
Hayirli - finely chopped Mediterranean flat-leaf parsley, onion and fresh herb salad - was fresh and well seasoned.
 
Ichli Kiofte are handmade steamed balls of cracked wheat stuffed with minced meat. These were surprisingly light and rather akin to Lebanese kibbe but without the deep frying. A must-try.
 
Pastirmali Houmus - hot chickpea puree topped with sliced cured meat which gave extra texture and flavour to a familiar dip.
 
Miutebel - warm oven-roasted aubergine dip sprinkled with crushed pistachio nuts. Creamy comfort.
 
My guest was tempted by Iskender for his “large” dish - lamb ‘Tike donner’ served on a bed of grilled bread topped with yogurt and grilled tomatoes. This is a considerable plateful and probably enough for two with a selection starters. If you are a lover of kebabs then your head will be turned by this one. If there is a group of you then you might consider the striking ‘Meterlik’ House Special ‘1 metre long Adana kofte kebab’! A real crowd-pleaser.
 
My main course was Tavuk Kiulbasti - grilled marinated chicken breast fillets - which were tender, juicy and flavourful. This would made an ideal light lunch if you don’t have time to graze on small mezze beforehand.
 
Kiunefe - warm kadaifi with a soft sweet honey cheese filing and crushed pistachio topping - was one of the traditional desserts on offer from Tike. The threads of pastry were delicate and syrupy. Enjoy this with some dark Turkish coffee or a glass of tea.
 
Irmik Helvasi is a traditional baked dessert made with fresh semolina and pine nuts, scented with cinnamon and with an ice cream centre. This was marvellously aromatic with a cold filling of real Turkish ice cream which our waiter told us was flavoured with mastic resin. A delightful change from strawberry or chocolate.
 
Tike is a restaurant which has already cultivated loyal followers. Its transport connections give it a catchment area which stretches from the City to the far reaches of Essex. I have no hesitation in recommending Tike for its quality of food, its knowledgeable staff and its unique design. It’s impossible to visit just once.
 
Opening Times
Mon to Fri 11am-12midnight, last orders 10.30pm
The restaurant is closed at weekends but can be reserved for special events
 
Tike Grill and Bar – A taste of Istanbul
5 Fenchurch Place, London EC3M 4AJ
Phone 020 7702 9965
Email ok@tikerestaurant.co.uk

Tortilla Mexican Grill

I had a somewhat cautious invitation from the management of the small Tortilla chain. They had noticed from my previous articles that I have been lucky enough to review some of London’s most swanky dining spots. But for me it’s all about the food: they had obvious pride in their eatery and that gave me the clue that this would be a fun and positive visit.
 
We found the Oxford Circus branch at Market Place. It’s a tranquil spot just a few steps from the frantic bustle of one of London’s most popular shopping streets. Plenty of fast food down there, but that food is a mile away from the fresh, healthy and delicious offerings at Tortilla. They are presenting sustaining meals that you could eat every day and still feel noble.
 
This isn’t the Tex-Mex food that so many of us have encountered on visits across the pond. Tortilla takes its inspiration from the Mission District of San Francisco. This is Cal-Mex and relies on fresh produce and food that would be ideal to take to the beach. OK, so London is a bit light on sandy plages but you can still have a relaxing break in one of the four Tortilla restaurants, or take the food back to the office, spread the beach towel on the desk and dream for half an hour.
 
The Oxford Circus branch is small, comfortable and stylish. Seats outside for smokers and those who want to bask in the blazing British sunshine, and plenty of seating on the basement floor to cater for the lunchtime rush and evening revellers. Simple wooden tables and chairs with cream banquettes are complemented by rich maroon tiles.
 
Ordering your first meal might seem to be a simple proposition: the menu offers five meal choices, but then the fun begins. There are more than 400 possible combinations and more if you include Margaritas or Mexican beer. You are the architect of your lunch or dinner so it’s bound to be one of the best you have had.
 
I ordered tacos and they were light and full of flavours and texture. You’ll choose different combinations of fillings and toppings to create a totally unique meal. Mine was grilled chicken with rice, black beans, cheese and sour cream. I like a kick of spice so I had a garnish of hot salsa. This isn’t for the faint-hearted so be warned.
 
The presentation was thoughtful. Metal mesh baskets are the order of the day rather than plates. They are supremely practical but have that touch of style which I find strangely lacking in polystyrene boxes. One finds a cosy corner to perch and adds, perhaps, a drop or two of a hot sauce. Grab a handful of paper serviettes before you start to eat: you might need them.
 
My guest enjoyed a Burrito of striking proportions (these are said to have been invented not in Mexico but in Los Angeles in the 1930’s). It’s a large diameter package of solid food. He had chosen a braised pork filling which he pronounced to be tender and flavourful. There were pinto beans, sour cream and guacamole, and salsa verde (medium hot) to add extra piquancy. This constituted a full meal and it wasn’t even the large version! There are eating instructions provided for guests who might be new to this casual hands-on form of dining.
 
Tortilla Mexican Grill has some of the best value food around. £5.00 will present you with a feast. The meats, vegetables and toppings are made fresh on the premises every day. The beans are cooked for ages to give them that authentic consistency. The tortillas are made by a specialist and they are steamed before serving so they are soft and moist. It’s the attention to detail that sets Tortilla apart. You watch your food being prepared in front of you but service is still remarkably quick. I shrink from calling it fast as that might conjure visions of red-shirted youths filling bags with already boxed and soggy fried goods. No, a good meal in a few minutes can be yours at Tortilla Mexican Grill. It will be my habitual halt when I need real food in a hurry.
 
Tortilla Mexican Grill
6 Market Place
London W1W 8AH

Cuisinier Gascon – Meals from a Gascon Chef

Yes, it’s true dear reader, that this reviewer does love cookbooks. How often have I urged you to scurry off and purchase a particular title? You might be shocked to hear that I am asking you not to buy a single copy of this book. I can hear the gasp from the author and the thud as the publisher’s body hits the ground. No, I am suggesting that you buy two copies. This is such a stunner that you’ll want a volume for the kitchen (likely to become smudged with sauce and flavourful jus) and one for the coffee table to muse over. It would be worth buying a coffee table just for that very exercise.

The author, Pascal Aussignac, is the celebrated head chef of Club Gascon in London. He has been harvesting accolades and awards since its inception in 1998. Club Gascon Group founder and Director Vincent Labeyrie enticed him away from his successful career in France, to cross the Channel. With missionary zeal they have expanded the enterprise to several venues with different emphases and now there is a Food Hall and Bistro. You can visit the Club Gascon site at http://www.clubgascon.com/cc_intro.php.

Pascal has trained under the best chefs in France. He determined at the age of nine to become a chef and he started work at thirteen. His first weeks were spent dropping bottles on floors and food on guests but that was evidently due to youthful nerves. He settled down to become well respected by his peers. He has imported his love of fresh seasonal produce as well as his famed originality to both his restaurant and this book.

Well, what’s so appealing? Is this the first French cookbook to cross my desk (kitchen work surface on trestles)? Well, hardly. It’s just that Cuisinier Gascon – Meals from a Gascon Chef is so charming in every detail. I love the typeface, the page design, and the outstanding photography. Jean Cazals is responsible for the pictures and will be in good measure responsible for the inevitable success of this gorgeous book.

It’s a cookbook. The clue is in the name. It’s a book to cook from. The collection of recipes reflects the culinary heritage of the south-west of France. It’s a region I know quite well and it’s good to see so many traditional recipes that I have enjoyed whilst there. Pot au Feu is a classic but here it’s given a bit of a twist The author uses beef cheeks and marrow bones to create a rich dish that will provide you with two courses and a stock for another day. Serve the usual condiments of gherkins or cornichons, crushed salt and mustard to add more flavour notes. Don’t forget the baguette.

Cassoulet is a dish that stirs passions. There are any number of recipes for this hearty dish of meat and beans but Pascal has offered his mother’s favourite version. The recipe for Gasconade is included and it is a mouth-watering roast delight. The combination of a leg of lamb, anchovies and garlic might sound a little bizarre to the uninitiated but it’s a classic marriage and made in heaven. The anchovies melt and add an agreeable hint of salt rather than a taste of kippers.

There are many must-try’s here, well, probably all of them. Nougat is a speciality at Club Gascon and you’ll find the recipe in this book. Not many ingredients and not expensive to make. Gateau Basque is a custard-filled pie and would be ideal for either afternoon tea or to finish a Sunday lunch. A dash of dark rum and a soupçon of Pernod add a very French air. Delicious.

Cuisinier Gascon – Meals from a Gascon Chef is striking in both style and substance. It’s a veritable treasure house of classic and almost-classic recipes. A page-turner for any lover of fine food and a book to be coveted by serious French food enthusiasts. I adored the book and I am sure I’ll enjoy the restaurant.

Cookbook review: Cuisinier Gascon – Meals from a Gascon chef
Author: Pascal Aussignac
Published by: Absolute Press
Price: £25.00
ISBN: 9781906650209

Learn to Cook Wheat, Gluten and Dairy Free

It’s a sad fact that there are more and more of us who suffer from food allergies or intolerances. The symptoms range from discomfort to life-threatening inflammation after eating offending foods. It’s an inconvenience for adults but upsetting for youngsters. Learn to Cook Wheat, Gluten and Dairy Free comes to the rescue with a raft of delicious recipes for not only cakes but a selection of sweet and savoury baked goods, main meals and desserts.

Perhaps there is only one member of your family who has a food allergy but it can create a problem for the cook. If you have to provide a special meal for just one person then you have twice the work. Many of us love cooking but it needs to be stress-free and, hopefully, fun. Far better that everyone eats the same food but it needs to be delicious rather than over-worthy with a healthfood garnish.

The author, Antoinette Savill, has also penned the best-selling Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free Cookbook so it’s fair to say she knows something about the preparation of foods that will be safe for all members of your family. This book does not, at first glance, read like a special diet cookbook. It has lots of recipes that are adapted from traditional favourites but there are many more that are cosmopolitan and good enough for a dinner party. Food should be good for us but we shouldn’t think of it as medicine.

Smoked Salmon and Dill Tarts would make a smart starter or light lunch. The author suggests using a ready-made gluten-free puff pastry for this one, although she has thoughtfully included a recipe for such a pastry should you have the time or the inclination to get out the mixing bowl. There are now many good-quality gluten-free products on the market, so use them sans guilt.

I’ll eat squid at every opportunity. Seared Squid with Chorizo is a flavourful Mediterranean recipe that has no special ingredients. It just happens to naturally be free of those foods that tend to cause problems. This recipe nicely illustrates that there are many dishes that will need no adapting at all. You’ll make this and then realise that there is other seafood that might work. This is a book to give you confidence and ideas.

Learn to Cook Wheat, Gluten and Dairy Free is one of a good number of books on the subject. The bookshop shelves are full of them but so many of these are sponsored by food manufacturers. Yes, Antoinette Savill offers particular brands that she has found to be reliable, but these are only suggestions - you’ll find your own favourites. The recipes are appealing and well-written and the advice is sound. Grub Street is a publisher with a good reputation for quality cookbooks from well-regarded authors, and this is another good-value, practical tome from their battery.

Cookbook review: Learn to Cook Wheat, Gluten and Dairy Free
Author: Antoinette Savill
Published by: Grub Street
Price: £14.99
ISBN 978-1-906502-50-8

Food Presenting Secrets

If you are a regular Mostly Food Journal reader then it’s likely you have a love of good food. It’s possible that you even enjoy cooking. If either of those apply then you probably have an appreciation of good presentation. It’s the first thing one notices and we all know what they say about first impressions.

Some of us are genetically inept. We consider a well-presented meal as one which has the burnt bits hidden under the sprouts, gravy that at least moves, the blob of jam just in the middle of the rice pud and perhaps an oily thumb print as decoration. It’s sad but true. We know it doesn’t look appetising but have no idea how to elevate our culinary offerings from mundane to marvellous.

Cara Hobday and Jo Dendury have penned a book which is full of techniques (over one hundred in fact) to enable you to shine at food presentation. There are expert tips and suggestions for ways to produce garnishes that you’ll see in the best restaurants. They are not all cheffy. Each technique is marked with its degree of difficulty so the less-confident among us can practise level one for a while. Even these easy exercises will stun your guests. Spaghetti of Vegetables is colourful and attractive and a good way to encourage the kids to eat something healthy. The secret is a julienne peeler. I have never thought to buy one but I can see the application now.

The novice cook is supported with not only a raft of simple ideas but also a wealth of step-by-step pictures. It’s the nature of the subject that makes it so important to have good illustrations. What would have sounded complicated in words is seen to be quite straightforward when one can observe the process and when one learns that even a chef uses a handy little gadget for this, or a crafty gizmo for that. As with many things, it’s easy when you know.

Sugarcraft has always been a minefield for the beginner. It’s the fear of molten confectionery that tends to put off many of us less daring souls. Whilst it’s true that a healthy respect for anything at boiling point is advised, it’s equally true that the end results of your efforts will be impressive. The shape-forming techniques are quite basic, it’s only the sugar temperature which is exacting. I’d start with the Sugar Baskets, before advancing to Sugar Cages – stunning when veiling a scoop of exotic ice cream or perhaps a lemon soufflé. They are not overly taxing to make …but get somebody else to do the washing-up.

Chocolate Piping is perhaps the most fun of all the presentation techniques. The process is easy and it’s a great project for kids. A few artful swirls of chocolate propped on a white meringue would look stylish. A chocolate bee landing on a buttercreamed cupcake would be charming. The possibilities are endless.

Food Presenting Secrets is a thoroughly sensible volume offering advice on how to give your dishes that professional edge. Yes, the food should still taste good but we also eat with our eyes. It’s the little touches that make the difference. The equipment is minimal and you’ll already have most of it – anything you need in addition will cost only a pound or two. There is nothing here that is beyond the home cook. This is a book that will give confidence to a novice and ideas to the more practised. A gift-quality book from the ever reliable Apple Press.

Cookbook review: Food Presenting Secrets
Authors: Cara Hobday and Jo Dendury
Published by: Apple Press
Price: £14.99
ISBN 978-1-84543-335-2

St Pancras Grand Restaurant,
Oyster and Champagne Bar

Today I have a review of a smart restaurant conveniently situated about 2 hours outside Paris. Good transport links with easy access to city shops. Superb food and waiters who speak English, and a menu in English as well. Yes, that’s got your attention, my dear Anglophone reader! Even better news is that, if you live in London, you’ll be able to visit sans passport. Confused? Well, you wouldn’t be if you noticed the title of today’s superbly written offering.

St Pancras train station was designed by William Barlow in 1863 with construction starting in 1866. The famous Barlow train shed arch spans 240 feet and reaches 100 feet at its highest point. On its completion in 1868 it became the largest enclosed space in the world. It is still impressive to this day and is a marvel of Victorian engineering.

One of the most recognisable features of St Pancras station is the red brick Gothic front facade which was created as part of a competition and became the Midland Great Hotel. The inside of the station still reflects that same brick along with painted metal beams and lots of charm. The original building had 60 million bricks (Did Queen Victoria ask someone to count them?) and 9,000 tons of ironwork as well as columns of fourteen different British granites and limestones.

The St Pancras Grand restaurant has an associated Champagne Bar which is situated opposite the restaurant itself, on the Upper Concourse. You’ll not miss this amazing sight of a row of booths stretching for yards (it’s Europe's longest Champagne Bar at 95.8 metres). Each one is thoughtfully provided with blankets and under-seat heating for those with frozen assets. Even if you don’t have time for a civilised meal at the restaurant, a glass of fizz and a plate of smoked salmon is always an option.

St Pancras Grand is the brainchild of Martin Brudnizki, the designer behind Scott’s and The Ivy. The restaurant is either casually formal or formally casual depending on your expectations. It has all the style of (in truth, probably more style

Haché Burger Connoisseurs Ltd

Al Waha Lebanese restaurant, Westbourne Grove

Loch Fyne restaurant Twickenham

Formed in 1998, Loch Fyne Restaurants was established to cultivate oysters in the clear, clean waters of Loch Fyne in Scotland. The company has now grown to 46 sites and they employ over 1,200 staff working all over the UK. They don’t sell just oysters but fish in all its guises and even some meat dishes. They are committed to independent producers who use sustainable methods to deliver high quality foods. We are told that fish is good for us but we should all be concerned about about fish stocks and sustainability.

The Loch Fyne restaurant in Twickenham is housed in a former pub. It has retained much of its earlier character with oak-panelling contrasted with light cream walls. The original bar is still there although part replaced by a fish-on-ice display. There are chalk boards, and heavy wooden tables and chairs to add still further to the cosy ambiance. The layout of the old building might not do the serving staff any favours but it allows the guests the opportunity to find a quiet corner for an intimate soirée, or a roomy spot for a group gathering.

Those aforementioned chalkboards offer the day’s specials which our waiter informed us were some of the most popular dishes. It had a fish pie topped with mash, and gravadlax which I always find appealing, as well as smoked duck; but we wanted to try the regular menu. So we ordered a fruity rosé (Savino Primitivo, Italy and exclusive to Loch Fyne) and considered our selection.

The Loch Fyne menu had classic fish dishes like fish and chips, prawn cocktail with brown bread and butter, and moules marinières, but there is also innovation. How about Char-grilled South Coast squid with bok choi and sesame dressing? Spicy prawn and squid noodles with chilli, ginger and fresh coriander reflects the current desire for fresh flavours and light ingredients.

My guest, a man with traditional tastes, ordered homemade potted shrimps with mace butter and crusty bread. This had a charming rustic presentation with the seafood arriving in a small preserving jar - the sort with the rubber ring and the metal clip. The delicate shrimps were well seasoned and the onion gave an agreeable sweetness. Potted shrimp were a traditional Sunday teatime dish. It’s retro and comforting and there was plenty of it.

Whitebait with lemon mayonnaise was my choice of starter and in keeping with the fashionably old-fashioned theme of my companion. These little fishes had been dredged in flour elevated with a hint of chilli and were deep-fried till just done. Crisp, light and delicious. A squeeze of lemon was all they needed by way of condiment.

Char-grilled Loch Fyne Bradan Rost (kiln roasted salmon fillet) with mushroom, whisky and horseradish sauce was my guest’s main course. This dish is said to have quite a colourful history. Our waiter says the kiln roast salmon was originally going to be regular smoked salmon but the smoke-house burnt down. The resulting fish was eaten by the workers who proclaimed it to be quite marvellous, and so a fine dish was born of an accident. The two batons of fish were almost mahogany in hue and the moist flakes had intense flavour. This was deliciously foiled by the creamy mild sauce, and a bowl of fresh buttery seasonal vegetables completed the meal. 

My main course was Scottish smoked haddock risotto with a soft-poached egg. The egg was just right with a runny yolk of golden richness. The risotto was pale and flecked with herbs. Note that the fish was white and not the “yellow peril” of yesteryear, bright enough to read a book by and filled with artificial colour. This Loch Fyne haddock, along with the salmon, is traditionally smoked over oak chips from old whisky casks. A romantic concept but that process really does impart robust flavour.

The celebrated chalkboards put in another appearance with the dessert suggestions. All the desserts are made in-house, and change with the seasons and availability of fruit. Ice cream, Christmas pudding, apple pie, crème brulée and sticky toffee pudding would have been more tempting had the savouries been less substantial, but we truly had been well fed. We chose the Scottish cheese platter to share. We enjoyed a mature cheddar and a Scottish blue with oat cakes, grapes and a homemade apple chutney.

Loch Fyne has a loyal following of regulars. It’s a restaurant with a solid menu for fish lovers, and committed carnivores and vegetarians are also considered. The quality of food was first-class and the serving staff were knowledgeable about the menu, the specials and the company ethos. An ideal spot to enjoy a glimpse of the seaside near the River Thames.

Madsen Scandinavian Restaurant

Toms Deli

Westbourne Grove still looks delightful even in a snow storm. The lights of Toms (the Tom in question owns several other London eateries and is also Terrence Conran's son) were welcoming, although the light from almost anything other than a fridge door would have been a relief in such conditions.

The Westbourne Grove locals love Toms as it’s been there since the 1990s and has become something of an institution. Nicole Kidman has graced a booth at Toms as has Brad Pitt. Those booths are in fact made from old Paris Metro seats. Claudia Schiffer has been spotted shopping in the area and perhaps she stopped for coffee as well.

Toms is a deli and café with touches of old-fashioned sweetshop. It is food-lover’s heaven offering every conceivable sweet or savoury delight. It’s a small area that is artfully packed with temptation, and it’s a place with three distinct but overlapping personas.

One is first introduced to the confectionery emporium which has goods hanging from the walls and spilling from every shelf, counter, nook and cranny ...and a ceiling carousel. The buyer for Toms must have the best job in the world. There are continental chocolates nestling close to jars of boiled sweets (think sherbet pips and humbugs). There are bottles of designer cordials and boxes of Italian panattone. The displays change with the seasons so expect an occasional bunny (sugary not butchery) come Easter.

After passing through the front section of Toms one finds oneself on the horns of a dietary dilemma. Some tea and a slice of one of those cakes (these would have previously beckoned to you as you passed) accompanied by a nice sit down... or a little meander around the basement deli. OK, we did the deli first.

This is the savoury version of the aforementioned front-of-house – a veritable Aladdin’s cave of things one would love to try. There is a cold counter for salads, an amazingly good selection of cheeses, smoked meats and some ready-to-eat meals, and all manner of take-away dishes and sandwiches. There are eggs, fresh fruit and veg as well as a surprisingly good display of high-end sauces, condiments. oils and vinegars. This is a small space crammed with culinary Ooooh! and Ahhhh!

Next stop was the upper-floor cafe. It has more of a feeling of a traditional teashop although the addition of those French booths adds a quirky eclectic charm. The cakes are fresh and are difficult to pass up. The lemon drizzle cake was a great choice although they all looked good. If we had arrived earlier we could have sampled Toms breakfasts (served until midday) for which they are so famous. Eggs Florentine, Eggs Benedict as well as the Full English are on offer but come early at weekends or you’ll be defeated by the queue. The lunch menu features salads and pizzas, light bites and soup but this changes from time to time.

Toms Deli is just what you would expect from a smart London district. It offers classy foodstuffs in a stylish fashion. It has a worldwide reputation as a spot to take in when “doing London”. Well worth a visit for gifts for the gourmet in your life, for a cuppa and a cake or more especially for breakfast.

Home Chef

Neven Maguire is an Irish chef and television personality from Blacklion, Co. Cavan. He is also the head chef and proprietor of the MacNean House and Restaurant. He is a well-known face on Irish TV but is now making his mark in Britain.

MacNean House & Restaurant, Blacklion, was originally opened as MacNean’s Bistro in 1989 by Neven’s mum and dad, Joe and Vera Maguire. The bistro was named after the nearby MacNean Lakes. This was a real family-run restaurant which had Joe and Vera as well as all 9 of their children working for the enterprise. Sounds like an amazing training ground - Neven began cooking at the age of twelve. He took over the business as Head Chef and Proprietor in 2003.

Home Chef has immediate appeal. The type-face is clear and bold and the book boasts a host of photographs drawn from the camera and talents of David Munns. The recipes are well-written and for the most part devoid of lengthy lists of ingredients. Yes, this a chef-penned volume but this chef seems mindful of the constraints of the domestic kitchen and the possible nervousness of the domestic cook.

Neven Maguire lives in the real world so he suggests using commercial pastry from your local supermarket and I have even noticed the artful use of microwave popcorn. There is plenty of advice and also lots of simple recipes to engage the novice. The dishes are graded for difficulty although even the most taxing 3-chef-hat ones should not be beyond the scope of the majority of housewives / husbands.

This book offers something for every taste. There are classic, ethnic and playful dishes to tempt the reader. Multi-Seed Wheaten Bread is just about the easiest bread you’ll ever make. This isn’t a yeast-based dough but uses bicarbonate of soda. This would be a lovely breakfast bread but also ideal for an afternoon teatime. Walnut and Fig bread uses dry yeast and is another simple loaf to make, and is sure to be a delight with a nice bit of cheese.

Salmon Sausages are popular at the MacNean House and Restaurant. They have been marked with 3 chefs bonnets but it’s just a matter of following the recipe and success is assured. They look cheffy and impressive but much of the work is done in advance making these a good dinner-party choice.

Nutella Cheesecake is bound to be a winner. It is a simple preparation of a baked cheesecake with a ginger biscuit base and a filling of mascarpone, stem ginger and the aforementioned Nutella. The kids will love to help make this, as well as eat it.

Home Chef is a sensible book with recipes that you’ll want to make and will indeed be able to make. This is a book to use. A great gift for a wedding, housewarming or to any aspiring chef.

The Minichefs Cookbook

A couple of generations of children have missed out on real cooking lessons in the UK. Kids might know all about nutrition but there are many people who have never had the chance to learn how to prepare a meal. It’s no wonder that the obesity rate has increased to embarrassing proportions, and that many homes have a microwave at the centre of the food prep zone, used mostly to heat up the take-away or frozen dinner.

If we can encourage children into the kitchen then we are giving them a shot at a healthier future. If we can convince them that cooking is really enjoyable then their enthusiasm will save them money and, later on, make them the most popular students at university. Yes, it is a social activity as well as a practical life skill.

The Minichefs Cookbook is the paper incarnation of the cookery school founded by Claire McAvoy in the Channel Islands. She has taught thousands of children in their school holidays and weekends. Claire emphasises that cooking should be a fun activity as well as educational. Her food is accessible to novice chefs and her dishes are just the ones that children like to eat.

The Minichefs Cookbook has a section for breakfast, lunch and dinner, another for baking, and the final one for party foods. How about a homemade ketchup. This is child-friendly on every count. The finished product will last for up to two weeks in the fridge, thus giving your little darlings plenty of praise opportunity from family and friends, and even from that auntie you don’t often see.

Bugs Bunny Cake is a healthy version of a carrot cake. It contains wholemeal self-raising flour rather than real rabbits, as well as carrots, bananas and walnuts. But my favourite sweet treat from this book is Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Cheesecake. It does indeed have several chocolaty ingredients including chocolate digestive biscuits, coco powder and melted chocolate. You wouldn’t want to eat this every day, although the kids might.

Bread-making is pure magic and always seems to capture young imaginations. Honey Pot Rolls are bread buns baked in terracotta pots. Don’t go trotting off to the shed. You’ll have to buy unused small pots at the garden centre but then you’ll be all set to introduce your children to the wonders of active yeast and rising dough. It still gives me a thrill even though I can hardly even remember the menopause.

The Minichefs Cookbook is a delightful book full of ideas for food for children to prepare and enjoy. This is a godsend not only to parents but also to grandparents who have the joy of looking after younger members of the family on long winter afternoons. Help is at hand. Don’t tell the kids that it’s educational but rather allow them to chop, mix, beat, spread and spill, and convert them to a love of good food.

The Mitre

The Mitre has a facade very much in keeping with its smart Holland Park surroundings. It’s a 1930s building that has been used to good advantage by the present owners. It has a surprisingly spacious and light interior thanks to some large windows that overlook a palm-planted courtyard garden. This space isn’t used by the Mitre for outside dining but it’s an asset nevertheless.

Although covering a good few square yards The Mitre manages to feel cosy with its chesterfields and leather chairs inviting the bar clients to linger. There is a raised bistro dining area with booths for 4 or 6 guests as well as spacious areas for individual tables providing flexible accommodation for couples and large groups. There is a semi-open kitchen. That is to say you get a good look at the kitchen through a long hatch rather than having the impression that you are sitting at the chef’s table next to the dishwasher.

The staff were efficient and friendly although they had plenty to do looking after several large groups; the waiters were knowledgeable, enthusiastic, charming and calm, no mistakes or delays were evident and that is quite an accolade at this festive time of year.

 We ordered the Duck Board. This is a Mitre signature dish along with its fish counterpart. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular. It’s an ample starter for 2 people and it’s a marvellous thing to behold. The duck board isn’t a plank to keep one’s feet dry but rather a thick and rustic wooden board generously garnished with, well, duck. This is duck in all its guises. Duck rillettes (shreds of duck in its own delicious fat) with a couple of shards of duck crackling (more delicate than the regular pork which you are more likely to have encountered), crisp roast duck with a mound of spiced orange dressing, duck liver pate, and slices of succulent duck breast prosciutto with a miniature skewer of spicy pickled vegetables. A striking presentation of a thoroughly inventive dish. The head chef, Pat Lynch, trained at Scott of Mayfair and Le Pont de La Tour so it’s no surprise that the standard is high at the Mitre.

Our main courses were chosen from a solid British brassiere selection. My Yorkshire sausages with mash and onion gravy were a good example of why these isles have such a good reputation for bangers. These particular ones were the sort that one seldom encounters these days. They had bursting skins and that rich stickiness that comes from a well-cooked quality sausage. The onion gravy was full of caramelised sweetness and there was enough smooth mash to turn the head of a more-than-peckish rugby player.

My guest chose battered haddock, chips and mushy peas for his main course. The fries were thick fingers - proper old-fashioned chips, the sort that are big enough to have a fluffy interior. The mushy peas were a cut above those often found in chip shops: these were light and minty, and more of a purée than a mush. Remoulade sauce was alongside by way of an improvement over mayo or ketchup.

Be warned, come with an appetite or you will not make it to the desserts. These were a pleasing selection of treats. There was the traditional apple pie but also plum crumble for fruit-lovers. I couldn’t resist the sticky toffee pudding. Elsewhere, they are often pale and dry with a skimping swirl of sauce. This little beauty arrived on a large dish and was a glossy dark island floating in a sea of liquid toffee. Worth every calorie.

The Affogato makes for a stylish end to a meal. Vanilla-bean ice cream, a shot of espresso and toasted panatone. Pour the coffee over the ice cream for a delightful hot-cold taste experience. This is a simple dessert to prepare but it does rely on the best of ingredients. This just doesn’t work with cheap and nasty ice cream and a chunk of toasted white sliced. The version at the Mitre was just right.

The Mitre provided us with a warm refuge from a blizzard, an imaginative menu, well-cooked food at decent prices. It’s a popular spot and it’s easy to see why. No complaints from this reviewer.

The Complete Illustrated Food and Cooking of Africa and the Middle East

This is another fabulous volume from Lorenz Books. These truly are some of the best-written and most practical cookbooks published. Each edition has a wealth of step-by-step photographs. In fact there are 650 pictures that will show you cooking techniques and the finished dish. Even experienced home cooks appreciate a bit of graphic stimulus when confronted by a new cuisine. For many the foods of Africa and the Middle East will be new. It’s not European and it’s not Asian. It’s a cuisine, or more accurately a selection of cuisines that holds many delicious surprises.

Food and Cooking of Africa and the Middle East offers 170 or so recipes for starters, soups and mezze, fish, meat and vegetarian dishes as well as sweets and breads, but the Snacks and Street Food section is a good place to start. These are stand-alone dishes so, for the novice, there is no worry about the composition of an authentic meal. Make an array of these small savouries and you have an exotic buffet. Would make a change from sausage rolls and ham sandwiches.

Tunisian Chicken Wings and Oranges are tempting and simple to make. West African Akkras are made of black-eyed peas and are similar to Falafel which is ubiquitous all over the Middle East. Grilled Keftas are skewered meatballs served with a yoghurt and mint dressing. These are not hot with chilli but rather aromatic with mixed spice, the sort you use for Christmas cakes.

Vegetarians will find plenty in this book to hold their attention. Classic Casablancan Couscous with Roasted Summer Vegetables would be an ideal dish for a BBQ. Okra and Tomato Tagine would be a good alternative. The meat-eaters can have some grilled lamb along with either of these dishes so you should have no complaints.

Spiced Nutty Bananas from Central Africa make an exotic dessert. There is a delightful texture contrast between the soft fruit and the crunchy nut crust - an economic dessert to finish a southern African, North African or Middle Eastern meal. A lighter alternative would be the ever-popular Oranges in Syrup with orange flower water. Chill before serving for a hot-weather dessert. Ghoriba are Moroccan almond biscuits. They have the texture of crumbly shortbread and are a traditional accompaniment to a nice cup of mint tea or some thick sweet coffee.

Food and Cooking of Africa and the Middle East makes truly different dishes accessible to the home cook. You don’t need to be confident in the kitchen to attempt these simple recipes. A taste for culinary adventure will allow you to enjoy lesser-known kitchen traditions.

Lorenz Books have, once again, given cooking enthusiasts food for thought. It’s another amazingly good value, attractive and informative book stuffed full of tempting dishes.

Cookbook review:The Complete Illustrated Food & Cooking of Africa & the Middle East

Cakes

It’s winter and we want to spend more time in our cosy kitchens. It’s the season for celebrations and indoor entertainment and cakes are often a big part of those events. Cupcakes are trendy and smart and Afternoon Tea has had a well-earned renaissance. Cake-making is back on the agenda.

Baking is different from cooking. Yes, it still involves you in a close relationship with your oven but there is an additional indispensible element: a good recipe book. Most of us can make a casserole from bits found lingering at the back of the fridge married with some meat from that forgotten corner of the freezer, but cake-making involves a bit of culinary alchemy.

Don’t be alarmed, dear reader, there is nothing too difficult to baking. Follow the recipe and pay attention to weights, or in the case of this book, measures, and size of cake tin and all will be well. Once you have mastered the basics then you can introduce your own innovations in the guise of different fillings and icing.

Cakes offers 250 tempting creations including festive cakes, coffee cakes (these are cakes made to be consumed alongside a nice cup of coffee), fruit cakes and even frozen cakes for the warmer weather. These frosty desserts are great entertaining puds as they are made ahead. Stress-busters.

I am sure you have noticed posh cafes with arrays of extravagantly decorated cupcakes. These are delicious but often a shocking price. Make your own for little money. There are more than 25 alternatives here to suit any occasion. Espresso Swirl Cupcakes really are coffee cakes in every sense of the word. Have these with a strong espresso and think of weekends in Rome. They take 20 minutes to prepare and you won’t need a degree in catering.

The Breakfast and Brunch chapter holds many delights. Cake for breakfast is a thoroughly civilised American tradition that should be embraced by all. These cakes are not over-decorated and sugary but are filled with good things like fruit and nuts. Think of these cakes as huge power-bars, originally made by farmers’ wives for families who started their day while the chickens were still dreaming. You wouldn’t want to eat huge slices every day but they are ideal for slow weekends. How’s about Apple and Cranberry Crumble Cake for early on Christmas morning. Make the night before.

Upside-Down Citrus Polenta Cake is a tangy take on the more common pineapple version, although that is also included in the fruit and vegetable cake section. The polenta gives a different texture. There are several versions of Carrot Cake with a selection of interchangeable toppings. I love the traditional cream cheese frosting.

An old-fashioned teatime cake is Date and Walnut Cake. This book has a version with a caramel frosting. I am not normally one for tinkering with old favourites but I am persuaded that this icing really is worthy of inclusion. Lamington Cake draws on Australian afternoon tea tradition. The original Lamingtons were small square cakes but this volume presents the same style of confection in the form of a whole cake. More practical to make than the usual.

Cakes is a stunner of a book. The photographs are magnificent and there are plenty of options for those of us who have specific dietary needs. Gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free and even sugar-free recipes are all noted. You don’t need to be an expert baker to enjoy Cakes. Another winner from the stable of Apple Press. A lot of book for the money.

Zilli Light

I have chosen to be a cookbook and restaurant reviewer because I have a passion for food. Am I the best cook in the world? No. Do I write with the poetry and romance of The Bard? Almost. Am I an authority on ethnic Italian food? No. So why do I think that I can have a good shot at reviewing Zilli Light? Because I have been reviewing with a friend from Italy.

It’s been reassuring to cook cookbook food with someone who has cooked that style of food professionally. Like every Italian, it seems, she sets very exacting culinary standards, and she has proclaimed this book to be one of the best outside Italy. I’m in no position to make that proclamation myself, but I will say that it’s an interesting book for any English-speaking cook outside Italy.

Aldo Zilli is a man frequently seen on British TV, where he has presented his food in a witty and accessible manner. This current book, Zilli Light, has a focus on healthy Italian-biased fare with suggestions on how adopting a different eating strategy could help you to eat less. Have five small meals each day rather than the usual three more substantial ones.

This hasn’t the feel of a “cooking for health” book. The recipes present dishes that are family-friendly so you’ll not be accused of child cruelty and the husband won’t be telling his mates that he is off for a burger ‘cos the wife’s on a diet. This is crowd-pleasing food and good for you when, to quote the ads, used in conjunction with exercise.

Lamb stuffed with Couscous and Pinenuts is the recipe my Italian friend chose for us to cook together. It isn’t traditionally Italian. Aldo found this on a Greek island. He encourages you to change the recipe to suit your own taste but his original takes some beating. It’s a simple dish to make with the most complicated element being the tying with string after stuffing. The finished result of our efforts was tender flavourful meat which was served with just a couple of fresh vegetables and additional stuffing.

A classic Italian dish and a favourite of mine is Fettuccine Vongole. This clam and pasta recipe is usually made with wine but Aldo leaves that out preferring to rely on the freshness of ingredients for flavour. A clean-tasting dish and ready in minutes. Clams are not expensive these days but they still somehow seem luxurious.

My favourite recipe from this collection is Baked Honey and Ricotta Cheesecake. Yes, OK, so it’s a treat and you wouldn’t want to eat this every day (oh, yes you would) but it’s a cheesecake with character. The addition of chopped candied fruit is a departure from the more usual New York Cheesecake and adds rather a festive note.

Zilli Light isn’t your stereotypical health-food book. There is nothing over-worthy. No self-sacrifice but no tears either. It’s about eating good food in a responsible manner. It’s about portion control and common sense. You might not eat only from this book but it’s well worth reading and the advice is good. A great book for those with gaining a healthy lifestyle as a New Year’s resolution.

Tatra Restaurant

Terre A Terre – The Vegetarian Cookbook

I do rather worry when I am presented with a vegetarian cookbook. So many of them in the past have been unappealing to all but the most committed vegetarian. Those folk who were at Glastonbury the first time around, wore multi-coloured, ill-fitting, voluminous knitted jumpers and were still in sandals in January.

Thank goodness for the new trend in vegetarian food. We can now eat well and not notice the absence of meat. Beige has been replaced by vibrant colour. The sense of “this must be doing me good” has been replaced by exclamations of “this is so good that it CAN’T be doing me good”. Terre A Terre – The Vegetarian Cookbook is a stunning example of what the best vegetarian cookbook should be. The kind of book that graces the shelves of those of us who are still tempted by a bacon sandwich.

This is a volume gorgeously illustrated by the photographs of Lisa Barber. The food styling is stunning but consider it merely serving suggestions, just as they say of the pictures on those packets of frozen cod. You are not expected to become a chef. Look at the recipes and consider how you would like to eat these dishes... but do eat these dishes.

It’s a rollicking good read. The authors, Amanda Powley and Philip Taylor (they have a restaurant in Brighton of the same name), have written a cookbook full of wit and passion. The food is enticing and truly original. There are exotic flavours and fresh tastes. There are amusing departures from traditional dishes and a good few culinary revelations. The section headings bring a smile and have encouraged me to take up cartooning. Black Bean and Cellophane Frisbee sounds almost Simpson-esque.

It’s a Quacker is a cheering composition of soda bread, celeriac soup with boiled duck eggs perched on wilted spinach. Each of the components could be presented with many other dishes. Here they are assembled to make a light lunch but the eggs could be served with any bread, the soup could be a starter for a more substantial meal and the soda bread goes with everything but dessert.

And talking of desserts, these are amazing. I see many cookbooks that are filled with nothing but afters and there has been much to tempt me, but the puds here are in a class of their own. These have provoked outbursts of “oooh, have a look at this” and “damn the diet”.

A real winner is Boiled Eggs and Chubby Soldiers. Doesn’t sound like a dessert although the word Chubby gives a clue. Think cream. Think passion fruit curd. Think pineapple soldiers. (For non-British readers I should explain that soldiers in this context are batons of fruit for dipping.) Assemble so that the curd represents the egg yolk, the cream the dome of the egg and the pineapple acts as your morning toast. Sophisticated enough for the most culinarily discerning adult but the kids will love it as well.

Terre A Terre – The Vegetarian Cookbook is a thoroughly engaging book. It’s full of surprises. It offers delightful recipes and will change attitudes to non-meat cooking. One of the best of this year’s crop of cookbooks.

Koto – A culinary journey through Vietnam

So, what does Koto mean? Is it Vietnamese for Brussels sprouts? No, it stands for Know One, to Teach One. This is a grass-roots charity that sets out to help street kids in Hanoi. It provides them with vocational training in cooking and hospitality. These children will hopefully find employment as chefs and waiters in the now-blossoming tourist industry. The royalties from this book will go to the Koto organisation.

OK, so you have contributed to a noble cause but then you are stuck with the book. Is it going to be left on the coffee table as a conversation piece? Will it replace the missing foot of your grannie’s old sideboard or will it be a cookbook that will hold your attention? You, dear reader, will be pleased to know that it’s the latter.

There are relatively few cookbooks about the food of Vietnam. The country has had many problems over many decades including a war that you might have heard about. Promotion of the national cuisine has been towards the bottom of the agenda. These days however, there are many visitors to the country and there is more interest in the culture, art and cooking.

Koto is an attractive cookbook but it is also a charming introduction to Vietnam. The photographs by Michael Fountoulakis show tempting food, and faces that in themselves tell stories. There are 80 or so recipes that will still further add to your armchair adventure.

The authors, Tracey Lister and Andreas Pohl, take us on a journey through the regions of Vietnam. They introduce us to the people, we glimpse their lives and we enjoy the food. The dishes are traditional and they have endured for a reason: they are delicious. The Spring Rolls of Hue are light and refreshing with the flavour of aromatic herbs. Braised Oxtail with Five Spice is rich and warming for these cold winter days. The ingredients are all easily found in every supermarket and the cooking techniques are simple.

My favourite recipe is perhaps Squid filled with Pork and Noodles. This is not a spicy dish but rather relies on the freshness of the meat, seafood and herbs. Serve with the classic dipping sauce (recipe in this book) for a taste of authentic but accessible food from this little-known food haven.

Koto is a book for the would-be traveller, the recently-returned trekker and those who have a passion for good food. It’s a marvellous invitation to visit this new long-haul destination.

Front Room at Flemings Mayfair

The Bazaars of Istanbul

Many thousands of tourists visit Turkey every year. They bask on the beaches, perhaps hire a boat for a holiday afloat and enjoy grilled fish in seaside restaurants. They have a glimpse of Turkey and its people but it is, in fact, just a meeting with the modern globalized facade – a shadow of a rich and ancient culture.

The Bazaars of Istanbul marvellously captures these narrow shopping streets in both photograph (300 colour illustrations) and vivid description. Its 200 or so pages hold a wealth of images of both past and present and show why the bazaars are still, to this day, so captivating.

The authors Isabel Bocking, Laura Salm-Reifferscheidt and Moritz Stipsiez bring history to life as they chart the changing fortunes of the bazaars. They weave a colourful tapestry of turmoil, intrigue, craftsmanship and industry.

Istanbul straddles East and West. It has held strategic importance in many a war and revolution and has lost much of its exotic charm over the centuries, but it still has lots to offer those who are looking for disappearing vestiges of former glory. It’s still there to be discovered and relished.

The city has many bazaars, the most celebrated being the Grand Bazaar. This has been the venue for buying and selling goods from the far reaches of the world for more than 550 years. For those of us who are more used to seeing shop signs boasting “established in 1991” that’s quite impressive!

The bazaar is called Grand because that is exactly what it is. It contains nearly 3500 individual shops, 40 warehouses and has 61 streets and alleys. You’ll be advised to take a map with you (one thoughtfully provided in this book) or, if lost, ask directions from one of the 25,000 (yes, 25,000) people who work there. It’s likely you’ll find a shop assistant when you need one.

The Bazaar has evolved over the centuries. It has been ravaged by fire and earthquake. Many of its original features have been lost but there have also been moves to protect those which remain, and to ensure that the Grand Bazaar does not represent just an extremely big Mall selling designer fakes (they are here in abundance) from neon-garnished boutiques.

There is still plenty to delight the discerning shopper who wants to have a truly Turkish experience. There are rugs to admire. This volume has a page dedicated to the symbols found on authentic Turkish rugs. Take a cup of coffee or tea with the shopkeeper and ask questions. He will undoubtedly want to sell you a carpet but he will likely be equally enthusiastic about telling you of the history of his business.

This book will have you drooling at the objects on sale. Yes, there are tacky tee-shirts but there are lots of handicrafts still to be found. Leather work, ceramics, intricate metal work, jewellery and prayer beads all compete for the buyer’s attention. Visit a Turkish bath, smoke a traditional water pipe, a hookah, and have a genuinely Turkish meal. The authors even give a selection of recipes for you to replicate the experience in your own home.

The Egyptian Bazaar (only 350 years old!) is the place that will draw you like a magnet if you are a consummate foodie. Here you will find those evocative piles of spices that we so associate with eastern emporia. There are dried fruits and more importantly, tea and coffee. There are many sayings woven around each of these drinks. Of tea it is said, ‘A conversation without tea is like a night without a moon.’ A somewhat less romantic saying about coffee runs ‘Coffee should be as hot as a girl’s first kisses, as sweet as a night in her arms, and as black as the curses of the mother when she finds out.’

The Bazaars of Istanbul is a sumptuous volume which gives a real flavour of the most fascinating part of one of the world’s most fascinating cities. A must for anyone who has already visited or who plans to visit Istanbul.

Le Colombier

I started thinking about food on my journey to Le Colombier. I started thinking about engineering, haulage and transport when I arrived at Le Colombier. How did they manage it? Had they transported a bit of France to Chelsea? Was the original restaurant removed in sections from some smart Parisian street? Was the furniture stacked into a UK-bound lorry? Could the traditional zinc-topped bar have been liberated from a French bistro by a man with a van?

Well, no, dear reader, the owner Didier Garnier established Le Colombier in 1998 in an existing building that fits the part of a Parisian Brasserie so well. It’s a vision of cream with blue accents. The restaurant is in every way authentically French. It isn’t French “themed”. It doesn’t have accordion music playing in the background. The staff are French and the menu is French. It IS French.

Le Colombier was a welcome haven after our short but freezing walk from South Kensington underground station. The restaurant was full with more guests arriving to enjoy an evening in the private dining room on the 1st floor (up to 30 for a seated lunch or dinner). You wouldn’t know there was a recession. No hint of credit being crunched or even slightly mauled. As the evening progressed it became evident that many of those convivial clients were regulars.

Although Le Colombier is without a doubt charming and elegant the atmosphere is relaxed. It has the sound of a restaurant being enjoyed. That is to say, a buzz of conversation that indicates that people feel at home. A smart restaurant, yes! A stuffy one, no.

Didier has had years of experience running the St Quentin group of restaurants and he even comes from a family of restaurant owners. His passion for food is evident. The menu reflects brasserie-style dishes, changing frequently to take advantage of the best produce available. Didier isn’t a man to shy away from culinary innovation, though.

There are many starters here that you would expect from any good French restaurant. Oysters, Foie Gras and smoked salmon; but Sardines La Quiberonnaise Millésime 2007-Vintage is the one to try. It’s 2007 Sardines, Lemon, Onion and Toasted Poilane Bread. How come the aforementioned sardines are awarded a vintage? Well, they are in a tin. Yes, preserved and presented like fine wine. Might sound strange but this is an amazing must-try item. France and Spain have long appreciated fish and shellfish in tins, jars and bottles. These are high-quality foods that have an entirely different taste and texture from their fresh counterparts. They take flavour from herbed marinades to create rich and tempting morsels. My guest proclaimed these sardines to be one of the most delightful hors d'oeuvre he had eaten in ages. Simple as so many great things are.

My warm goat's cheese salad was everything a good one should be, and a great deal better than most I have had in either France or the UK. The cheese was tangy with a creamy sauce. The salad was crisp and well-dressed, and the basket of real French bread and sweet Echire butter made a satisfying accompaniment - at no additional charge.

The main courses are all served with their appropriate vegetables so there are no ‘extra’ costs for side dishes. Le Colombier is just amazing value for money. There was a very good selection of fish dishes including sole, monkfish, and salmon with Hollandaise sauce (only £18.20) which I have ear-marked for my next visit.

Today I ordered loin of lamb which was amply garnished with Provencal tomatoes and courgettes. The sauce was bread-dippingly divine. The meat was tender with real flavour and cooked to melt-in-the-mouth perfection.

My guest tucked into the dish of the day, which was a ragoût of rabbit. This is an underrated meat and too seldom seen on menus. When it’s good it’s unbeatable but when it’s bad it’s horrid. This bunny was moist and flavourful with potatoes that were crumbly and aromatic. This was a substantial plateful.

The dessert menu offered lots of well-loved favourites such as Crème Brûlée, Tarte au Citron and Mousse au Chocolat but I couldn’t resist Crêpes Suzette. There were two generous pancakes with zesty orange and a good shake of Grand Marnier. You’ll not find better. It’s a standard dish but no less delightful for that.

My guest chose Chaud Froid aux Amandes. These are scoops of ice cream with slivered almonds and a hot chocolate sauce which arrived in a jug. There were many minutes of quiet and content nibbling as we both contemplated two very fine French meals.

Hotel Chocolat

200 Christmas Recipes

Christmas, for many of us, is a celebration with family and friends. Most of the traditional festivities revolve around food. We think of Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. Turkey, duck, Moroccan stuffed lamb, traditional roast goose. What was that about Morocco?

This amazing little book contains, as it says, 200 Christmas recipes. Many are what you would expect from a Christmas cookbook but there are lots of innovations. It starts off with Christmas Fare which includes roast meats, accompanying vegetables, Christmas puddings and desserts. There is a real international flavour to enable you to have a traditional Christmas meal but drawing on traditions other than your own. Melanzane Parmigiana is a delicious aubergine and cheese dish with a tomato sauce that would be a marvellous side dish with classic roast turkey.

The Centrepiece Cakes chapter offers a rich Christmas cake but there are people who hate fruit cake with a will known to few. For those unfortunates there are such delights as the very French Buche de Noël, Italian Panforte di Siena and a Christmas stocking made from Madeira cake.

If small cakes are more appealing then there is a chapter of festive ideas. Baby Panettones baked in ex-baked-bean tins are a charming twist on the original large loaf. Making edible tree decorations will keep the kids amused for ages. They can help to make the cookies and then ice them. It’s doubtful that many will get as far as garnishing your tree but you’ll have marvellous memories.

The Edible Gifts chapter has some marvellous and unique ideas. Lime and Passion Fruit Curd is an exotic treat and too good to give away. The passion fruit gives an interesting texture to this spread. There is also a recipe for the regular lemon curd and a mixed citrus curd. These last up to a month in the fridge.

Perhaps the most valuable chapter for the over-indulged turkey lovers is Leftover Turkey Ideas. These birds do seem to last. Christmas is the only time of year that most of us eat turkey and we don’t want to waste any, but there are only so many turkey sandwiches one can eat. Try Rigatoni with Turkey and Pesto. Turkey and Green Pepper Stir-fry is flavourful, quick and easy but Turkey Tetrazzini has my vote. It’s a pasta dish for 4 which uses only 12oz of meat.

 200 Christmas Recipes is just about the best value Christmas cookbook around. 200 simple recipes with 200 pictures for less than a fiver. This would make a great gift, although my copy will be staying with me.

Cookbook Cafe – Sunday Brunch

The Soup Book

It seems to come around faster every year. Winter, that is. Should I bracket that along with policemen looking younger and Arial 10-point computer typeface looking smaller? Whatever it is, this is once again the season for soup.

The Soup Book features over 250 soup recipes and it’s true that there are some designed to be served chilled. The majority, however, are those traditionally served piping hot and are ideal for either a starter or as a meal in themselves. These are, for the most part, economic recipes that will make the best of seasonal ingredients or home grown produce.

If you have a patch of land reserved for growing food then you will have often been confronted by a glut of something or other, a surfeit of something else, and a hill of something soon to be compost. Everything ripens at the same time. A good tomato season for you will doubtless mean the same for everyone, so there is little chance of giving many away. Soup comes to the rescue.

Money is tight these days. We need to cut out the waste and buy fresh veggies and fruit when they are at their best and cheapest. Soup allows you to transform a bag of Brussels sprouts into a meal that the kids really will eat (don’t tell them what’s in it). Yes, you can eat that Halloween pumpkin, and tomato soup does not have to come out of a tin.

Editor-in-chief Sophie Grigson has penned over 20 cookbooks and has made numerous appearances on British TV. She has marshalled the culinary forces of a good number of worthies of the food industry to compile this collection of soup recipes. Darina Allen, Raymond Blanc, Monty Don, Thane Prince and Alice Waters are among the illustrious list of contributors. They all know a bit about cookin’ so you are assured of a good read.

This is a proper cookbook. That is to say, it’s one you’ll use. It’s attractive and bright with a wealth of striking photographs by William Reavell. The recipes are simple. It is, after all, soup. Lots for summer veggies, winter veggies, pulses and nuts, fish and shellfish as well as poultry, game and meat. There is even a chart to show you exactly when British vegetables are in season. There is a recipe chooser to point you in the direction of specific soup groups: vegetarian, chilled, hearty, healthy, spicy, main meal and quick soups are all listed.

Roopa Gulati has contributed several recipes to this collection and Kichidi is one of my favourites. It’s a spicy butternut squash and lentil soup with warming and aromatic flavours. Only 15 minutes preparation time. This can be frozen for up to 3 months so make lots to store away.

The second of Roopa’s recipes that deserves a mention is Mussels in a Ginger and Chilli Broth. These molluscs are good value but classy. They always seem somehow luxurious and this recipe adds ‘exotic’ to the description. A real winter winner.

Marie-Pierre Moine offers a French classic in the guise of Pot au Feu. It takes a bit of time to prepare but it’s a substantial meal rather than a snack. This version uses braising steak so it won’t break the bank. Serve it with the traditional accompaniments of coarse-grained mustard, gherkins and horseradish.

The Soup Book offers every imaginable recipe. There are those everyday standards, but also lots with an international flavour. Plenty for spice lovers as well as those who want light fresh tastes. This book is packed with ideas for dishes that are delicious but easy on the purse. A great gift for anyone who grows their own food. A book for the kitchen rather than the bookshelf. Outstanding value for money.

Game – A Cookbook

The Golden Book of Cookies

It’s that time of year again when we start to think about heavy-duty cooking and baking for friends and family. We plan the Thanksgiving menu (if you hail from the US) and the Christmas meal and we even consider a nice bit of baking.

Somehow the holiday season brings out the Martha Stewart or Delia Smith in so many of us. We might shy away from a rolling pin for much of the year but I guess it’s the warm cosiness of the winter kitchen that encourages us to have a go.

Cookies are biscuits. That’s to say a biscuit is to the British what a cookie is to an American and an American biscuit is a British scone. The word Cookie is derived from the Dutch word Koekja meaning small cake. Cookie-making was taken to America by European emigrants and took off in a big way. Perhaps the pioneers found it more practical to make thin, quickly-baked cookies than more elaborate cakes as they travelled across the uncharted wilderness.

The Golden Book of Cookies is just about the most magical cookbook I have seen since the last Golden cookbook by Apple Press. Last time it was The Golden Book of Chocolate and this new volume is just as gorgeous. It’s a mammoth 700-page work which shimmers with gold edges and belly jacket. It oozes old-fashioned quality and charm but it isn’t an ornament. This is a book to be used.

The chapters are divided by type of cookie, starting with Cut Out Cookies, finishing with Tartlets and Tea Cakes, and considering every other conceivable cookie in-between. There are 330 recipes so there can be few that have been overlooked.

This book is impressive and engaging. Each cookie has a page for its recipe and another full page picture. I love this format. It gives confidence to the novice baker and plenty of new ideas to the practised cook. The recipes are clear and the level of difficulty is indicated (none of these are difficult to make – they are just cookies).

My favourite Cut Out cookies from this collection (to be honest I have a few) are Cardamom Stars. These are ideal at the end of an Asian meal. Just serve with a cup of tea for a light but exotic finish. Cookies are made in advance so they are dinner-party stress-busters. The version here is star-shaped but the authors won’t know if you use any other shape. A glass tumbler is a good stand-by cutter.

Cranberry and Pecan Squares are very festive but simple to make. A box of these would make a lovely gift for a foodie. Find a decorative tin or box and get the kids to give you a hand in the kitchen. Gingerbread People (they were only ever gingerbread men when I was small but let’s be PC) will be enjoyed by the little ones. They can do the icing.

If you are a lover of a Macaroon then The Golden Book of Cookies is for you. There are more than a dozen recipes here including chocolate-glazed, Sicilian, with nuts, with fruit, and with spice. Be cautious when eating macaroons. It’s easy to over-indulge and you’ll want to leave room for some brownies.

The Golden Book of Cookies is a sumptuous tome of gift quality. This would be well received by any food lover, enthusiastic baker or cookbook collector. It’s a joy to read and to use. A real stunner!

Feast Bazaar

I am not a lover of any particular ethnic cuisine. I have no national preferences. It’s all about taste. I do, however, find myself drawn to the food of India (we in Britain have had a love affair with food of the subcontinent for generations), North African food (my years living in France have introduced me to the dishes of the Maghreb) and Middle Eastern food for its subtle flavours and amazing food history. Feast Bazaar is a book that I find enticing.

The author, Barry Véra, is a British-born transplant to Australia. He was trained as a chef in France and has worked for some of the best in the UK. He now has his own restaurant in Brighton, Melbourne, as well as a popular TV series called Feast. This book is a paper representation of Barry’s culinary adventure for the series.

Feast Bazaar considers the food of Morocco, India and Syria. These disparate countries have many historic links and also culinary similarities. All of them have a rich culinary heritage and the food is delicious. The book arrived and I could not wait to start leafing through the recipes and involve myself in the adventure.

The food of India draws me like a magnet. The recipes here include so many of the classic standards. This book would be a good introduction to Indian cooking with its easy-to-follow recipes. Simple staples such as Masala Chai (spiced Indian tea) give a sample of the warming spices so typical of dishes of the subcontinent. A delicious drink, and making it yourself is a lot cheaper than buying a commercial instant mix from the supermarket.

Bondas are a popular snack in Kerala (and in this home in West London). It’s a preparation of seasoned mashed potato which is then coated in a chickpea flour batter and deep fried. Barry proposes these for breakfast, but make small ones and you’ll find they also work well as a starter for an Indian meal.

Tchoutchouka Salad is Algerian, but food migrates in North Africa just as it does in Europe. It’s a salad of roasted peppers with garlic and spices. Use red, green and yellow peppers for sweetness and colour. It’s good with grilled fish or chicken or as part of a selection of salads at the start of a Moroccan meal.

Gazelles Horns are crescent-shaped pastries that are served as a dessert or a snack with tea or coffee. They are one of the most popular Moroccan cakes and are found in every North African tea shop... even in France. They are quite expensive to buy so save some money and make your own.

The cuisine of Syria isn’t as well known as that of Morocco but it shares many ingredients. Hummus with Fried Lamb and Sumac is a good illustration of the similarities. This is a substantial dish which only needs a green salad and some bread alongside.

Cinnamon Lamb Pizza with Oregano is a typically delicious Syrian snack. Yes, a snack if you only have a slice, but this is a meal in itself. This recipe calls for mozzarella although I have seen it without cheese.

Feast Bazaar is a fascinating cookbook and travelogue. It contains many recipes that are traditional national dishes. They are iconic but accessible to the home cook. Vibrant ingredients will entice any food lover to look beyond their habitual culinary horizons.

Chill out at Winter’s Hot Spot -
The Howard, London, goes Chalet Chic!
Restaurant Review

La Porte des Indes -  Restaurant Review

that I had talked to had anything other than high

Caribbean Food Made Easy

Levi Roots (his real name is Keith Graham) was brought up till the age of eleven by his grandparents in Jamaica. He lived in a house full of extended family where cooking was a continual process. He moved to London to live with his parents and eventually had a successful career as a musician, and was indeed nominated for a prestigious MOBO award in 1998. He has performed with James Brown and Maxi Priest. He has his own range of Caribbean foods, a Caribbean cafe and takeaway, and every summer runs his popular stall at the celebrated Notting Hill Carnival.

Although we have a sizable Caribbean population in Britain we don’t have many Caribbean restaurants. You’ll find some in the largest cities but almost never in smaller towns. If you live in an area with an Afro-Caribbean community then you’ll probably have access to supermarkets that sell pre-prepared patties and Jerk Sauces but Caribbean Food Made Easy shows that you don’t need too many specialist ingredients to make authentic dishes.

I am a Londoner so have had a little experience of Caribbean food. I have been known to make quite a reasonable breakfast with fried plantains (cooking bananas). This book, however, offers a raft of authentic and adapted recipes made from high street ingredients that won’t break the bank. These are all-year-round dishes that will introduce some tropical pizzazz to summer alfresco dining as well as to cold and wet winter nights when some warming spice is in order. The chapters include One Pot Suppers, Fish and Seafood, Roasts and Grills, Street Food, as well as Desserts.

Levi draws upon his Scottish ancestry with his Mctumplings. These are traditional fried “tumplings” flavoured with vegetarian haggis. Serve these with Caribbean Salsa Verde (recipe in this book). Another version is the Banana Tumpling with a hint of cinnamon. Serve these as a side dish for fried chicken (remember fried bananas with Chicken Maryland? Very retro.), or as a dessert spread with butter and jam.

A must-try from this book is Honey, Grenadine and Ginger Roasted Lamb with Pomegranate and Mint Salad. This is no more difficult than making your regular Sunday roast but the addition of an exotic marinade elevates this dish into something a bit special. Have some roast sweet potatoes along with this for a taste of warmer climes.

If you are looking for a truly special first course then you wouldn’t go far wrong with Devilled Crab Gratin. If you can make a white sauce then you can make this. Levi suggests serving this in individual crab shells but gratin dishes or ramekins work just as well. A simple but smart start to any dinner party. If Levi ever owns a posh restaurant with crystal and linen then this would be his signature dish. None of us would be able to afford it so take the opportunity to make it at home yourself.

Caribbean Food Made Easy is an attractive book with easy to follow recipes... and I like these recipes. Each one has something to commend it. Full-on flavour or decadent sweetness or light freshness... it’s all here. A great companion to the BBC TV series of the same name... So when is the Notting Hill Carnival, then...?

Food Network Favourites

Ahhh, those were the days when I could sit and watch American TV all day long. Hundreds of channels and about a dozen that any thinking person would want to watch. Harsh words, them, but true. My habitual viewing was the US Food Network. I drank in the programmes which introduced me to new recipes and a new style of cooking. It’s a shame that I now find so little to inspire me on the UK food channel. I am almost word-perfect for all of Rick Stein’s series, good though they are, and Market Kitchen lacks the warm and human charm of Jeni Barnett’s Good Food Live. Here is a book, however, that reminds me of my days of enthusiastic viewing.

Food Network Favourites has recipes from some of my preferred American TV chefs. A few of the celebs seem a bit chubbier than I remember but the style of food is the same. Paula Deen is new to me but I love her Southern cuisine. You’ll need access to some American packaged mixes to make some of the recipes but you’ll have no problem finding the ingredients for Paula Deen's Scallops with Crème Fraiche Mash. Classy but simple. Tomato Pie takes little effort but the result would make a lovely light lunch or a starter for a more formal meal. Artful use of mayo for the topping.

Alton Brown was my big Food Network find. He has the approach of a scientist... or at least a mad professor. Think Heston Blumenthal with laughs. Red Snapper en Papillote is a smart dish although you can use any firm-fleshed, non-oily fish. Your fish will cook inside a parchment paper envelope. This is probably a good dish for a novice cook as the fish is almost guaranteed to be moist. Alton also has a recipe for English Muffins which we in England would call a crumpet or a pikelet. These are traditional yeast batter fried breads with convenient holes designed to hold melted butter.

Emeril Lagasse is a real character. He is passionate about food and is as popular as Gordon Ramsay is in the UK... only nicer. He has his own range of food products but offers you his Emeril’s Essence Creole Seasoning recipe here. Duck Pastrami is a unique concept. Think marinated salmon and you’ll have the idea. The duck is coated with the seasoning mix and soaks up the flavour for 48 hours then is slow roasted, and matured in the fridge for a week. Slice thin and serve as hors d’oeuvres.

Food Network Favourites will be welcomed by my American readers who will enjoy the printed version of their cooking channel heros, but it’s also a book that showcases modern American food. It’s not all fast burgers, pizzas and hot dogs. Bobby Flay, Dave Lieberman, Giada de Laurentiis, Mario Batali, Michael Chiarello, Rachael Ray, Tyler Florence and Wolfgang Puck offer some inspiring recipes.

500 Red Wines and 500 White Wines

Life was easier back then. A bottle of sherry for Christmas or when the vicar was coming to tea, some brown ale for dad on Saturday night and a bottle of Hirondelle wine to drink in the kitchen at parties. Now we have choices and viticultural aspirations...but what to buy?

I offer you two reviews rolled into one. Apple Press continue with their marvellously practical 500 series, now considering red wines and white wines. Christine Austin has penned 500 Red Wines. She has an established career as a wine writer and also as an international wine competition judge. Natasha Hughes and Patricia Langton are those responsible for 500 White Wines. Natasha is a UK-based food and wine writer and lecturer on wine appreciation. Patricia is also a food and wine writer with special interest in Spain, Chile and Argentina. She is based in London.

Each of these chunky volumes is packed with information you’ll need to boldly go into the wine merchants and to return home with something delicious, appropriate for your meal and the right colour. These books are compact enough to take with you on your bottle-hunting raids so you won’t have to commit everything to memory before you hit the high street. Good wines are to be found at reasonable prices but you need to know which are good value and which are just cheap. Each wine listed in these books has a price guide, on a scale from economic to astronomic.

Easy Baking - Australian Women’s Weekly

This is one of a series of slim volumes with large page format from Australian Women’s Weekly. This is a publisher whose books are prized by those who want books to cook from. The reason for that is quite simple: Australian Women’s Weekly cookbooks have recipes that work. They are triple-tested, which is more than can be said for recipes written by some celebrity chefs or celebs-turned-chefs.

When we were small we might have been enticed into the kitchen when an adult was baking. It’s hard to get kids enthused about making a casserole, but the prospect of a bowl to scrape, a wooden spoon to lick and a cupcake as the final product is often the first step to a love of baking.

Easy Baking - Australian Women’s Weekly presents 110 or so pages of bright and attractive baked goods, with additional pages of baking tips, advice on cake pans (yes, size does matter) and a glossary of ingredients. This would be a marvellous book for a novice cook as it doesn’t assume you already have the keen and practised eye of a professional baker. The recipes are clearly written and supportive. The more experienced cook will find lots of sweet treats and a couple of savoury ones to add to their repertoire.

The chapter titles hint at the style of this informal cookbook: Baking for the cake stall, for kids’ lunchboxes, for morning tea, with the kids, for afternoon tea, for celebrations. Everything is child-friendly, being either just the sort of baked goods that kids like to eat or that they would enjoy making. There are lots of small individual cakes as well as biscuits, muffins and slices. The larger cakes just cry out for little hands to drizzle, sprinkle or frost them.

I have several quick and easy favourites from this book. Pear Frangipane Galette takes only 45 minutes for both the preparation and the cooking time. It uses bought shortcrust pastry so this is a great standby dessert. Keep some pastry in the freezer for emergencies. I do and I don’t know why I feel guilty about doing it. Find a good quality pastry, though.

Chocolate Caramel Slice is a must-try. It’s a simple recipe in three stages. It needs refrigeration before eating so this is no instant snack. The recipe suggests that it serves 16 but I think that’s just the number of squares when cut. These won’t stay in the tin very long even in a household of 2.

Easy Baking - Australian Women’s Weekly is a good solid cookbook with recipes that you know you can trust. A couple of ingredients might be unfamiliar to cooks not hailing from the Antipodes but substitutions will be obvious. Terrific value for money.

European Festival Food

This is a book that you’ll find on the shelf in the cooking section of any good bookshop. You’ll flick though the pages. Your shopping bag will then be placed neatly on the floor between your feet. Next a glance around for one of those squidgy sofas to rest for just a short while as you browse. You might be lucky enough to have found a bookshop with a coffee shop. A wander through even just a few pages and you’ll likely be addicted. I assure you, dear reader, that if you are in any way a consummate foodie or a serious cookbook collector then you will want to own this book.

Be warned, this is not a glossy coffee-table tome full of appealing shots of delicious food. No moody or romantic stills of mist-enveloped valleys nor toothless natives in national costume doing something ethnic with a sheep’s bladder. This is cover-to-cover writing of the finest sort.

Yes, European Festival Food is a cookbook, but Elisabeth Luard has worked her usual magic. Winner of the Glenfiddich Award for Best Cookery Writer and Winner of the Glenfiddich Trophy, she has long been respected for attention to detail but also for her style. This is literature, with food as its vehicle. It’s not a dry and worthy textbook but a thoroughly accessible good read. A book for bedtime as well as the kitchen.
 
Elisabeth is well placed to write of the food of Europe. She has lived in a lot of it, and has learnt to cook traditional dishes in the kitchens where those dishes have always always been cooked, from the (mostly) women who have always cooked them. This book is a veritable archive of culinary history but it’s also a social history describing festivals that are less often celebrated.

The pages are awash with charming stories and legends that help to put the foods into context. Christmas Eve offers Mince Pies if you are in England. Records of these go back to the 16th century so it’s likely they existed before that date. The mincemeat really did contain meat in those days, but now only suet remains to remind us of the original ingredients.

European Festival Food does not only catalogue religious feast days but also other annual celebrations. The Glorious Twelfth is noted throughout Britain as not only my father’s birthday but the first day of the grouse season. No surprise that there is a recipe here for the aforementioned bird, roasted, and with its accompanying bread sauce and fried breadcrumbs. There is a cod festival in Lofoten, an island off the coast of Norway, and pig-killing festivals seem to be popular in every country that ever owned a pig. Whenever man has celebrated or commemorated an event then food has played a major part.

This is another terrific book from Grub Street, one of my favourite publishers. It’s a gem of a volume that offers seasonal recipes which have stood the test of time. They are a marvellous collection, presenting dishes from the cold wind-swept north of Europe with its Viking heritage to the soft warmth of the south with its more exotic influences. A masterwork.

Bake me I’m Yours – Chocolate

You have gotta love a book with a title like that. It’s an attention-grabber but it’s what’s between the covers that will intrigue you.

Tracey Mann must be one of the UK’s most respected cake makers and decorators. She has had her work featured on covers of numerous magazines and has made wedding cakes for such “worthies” as Tom Parker-Bowles. It’s evident that Tracey has both skill and imagination.

It’s all about style. Tracey gives tips that elevate your sweet creations into something stunning. Surprisingly simple when you know how: a matter of using the aids that professional cake decorators have known about for years. The things that make the difference between the rustic homemade and something that would not shame a wedding reception at a five-star hotel. Yes, you can do it.

Tracey has a battery of basic cake recipes, although she won’t know if you use your own favourite ones. It’s the decorating techniques that’s the reason you’ll buy this book. They are amazing but accessible to the home cook. Transfer sheets are the key to several of Tracey’s sophisticated productions. These sheets enable you to create multi-coloured finishes or ornaments which are striking and edible.

Chocolate paste is a combination of chocolate, glucose and water. This is the culinary equivalent of Play Dough and can be formed into flowers or modelled into pleats or ribbons. To get a regular beaded effect then use a Beadmaker. This is a mould which creates a string of perfect beads from chocolate paste. There are any number of moulds to enable you to add three-dimensional decorations to your cakes.

Christmas is fast approaching and Tracey has a novel idea for easy but beautiful tree decorations. Use tempered chocolate (instructions in this book) to cover a festive patterned transfer sheet. Tracey suggests using white chocolate and a holly or red gingham transfer, but there are many transfer sheet designs so you could consider a holly-shaped decoration with perhaps a contemporary transfer, or a traditional snowflake transfer with a geometric cutter.

Bake me I’m Yours – Chocolate is a small-format book with 25 different chocolate projects. This would be an ideal stocking-filler for a chocoholic who loves to cook. It’s good value for money for such a smart little book. Decadent and delicious ideas.

Diabetes Recipes from Around the World

Approximately 200 million people worldwide suffer with diabetes and there are millions more who have diabetes but are not yet aware of it. It’s an increasing problem, with more younger people than ever being victims. It’s a serious disease but it is still possible to enjoy life and good food even when diagnosed with the condition.

Managing diet is key to minimising damage and limiting drug use. But if your meals are dull and boring then you won’t stick to your regime. Diabetes Recipes from Around the World offers over 100 recipes for dishes that will help you manage diabetes, and they are dishes that will be enjoyed by the whole family. Food should be fun as well as being healthful.

Jane Frank is a nutritional therapist and has penned two other books: The Basic Basics Diabetes Handbook and Eat Smart Beat the Menopause, both published by Grub Street. She would seem well placed to give advice about eating properly but advice about healthy food is not the same as showing you how to cook the tastiest of dishes. Diabetes Recipes from Around the World is a tool you’ll enjoy using.

This book has some lovely recipes. Nothing beige and sacrificed to the god of bland here. They are a truly international bunch with the occasional adaption to make for a diabetic-friendly dish. You family will not notice that these are healthy foods. They might notice that your repertoire has improved, though.

Thai food is exotic and different. It has rich mouth-filling flavours and it’s a bit posh. Thai Fish Cakes are a traditional classic and here they are served with a Sweet and Sour Cucumber Sauce. You can use any white fish and even coley which is so often overlooked and underrated. This is 18% carbohydrate and low GL. Each recipe has a nutritional breakdown and a GL level - handy for diabetics but also for others who have specific dietary needs.

Seared Salmon Fillets with Spicy Soba Noodles hails from Japan and is an easy dish to make but good enough to present to your guests. Serve with a garnish of Wasabi and pickled ginger for authenticity. It’s worth getting Soba Noodles for their unique taste and texture. They work particularly well with the salmon or even in a clear broth for a quick winter lunch.

Diabetes Recipes from Around the World has, in my opinion, some of the most tempting dishes for those who must keep an eye on their food intake. They are vibrant, flavourful and well-balanced. Good for all the family. Good value for money.

LA’s Original Farmers Market Cookbook

This is one of those cookbooks that gives a warm glow. You don’t have to be from LA. You don’t even have to be American to be able to appreciate a book about a spot that just oozes food-related delight. LA’s Original Farmers Market Cookbook is a picture-book with recipes. A cookbook and travelogue. An invitation to temptation.

JoAnn Cianciulli is a successful food writer and producer of food-related television programmes. She is a New Yorker now living in Los Angeles who has been enjoying the charms of the Farmers Market for over 10 years. It has inspired her to capture the best of dishes on offer and to tell something of the warm and colourful history of a popular LA institution. It’s been around since 1934 so it’s doing something right.

When we in Britain think of farmers markets we conjure visions of a few stalls selling mud-garnished carrots, small punnets of soft fruits, and over-priced designer lettuce, with perhaps a hot-dog stall and a tea urn for refreshments (although the number and quality of UK farmers markets is fast improving). The farmers market at 3rd and Fairfax in Los Angeles is more generously proportioned than most of its UK cousins and also sports a wealth of casual eateries which have supplied the recipes for this book.

The food is an ethnically diverse mix that reflects the makeup of the visitors to the market, be they locals or tourists. There is something for every taste and I find the collection of recipes quite appealing. If you are a lover of pizza then you will want to try Patsy’s Special. The crust is a soft New York style with a bunch of my favourite toppings which includes anchovies, an addition that I know is not always popular but which does introduce a saltiness to cut the fat of lots of cheese. This pie was a regular snack for the likes of Frank Sinatra and Jo DiMaggio so you’ll be munching a slice of history.

Another slice, or should I say ladleful, of Americana comes in the guise of Seafood Gumbo with Cornbread Muffins. This is provided by The Gumbo Pot which specialises in Cajun cuisine from New Orleans. This is, in my humble opinion, some of the best original American food around. A fusion of African and New World flavours – a combination of shrimps and okra. This is a surprisingly easy dish to make at home. It’s delicious and looks amazing.

LA’s Original Farmers Market Cookbook presents the best of real American food. That’s not to be found in the swanky yet anonymous restaurants mushrooming in every large city. This is food that reminds us of Hollywood movies, of mom-and-pop diners and the multitude of ethnic origins of twenty-first century Americans. I’ll be spending my next US vacation at 3rd and Fairfax.

Paul Gayler’s Little Book of Salads

In the Summer we eat lighter and fresher. Gone are the hearty casseroles and rib-sticking pasta bakes, to be replaced by salads. Yeah, but it’s boring, I hear you cry. But it doesn’t have to be. There is no excuse for bland, limp and lifeless salad. Think vibrant! Think zesty! Think of what Paul Gayler might do at a time like this!

Most of you will be familiar with the smart Lanesborough Hotel chef, who has oft graced these internet site pages. You will probably have also seen him on British food TV where he has promoted his original and exciting cuisine. In Paul Gayler’s Little Book of Salads he turns his attention to, unsurprisingly, salad. Not the iceberg, tomato and cucumber of yesteryear but more complex and all-year-round-tempting dishes that are nevertheless simple to make.

Salads are healthy and quick. They are welcomed in warmer weather but there is a whole raft of salads that are ideal for winter meals. Roast Potato Salad with Smoked Salmon uses Jersey Royal potatoes, has some bite in the guise of gherkins, and richness from the fish. Keeping with that theme Truffled Potato Salad is a visual stunner. No, the potatoes are not covered in chocolate nor are they garnished with expensive fungi. Truffle potatoes are a variety of purple potato which helps to create a dish that is not only delicious but attractive.

Perhaps my favourite from the Winter Warmers chapter is Warm Lentil Salad with Goat’s Cheese and Anchovy Toasts. Anchovies give a salty tang without overt fishiness. Combined with the goat’s cheese they offer a taste of warmer climes when the wind is whistling and you want to spend an evening tucked up with holiday brochures.

Exotic salads work whatever the temperature. Spiced Chicken and Mango Salad nods to the Subcontinent for inspiration. The mango (Alphonso for preference) adds a light perfume and the green chilli offers a hint of heat. This would be wonderful served as part of an Eastern barbecue with perhaps lamb kebabs or chops.

Paul Gayler’s Little Book of Salads offers recipes that are accessible to home cooks and which have a touch of this chef’s usual innovation. Nothing is difficult. It’s salad for goodness sake! A great little book with plenty for the vegetarian and meat-eater alike.

One Pot of Jam from Your Microwave – Quick and Easy

Foulsham & Co. might not be the largest cookbook publisher around but they present some of the best small one-topic books. I have reviewed several other of their Quick and Easy series and they have all been clearly written and informative. One Pot of Jam from Your Microwave is another to join the ranks of worthwhile cookbooks.

A few years ago your average microwave cookbook was something to be shunned. They were full of recipes that gave inferior results and used strange and nasty plastic articles that would cook bacon or make crisps (that never did work). My microwave has been used little apart from heating drinks, thawing frozen goods and warming up leftovers. Whilst I am grateful for the facility it has seemed a rather under-utilised kitchen gadget.

One Pot of Jam from Your Microwave is quite a revelation. You can make preserves in the aforementioned coffee-heater! Note that I say preserves rather than jam because this volume contains recipes for a raft of chutneys, pickles, butters and the like. The selection of bottled delights is far wider-ranging than the predictable strawberry jam. OK, so the cooking method involves the microwave but the recipes are inspiring. This stands up well in comparison to any other book on preserves.

Regular supermarket jam isn’t expensive but if you can put your hands on some free fruit then even the common blackberry jam is worth making yourself. I promise you will taste the difference. Check out the price of the more exotic shop-bought confections and you are looking at remortgaging the house or selling the kids. We are all periodically tempted by those beautiful jars, as a thank-you gift or to look smart on the breakfast table when the in-laws are staying. One Pot of Jam from Your Microwave offers some suggestions for preserves that will make you look like you have won the lottery, and how proud you’ll be to proclaim that it’s really ‘fait maison’.

There are quite a few preserves here that deserve a mention. Bird of Paradise Pineapple Jam in reality contains no wildlife and is safe for vegetarians. It’s a tropical mix of pineapple, apple and persimmon. Mango Jam with Orange is another option if you love flavours of the Orient. My tip would be to buy your mangoes from an Asian grocer. Much better value.

My favourite recipe for gift-giving is Dried Apricots in Amaretto. This has all the hallmarks of a holiday season success. It’s simple to make and good enough to keep. Dried Figs with Vanilla in Calvados also falls into that category.

One Pot of Jam from Your Microwave – Quick and Easy is a book for anyone who has ever wanted to try their hand at making jam, pickle, chutney and flavoured vinegars. I am impressed by the recipes, that are some of the most imaginative around. Good value for money.

What’s for Dinner?

I try and be a polite considerate reviewer, ever mindful of the needs of my discerning reader. I tend to avoid authors from non-catering backgrounds with small publishers. I would hate to say something negative about someone’s life’s work, their passion, their literary baby... so I don’t publish the review.

Here I was, once again, with the prospect of a culinary non-starter and I knew this one had some 650 pages. So the bad news might be that it’s another no-review, the good news might be that there was a lot of it!

Well, dear reader, you will have your review of What’s for Dinner? because I think it’s quite marvellous. This falls into the ‘sensible’ category of cookbooks, those that are practical and usable. You might think that every cookbook would have those aforementioned prerequisites: no, they don’t.

The author, Romilla Arber, is a hard-working mum of 4 children. She found that she was wasting time on numerous shopping trips because she was always missing that key ingredient to make a dinner for the family. She could browse numerous cookbooks but that would also take too much time so she wrote her own book that would give both her and others the tool to shop and cook in a timely fashion and avoid wasting time and ingredients. You can visit Romilla's site and download shopping lists for each week’s recipes. (http://www.whatsfordinner.org.uk/shoppinglists) Tuck the list into your purse/wallet and all your troubles will be little ones - you still have to do the washing up.

This is the most amazing work for a first-time writer. To be honest, it would be an amazing work from even a veteran writer. What’s for Dinner? is a weighty tome but devoid of padding. Its text is clear, recipes to the point and the photographs attractive, but it’s the format that is appealing. Each day of the year has its recipe and those dishes represent the way most of us eat these days... or at least the way we should eat if we could cook. Hold that thought - more of that later.

The most difficult part of providing meals is just deciding what to cook. You can learn to cook and those techniques will serve you well, but you need to have an idea of what to cook for dinner. Your array of lavish and celeb-endorsed cookbooks are great bedtime reading but let’s be real, you need a battery of good recipes and someone to tell you that tonight’s the night for Smoked Haddock Pie ...or they would be telling you that if this was the first week in April. Romilla Arber is the lady who will take the stress out of decision-making.

It’s no good having a cookbook that gives you a recipe for each day if you just don’t like the food. You won’t use the book and therefore it’s a waste of money. What’s for Dinner? has recipes that cover the whole spectrum of British taste. There is a liberal sprinkling of curries, recipes adapted from existing cookbooks and Romilla’s own family recipes. OK, so I wouldn’t eat the Liver and Sausage Burger (mental note: Don’t accept invitation to dinner on first Monday in January) but that’s all - one out of 365 recipes (plus extra recipes for treats each week) is pretty good going. All other dishes are delicious, quick, economical and I’d be happy to cook and eat all of them. There are few cookbooks that I would say that about, and to say it about such a large one is no faint praise.

Romilla has founded the Food Education Trust, a charity dedicated to educating adults and children in the basic skills of cooking. All proceeds from the sale of “What’s for Dinner?” will go to the Food Education Trust and will provide home economics-style classes to both adults and children as well as supplying necessary cooking equipment to schools. You are reading this review so you are obviously interested in cooking. Glance around any supermarket and you will see, usually, young women with perhaps a couple of kids and a shopping trolley piled high with high-fat, high-sugar pre-prepared foods. If this lady knew how to cook then she could save money and feed her family better. Cooking is a life skill and one of the most important ones. Yes, it’s a skill that anyone can learn. You don’t need chef’s whites and an Aga to turn out good meals. I wholeheartedly support anything that promotes cooking at any level.

What’s for Dinner? is a book you’ll buy for yourself because it’s a good, solid cookbook. But consider it as a gift for anyone you know who would like to eat better but professes to not having enough time. This is outstanding value for money.

World Whisky

Who knew? There are many hundreds of whiskies. I had suspected that there might be perhaps a hundred from small distilleries in Scotland and Ireland and a few in the US. World Whisky lists over 700 whiskies from as far afield as Japan (the Japanese have a reputation as whisky “enthusiasts”) and Australia.

I am not a Scotch drinker and when questioned I’ll deny that I like whisky at all, but it’s a lie. I do quite like Irish whiskey which has a different palate of flavours from Scottish whisky. There are those who would let nothing but Mellow Corn Whiskey across the cabin threshold so I guess it’s all a matter of taste, or lack thereof; Corn Whiskey said to be best when consumed young but others say it’s just as good if you keep it for a week or so.

World Whisky is a book to be savoured by the connoisseur but will be equally welcomed by those who would like to be. Whisky is a drink to be sipped, lingered over and appreciated. Although not a lover of The Water of Life (uisge beatha in the Celtic tongue), I can understand the attraction. Whisky is collected like fine wine, and anyone interested in such a hobby would do well to invest in this book. There are ample Tasting Note pages for you to create your own list of memorable bottles.

Each of the 700-odd whiskies has a history and taste profile. Old Hokonui from New Zealand has a colourful past. It sports a skull-and-crossbones on the bottle, giving it the air of the illicit which I am sure has added to its popularity.

Yes, this volume presents the quaint and iconic spirits, but it is a serious work and equips the reader with all he or she needs to choose whiskies that will bring comfort to long winter evenings. You’ll learn about the manufacture and evolution of the wee dram but, more importantly, you’ll understand why each glassful tastes the way it does. There is even information about which glasses to use, although some folks say that whisky would taste good even drunk from an envelope; but that’s the voice of desperation.

World Whisky is a hefty 350-page comprehensive guide to whisky: its various classes, its paraphernalia, its past and its future. It’s a fascinating story and illustrates the reason why whisky has remained the beverage of choice for so many discerning drinkers. Great value for money and an ideal Christmas gift.

Tea and Crumpets

Well, the name is tempting but add a subtitle of Recipes and Rituals from European Tearooms and Cafés, and my attention is captured!

Tea is a drink (or beverage if you hail from North American shores), yes, that’s true, but it’s also an institution, an event, a ceremony. A mug of tea, a doorstep sandwich and a doughnut (don’t write in – I do love them) does not amount to Afternoon Tea... even if you are drinking and eating the aforementioned items during those hours after lunch (that’s dinner if you are from some parts of England) and before dinner (supper if you are from those same parts of England).

Afternoon Tea is a rather formal pause. The table will be heaving with a selection of sandwiches and other small savouries, a cake to slice as well as small individual cakes, perhaps also some biscuits (those flat, crunchy things - cookies). This is somewhat different from High Tea which included a cooked dish and salads and was usually consumed late afternoon or early evening.

The author of Tea and Crumpets, Margaret M. Johnson, presents us with recipes for the best and most classic of Afternoon Tea delights. These are baked goods familiar to European teatime enthusiasts and include many traditional favourites from some of the finest venues in Britain, Ireland and France.

Cucumber sandwiches are a famed afternoon tea staple. Margaret offers Claridge’s Hotel’s version. The classic sandwich has the crusts removed and can best be described as delicate. These dainties would not fill a rugby player but work perfectly with all the other morsels on a three-tier stand. Perhaps crusts were as offensive as piano legs to genteel ladies of centuries past.

Crumpets are the stuff of many a Victorian childhood dream. They come equipped with holes that beg to be filled with soon-to-be-melted butter. Not perhaps a healthy option but if you are going to have a tea party then you should do it well. Crumpets are made with a yeast batter poured into crumpet rings on a skillet (griddle). You could use egg rings or plain cookie (biscuit) cutters. It’s a simple recipe with a unique result.

Traditional scones (a bit like American biscuits – not cookies) are equally “evil”, being, if you are a purist, loaded with clotted cream and strawberry jam. They are perhaps the most celebrated of the teatime array as they also hold centre stage in another British institution, the Cream Tea, which consists of just scones with their garnishes, and cups of tea of course. Most British or Irish tea drinkers will take their regular beverage with a little milk but never cream. Or have those flavoured and aromatic teas without milk, but perhaps add a slice of lemon.

Queen Victoria loved Shortbread. It’s another of those iconic afternoon tea items. They are buttery and rich and come in a range of shapes and sizes. They are not difficult to make but they should never be overcooked. Just done with next to no colour is the secret.

Dundee Cake is another contribution from North of the Border. This is a hearty cake that is a must for those cold afternoons when rib-sticking fare and a roaring log fire (look, this is my review so I can conjure up a log fire if I want one) are in order. Spicy Marmalade Loaf is a lovely alternative and has Dundee orange marmalade as a key ingredient. Oranges don’t grow in Scotland but that country does make some of the most delicious marmalade.

Tea and Crumpets is a travelogue of smart tearooms. It’s a book that will be welcomed by those who would like to participate in the revival of a tasteful tradition. Tea taken at a posh hotel is a marvellous experience, but a real tea party in one’s own home is a pleasure. Get out your grandmother’s bone china service and charm your friends with an artful display of culinary elegance. It’s easier than you might think.

Backroads of the California Coast

It’s a change to write a travel book review about a place to which I have been. California held much promise and did not disappoint. It is a state that deserves to be explored at a slow pace. You’ll get the best from this trip if you take time to venture off the beaten path.

Perhaps, dear reader, I should say that you don’t need to venture off the beaten path. Rather you want a path that has already been beaten by adventurers, prospectors and settlers, and leads you to spots that hold charm, beauty and historic elegance. Karen Misuraca has written Backroads of the California Coast in order to assist you in your quest to find that ideal and overlooked spot.

A travel book would be sorely lacking if it didn’t have a few nice snaps. Garry Crabbe has done a stirling job with the photography for this volume and there are more than just a few pictures – every page has striking views, amazing seascapes, quaint buildings or glimpses of wildlife.

Backroads are a series of books that offer scenic vacation routes for those who want to know more about a particular state or region. Backroads of the California Coast has that same format with the book divided into three parts: The North Coast, The Central Coast and The South Coast. Each of those sections covers the highlights and the must-sees but equally includes those fascinating points of interest that might easily be missed by the untutored traveller.

The North Coast leads you to, amongst others, Muir Woods and the Golden Gate. The Central Coast suggests a visit to Hurst’s Castle which is the once-seen-never-forgotten home of William Randolph Hurst. The Neptune swimming pool is a piece of ancient Rome transported to the Californian hills. There is a dining room of magnificent splendour with crystal goblets and a ketchup bottle.

If you only have time to visit one section of the Californian coast then take the South Coast. This has a real feel of Spanish California with its missions and ranchos. Old San Diego is a place you’ll not want to miss. Yes, there are the inevitable tourist shops but also so much that is truly historic and worthwhile.

Backroads of the California Coast is an attractive guide for the independent traveller. If you are even a little tempted by a trip to California then take my advice and read this book before you go. It’s a journey planner full of inspiration.

The Cook’s Guide to Meat

This is the second book in the new Apple Press series of Cooks Guides, which it has been my pleasure to review, the first being The Cook’s Guide to Fish. The Cook’s Guide to Meat has the same hand-book-size and leatherette finish as the fish guide and also enjoys the benefits of the same illustrator, Jane Laurie. I feel she deserves as much acclaim as the writer, as her work is so much a part of the success of the book.

The author, Jennie Milsom, was trained in French Culinary Arts and Wines and Spirits, and has been a chef as well as a writer of features and recipes for several magazines. In 2004 she became deputy cookery editor of Good Housekeeping Magazine. This is her first book.

If you are at all interested in food, and meat in particular, then I would recommend this book. It’s rare to find a book of such beauty and detail, and containing so much practical advice. Meat is expensive and few of us have money to burn, undercook, ruin or waste. You want to present meals that are tasty and tender and to do that in the most cost-effective way.

There have been a host of health scares over the last decade or two. Many of us are concerned about animal welfare and we need to know that the meat on the plate came from healthy and content animals which were dispatched with the minimum of stress. Best advice is to find yourself a good butcher and ask questions. The Cook’s Guide to Meat shepherds you (this book considers sheep, cows and pigs) through choosing the best meat and enables you to talk to the nice man behind the counter in a fashion that will convince him of your knowledge of the subject.

There are hundreds of cookbooks which will offer recipes for meat dishes and list “diced pork” or “slices of beef”. If you know the cooking method to be employed then you will be able to buy the most appropriate cuts of meat for the dish. You wouldn’t want to use silverside for a stir-fry as it demands long slow cooking. Fillet on the other hand is tender but will cost more. It’s horses (a rich, lean meat prized by the French) for courses!

The Cook’s Guide to Meat offers advice on cooking each cut, describes its flavour and where on the carcass the meat might be found. If the particular cut has aliases then these too are noted – one person’s tenderloin might be another’s pork fillet. There is a list of useful utensils for cooking meat. I’d say a meat thermometer is indispensible if you intend to prepare joints of meat. Such a gadget gives a novice cook a bit of confidence and has saved this experienced cook from more than one disaster. Buy one that has a probe that is inserted into the meat before it reaches the oven. Set the temperature and then the alarm will tell you when your joint has reached juicy perfection. 

The Cook’s Guide to Meat is part of a soon-to-be classic series. A book that is lovely to look at and packed with information that will save you money. A marvellous gift.

The Farmer’s Wife Cookie Cookbook

If you are a regular visitor to Mostly Food Journal (and why wouldn’t you be?) then you will be familiar with the series of Farmer’s Wife cookbooks. They are compiled from original recipes found in the magazine of the same name, published between 1893 and 1939 in Minnesota.

Cookie baking is an ideal introduction to kitchen pursuits. The virgin cook has no fear with regard to baking biscuits (British term for cookies). One might worry that a pastry case is a bit too crunchy. One could have second thoughts about launching into soufflé production lest they not rise. Well, with cookies the worst has already happened. For the most part, you want the aforementioned crunch and something flattish.

The Farmer’s Wife Cookie Cookbook concerns itself with sweet confections, some of which might be considered as cake or dessert. Bars and Squares have long been popular in the US and have taken hold world-wide. Lemon Bars are my favourite from this chapter. It’s a rather curious recipe demanding a first baking and then the addition of beaten eggs, sugar, lemon juice and baking powder. The end result is a tangy bar with a soft top. Just right with a nice cuppa tea.

Crullers are included in this book. It’s not a word commonly heard in Britain. Although a cruller sounds like it should be a wild seabird it is in fact a variety of doughnut: a deep-fried sweet pastry dusted with sugar. These are usually made in strips or braids rather than rounds. Funnel Cakes are also a glimpse of pure Americana. These comprise a cake batter run through a funnel directly into hot oil. Think of a thin delicate version of churros. A favourite at State fairs and such gatherings.

Maple Syrup Cookies have my vote as a must-try. When it comes to that rich liquid Maple syrup, to know it is to love it. It has, unlike most sweet syrups, a real flavour. Don’t substitute corn syrup or Golden Syrup or the end result of your labours will be entirely different from that intended. Delicious perhaps, but a shadow of a real Maple Syrup Cookie.

The Farmer’s Wife Cookie Cookbook is a book to be used. The measurements are by volume as one would expect from an American cookbook. This should hold no terrors for the European cook. It’s a practical method and simple. The recipes have probably been tested by generations of cooks who would not have had the luxury of modern kitchen equipment. This is a charming book offering delicious goodies.

Cook Express

This is another from the presses of Dorling Kindersley that offers great value for money. Here we are again with a cookbook for those who have neither the room nor inclination to own a whole raft of cookbooks. If you have next to no time to cook then chances are you will have even less time to leaf through a shelf or two of recipe books, however gorgeous they might be.

Cook Express is designed with the strapped-for-time in mind. The recipes are quick to make but also quick to find. There are handy recipe choosers to allow you to find just the right dish for your purposes. Fish starter in less than 15 minutes, Meat main meal under 30 minutes, etc. Each entry has a photograph, preparation time and cooking time. Healthy options and suitability for freezing are also indicated.

The Everyday section of the book offers fast food without the need to interrogate the takeaway (take out) flyers. You’ll not need to resort to pre-packaged or frozen ready meals, and you’ll be eating healthy fresh foods that won’t break the bank.

Pasta has long been prized as the instant home-cooked meal so it’s no surprise to find lots of examples in this volume. You’ll not be restricted to eating spaghetti with a bottle of tomato sauce and a black olive for garnish. How’s about Pasta with Crab and Lemon? Only 5 minutes preparation and 10 minutes cooking. Macaroni Cheese with Red Onion has the same 5 minutes for preparation and 20 minutes for cooking, and you’ll be pouring a nice glass of red while it’s reaching bubbling, golden perfection.

It’s often difficult to entertain when time is short so Cook Express devotes about half its space to cooking for friends. Most dishes here can be prepared in 10 minutes or so and the maximum would be 30 minutes. There are some suggestions for feeding a crowd in the Big-Pot Gatherings chapter, with recipes for 8 servings still with only 30 minutes preparation for the most time-consuming.

Desserts can so often be fiddly and long-winded, and to present a semi-frozen Arctic Roll from the box is such an anti-climax. Cook Express has great ideas for cook-and-freeze-ahead desserts for those who are attached to the icebox. Just defrost and reheat. OK, so there might be 30 or 40 minutes of cooking time but you’ll be eating your main course and not watching the crumble brown.

I have been inexorably drawn towards the end of the book where lurks a list of Indulgent Puddings. Chocolate Amaretti Roulade will take half an hour of your time to make and only 20 minutes to cook. The No-Cook Desserts chapter offers Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate Mousse, and Banoffee Pie which only takes 15 minutes to assemble.

Cook Express is a complete one-stop extravaganza for those in a hurry. The 700 recipes in this 500-odd page tome will save you sufficient time for you to reinforce your bookshelf, although this volume is liable to spend more time on your kitchen counter than amongst your personal library. Lots of practical and delicious dishes to suit every taste and budget.

World Cheese Book

It’s days like this when I think that being a cookbook reviewer is the most marvellous occupation. I have been presented with 350 or so pages of unadulterated and odorous delight. Every page I view increases taste-bud activity to the point where a triangle of something in silver foil will just not cut the mustard.

This is the most comprehensive encyclopaedia of cheese that this reviewer has thus far examined. The author, Juliet Harbutt, has done an excellent job of seeking out fine and fascinating cheese from every corner of the world. This is a volume that does not just concentrate on the obvious cheese-producing regions but also takes the path less trodden to Eastern Europe, Israel, Japan and even Brazil.

It should come as no surprise that cheese is a popular foodstuff for the majority of the world. If there is an animal giving milk then there is sure to be a cheese producer nearby. The range of texture and taste is amazing and this versatile product is used for both sweet and savoury courses.

You don’t have to be a cheese connoisseur to appreciate this volume. We all notice cheeses in even the regular supermarket. What do they taste like? What do you do with them? Any good for cooking? World Cheese Book lists cheeses by country. It gives a short description, tasting notes and how to enjoy. There is also an at-a-glance information box which gives location, age, weight and shape, size, milk, classification (soft white, for example) and producer.

It’s the photographs which are striking. Each cheese has a shot showing the whole cheese or wedge of cheese but there are also close-up shots showing the texture and marbling. If you are searching for a pretty cheese then go for Monet made in California and described as “a true artist’s palate that reflects the beautiful gardens that surround this coastal California Dairy.” It’s like a fine piece of porcelain decorated with marigold and viola flowers: not a classic cheese but a visual stunner. A soft, fresh cheese available all year round.

For a cheese that is best described as different then try Norway’s Gjetost. This is a caramel-coloured cheese that tastes ...well, of caramel. It is the dairy equivalent of Marmite: you either love it or hate it. It’s very much an acquired taste but worth trying if you get the chance. I probably wouldn’t include this as part of an international cheese board, though. Savour its “delights” alone or with a slice of spice cake.

World Cheese Book is an absolute “must have” for any cheese lover or those who would like to know more. There is plenty of information about cheese making as well as indispensible advice on selecting cheeses for the perfect cheeseboard, and its accompanying wine. This would make a marvellous Christmas gift but I would consider presenting it to your loved one at the start of the festive season rather than on Christmas morning. Allow them the benefit of this book’s wisdom before they do the shopping. They will thank you for it. This is amazing value for money!

Sicilian Food

Originally published in 1989 it was out of print for ten years or so. This new edition reminds us why Sicilian Food has been considered a classic.

Mary Taylor Simeti arrived in Sicily fresh from college in America. She worked as a volunteer at a centre for community development for $75 a month. Her interest in cooking came through necessity rather than love of the subject. Mary came from a well-heeled family in Virginia where they enjoyed the services of a cook. This was probably a marvellous environment to sample well-cooked food but hardly one that was going to prepare anyone for doing the job themselves. Marriage to a Sicilian eventually gave Mary the inspiration to look into the culinary history and delightful confections of her adopted home.

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and the largest region of the modern state of Italy, but its relationship with the mainland has been tempestuous. Italy had once been a group of separate states ruled by France, Spain, Austria and other foreign countries, until Guiseppe Garibaldi unified Italy and drove out the foreigners. But Sicily was renowned for its delicious food before Italy was even a twinkle in the eye of Garibaldi.

Sicily enjoys marvellous produce that has been noted and coveted since the time of Homer. This volume considers the food heritage and presents recipes from cooks, books and monasteries. There is much that is recognisable as Italian but which might well have originated in Sicily. Pasta is first seen in Italy at the time of the Arab occupation, not on the mainland but in Sicily.

So let’s look at a pasta dish. Pasta Paolina Style (pasta alla Paolina) was invented by the friars of the Monastery of San Francesco di Paola in Palermo. It has both cinnamon and cloves along with anchovies and tomato sauce. Quite an exotic departure from the more ubiquitous pasta garnish of the tomato and herb-flavoured sauces of Italy.

The monasteries have played quite a part in the culinary tapestry of Sicilian food. They have preserved ancient recipes that reflect good taste and some quaint humour. Minni di Virgini (Virgins Breasts) are much-prized small cakes – sometimes with a cheeky cherry on the top. Sfinci Ammilati (Honey Puffs) are light balls of fried dough steeped in honey. These were also filled with an egg custard or ricotta to celebrate saints’ days.

Not everyone in Sicily was a nun or a monk. The island would be empty by now if that had been the case. Ordinary folks would enjoy Roasted Sweet Peppers (Pepperoni Arrostiti), Potato Croquettes (Croche di Patate) and Chickpea Fritters (Panelle) which were all popular street foods, and they would make lovely light lunches with just some green salad and a dressing of fruity olive oil.

A classic this book might be, but it’s readable and witty. The recipes are broad-based, covering peasant fare as well as elevated and noble dishes. It’s a social history as well as a cookbook and would be a great addition to any serious cookbook collection.

Guinness

Paul Hartley has penned several brand cookbooks including the Lyles Golden Syrup Cookbook and the HP Sauce Cookbook (both reviewed on this site), Marmite Cookbook and Heinz Tomato Ketchup Cookbook. It’s probably safe to say that Paul has an eye for iconic and popular products.

Guinness – An Official Celebration of 250 Remarkable Years offers us firstly the history of “the black stuff”, “Girder”, “Liffey Water”, and it is indeed a story worth telling. Any product that has lasted two and a half centuries deserves a volume celebrating its longevity. There can surely be only a handful of brands that have endured while the world has changed so much.

Sake is synonymous with Japan, Whisky with Scotland and tea with England, but Ireland has Guinness. It’s available around the globe and is recognised even when poured. The distinctive dark brew with the clerical collar has decorated bars on every continent and has tickled the taste buds of almost every nationality.

This beer is in fact porter. No, dear reader, it doesn’t contain Port. It’s named after the men who hauled vegetables and other foodstuffs in London’s many markets. From 1799 the Guinness that we know today was the only beer brewed by the company. Its association with food might have started in Covent Garden Market and the like but it continues with recipes using Guinness, and there are 18 or so fine and traditional ones in this volume.

Steak pie with ale has been tempting diners for many a year. This has become a classic dish because it works, so it’s no surprise to find Beef and Guinness Puff Pastry Pie. Paul has added dried figs to this version which helps as a foil for the slightly bitter beer.

A must-try from Paul Hartley’s collection is Guinness Honeycomb Ice Cream. This recipe doesn’t need an ice-cream maker so there is no excuse not to make it. It’s a simple dessert using Guinness and those familiar chocolate-covered honeycomb bars. You know, the ones that are a bit crunchy.

The section in Guinness that charts various advertising campaigns is fascinating. We no longer consider Guinness as Good For You although that was used as a persuasive slogan for a while. The Guinness for Strength poster proved so popular that frequenters of “the local” would ask for a pint of “girder”, making reference to the iron-beam-carrying chap on the ad.

Guinness is a book full of evocative images and a story of vision. It would be a great gift for anyone who enjoys the drink, who enjoys cooking or who has an interest in advertising.

The Cook’s Guide to Fish and Seafood

I see many cookbooks every week and hundreds every year. Most are very nice, some are inspiring, there are a few that would be better left as trees, and then there are the gems.

Apple Press have done it again! This publisher never seems to put a foot wrong. They present books that are marvellously practical but also attractive, but they might just have surpassed themselves. The Cook’s Guide to Fish and Seafood is one in a new series of books that will become heirlooms.

Strong words, them. I am going to stick my reviewer’s neck out and say that these small books, described as handbook-sized in leatherette, are a must for any serious cook but also for any serious cookbook collector. The author, Wendy Sweetser, trained at the Cordon Bleu cookery schools in both London and Paris. She has penned fifteen other food- and drink-related books as well as being food editor and feature writer for OK, The London Magazine, and Period Living.

Most of us love the glossy, celeb chef cookbooks. What’s not to love... mostly. But The Cook’s Guide books offer an in-depth look at culinary subjects. They are well written but it’s the illustrations that are striking. Food photography has reached amazing degrees of perfection but no camera can present its subject in such charming detail as can brush, watercolour and pen. The artist, Jane Laurie, has skills that add character and elevate this volume to gift quality.

Elevated though these books surely are, they are far from simple coffee-table dust-magnets. These are food manuals to read, learn from, and to delve into. The Cook’s Guide to Fish and Seafood considers... well, fish and seafood. Each fish has its illustration, and its characteristics are described; its habitat, availability, cooking method and substitution suggestions are all mentioned.

We know that fish is good for us but there is often the underlying question, Are the stocks sustainable? The Cook’s Guide to Fish and Seafood includes farmed fish where available, and notes when wild varieties are in season. This helps the shopper to make informed choices.

The Cook’s Guide to Fish and Seafood offers advice on choosing fresh fish, equipment, storage, trimming, scaling and gutting, filleting and skinning. It’s a marvel of a book that will be appreciated by cooks and cookbook collectors as well as fishermen. Great Christmas gift and good value for money.

500 Casseroles and Stews

Paul Gayler’s Little Book of Ice Creams and Sorbets

Paul is the chef at the Lanesborough Hotel in London. It’s considered a “Destination” hotel and has a restaurant to match that status. This man is a familiar face on British food TV and is also an accomplished cookbook author.

All of Paul Gayler’s books (I have reviewed several to date) have been innovative but I have been at pains to point out that they have not been “chefy”. That’s a term that smacks of criticism and usually indicates that the recipes are over-complicated and fussy. I am, however, persuaded to use just that word for Paul Gayler’s Little Book of Ice Creams and Sorbets.

No, dear reader, this writer has not changed her style of review. I have not turned overnight into the Gordon Ramsay of the cookbook review world. This time I use “chefy” as a compliment. These recipes are not at all long-winded or fiddly but the chef has presented his culinary credentials in the form of amazing combinations of ingredients and textures that would have been difficult for a civilian to invent.

Paul Gayler’s Little Book of Ice Creams and Sorbets is an adult dessert cookbook. The first few recipes are standards and one would expect to find them here, but once settling you into a warm (or cold in this case) sense of familiar security, Paul takes a detour.

The Ice Cream chapter starts innocently with a simple Vanilla Ice Cream, but on closer inspection even this has a few exciting variations. Paul suggests the addition of some lavender, Earl Grey tea, lemon curd, dried breadcrumbs and rice pudding. You might be tempted to linger, but turn a page or two and you’ll find more soon-to-become-favourites.

Eggnog and Orange Peel Ice Cream could take the place of Christmas Pudding chez nous. Dark rum in almost anything is good in my book and it always reminds me of the holiday season. Keeping with the Christmas theme Paul offers a Christmas Bombe. This looks like a mint-green Christmas pudding but it’s a confection of ice cream and candied fruit.

Goats Cheese Ice Cream is rich and tangy. Paul uses regular milk in his recipe but that could be replaced by goat’s milk to make this an ideal dessert for those who are intolerant of cow’s milk. An alternative frozen treat would be Coconut Milk, Yogurt and Red Chilli Sorbet. Sophisticated and exotic.

How’s about Balsamic Butter Ice Cream? Paul serves this with Citrus Fruit Salad and Passion Fruit Jelly (recipe in this book). Sweetcorn Ice Cream would be quite a conversation piece. Black Pepper Ice Cream is another show-stopper. I think this might go well with strawberries - a different take on the traditional strawberries and cream.

Paul Gayler’s Little Book of Ice Creams and Sorbets packs a punch. It might be a little book but it’s well worth the equally small price. Paul once again showcases his skills and ability to think successfully outside the box.

No-Oil Cooking

There are many of us now who are overweight and an increasing number who are clinically obese. In some European countries that figure has increased (no pun intended) to 25% of the population. That is a staggering statistic.

We have more overweight people and the weight by which they are “over” has also increased. The reasons for the rise in weight-related disease are simple: modern lifestyle and eating habits. We drive more and walk less. Our jobs often require little movement apart from fingers sprinting across computer keys. We don’t think we have time to cook healthy foods and we choose more and more fatty, pre-prepared foods or takeaways (takeouts).

Sanjeev Kapoor presents us with recipes that are both oil-free (that is to say no added oil) and are still delicious and satisfying. He is India’s most celebrated chef and food industry guru. Sanjeev is increasingly recognised by a discerning overseas audience as an authority on Indian food and his books and TV series Khana Khazana have long been popular. No-Oil Cooking has his touch of exotica and common sense which will be appealing to every nationality of reader.

Cooking with no added oil isn’t difficult... but it’s important to have recipes that have that taste and mouth-feel that at the end of the meal give us the sensation of having had “proper” food. It’s no good eating an oil-free meal and then tucking into a huge box of chocolates because you feel empty.

The chapters cover everything from drinks to main courses to sweets and everything in between. The recipes listed don’t read like worthy, noble and boring healthfood dishes. This is tasty food that just happens to be good for you. The whole family will enjoy these offerings so you won’t be confronted with the perennial problem of cooking one meal for the health-conscious folk and a different one for those who just live to eat. One meal fits all!

Garlic-Flavoured Rasam is my choice from the Beverages, Soups and Salads chapter. This is comfort food that is, thankfully, good for you. It is easy to prepare and that preparation only takes 10 minutes. The cooking time is just 30 minutes, without constant attention.

Corn Bhel couldn’t be simpler and is the ultimate healthy snack. Sanjeev uses Green Coriander Chutney and Date and Tamarind Chutney for this delight and he gives both recipes so you’ll have no excuse not to make it.

Vegetable Seekh Kebabs would be a great addition to any barbeque. They would be welcomed by vegetarians who are so often overlooked on these occasions but it’s also no-guilt munching for those who are looking for a healthy option. These are so tempting that you’ll need to make enough for the meat eaters as well.

No-Oil Cooking offers fast, no-fuss food that is full of flavour, colour and texture. Your body will thank you and so will your family.

La Porte des Indes Cookbook

Some of you, my dear readers, might be able to translate that title with ease (education is a marvellous thing). The Gateway to the Indies is my stab at it but why is it a French title for a book of Indian food? The subtitle is The legacy of France in Indian regional cuisine and, yes, there is indeed a region of India that was a little piece of France ...till 1954.

I had already some idea about Pondicherry as my father had spent time there in the 1940s (his friend, Taffy, being “deported” to India for having a liaison with the daughter of a civil servant) but I had no idea that the French food connection had lasted so long. It’s subtle but unmistakable.

There are in fact deux Portes des Indes restaurants, one in London and the other in Brussels, where it originated. Not probably the city with the closest of Indian connections but evidently one which was open to new culinary trends. La Porte des Indes is part of the Blue Elephant empire and has the same sumptuous decor, that has become the trademark of both restaurants.

The vibrant driving forces behind both the restaurant and the cookbook are Mehernosh and Sherin Mody. The book has also benefited from the skills of food and travel writer John Hellon and we have the gorgeous results of their collaboration. It’s contemporary, bright and full of amazing close-up shots by celebrated photographer Tony le Duc.

But the food is the star. There are familiar dishes but even these have been given the La Porte twist. I hadn’t expected to see Chicken Tikka Masala, which has become a cliché of Anglicised Indianish food. This dish, however, is something a bit smart and has a sauce of turmeric yellow. A cut above the original.

A signature dish of La Porte des Indes is Poulet Rouge (Chicken in a Creamy Red Sauce) but it is easy for a home cook to make this dish. It’s rich and stunning and just what you’ll cook if you want to impress on a budget. Chicken thighs are economic and the other ingredients are readily available in your local supermarket.

Duck is one of those archetypical French ingredients so here we have Magret de Canard Pulivaar (Roasted Duck Breasts in a Spicy Tamarind Sauce). The meat might make you think of romantic bistro meals in Paris but the marinade and sauce are all Indian. Madame Lourdes Swamy of Pondicherry is the originator of this recipe.

This is a restaurant cookbook so it has a chapter devoted to cocktails, and just the names will transport you to the subcontinent. Monsoon (Midori, melon vodka and champagne), Tamarind Martini (gin, limoncello and tamarind puree) are just a couple and there are also some lovely desserts.

Indian restaurant desserts are often a disappointing bunch but La Porte des Indes Cookbook has some unique and classy ones. Payasam (green lentils and tender coconut pudding) is a stunner but it would demand a visit to an Asian supermarket. Chocolate and Chikki Kulfi is Belgian Chocolate and Praline Ice Cream and a true liaison of two of the world’s classic culinary cultures.

La Porte des Indes Cookbook is something a bit special. It’s modern and full of innovation but it cherishes its French/Indian roots which have combined to create a cuisine with touches of both. A joy to read and to cook from.

Dal and Kadhi

Sanjeev Kapoor is the Indian chef with the golden touch. His acclaimed TV series, Khana Khazana, has enjoyed a 15-year run, has won the Indian Television Academy “Best Cookery Show” and the “Indian Telly” awards year after year, such is the popularity of this man.

Dal and Kadhi presents regional comfort food at its best and the book is as delightful as the food. Each recipe is accompanied by a photograph by Bharat Bhirangi who has a talent for showing these dishes in a mouth-watering fashion. You’ll be planning your next meal before you leave the bookshop.

What could be better than a flavourful dal or kadhi to eat with rice or roti? Your meal might be humble or you could add a dal to an array of other dishes to make a sumptuous and satisfying spread. They range in texture from the rich and substantial to the light and refreshing to suit the season or the occasion. These are the dishes that people miss when they leave home and crave when they are in far-off countries.

This book offers 45 recipes that you will want to add to your culinary repertoire no matter what your home region. They are a broad-based selection of recipes so there is sure to be something to please every palate. Dal Makhni is perhaps the most celebrated both in India and overseas where it has become a restaurant speciality, although seldom cooked in an authentic style. Maharashtrian Kadhi is a traditional dish and represents India’s culinary diversity in a most delicious way.

All these dals and kadhis are tempting but as with life in general there are firsts among equals and I have picked a few that are particularly tempting. Rajasthani Baati ki Dal is made with split green gram (dhuli moong dal) and Bengal gram (chana dal) and the resulting dal is served with traditional baked balls of dough.

Bhindi ni Kadhi is bound to be on my list as I love ladies’ fingers (bhinda/ bhindi). This is a soupy combination of yogurt and gram flour (besan) flavoured with spices. The vegetables remain a little crisp giving the kadhi an interesting texture.

Dal Hari Bhari contains spinach and fenugreek leaves, onions and spices, and Sanjeev uses it to tempt those who would not normally enjoy green vegetables. This would be an easy meal when served just with rice.

Dal and Kadhi is an Aladdin’s cave of ideas for quick, tasty and healthy dishes. One expects lovely books from Sanjeev Kapoor and this is another in that collection that never disappoints. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy good food. This book will show you the way in fine flavourful fashion.

The Blue Elephant Cookbook

This must surely be the most celebrated of Thai restaurant empires. It would be diminishing the class and the quality of the group to describe them as a chain. This is far from the KF Mac Hut of the Thai food world – think sumptuous and exotic and thoroughly impressive.

The Blue Elephant has a fine reputation wherever you might find it. and the cookbook now allows its followers to replicate its dishes in their home kitchens. Those who have never had the pleasure of visiting a Blue Elephant will soon appreciate the attraction.

Thai food in general has gained worldwide popularity over the past decade. More of us have the opportunity to travel to Thailand and also to visit Thai restaurants in our home countries, and we want to try those dishes for ourselves. The Blue Elephant Cookbook will offer you a marvelous array of recipes that represent the very essence of Thai food with all its vibrant flavours.

Blue Elephant recipes are authentic, attractive and tempting. They are not over-taxing for the competent home cook, and the ingredients are all availiable either from your favourite supermarket’s Asian food aisle, from a specialist Thai food store or by mail order via the internet. You’ll not only learn how to make soups, starters, salads, main dishes and desserts but also curry pastes and sauces.

Thai Fish Cakes will be instantly recognised by travellers returning from sun-kissed Thai resorts. They are delicately soft with a crunch supplied by a garnish of peanuts and refreshing lettuce. Serve this with Cucumber Sauce (recipe in this book) and you have a delicious snack or light lunch, or combine with other dishes as part of a Thai buffet.

Stir-Fried Seafood with Garlic and Peppercorns (Seafood Krathiam Prik Thai) is elegant and flavourful and would be an ideal “special” meal. OK, the prawns, scallops and crab are not cheap but this recipe makes the best of that seafood, and the finished result is stunning. The base is Blue Elephant Special Sauce which you can easily make and freeze for future use.

Tuk’s Duck Salad (Laab Ped) is a dish devised by the aforementioned Tuk who is a chef at the Blue Elephant in London. The duck is grilled and flavoured with a spice paste and garnished with fried shallots, chillies, fresh coriander and salad. A simple dish to prepare but it has great impact.

The Blue Elephant Cookbook is a jewel of a volume and definitely among my favourite Thai cookbooks. It will be snapped up by lovers of classic Thai food as well as those who are regular diners at The Blue Elephant restaurants. A lovely book.

Royal Hyderabadi Cooking

This is a collaboration between two of India’s finest sons of the culinary arts. If you have not heard of Sanjeev Kapoor (

Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook

You should expect something special when you are presented with a Sanjeev Kapoor cookbook. Low Calorie Vegetarian really is something a bit different and this could start an exotic diet trend.

Sanjeev is probably the most celebrated of Indian chefs, presenting Khana Khazana on India’s Zee TV. It’s been airing since 1993 and its 600th episode is now just a memory. He has won several awards such as the Best Executive Chef of India Award and the Mercury Gold Award at Geneva, which has earned this man international as well as home-grown respect.

Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook is just one of many cookbooks from this charming, handsome and charismatic man. Each book is welcomed by an adoring audience who have been impressed by the author’s skill on the small screen. It’s said that Sanjeev never repeats a recipe and will not need to for several decades; such is his volume of work.

Low calorie carnivorous and low calorie vegetarian recipes have often seemed to fall into one of two categories: boring or boring with vegetables. But Sanjeev’s book will strike the right chord with many readers who want a low calorie diet that offers food with taste and texture. If you don’t enjoy the food that does you good then you will fall back into the same old unhealthy eating habits which got you into your chubby mess to start with.

Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook is about flavour, and Sanjeev has a collection of recipes that will tempt even those with no health or weight issues. This is good food with intriguing combinations of spices and fresh ingredients. There are Nutrition Information charts with each recipe to enable the home cook to make the best choices to achieve a balanced diet.

The recipes are broad-based and you don’t have to be a lover of traditional Indian food to appreciate the dishes. Sanjeev has French onion soup but his version raises the bar with French Onion and Garlic Soup. Spicy Pineapple Boat is light and refreshing but with a little kick from green chillies. For those who want a cool and summery salad then Minted Mushrooms should fit the bill. This is a dish of mushrooms, tomato, cucumber, mint leaves and a dressing of low fat yogurt, and the addition of lemon juice provides a tang.

However delicious the European-inspired dishes might be, most of us will be looking for that unmistakable taste of the subcontinent and it’s here in glorious profusion. Spinach and Cabbage Parantha is a flatbread with aromatic cardamom and spicy red chilli powder to complement the vegetables incorporated into the dough.

Desserts are not forgotten. Kesari Phirni is a lovely dessert of Pistachio nuts perfumed with saffron and cardamom. The sweetness comes from a sugar substitute such as Equal or Splenda so you can indulge with no guilt.

Do I have a favourite recipe? Well, you know I do and its Mushroom Dum Biryani. This is a rice dish made with the traditional method but have no fear, it’s not difficult and the results will impress both Western and Asian friends. I’ll make this dish often, not because I have a low calorie diet (although perhaps I should) but because it’s delicious and simple.

A Western cook will have no problem finding the spices in local supermarkets or from one of the many online Asian stores. The cooking techniques are not taxing and you don’t have to take a trip to Mumbai to kit out your new Asian kitchen. This is a fascinating book with recipes that will encourage you to make, eat and enjoy flavourful and healthful meals.

Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook is the first of Sanjeev Kapoor's books that I have had the pleasure to review, and there are more to follow. This volume is bound to be a success with readers from every continent.