Istanbul – Globetrotter Travel Guide

The People’s Cookbook

UKTV Food was on to a winner with The People’s Cookbook. It wasn’t just a cookbook (the one you see before you) but a TV series of the same name. The judges for the competition, for competition it was, were Antony Worrall Thompson and Paul Rankin, but the authors of this book are the Great British Public.

The People’s Cookbook represents what good food is all about. It’s good ingredients, family and friends, and recipes that people love. These recipes are not just a list of instructions but more documents of history and heritage, and a catalyst for stories of joy, tragedy, courage and fun. You’ll know that these recipes are going to be good because they have stood the test of time. If grandma’s bread pudding had the texture of a brick then it’s unlikely that the next generation would have bothered to preserve the recipe.

I could happily tuck into any of these dishes and I can understand why people are proud of them. They don’t just cover the spectrum of traditional British fare but reflect the ethnic diversity that truly is modern Britain. Some recipes have been adapted from the original if the ingredients were hard to find in the UK, but the recipes don’t seem to have suffered for that.

Ann Keeling has a recipe for Chicken Earl. No, this isn’t a scaled down version of Chicken a la King but a delicious bake of chicken, bacon and vegetables. It’s the recipe from Ann’s home economics teacher Mrs. Earl. A great dish to fill up a family of four boys.

Bill Meswania came to the UK as a refugee from Uganda. They were sent to a camp on Dartmoor before being relocated and the food was a shock. Bill offers Beteta Wada Spiced Gujarati Potato Balls which are delicious with a tangy mint and yoghurt dip.

This is a heart-warming and charming book. It has recipes that are easy to follow and not over-taxing. It has delightful pictures not only of the food but of parents and grandparents who are the originators of most of the recipes. The contributors are passing on their culinary memories and that’s a gift usually reserved for family members. It’s a lovely book and a treat to read.

Cooking for Coco

Cooking for Coco? Strange name! Is it like working for peanuts? Not at all. This is such a charming book about foods for your baby, in this case Coco who is the daughter of Siân Blunos. That name might sound familiar. Siân is the wife of chef and well-known TV food demonstrator, Martin Blunos. He of the spectacular moustaches. So that’s the family introductions out of the way.

The meals for your baby are probably the most important you will ever prepare. You have the responsibility of feeding a balanced diet appropriate for their age, but had you considered that you are also moulding their eating habits? Don’t complain that your kids are picky eaters...it could be partly down to you!

Siân has three children, Coco being the last. She is a busy mum but wanted to give her kids the best quality and most interesting food. Both Siân and Martin are chefs and so they understand the joy of eating a wide range of foods, and why shouldn’t you start to enjoy those when you are a baby? How about a slightly revamped adult gourmet menu?

The idea is that you introduce your baby to as many different foods, flavours, textures as soon as they are able to eat them. Did you know that babies introduced to chewy foods early are less likely to grow up to be picky eaters? The wider variety of foods we eat the less likely we are to develop a whole list of serious illnesses in later life.

So you’re thinking that this sounds like a lot of extra work. Well, no! Think about it. If your kids can eat, and indeed expect to eat, the same as you then there is no additional preparation of hot dogs or fish fingers or anything in the shape of a monster. It’s just one meal for all members of the family, with a bit of blender work. There’s plenty of advice about freezing your homemade meals, so some evenings you won’t need to do any cooking at all. Like the sound of that?

The recipes are simple and flavourful. You’ll want to start with the fruit puree for small babies, but those purees would be lovely as adult desserts with perhaps a light dressing of crème fraiche. The veggie purees are versatile and would work well as either an adult side dish or part of a gratin. These aren’t dull and boring. Fennel and Potato Cheese Puree is sophisticated and delicious. The food will get chunkier but just as tempting as the months go by.

I am sure you have plenty of cookbooks for scrumptious adult food. Your baby deserves to have equally delectable and exciting tastes. You’ll swell with pride when your two-year-old says “Pass the kumquats, Mum”.

The Japanese Kitchen

500 Juices and Smoothies

Apple Press has a series of books called 500 something or other and this is one from that very series. They are chunky and colourful volumes and always great value for money. 500 Juices and Smoothies is written by Christine Watson who trained at Leith’s School of Food and Wine and she now works as a food writer and stylist.

This book has a wealth of recipes (well, 500 in fact) and they fall into various categories. There are simple smoothies and boozy blends, health tonics and thick and frosty mixes, but lots more. They couldn’t be easier to prepare so you have no excuse for not indulging. They are quick to make and portable as well.

We all need our “5 a day” and that’s a target that is sometimes difficult to achieve. I have a friend who says that red wine and crisps count as two but you could easily collect some of those five in the form of juices and smoothies...or you could munch away at a pile of Brussels sprouts!

You’ll need a few bits of equipment to be able to produce the best texture of smoothie or juice but Christine explains what you need and why. Then just add fruit and veggies with some other inexpensive ingredients and you’re off. This isn’t “cooking” so you see and taste the results in seconds.

The Health Tonics are what lots of us are interested in. Something to do us good with no E numbers or extra sugar. Maxi “C” gives a bit of a boost when you feel a cold coming on. There’s a Cold Remedy for those of you who didn’t drink the Maxi “C” in time, and a Digestion Smoothie which is a nasty name for a delicious, fibre-rich and healthy drink.

OK, so there are a few smoothies and shakes that are more for dessert than health but you can drink these when you are on your own. How about a Chocolate Marshmallow Cloud Shake or a Peanut Butter and Jam Smoothie! My favourite is probably Amaretto and Apricot Boozy Smoothie. Not for every day but what a treat!

Christine Watson has amassed a tempting list of mostly healthy and always delicious drinks that are made in moments. Buy this book and you’ll keep the blender out on the counter.

Brunch

Garden Feast

Garden Feast is an inspiring volume by Melissa King. She is a passionate gardener, TV presenter and writer with a degree in horticulture. The delicious recipes come from Heronswood Cafe in Victoria, Australia and offer lovely ideas for using the freshest of ingredients that have travelled less than 50 yards (45.72 metres) to reach your kitchen.

Melissa has written Garden Feast with, well, gardens in mind and the bias is towards those with space to cultivate, but anyone with a local farmers’ market or pick your own farm would enjoy this book. It’ll give you ideas for those seasonal gluts so you can make the best of fruit and veg when it’s at its cheapest.

Space to grow food doesn’t mean that you need acres of walled and romantic kitchen garden. There are plenty of tips in Garden Feast for those of us who only have a small area with some tubs. Think of the money you could save if you didn’t have to buy any more pricey bunches of herbs. How about a few leaves of cut-and-come-again lettuce? You could grow that on the balcony of a 6th floor flat.

There is a wealth of gardening information relevant to each plant, tree or root. You’ll learn about growing and harvesting as well as cooking. The important consideration when growing your own produce is to select what will grow well on your particular patch and to choose those things that you and your family will enjoy eating. Melissa provides you with everything you need to make a success of your vegetable garden.

The recipes are lovely and there are several for each fruit or vegetable. There are preserves, tarts, salads and bakes. They are tempting and designed to show off the depth of flavour that you will find with produce that has never seen the inside of a chilled lorry or supermarket.

Garden Feast is an ideal book for anyone thinking of growing their own produce. Don’t wait till next spring, start planning and get the wellies out.

Cooking with Booze

Wagamama – Ways with Noodles

There are over 120 noodles-based recipes here. Incredible but true! Hugo introduces us to various different types of noodles each with its own texture, flavour and form, and then it’s on to a handy list of common ingredients. Most are readily available from your local supermarket but there are several for which you might need to visit an Asian food store. Once you are set up with your store cupboard you are ready to tackle the recipes.

Perhaps I should say that you are now ready to tackle the soup stocks. Don’t think you can just use a cube of something salty and synthetic. The quality of the final dish depends on the stock so don’t cut corners. This isn’t rocket science - it’s easy to produce flavourful broths and there are even alternatives that use stock cubes (but good quality ones) with the addition of real veggies, etc.

OK, so let’s explore the main recipes. There are chapters on sauces, soups, wraps, in fact everything that is even slightly noodle-related. I was pleased to see a chapter devoted to children: kids love pasta of any kind, and it’s fun to try eating with chopsticks. There is a great selection of dishes here for youngsters to make (with mum or dad), to eat and enjoy. The recipes are simple with few ingredients but delicious combinations such as ginger, soy sauce, orange, chicken and sweetcorn...little hands might need a spoon for that one!

The recipes are truly scrumptious and provide ample choice for meat eaters, fish lovers and vegetarians alike. They are simple to make and rely on fresh ingredients. The dishes work well as a meal for one but equally for family feasts.

It’s difficult to select just a few recipes that typify this book. Its charm is that the dishes are so diverse. Pork Gyozas are meat-filled wontons, Prawn Salad Rolls are light and refreshing and don’t need cooking, but my favourite is Chicken and Egg Noodles with Black Bean Sauce. It’s one of those dishes that is embarrassingly easy but has robust favours and a texture that makes this a regular weekday dinner.

I confess that I am impressed with this book and I didn’t expect to be. I love noodles but I couldn’t imagine a whole volume of recipes. But here it is, and I’ll be using it often.

The Food and Wine Lover’s Guide to Portugal

Charles Metcalf and Kathryn McWhirter are a formidable team. I know of Charles from his numerous appearances on food-related shows like Good Food Live on the UKTV Food network. Kathryn has a wealth of experience as both a food and wine journalist and editor.

I had expected this book to be just a guide to Portuguese wine, but it’s much more than that. It is, in fact, just what the title says, a guide for lovers of both wine and food. It’s a sumptuous and chunky volume that I find most appealing. There is no verbal or graphic padding, this is just cover to cover information, lovely photographs, and charm.

This book works on two levels. First, as a guide for those who are lucky enough to take a trip to Portugal and second, for the rest of us who want to know more about the country and its food and wine. I should say that this book will very likely encourage you to go to Portugal even if you hadn’t considered it before.

Kathryn and Charles lead us around every region of Portugal, introducing us to wineries, directing us to good restaurants, pointing out places of interest along the way, and escorting us to the most comfy places to spend the night. You’ll feel confident that you’re getting the most out of your visit.

Let’s take Douro as just one example. It’s a region in North East Portugal. There’s a large-scale map with places of food- and wine-related interest and accommodation clearly marked. Next it’s pages and pages of information about wine. Remember we are just looking at the wine of this small region and there is a handy list of wines to watch out for. The next section covers food and where to buy it, either in a restaurant (there is a comprehensive list) or at a market, deli or specialist food shop.

You won’t want to be eating and drinking all the time, so take notice of the Exploring Douro pages that are full of ideas to pass the time. Boat trips, train rides, spectacular views and even local festivals are all listed, and after a long day you’ll pick your guest house from the dozens reviewed, relax with a glass of Port and make plans for tomorrow.

Every element of this book had been meticulously researched by people who have an obvious love of Portugal, its wines and its people. It’s informative, fascinating and a thoroughly gorgeous book. I hope that Charles Metcalf and Kathryn McWhirter will consider writing similar guides for other wine-producing countries.

Homestyle Asian

and I’d say it’s a winner. We are talking about the whole of Asia so the recipes are diverse. Each one is clear with photographs of the finished dish but also photographic step-by-step instructions and there is nutritional information for each recipe.

You will already be familiar with the cooking techniques - stir-frying, steaming, etc - and the ingredients are almost all to be found in the local supermarket. It’s the combinations of spices and fresh vegetables or meats that makes Asian cooking so popular. We all want to eat healthier foods that don’t take ages to cook.

Homestyle Asian covers everything from soup to salad, curry to dessert. The book is divided by food rather than country so the chapter on noodles and rice includes Udon Noodles from Japan, Phad Thai from Thailand, Chinese Fried Rice, Singapore Noodles, etc.

There are lots of classic recipes from all over Asia: California Rolls (have you never heard of Continental Drift?), Tempura, Sichuan Chicken, Thai Beef Salad, Chilli Crab, Nasi Goreng and many more. This is a one-stop Asian cookbook!

 There are quite a few dishes that are new to me. Hot and Sour Lime Soup with Beef sounds tangy and interesting, Chilli Octopus Salad will be flavourful and light, and Noodle Cakes with Chinese Barbecued Pork will be a stunner for a smart lunch.

There is a nice selection of Asian desserts that would make an exotic end to your meal. I am often at a loss and it’s too easy to resort to ordinary fruit salad, but how about a fruit salad with pineapple, papaya, star fruit and ramboutans! There is a scrumptious Coconut Ice Cream and you don’t even need an ice-cream maker, but the most striking has got to be Sticky Black Rice sweetened with palm sugar. It’s easy to make but will be both delicious and memorable.

Don’t open this book unless you have got a nice cup of tea or glass of red wine. You won’t want to put it down. A lovely book and great value for money.

A Pike in the Basement

Simon Loftus has had a life filled with travel and food. That’s a combination that can bring both pleasure and pain and, in this case, some witty stories. His experiences will make you laugh out loud and you’ll admire his fortitude.

A Pike in the Basement - Tales of a Hungry Traveller is a history of Simon’s food-related life. The chapter headings are charming (Harvest Lunch), thought-provoking (Bullets and Smashed Homelettes), worrying (Shoot a Sheep for Breakfast) and delicious (Fried Eggs and Chapatis). So now you are hooked (nice link, huh?) and you just need to know more, before you even read the first paragraph.

A flooded basement started Simon on his quest for good food and drink. He was seven years old when a flood filled his father’s cellar. His dad decided to drink the wine stored there before it was contaminated by the salt water. Simon can still remember his first sip of ’45 Mouton Rothschild and he didn’t grow up to be a lager lout!

This is a man with a sense of adventure and a taste for fine food. I don’t necessarily mean expensive meals and rare ingredients but the right dish at the right time in the right place. Simon’s memories revolve around food (and drink) and he has collected some marvellous ones during his travels. His constitution has enabled him to survive encounters that would have defeated a lesser man (or woman). Those experiences have been retold with great humour but I am still not persuaded that a glass of Retsina is a good idea for breakfast!

“A fresh peach brings back a walled garden in Brittany, the smell of saffron recalls paella in Andalusia, and the succulence of a watermelon evokes a dusty afternoon in Isfahan.” Well, how romantic is that! But this isn’t an over-sincere travelogue, it’s a rollicking good read. Simon is a cross between Delia Smith and Indiana Jones.

You’ll love this book if you have passions for either food and drink or travel. It’s poetic and a lot of fun.

China to Chinatown

There can’t be a single town in the UK or North America that can’t boast at least a Chinese takeaway or a brace or two of Chinese restaurants, but have you ever wondered why it’s Chinese food that is so ubiquitous and not, say, Malay or Turkish?

J.A.G. Roberts has written China to Chinatown – Chinese Food in the West and it’s a book that goes some way towards charting the history of our (that is, western) relationship with those delicious dishes that have been loved and loathed in turn over the last couple of hundred years.

Eighteenth and nineteenth century Europeans living in China were very reluctant to even try Chinese food. It was often more of a reflection of social prejudice than dislike for a cuisine they knew nothing about. It’s true that there were (and still are) a few challenging dishes. The prospect of eating dogs was, and still is, rather distasteful to Europeans who are more comfortable eating a cute fluffy lamb or bunny.

Chinese food became more popular to westerners when they had the opportunity to eat Chinese food on home territory. Some of the first restaurants frequented by Europeans were in California where there was a sizable Chinese population, and having your own Chinese chef became a status symbol.

There have been various “Chinatowns” around Britain for a considerable time. These were not places that most of the indigenous population would frequent. They were considered as dens of vice with laundries, and the few eateries catered to the Chinese, with no concessions to western tastes.

These last decades have see our eating habits change, and now Chinese food is no longer considered strange or fear-provoking. “Instant” Chinese food was available in supermarkets in the 70s and fish and chip shops run by Chinese might also sell a spring roll or two.

Ken Hom had a popular TV cooking series in the 80s and he helped to present Chinese food as delicious, fresh and different. Most of us have a wok at home and now find Chinese restaurants that don’t offer European dishes, and these days you’ll have to ask for a fork. We have come to expect higher standards and are more eager to try authentic dishes.

The swings in popularity of Chinese food have had more to do with the politics of the moment rather than culinary preferences. More Chinese have come to the UK and food is big business. The days of deeply-felt suspicions are gone and the rumours of cat skins being found in dustbins are now consigned to the annals of urban myth.

It’s been a fascinating evolution and J.A.G. Roberts has penned an absorbing account. China to Chinatown probably tells us as much about our own attitudes as host community as it does about food.  A worthwhile read.

The Rough Guide to China

Stylish Indian in Minutes

This volume just oozes class. Gus Filgate is one of the best photographers around and his stunning pictures are contrasted marvellously by black and white shots of striking Indian ladies and gentlemen at cocktail parties and dinners.

Monisha had found the preparation of authentic Indian food in the UK to be something of a challenge for her British friends. Her professional training had equipped her to produce classic dishes which were popular with everyone, but she wanted to develop recipes that gave the sense of smart home cooking to the British audience. The Indian cookbooks Monisha found in the UK presented Indian food as complicated, over-exotic and only to be tackled by those with endless time and the support of several assistants!

Her skill allowed Monisha to ditch the European-targeted Indian cookbooks and devise her own techniques to provide truly authentic dishes, the sort that are made by truly authentic Indians! All of the ingredients used in

Traditional Teatime Recipes

This is a lovely book from Jane Pettigrew and The National Trust. It draws on Jane’s expertise as a tea expert (nice choice of words, huh?) and presents what must be one of the finest collections of traditional recipes for afternoon tea goodies.

The British are known to be big tea drinkers but we are in fact only third in the world for tea consumption after Ireland and the Arab States. We have, however, cultivated tea drinking into a cross between the formality of the Japanese Tea Ceremony and the informality of a children’s picnic. There are rules about how to make a “nice cup of tea” and even the use of forks for cake-eating. The fun aspect is that you do get to eat cakes and tarts and biscuits and buns....

Traditional Teatime Recipes is a book full of the most delightful sweet things that we (well, anyone of my age and older) will remember from Sunday teas at auntie’s, tea rooms and smart hotels on rainy afternoons. These are truly the cakes that we ate, and the same cakes that some of us were taught to make in cooking lessons...when there were cooking lessons!

What could be nicer than an afternoon at one of the The National Trust’s wonderful properties? These days there are welcoming and comfortable cafés which will be happy to ply you with some teatime favourites. Have  a sit down, a cup of tea and a slice or two of, say, Orange Gingerbread or Chocolate Rum Cake, even a couple of Yorkshire Curd Tarts (those are to die for)!

Each recipe has a little history, and they tell us that, yes, we have been baking delicious cakes for centuries. The recipes are easy to follow and would hold no terrors for even a novice cook. The ingredients are not expensive or exotic, but you will find the finished articles to be scrumptious and irresistible.

It’s good to see that the art of Afternoon Tea is enjoying something of a renaissance. There is a lot of interest in tea generally, now that its health benefits have been publicised. Jane has suggested various types of tea to drink with the cakes. For Petworth Pudding, Jane advises Kenyan or China Yunnan; Fat Rascals, that’s the name of these fruity buns, would be best served with Yorkshire tea.

Afternoon tea is a very agreeable way to pass some time. A chance to relax, enjoy a cup of reviving Earl Grey and a munch on a little bit of tradition. There is everything in this book you would need to host an authentic tea party, or why not just put your feet up and pamper yourself!

Eating for Victory

This is a fascinating book of reproductions of official Second World War instruction leaflets, and it will bring back memories for many a grandmother who had to feed a family on rations that seem very meagre by today’s standards.

Picture this, dear reader: Britain is at war and imported produce has to run the gauntlet of enemy U-boats and battleships. Most of the men were away fighting but that still left millions of people at home working for the war effort. There was a risk that food wouldn’t last and so a strategy was adopted that gave fair shares to all, introduced the housewife to strange new products and taught her what to do with them.

Parks were dug up to grow vegetables, and people were encouraged to use their own gardens to produce as much food as possible. Chickens and rabbits were kept in many a back yard. City dwellers didn’t naturally have the countryman’s matter-of-fact attitude to livestock and were often reluctant to eat what had become a family member.

Rationing had the strange effect of actually improving the diet of many Britons. The depression years between the wars brought unemployment and poor health through lack of even basic nutrition. The Second World War brought full employment and rations that were, for some, better than the food that they were used to.

Housewives were tempted (oh, no they were not!) with whale meat and tins of spam, but children grew up not knowing what a banana was. A week’s ration consisted of 100g bacon, 6p worth of meat, 50-100g cheese, 100g margarine, 225g sugar, 50g tea, 1 egg, 2-3pints milk. Children had extra cod liver oil. Lucky kids!

Eating for Victory is full of recipes for things like Cheese and Vegetable Cutlets which sound quite nice. It’s a patty of mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, onion and cheese. The cheese is just described as “Cheese” so I guess there was just one sort.

Powdered milk and eggs were available and War Cookery Leaflet Number 11 is all about dried egg. This was pure egg that had been spray-dried but could be used in cooking once reconstituted with water. There is a chapter on Cakes Biscuits and Scones without Eggs and the recipes look very good.

The recipes all seem healthy although I think a modern diner might add a bit more seasoning, a raspberry vinaigrette or chilli-infused peanut oil. There are plenty of vegetables, and meat is more of a condiment. There are basic instructions for tart-making and bottling vegetables as well as advice on healthy eating.

Anyone with a passion for British food and its history will be enchanted by this book. It captures a dark time in our history but shows that life on the home front continued. Mums cooked, kids complained and people managed.

A Taste of China

A Taste of China is one of Ken Hom’s first books and probably one of the best. It’s now back in print and I would urge anyone who has an interest in China and its food to buy a copy.

This is described as the definitive guide to regional cooking and it is indeed that, but it’s also a very personal and charming journey. Ken visits his family and an ancestral shrine with his mother for the first time, and finds that he is very much at home. It’s Ken’s relationship with the Chinese people that has allowed him to write this unique book.

Ken Hom was one of the first and is still one of the most respected Chinese food writers and was the first to make Chinese food truly accessible to the British home cook. His quiet reserve and his evident passion endeared him to millions. This book reflects just that same passion and pride.

 Some of the dishes will be quite familiar to lovers of Chinese food and they are classics. Ken has included a number of family recipes and that adds so much to the quality of this volume. Every single recipe has a history or anecdote to give some background to the dish and to fire the imagination. This is a book to read before you even consider putting a hand on a wok, and could almost be part of an autobiography.

There is not much here for which you would need a trip to Chinatown. All the ingredients are now quite common in any average UK high street with an Asian supermarket. It’s the combinations of flavours that make these dishes something special. There is nothing taxing about the cooking methods but all these recipes are authentic, diverse and delicious. There are examples of street food, health-reviving recipes, restaurant dishes, and city and country cooking.

One of my favourite dishes for a quick meal is Dan Dan Mian (Spicy Sichuan Noodles). It’s flavourful, fragrant and if you try it once I promise you will make it often. It represents a typical spicy dish of the region of Sichuan but it’s also typical of Ken’s recipes, being simple to make but giving delicious results.

This is one of those “must have” cookbooks. It has already stood the test of time and seems as fresh and absorbing as it did when first published. It’s a fascinating story of a chef’s homecoming and a wonderful introduction to the rich tapestry of Chinese food.

Provence Cookery School

Gui Gedda is the essential element to the success of this book/school. He is the chef who ran a popular Provencal restaurant in Bormes-les-Mimosa not far from where I lived in Le Lavandou. He has written books and had also run cooking courses. Just the right chap for the job of chef for this new enterprise.

You have a full week at the school with each day filled with visits to markets and learning how to choose the best produce. You’ll learn how to make the most authentic of Provencal dishes (yes, I can vouch for their authenticity). There will be time to consider the merits of Aperitifs, and you will feel that your “stay” has been worthwhile.

The first day starts with a look at basic store cupboard ingredients and some equipment. There is nothing very exotic and you won’t feel that you need a trip to Marseille to buy that very special cast iron, blue-enamelled casserole dish...although that would be very nice!

The week progresses with days filled with lessons, tastings, delicious meals with delectable desserts and the odd glass of rosé. You’ll almost feel the warmth of the last rays of the setting sun... and you haven’t even moved from 13 Railway Cuttings, East Cheam.

The recipes are just what you would find in Provencal restaurants but, more importantly, in Provencal homes. They are not dishes rich with creamy sauces. This is olive country, remember. It’s all healthy and full of flavour with ingredients that give a tang such as anchovies, goat’s cheese, radishes and ..er, what was the other thing? Oh, yes, garlic.

The selection of recipes is lovely with everything from meat to sweet. None of the dishes will be over-taxing and the instructions are clear with plenty of amazing photographs to tempt you. The nature of Provencal food revolves around freshness and simplicity. Yes, it’s classy but if French housewives can do it, so can you.

Sunday Roast

Green and Black’s Chocolate Recipes

Jam with Lamb

Spicing Up Britain

No, dear reader, this isn’t another chilli-laden recipe book but rather a book about us British - how our food has developed over the last 150 years and what that development says about us as a nation. Panikos Panayi has written a well-researched and absorbing book that explains the progression from traditional to Tikka Masala.

Britain, and especially its cities, has long been the final destination of immigrants fleeing persecution, looking for freedom or a better life. They brought with them skills and a longing for a taste of home. It was a story repeated with each successive and diverse group that arrived. Chinese, Italians, Jews, Germans, Indians all sought familiar foods.

Perhaps the most evident culinary influence has been that of immigrants from India, but this impact can be traced back much further than the 1970s. Mrs. Beaton has numerous recipes for Indian dishes although they could be said to owe more to Anglo India than a maharaja’s kitchen. We have taken to the warming and aromatic spices of the subcontinent in a big way.

The first Chinese and Indian restaurants were set up to provide familiar food to workers who didn’t have cooking facilities or wives to make the meals. The Jewish community had to provide their own grocers and butchers to be assured of keeping Kosher, and before the First World War there were even numerous German restaurants, bakers and bars to be found in cities all over the UK.

There is no denying that Britain has had a bad reputation for food but we have embraced the cuisine of other ethnic groups and made a new British cuisine. The “Indian” food here would probably seem strange to a resident of Mumbai, and a Chinese exchange student wouldn’t recognise much in the local Take-Away. Fish and chip shops (selling those fish and chips that might not actually be as British as you think they are) are run by Greeks and you can have “curry” sauce on your fries, and there are shelves of bagels and Caribbean vegetables in every supermarket.

Panikos Panayi was born in London to Greek Cypriot parents. He is married to Mundeep who is an Indian Sikh. The blood in my family is Irish, English, Indian, Swedish, French and Polish. Spicing Up Britain is about who we are, and the way we eat illustrates that in a colourful and inclusive way. It’s a thoroughly good read!

Feeding the Gods

The Really Useful Ultimate Student Vegetarian Cookbook

Great British Food

Crust

This is the second bread book by Bath-based baker Richard Bertinet and doesn’t disappoint. If you have Dough in your cookbook collection you will already have reserved a bit of space just next to it for this sequel.

Richard has a very different technique for kneading dough but if you follow his method you will be producing the lightest bread imaginable. Crust is the book for you if you have failed in the past to produce a loaf that is anything other than brick-like.

Photographer Jean Cazals has, once again, produced fine pictures that illustrate the process of bread making. The combination of Richard’s written instructions and Jean’s photographs enable you to feel confident that you can, with practice, achieve a professional and tasty loaf, or Bath Bun, or Gingerbread Biscuit...or many other delicious baked treats.

Crust, like Dough, has a DVD included which gives detailed instructions for the slightly more complicated breads like Sourdough. I say more complicated but it’s not a difficult process to make fabulous traditional Sourdough. Richard takes the fear out of fermented bread and teaches you that, yes, you can do this at home. You are missing something very special if you have never tasted Sourdough bread. It has a flavourful tang that is unique.

Home bread-making allows you to use different types of flour to produce, using the same kneading and baking process, amazingly different breads. There are no additives to increase shelf life, no flavour enhancers. You have total control over the bread your family eats. Your additives will be some whole grains, some raisins, some nuts.

Richard was born in Brittany so it’s no surprise that he also includes Croissants and my very favourite, Brioche. It’s not as difficult as you might imagine to present warm, fragrant, sweet breads for Sunday breakfast. All the information is in this book to enable you to impress the in-laws with your skill, and I promise that shop-bought croissants will never cross your threshold ever again.

Most of us eat bread every day. It’s a healthy part of our diet if we make good choices. There are lots of different flours to try that will help to improve digestion and manage problems like wheat intolerance. You take care to buy the best fruit, vegetables, meat and fish because it’s important to give your family good food. Baking your own bread is another way (and an easy, fun way) of ensuring flavourful and nutritious meals...and the kids will never ask for white sliced again.

Leaves from our Tuscan Kitchen

This is already a classic and a much-sought-after volume by them in the know. It is indeed utterly charming, not only visually but in content. It is a cookbook but also a family history.

This collection of recipes was first published in 1899 but they couldn’t be further removed from Mrs. Beaton. Janet Ross (1842-1927) collected the recipes of Giuseppe Volpi who was her cook for over 30 years. Michael Waterfield, Janet’s great-great nephew adapted her original, but now more than thirty years later he has revised and updated that edition.

Leaves from our Tuscan Kitchen was the forerunner of modern recipe books. It was the first to present vegetables as serious food rather than just as the frilly bits around the meat. It also considers vegetables that were not common in British greengrocers at the turn of the century, and so Leaves from a Tuscan Kitchen can truly be said to be a book before its time.

It isn’t a big volume stuffed with gorgeous pictures but it has a gloriously simple, clear layout, easy to follow recipes and it’s a book to read and enjoy. The list of ingredients and method are incorporated into a journey through the recipe, in a way that is both descriptive and clear.

If you buy seasonal vegetables then you will appreciate Janet Ross’ enthusiasm for fresh produce. Each vegetable has its own chapter, with additional chapters devoted to mixed vegetables, mixed salads, rice, pasta and soups as well as white truffles, which might not be on your regular shopping list for the local Tescburyrose supermarket.

The recipes seem so fresh and modern that it’s hard to believe that they are more than a century old. We have access to lovely vegetables and a greater variety than our great-grandmothers would have dreamt of. Fried Fennel with Tomatoes and Garlic with a Crisp Topping is one of my favourites from this book but there are so many that are simple, quick and surprising. Giuseppe Volpi had colourful and healthy produce to hand and he evidently made good use of it.

Rose Gray of the River Cafe said of this book, “When I moved to Tuscany in the early eighties and started to cook with vegetables from my garden, wild leaves and locally grown produce, Leaves from Our Tuscan Kitchen was my inspiration.”  Read it and you’ll find the same inspiration.

Jams and Chutneys

Well, the name says it all, Jams and Chutneys – Preserving the Harvest, and Thane Prince has penned this book choc-a-bloc with ideas, recipes and technical know-how. Follow the advice and by the end of the year your shelves will be bending under the weight of bottled goods.

Thane grew up in the countryside when homemade preserves were, if not the norm, at least more common than they are these days. It’s not a difficult process to make a delicious jam or chutney and all the rules and recipes are here to ensure success.

If you are a beginner then have a good read of the Techniques chapter before you do anything. It’s all logical and the advice is sound. How demanding can it be? People have been doing this for generations with less classy equipment than you will have to hand. You need to pay attention to temperatures and sterilization but then you can get on and make some truly delectable preserves.

Thane has recipes for all the usual jams such as Blackberry, Raspberry, Apricot, etc. but there are some additional items. Berry Vinegar and Tarragon Vinegar, amongst others, are easy to make, cheap to make and would be great gifts for any food lover. That’s the joy of this kind of process. It’s as much about sharing as preserving.

Just reading this book will give you ideas for using your own produce or buying from the market when the fruit season is in full swing. If you are a jam eater you will love the flexibility of making your own. Thane’s recipes are lovely but you will be able to adapt those to your taste once you have mastered the basics.

Some of my favourites from this book are Cinnamon Apple Jelly, clear and jewel-like; Pink Pickled Ginger that looks just like the shop-bought sort but for a fraction of the price; Mango Chutney that is surprisingly easy to make; and Pears in White Wine with Lemongrass. How smart would that be!

It’s so easy to produce something sweet and comforting or spicy and zesty from inexpensive ingredients. There will be no food colourings, no E numbers and no strange chemicals. You will notice the difference in flavour and so will your family.

Thane Prince is a well-respected author and columnist, and she has used all her expertise to produce this informative and attractive volume. It will give bottling beginners confidence, and practised preservers some new ideas.

Bamboo – A Journey with Chinese Food

Tarts and Pies

Culinary Jottings for Madras

“I should recommend anyone with a taste for Victorian gastronomic literature to snap him up...His recipes are so meticulous and clear, that the absolute beginner could follow them, yet at the same time he has much to teach the experienced cook.” That’s from the great Elizabeth David.

Culinary Jottings for Madras was written by WYVERN who was really Colonel Arthur Robert Kenney-Herbert. He had a military career in India from 1858 till his retirement in 1892 and this book is an icon of the time and the place.

He served as Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General for part of his military service and that experience evidently gave him the confidence to attempt to transform the domestic kitchens of the Europeans in India.

It’s hard to imagine those times of huge dinner parties in sweltering heat with menus that were little changed from those of a country house in England in mid-winter. The British were for the most part unwilling to change their culinary habits and must have suffered for it.

The chapter headings well illustrate the order of things. Three chapters on Sauces, A Few Nice Pies, Our Curries, and that’s just in Part 1. Part 2 consists of Thirty Menus – Worked Out In Detail, all those menus being for four or six people. He continues with For a Little Home Dinner, comprising for example, soup, fish with a sauce, lamb, mash, aubergine, blancmange, cheese, dessert and coffee. A nice quiet night in!

WYVERN saves the best till last with a whole chapter devoted to Our Kitchens in India. He instructs on everything from the kitchen building to staff management. His description of the common state of kitchens indicates the reason why so many Europeans died young!

This is a recognised classic and I can understand why. It offers a look at a totally different era with attitudes that are long gone (thank goodness). WYVERN writes well in a style that is Victorian and charming. It isn’t a book whose recipes you are likely to follow, but you won’t buy this book to use the recipes. You’ll enjoy the experience of the Raj at its height and understand why it couldn’t last!

Korean Cuisine – An illustrated history

It is, as it says, an illustrated history and those pictures add much to understanding what Korean food is all about. It has been influenced by China and Japan and, in more recent times, the West. The cuisine remains, however, unique and is well worth investigating should you be lucky enough to cross the threshold of a Korean restaurant.

Table etiquette developed over thousands of years. Each diner would be presented with a small individual table with the dishes already in place. Men were often served before women, who would eat in another part of the house. This practice has largely given way to the Western custom of eating together at a regular-sized table.

Many Westerners are convinced that Korean food consists of nothing more than Kimch’i (fermented cabbage) and dog meat. It’s true that Kimch’i is very popular and just as much these days as ever, though it isn’t just fermented cabbage but vegetables in general that are considered Kimch’i. There are hundreds of varieties and this was originally the food of desperation. As much food as possible would have been preserved to stave off hunger during the hard winters.

Dog meat is still a ticklish issue but then we are looking at the subject through European eyes. Perhaps if cows were fluffy, friendly and kept our feet warm we would all be vegetarian!

Korean barbecued meats are famous for flavour and succulence, and the mixed vegetable and rice dishes are healthy and delicious... But a more recent development in Korean cuisine sounds a bit unlikely and involves tins of Spam and other processed meats. It’s said that these Military Camp Stews date from the time of the US presence, when the local population would use surplus military rations. It’s becoming a restaurant favourite these days!

Korean eating utensils sum up its place in Asian food culture. Koreans use both chop sticks and spoons. The spoons are not the same as the Western version, having a shallower bowl. The chop sticks are unusual in that they are traditionally metal rather than wood. They are shorter and flatter than Chinese and don’t have pointed ends like the Japanese chopsticks. This country has adapted and borrowed from outside and has evolved a varied and different cuisine.

Korean Cuisine by Michael J. Pettid is a comprehensive and fascinating look at a truly different food culture.

The Fifth Quarter

India Food and Cooking

Pat Chapman is famous among Anglo curry enthusiasts as a passionate Indian food lover and the man who started the Curry Club over 20 years ago. Its members now number 15000 so there is evidently support for Pat’s take on food of the subcontinent.

This is a hefty volume with the first 60-odd pages devoted to the history of India and the evolution of its food, tools and equipment, and basic preparation. He goes into great detail about the spices before we reach the recipes. His research is obviously thorough and adds a lot to the overall quality of the book.

There are a great many “Modern Chef’s Recipes”, with Spiced Stuffed Peppers being the offering from London chef Pital Gopal. Creamy Brown Lentils is a dish based on a recipe from London restaurateur Camilia Panjabi. Beef Tomatoes stuffed with gorgonzola is another chef recipe which is obviously a bit of a fusion dish.

Most of the recipes are said to be authentic and Pat give the region from where these originate. They are a delicious bunch and cover everything from starters through meats and vegetables to drinks. There is even an interesting item about the famous Bombay Duck, which I haven’t seen for years. It’s not a duck at all but rather an eel-shaped fish that is filleted and dried and used as a condiment.

My favourite recipe would have to be the Raan, Aromatic Roast Lamb. This is succulent leg of lamb, and the meat just falls from the bone. It’s savoury and delicious and easy to make. You can marinate the lamb for up to 60 hours (be warned, your fridge will smell of spice for all those 60 hours) and then just roast for 3 hours. It’s an ideal Sunday meal for a crowd.

Kulfi, Indian ice cream, makes a welcome end to any spicy meal and you don’t need to invest in an ice cream maker. Pat lists several varieties all using the basic recipe but with the additions of either chocolate, pistachio, mango or almonds. Yum!

The Chutney and Pickle chapter has Pat’s wife’s Sweet and Hot Tomato Chutney. It’s a clear chutney that looks attractive and bright. The traditional Lime Pickle would be the one for me and you can also use the same recipe to create a lemon pickle.

India Food and Cooking would be a good choice for anyone wanting to know a lot more about Indian food and history. There is plenty of reading, marvellous pictures and recipes to make your mouth water.

Nobody Does It Better

Dough

This chap Richard Bertinet has really got something here. It’s a totally different approach to bread-making and it’s explained and illustrated in his book Dough.

I am ashamed to say that I didn’t know much about Richard’s work before reading this book but now I am an enthusiastic convert of this man from Brittany. I make bread about twice a week so this will be a hands-on adventure.

How can Richard’s method of bread-making be so very different from others? Have a look at the DVD (each copy of the book comes with one) and you will see. I would say that the DVD is an essential part of understanding and enjoying the process. I will go further and say that if I had used Richard’s recipe for basic dough but my usual method of kneading, I would have been shocked and I probably would have complained about a printing error!

It’s all about...well, the dough! It’s far softer that regular dough and gives the impression of being just one step away from sauce! Watch the DVD and you will see Richard transform this unpromising semi-liquid into the silkiest, airiest dough you would ever have seen. You will be as amazed as I was and will want to have a go right away.

Dough starts with Richard’s basic bread recipes and takes us down different avenues. By the time you have finished reading the book and practised a bit you will be able to make 50 varieties of scrumptious, professional-looking bread.

Richard offers examples of dozens of the usual bread suspects but also some spectacular additions which will become as popular as Delia’s Sticky Toffee Pudding, quicker than you can say Mon Dieu!  Puff balls are light hollow spheres just waiting to be filled with some kind of extraordinary salad. What a presentation! Or how about a soup bowl made from bread, or an Apricot and Oat loaf made from Richard’s brown bread dough. Who could resist a home-made doughnut from the sweet dough chapter? Any of us who are transported by those delicious Mediterranean breads will love Richard’s olive dough and the colourful and sun-filled breads made from it.

The photography by Jean Cazals is marvellous. Not only does he show the finished breads to perfection but also the illustrations of the step-by-step method are helpful and easy to follow. This large format book and its DVD is a real winner.

A Passion for Cheese

A Passion for Cheese is another classy book by Paul Gayler. The visual delight is supplied by, once again, Gus Filgate and his camera. The book offers us more than 130 ways to cook with cheese but it also enlightens us about cheese making, choosing and storing cheese and what wine might work best. I guess Paul must know what he is talking about as he is a member of the Guild de Fromages.

There are so many more lovely cheeses now available and this volume helps you choose something a bit different. Traditional Cheddar is a wonderful cheese but there are others that deserve a try.

It’s a large format book with clear and easy to follow recipes. Although there are vegetarian recipes aplenty, A Passion for Cheese isn’t a vegetarian cookbook. There are a surprising number of fish as well as meat dishes that use cheese as a key ingredient. Saffron-grilled Cod Fillet with a mash rich in cheese sounds divine served, as Paul suggests, with some French beans...and perhaps a glass of a chilled white?

There is a basic cheese sauce and some alternatives, and then a selection of cheese butters. These are easy to prepare and will last a good long while in the freezer. It’s a real cheat’s way of elevating a quick grilled steak or fish. Roquefort and Green Peppercorn Butter would be my choice for a steak with green salad. Ricotta, Lemon Thyme and Garlic Butter would be a flavourful finish to some simple roast chicken.

A Passion for Cheese has some simple salads that are made more interesting by the use of some unique cheeses like smoked mozzarella and Lanark Blue. These and other artisan cheeses would be more readily available if we asked our deli to stock them. I would say that you should first taste a cheese that is new to you, in its uncooked state. You’ll then understand why they work in Paul’s recipes but you might also come up with some ideas of your own, either for a new recipe or replacing the regular Cheddar or Danish Blue with a delicious alternative.

There’s a lovely chapter on Pasta, Pizza, Rice and Gnocchi, which includes Pennette al Dolcelatte, creamy and delicious with a hint of nutmeg. The Alternative Cheeseboard tempts us with Liptauer which is a lovely retro spread, as well as The Lanesborough’s own Dried Fig and Fennel Seed Bread.

A Passion for Cheese even manages a comprehensive dessert section. Yes, mascarpone is a cheese and it’s put to good use with Paul’s Dried Fruit and Mascarpone Fool with Saffron and Ginger Syrup. Quark, Prune and White Chocolate Tart sounds lovely with or without the Orange Sauce.

If you like Paul’s other books then you will enjoy this one just as much. His recipes are inspiring and original and will change the way you look at cheese. It’s claimed (probably not by a Frenchman) that the UK now makes more cheeses than France! Let’s take advantage of some fantastic products.

The Indian Kitchen

The Indian Kitchen by Monisha Bharadwaj is, for me at least, a must-have Indian cookbook. To call it just a “cookbook” somehow diminishes its value. It’s a lush, rich encyclopaedia of ingredients common to kitchens on the subcontinent.

I am a fairly well practised preparer of Indian food but there were even a few surprises for me. I began by just flicking through the pages and have finished by reading it from cover to cover in almost one sitting. It’s a book that is difficult to put down once opened.

The introduction is poetic: “...the kitchen can be the most fascinating room in an Indian home. Here, iridescent spices sparkle alongside huge boxes of Himalayan snow-washed rice, earthy lentils accentuate plump, dry fruits and rich, musky nuts sit next to jars of pearly sago and subja seeds.” You will love this book even if you had never tasted curry and didn’t intend to!

Each ingredient is listed by type. We start with From the Spice Box and continue to From the Grinding Stone and there are several other chapters all with equally evocative names.

The individual spices, seeds, nuts, grains etc. each have a general description and have paragraphs called Appearance and Taste, Buying and Storing, Culinary Uses, and then the recipes. Some items even have Medical Uses which will be of particular interest to anyone who prefers the natural approach to health care.

The photography is wonderful and the recipes are clear. It’s written in such a way as to hold your hand and give a bit of confidence, not only to the inexperienced cook but also to those of us with a few Biryanis under our belts who are trying something different.

Take an ordinary ingredient like an onion. Well, it’s several different types of fresh onions and powdered and flaked onions. There is a paragraph on how it grows, lots of lovely photographs and a couple of recipes. Onion Bhaji is a popular starter in Indian restaurants but they are easy to make at home and this recipe is particularly interesting as it has a different seasoning from my usual recipe. I am sure Monisha’s is an authentic version and my mouth is already watering at the prospect.

Indian bean dishes are comforting and delicious but seldom seen at the local “Calcutta Curry House”. Lobhia Ki Subzi (Spicy Black-eyed Beans) is gorgeous and I would have mine with some Indian bread. It’s simple to make and only has 3 tablespoons of oil for a dish for four people.

I can’t praise this book highly enough. I could say more but the best idea would be to go and buy a copy. Don’t even think of asking if you can borrow mine!

How to Cook without Recipes

Moroccan Modern

The Great British Village Show Cookbook

The Food of Spain and Portugal

Elizabeth Luard has written this Regional Celebration of the food of Spain and Portugal, and there is nobody better placed to do just that. She is considered one of the best writers about Spanish food in the English language and with Elizabeth’s background I am inclined to agree with those opinions.

Having been bought up in both Europe and South America, Elizabeth moved at age 21 to the Andalucian hills and learnt about real Spanish food from the locals. The cuisine of the Iberian Peninsula is enjoying immense popularity at the moment and this book will help to bring that trend to your table. If you can’t have a real Spaniard in the kitchen with you, this might be the next best thing.

The Food of Spain and Portugal is a delight. Photographs by the talented Jean Cazals are marvellous and shots of food are punctuated with landscapes to present a combined travelogue and cooking lesson. There are even a few Old Masters. You don’t have to be a budding chef to appreciate this book - a love of Spain and Portugal is enough.

Elizabeth writes with passion and intelligence: “The gentle braising tenderises the meat of a well-grown mountain lamb, allowing the flavours to melt into each other and form a rich sticky, little sauce.” It’s enough to turn a vegetarian’s head!

There is something for everyone, be they vegetarian, carnivore, practised cook or raw beginner. Roasted Red Peppers with Anchovies only has three ingredients and is easy yet vibrant of colour and taste. Cream Cake with Sour Cherries is sophisticated but wouldn’t be too taxing. My favourite of all, Spiced Chicken with Peppers: simple, delicious and a true taste of Aragon.

The recipes are enticing and broad-based covering the most rustic to the most refined, leaving the reader wanting to linger over ingredients and pictures, but anxious to turn another page to discover more. It isn’t a book to skim through nor is it a volume that you’ll read only once. You’ll dip into it and use its mouth-watering and authentic recipes but you’ll visit again to enjoy the countryside and the history.

A New Taste of Galena

What’s a Galena and is it organic? I hear you ask. It’s not a food, it’s a place. In fact it’s a small town in Illinois and this book is a Lutheran Church community cookbook. Now, I am not even a Christian and this review has nothing to do with the church. This review has everything to do with sharing, and particularly sharing with those from other communities, be they religious, cultural or social. Gosh, didn’t that sound serious!

My friends Carolyn and Chuck know the passion I have for food and wanted to share a book that was written by members of their church. It doesn’t matter to them that I am not a Lutheran nor a Christian. It’s a lovely gift and encouraged me to think that cookbooks like this should be more popular.

There is nothing that breaks down barriers more than food. We all eat, and three times a day if we are part of the lucky minority. Giving a book like this is a thoughtful gesture to an outsider. Buying a book like this says to the sellers that you support them in their fund-raising efforts.

This is a hefty tome containing a huge number of family recipes from church members and their friends. The recipes are clear and the authors have even gone to the trouble to add nutritional information. The work that has gone into this volume is praiseworthy (nice word and it sounds churchy!)

There must be dozens of contributors who deserve to feel proud of their efforts. Beef Burgundy Stew from Kathleen Goranson’s mum sounds lovely. Dallas County Jailhouse Chili sounds delicious enough to tempt anyone into a life of crime - Sally Bischel must have a good reason for having that recipe! Bourbon Sweet Potatoes sound divine and I think that someone should give Fabi Voigt a job as a food writer!

I apologise for not mentioning every single contributor to A New Taste of Galena. All your recipes sound lovely. Shortage of time is the only thing that prevents me from listing you individually and reviewing each recipe.

Consider a cookbook as a fund raiser for your church, temple, synagogue, mosque, chapel, social group, sports group or correction centre. It’ll be a lot of work but worth it!

Lebanese Cuisine

The Dean and Deluca Cookbook

The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook

The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook has Sophie Grigson as Consultant Editor, but the main contributors are ordinary folks who have an interest in food and who are the winners of the Fairtrade recipe competition 2007.

These original and delicious recipes use Fairtrade products, and there are more of these available every year. It’s not just coffee and tea and fruit but also spices, wine, vanilla and many other items. It’s never been easier to find Fairtrade goods so keep your eyes open.

The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook is an attractive, well-illustrated book filled with tempting recipes from not only the competition winners but also Fairtrade supporters. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall offers us Kedgeree using Fairtrade basmati rice and lemons. Antony Worrall Thompson uses Fairtrade avocado, mango and lime juice for his Prawn and Mango Ceviche.

Some of the recipes have a paragraph or two about the producer. Iran Alista Diaz is a producer of Oranges in Cuba. Thanks to Fairtrade the co-operative is thriving and they have just built a workshop which will help to generate a little more income for the members. A vanilla producer in India says “Vanilla helps sustain us. Before Fairtrade, our income was unpredictable and people would migrate to find more stable work.”

It’s all very worthy but I am pleased to be able to tell you that the food looks great as well. Take the Biscuit is a rich, chocolaty, gingery square that sounds divine. Sue Sherman from Winwick, Northampton has found a combination of Fairtrade chocolate and dried fruit that is enough to tempt anyone off a diet. Alex Prichard from Leeds has a recipe for Japanese-style Duck Breasts with Aromatic rice. The basmati rice, cashew nuts and peppers are all Fairtrade and the finished dish looks scrumptious.

Oz Clarke, the celebrated wine expert, has contributed a fine recipe for Salmon Koulibiaca but also some words that sum up the Fairtrade ethos. Oz says “...Fairtrade is about self-help, with people on the ground organising themselves. It’s not about sitting around waiting for hand-outs. It is about offering a hand up.”

Gorgeous Desserts

It’s another winner from the Kyle Cathie stable! Annie Bell is without a doubt one of my favourite food writers and the photography of Chris Alack is superb. I knew I would love this one before I even turned a page.

Annie has a style of writing that is both humorous and engaging “...What appears to be an impossibly thin liquid at the start shapes up nicely into a luscious caramel that coats the sponge by the time the oven’s done its stuff.” The sort of writing that gives you confidence and comfort.

There are so many recipes that are updated versions of old favourite puds. It’s not often that I think that tinkering with tradition is a good idea but Annie’s recipes add so much to the original. The regular trifle will always be a great festive option but how lovely to have several versions. Modern Sherry Trifle has a mousse of mascarpone instead of custard. Cranachan Trifle draws on both Scottish and English culinary traditions and tempts me to go out and buy a trifle bowl. Italian Trifle is simple if you use shop-bought cake and makes a lovely presentation in individual glasses......but you get more in a trifle bowl!

Don’t, dear reader, ask me to pick a favourite recipe from this book. I probably have about 30....or 40! There are lots that I should mention as outstanding. Each page presents an “Ooooohhh – Aaaahhh” opportunity but Cherry Cheesecake Cake (no, that’s not a stutter, that IS the name of the pud) would be a delicious. There is a Chocolate Fondant Pudding that I would give somebody’s right arm for, and Apple Butterscotch Pie is going to be a regular chez nous.

This is one of those “must see” books. Its large format is clear and impressive. If you are looking for a dessert cookbook as a gift then my advice is to buy two of these - you will definitely want to keep one for yourself.

Pure Vegetarian

The Decadent Cookbook

Fantastico - Modern Italian Food

Fantastico - Modern Italian Food is Gino D’Acampo’s first book and it’s a fine one. The photography is superb, the recipes clear and the “hand-written” type used for the anecdotes before each recipe is very stylish. His comments are conversational and informal, which is the overall feel of this book.

This lad makes me smile! He came to fame appearing on such TV shows as Ready Steady Cook, and An Italian in Mexico. He was Jeni Barnett’s “Italian stallion” in Good Food Live, although it’s evident that he doesn’t take himself too seriously, when he allows himself to be photographed for this book sprinkled with feathers.

This book is full of humour and very a refreshing change from the sometimes over-earnest cookbook offerings. The chapter headings give the first clue that this book is fun. How about: Something Fishy, Legs and Feathers and A Bit on the Side?

Fantastico is, for all that, a solid piece of work with great dishes that will not take you days to make. Gino D’Acampo encourages us to spend time buying the best ingredients and spend less time on the preparation. “If you are not in a good mood, don’t bother, get a takeaway.” That phrase alone will persuade half the population to buy this book!

The recipes are lovely but easy to prepare. Moroccan-style Pasta is a great example of Gino’s approach. It’s quick, easy, fresh and different. Neapolitan-style Meatloaf is simple and flavourful and would be a favourite meal for the kids.

Whole Baked Sea Bass Stuffed with Italian Salsa sounds a bit daunting but there are photographs to show you exactly how to prepare the fish. It’s one of Gino’s top five signature dishes. You can substitute salmon, sea bream or trout for the bass.

Gino has a selection of Sweet Things to die for. Limoncello and Plum Tart sounds divine and Gino gives us permission to use shop-bought pastry. Now, this is a man that lives in the real world! I could probably force down a slice or three of Italian Chocolate and Nut Cake, which has no flour.

There is a charming chapter called Say it with Food. Gino D’Acampo dedicates some favourite recipes to his friends and family and adds another element to this book which helps to makes it so warm and readable.

Fantastico is a gorgeous book and I look forward to seeing more from him in the future.

Four Seasons Cookery Book

The Good Food Guide London

Don’t go all huffy because it’s “all about London” again. There will be a review of the general Good Food Guide in September when the latest edition is published. But consider, dear reader, that when you have that city break to the Capital you want to eat well and in a memorable fashion.

The Good Food Guide is the classic restaurant guide and it’s the one with arguably the best reputation. Now it’s taking a closer look at London, and as I live in London and have visited some of the reviewed restaurants, I can vouch for its accuracy.

You don’t have to know London like the back of a cockney’s hand to feel confident about choosing a restaurant that has all your preferred characteristics. There are maps aplenty and pages of travel information, and each entry has an address, phone number and tube station where applicable. The Good Food Guide London is divided by broad geography (central, north, south, east, west and greater London) and subdivided into areas. This is a help when you don’t want to stray too far from home or hotel.

The Good Food Guide London has three indexes: restaurants – alphabetic,  restaurants – by cuisine (to help you find an Afghani restaurant when you crave Boolawnee like your grandma’s) and restaurants – by tube station, so you can find the handiest one.

The guide uses a points system to indicate the cooking standard (even a restaurant scoring 1/10 is a decent place to eat), and then there are symbols that tell you if accommodation is available, the price you would expect to pay for 3 courses, if there are vegan options, if you will be offered a free glass of wine (vouchers at the back of the book), if this restaurant has an exceptional wine list. There is even a  listing of award winners to help you in the direction of a “special” meal out.

This is almost an audience-participation guide! You are encouraged to submit your feedback and suggest restaurants for review. Every entry will have been based on independent, expert inspection as well as reader comment. Well, how democratic is that!

OK, so it doesn’t tell you how tall the waiter will be nor if the chef is having an off day, but there’s as much information and advice here as you could possibly expect. It’s clear, it’s easy to use and it could save you from making an expensive mistake!

Gorgeous Cakes

Annie Bell has got to be one of the finest food writers around and Chris Alack, one of the best photographers. This was always going to be a winning partnership.

Gorgeous Cakes is a stunner. Its large format allows for superb pictures which complement Annie’s lovely recipes. They are clear and easy to follow with background information and anecdotes from Annie before each one. The text is both charming and informative and gives the book an altogether comfy feel that encourages the reader to make these lovely cakes and share with family and friends.

Annie Bell has managed to introduce some surprises, some new takes on old favourites. Banoffee Cupcakes (Annie has eight delicious examples of cupcakes) sound fabulous and are so easy. These would be great to make with the kids and they could go to town with the decorations. There are so many cakes here that are “child-friendly” that will give youngsters happy memories of learning to cook.

Gin and Tonic Minis are girly and decadent. How smart would they be to present when the ladies are over for summer evening cocktails. Chocolate Sensation would be an instant success with a cup of coffee...or even without a cup of coffee, for that matter.

The recipes are not just for the girls (although the book is lovely enough to leave open on a frilly dressing table). There are plenty of things that would be appreciated by the most macho of boys. Ginger, Almond and Fig Meringue would tempt a rugby team with its sweetness and gingery bite. Cherry Crumble Cake wouldn’t go amiss with lads of the hollow-legged sort.

Gorgeous Cakes also has a number of recipes for people with health issues. There is Fig and Orange Cake with Campari Glaze, that has no fat, Sour Cherry Yogurt Cake with no eggs, and a meringue which is wheat-free. You don’t have to have health problems to enjoy these but it’s good to be able to produce smashing sweet treats for friends and family who have to watch what they eat.

I read more recipes than most people would want to shake a stick at, but my favourite, and new to me, is Orange Marzipan Cake. It’s in the Festive Baking chapter and will be the cake of choice for all those who hate the traditional Christmas fruit cake. This is moist and a much lighter alternative to a cake made with just dried fruit. The combination of orange marmalade, marzipan and rum make this a special cake for any time of year.

Annie Bell has been a chef and has written several other cookbooks, some of which I will be reviewing over the next weeks. She now writes for The Mail on Sunday’s YOU magazine and contributes to Country Living. So I had expected something special, and I haven’t been disappointed.

Real Flavours

Real Flavours by Glynn Christian is a book that you will need if you are new to cooking and a book that you will want if you are an old hand to all things culinary, and it’s not even a recipe book! It’s more like an encyclopaedia of all things delicious.

This is a hefty tome in stylish sepia, black and white. It is, as it says, THE handbook of gourmet and deli ingredients. Why should you either want or need such a volume? you may ask. Well it’s a kitchen aid. It’s packed with information about every product that might cross your path in a grocers shop. Real Flavours is what you need if you want to know how to cheat at cooking....um, where have I heard that before?

There is a wealth of wonderful items lining the shelves of delis all over the world. Products that have taken hundreds of years to perfect. Ingredients that will make your catering life easier....but you need to know what they are and how to use them. Real Flavours tells you in the most accessible way.

There is nothing missing. Everything has a mention, everything from Sugar to Sushi, from Fruit to Fish, from Grain to Game. Let’s take an example. You want to know about sausage? We’ll have a look. Start with Fresh Sausages. Glynn tells us about their production, their varieties, what to use them for and how to use them. But then he continues with.....Sausages With Casings, and gives 17 examples with descriptions and histories....Without Casings, more examples. Next it’s Smoked Dried Sausages, Scalded Sausages, Cooked Sausages, all with lots of different types listed and described. Multiply that by each product and you can see why the book is considered to be perhaps the most comprehensive of its type.

Real Flavours is not only informative but it’s thoroughly readable. You will start by just dipping into it and finish by reading it from cover to cover. Even the introduction is a worthwhile read and you can’t say that about too many books.

Although this isn’t a recipe book, it does have a good number of them, like Simple Spiced Salt Beef - sounds delicious. There are both Green and Red Thai Curry Pastes which will be excellent, as Glynn must know as much as any Westerner about the cuisine of that lovely part of the world (Glynn has presented several TV series on the cuisine of Thailand).

It will be your most “thumbed” food-related book and the one you refer to time and time again. It’s full of humour, knowledge and passion for the subject. Glynn Christian has written a classic food book which deserves to be recognised as such.

Anissa’s Modern Mezze

Now, I am not going to say very much about Anissa Helou just now because there will be an interview with her in a few months’ time, but suffice it to say she is quite fascinating.

This is one of those rare books that will entice not only enthusiastic cooks (although you don’t have to be one to succeed with these recipes) but also anyone who is the slightest bit interested in the cultures of Lebanon, Turkey, Greece and Morocco.

It’s said that we are what we eat, but I would say equally that the way we eat reflects something of our nature. Mezze are almost the equivalent of tapas: small dishes of meat, fish, vegetables, salads to be shared. The charm is that it’s a meal to linger over, each person taking a little of this, a taste of that, creating an unhurried break from the daily routine.

Anissa Helou writes with such warmth about her childhood in Lebanon. She remembers the excitement she felt when seeing her father ordering huge numbers of mezze dishes for family and friends to eat together. Modern Mezze opens a little window on the most accessible aspect of Middle Eastern food and allows us to enjoy for ourselves what was once available only to restaurant-goers or those with a ticket to Beirut.

The book is peppered (I know Anissa will say I should have used another spice!) with the most wonderful photos of not only finished dishes but also stages of preparation, and that’s always a comfort to a debutant cook. It contains everything you need to know to be able to prepare impressive mezze. The recipes are easy to follow, colourful and healthy.

There are lots of dishes that you will be familiar with, like Tzatziki and Tabbûlé, but how about Labné? How impressed will your friends be when you tell them that you produced this soft cheese yourself? You don’t need to tell them how very easy it is to make! Keep quiet and look like an expert, that’s what I’d do. Do you see why I like this book?

I love Fattûsh, a herb and toasted pita salad, and Anissa has, in my opinion, the best recipe. The ingredients are simple: pita bread, salad vegetables, herbs, oil and sumac, a lemony-flavoured, ground berry. It might not sound exceptional but it’s truly delicious with a lovely combination of textures. I make this often and it’s always a winner for a summer lunch.

The book is a dream to use with nothing being left to chance. There is an item about drinks to serve with mezze, suggestions for mezze as a starter or a meal, descriptions of ingredients and stockists. Anissa has recipes for dips, salads, pastries, pulses, veggies, fish and meats. Anyone, be they vegetarian or certified carnivore, will find plenty to enjoy in Modern Mezze...... So enjoy!

I guess I should be kind and offer you a recipe to try. There are so many delicious ones... but how about baba ghannûge [pronounced gannoosh]? It’s a classic.

Grilled Aubergine Dip - Baba Ghannûge

Serves 4

6 large aubergines, about 250g each
4 tbsp tahini
sea salt
juice of one lemon, or to taste.
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed.

For the garnish:
extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped mint or fresh pomegranate seeds (preferably the sour type)

There is some confusion over the Arabic name of this dip. In Syria it is mûtabbal, while baba ghannûge is used to describe a grilled aubergine salad. In any case it is exceptionally good, provided the aubergines are char-grilled or, better still, barbecued over an open fire so they take on a smoky flavour. It is also important to mash the aubergines by hand - if you use a food processor the dip won't have such a good texture.

Preheat the grill to high. Prick the aubergines in several places with a small knife (to stop them bursting under the grill) and place on a sturdy baking sheet or grill rack. Grill until the aubergines are very soft to the touch and the skins are slightly charred, turning to expose all sides evenly to the heat (or cook on a barbecue). This may take up to 45 minutes, depending on the heat.

Transfer the aubergines to a board, halve each one lengthways and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Put the flesh into a colander and leave for at least half an hour to drain off the excess liquid.

Tip the aubergine flesh into a wide bowl and mash, using a potato masher or the back of a fork. Don't crush it too much - you want the dip to have texture. Add the tahini and salt to taste and mix well, then stir in the lemon juice and crushed garlic. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Transfer the dip to a shallow serving bowl and with the back of a spoon spread it the same way as you would hommus so that you have a shallow groove in the dip. Drizzle a little olive oil in the groove and sprinkle the mint or pomegranate seeds decoratively in the centre and at regular intervals along the raised edge. Serve with pita bread.

Healthy Indian Cooking for Diabetes

Now, don’t just scroll to the next review! Have a read and understand that this isn’t a book for people with diabetes but a book for all of us. We are all at risk from diet-related illness but there is no need to deprive ourselves of good and flavourful food.

Azmina Govindji is a registered dietitian and the first 45 pages of this book are packed with dietary information, advice about complementary and alternative therapies, weight management and healthy cooking tips. Even these introductory pages have gorgeous pictures. This is, after all a recipe book and not a medical encyclopaedia.

I didn’t know that just being South Indian can put you at risk of diabetes, leading to further complications like heart disease. Whilst it’s not nice to hear, it’s better to know and make a few changes to your lifestyle to keep yourself well.

How often have I heard my Western friends say that they don’t cook Indian food because it’s too oily or too rich? Well, this is the book for you - launch yourself on a new and healthy culinary experience. Stock up on a few Indian spices and dry goods and have a go. It’s easy.

Indian food is a big part of my diet so I am very happy to find some lighter alternatives to some traditional favourites. Sanjeev Kapoor is India’s leading chef and winner of culinary awards so his recipes are bound to be delicious.

Dehi Methi Murgh (yogurt chicken with fresh fenugreek) is lovely and has no fat. You wouldn’t know it as the marinade gives a richness that is more associated with oil. It’s the “mouth feel” that tricks us into thinking that there must be some ghee in this recipe.

The recipe for Chicken Biryani is exceptional but it has no oil. The spices create a rich and full flavour so I would advise that you stick to the recipe and don’t cut down on the spice. The seasonings are what make these dishes work.

Dal is something I could eat for every meal....at least for a while. It’s Indian comfort food served with some breads or rice. Mixed Dal uses very little oil and the little oil that is used is olive oil.  Yes, it’s a surprise but olive oil is used to replace the heavier ghee and traditional Indian oils in this book.

My favourite recipe is Mutton Dhansaak (lamb and lentil stew). If you have ordered this in an Indian restaurant then you would have noticed that it’s sometimes a heavy dish. Healthy Indian Cooking presents us with a less oily alternative. The rich quality comes from the texture of the sauce rather than the fat.

You don’t need to be Indian to enjoy this book. Use these recipes and you will make exotic food without the guilt. Take care of yourself but enjoy eating well.

India

If you are about to go off to India then buy this book. Buy this book and read the first 80 or so pages before you pack, and then dip into relevant chapters by destination. You will be glad you did.

Why read the first 80 pages first? Well, it’s not just because they are at the beginning but because they cover important issues like packing (that’s why I said, to read this before packing), water purification, hazards of road travel and money matters (yes, it does!)

The back of the book is also, in my opinion, a “must read sooner rather than later”, it being Background and Language. The Background chapter covers history, culture, religion and geography. Language covers, well, language! It makes a good impression if you can say “thank you” in Hindi.

This is such a comprehensive book and it covers every place you would want to go and a few that you wouldn’t. Let’s look at one area and marvel at the thoroughness of this volume. Stick a pin in the map, dear reader, and I’ll tell you what the guide says about that location...

Kerala, nice choice! Pages 887 to 959. We start with a map of the subcontinent and Kerala highlighted, a list of contents for this chapter and the special Footprint Features which include items like Don’t Miss, Kerala’s Social Underbelly, Body Language, The Backwaters, and The Modern Mass Pilgrimage. Other regions have appropriate Footprint Features, one of the many elements that put these guides ahead of the others.

The smallest of towns is listed and there is advice on travel, sights, places to stay (prices indicated), eating (don’t eat the buffet), shopping and tours. I don’t think anything has been left to chance. Every detail has been well researched. In Munnar, for instance, you can visit the Tata Tea Museum, or how about the Elephant Yard in Guruvayur?

The maps are first class and there are lots of them, from regional maps to city street maps. The transport information is the best I have come across in this type of guidebook and the detail is amazing, giving bus routes and frequency, motorcycle hire websites and addresses, rickshaw and taxi rates and train information. The Footprint Guides are designed with the independent traveller in mind, and they don’t assume that you are loaded with cash.

Each area has its own Directory, a comprehensive list of handy addresses....like a chemist.  All guides tell you where to post a letter (your mum will be lucky if she gets a postcard), but you need to know where to go if you get sick or, more important, if you need to check your email! It’s all in this guide.

This is your “Big Trip” and you want to get as much out of it as possible. You only want to carry one book so let this be the one.

Knife Skills

complement of fingers then this book is for you. Read it, take a long look at the pictures, and practice.

It’s divided into two sections, The Basics and The Application. The Basics covers, yes, you’ve guessed it, the basics but it’s just as important to know which knives to buy for cutting meat, fish or fruit as it is to chop with cheffy-type speed.
 
We are guided through the history of kitchen knives, and the differences between Western knives and Japanese knives. There is a section which shows us different types of knives and their uses, as well as examples of everything ever invented for chopping, shaving or peeling. The section on keeping your knives sharp is excellent.

Knife Safety is probably the chapter  to read first and before you even consider touching anything with a blade. Now I know that I am sounding a bit like your mum (‘Don’t touch that dear, you’ll hurt yourself’) but it’s for your own good. Take it from one who almost lost the top of a finger!

The Application section follows The Basics with chapter headings covering Vegetables, Fish, Meat, Desserts and Fruit. Each chapter is comprehensive, has step-by-step descriptions as well as numerous photographs that are indispensible. The section on Lamb covers the carving of different joints and has the best guide to butterflying a leg of lamb that I have come across. It’s an easy process but difficult to explain just with words.

Vegetarians are served by this book with long sections devoted to all things non-meat or fish. It’s not just fruit and veggies that you will soon be slicing like a pro, but also herbs and spices as well as cakes and breads.

This is an attractive, informative book that is impressive in its in-depth coverage of Knife Skills.

Seasonal Home Cooking

This is a sumptuous, large-format book. The pages are spacious and colourful with some of the best quality photographs around. There are more than 300 pictures that have added much to the lovely recipes by Bridget Jones.

The book is, as it says, about seasonal cooking and so is divided into the four seasons, but each of those is divided into other sections. Bridget has a comprehensive introduction to each season, which tempts the reader with all that the changing availability of produce has to offer.

Spring Cooking has Asparagus with Lemon Sauce in the Young and Crisp section. We find Spring Vegetable Omelette in Light and Fresh, Guinea Fowl with Baby Vegetables is in Tender and Tasty and Rhubarb and Meringue Pie is under Sweet and Tart. All the other sections have different but equally evocative titles.

Each recipe is well illustrated, clearly written and takes advantage of the best local produce. That isn’t to say that Bridget has avoided imported products, but she has used those to complement the main ingredient.  She encourages us to use fresh and in season produce which is therefore more reasonably priced.

There are lots of classic recipes like Smoked Mackerel Pate, and Lemon Tart, and the book loses nothing by their inclusion, but there are many original recipes that are simple and different. Cod and Bean Stew with Paprika is lovely and you could always substitute another white fish. Pasta with Slow Cooked Onions has got to be a winner, and cheap as well!

There are plenty of recipes for vegetarians or those of us who don’t eat much meat. Casserole with Harvest Vegetables, Spinach and Wild Mushroom Soufflé are just a couple of the many examples. I was pleased to find a recipe for Jerusalem Artichokes with Bacon. That makes a change from the Jerusalem Artichoke Soup which is the more typical cookbook offering.

Seasonal Home Cooking is a broad-based cookbook that is gorgeous to look at but is equally the sort of book that you will use. That is, after all, the most important reason to buy a cookbook. I think it’s very good value for money and deserves to become a classic of its type.

Keeping Bees and Making Honey

500 Barbecue Sizzlers

Eat Yourself Smart

“Chef Charlie’s delicious nourishing cuisine was the secret sauce behind Google’s early success” says David Vise, author of The Google Story.

Well, that set the scene for the book.  It’s a very original concept and a very original cookbook. The first 100 or so pages have no recipes at all but concentrate on the culinary philosophy of chef Charlie Ayres. Perhaps it should have been called the Google Cookbook, as it is they who offered Charlie a free hand to develop his style of cuisine, with the specific intention of maximising employee brain-power and well-being.  He wants people to eat better, fresher and healthier.

Charlie Ayres was Google employee Number 53 but by the time he left the company in 2005 there were 5 sous chefs and 150 kitchen staff serving 4000 lunches and dinners each day. Now, that’s a big restaurant!

It’s a very West Coast California book but Charlie’s ideas are solid and sensible and revolve around respect for your own body and the environment. He is dedicated to the organic food path because it’s logical to buy chemical-free foods because they are better for you, buy locally because it’s fresher and cheaper. He only buys fresh produce from a 150-mile radius. That’s probably easier for Charlie to sustain as he lives in California where you are only ever 100 yards away from an orange. But we should all be more aware of travel miles for our produce and buy from local sources where possible.

There is a surprisingly large section devoted to larder ingredients. There are lists of vinegars, salts, oils (he has a recipe for cheese flavoured oil!), grains, nuts and seeds etc. Then it’s on to the recipes....

I wasn’t expecting to like these but I was pleasantly surprised. Start your day with Black and Blue Yoghurt Fru Fru. A lovely concoction of Yoghurt, fruit, almonds and honey. Cranberry-Orange bread sounds lovely. How about Apple and Brie Quesadillas? Might have some Duck and Shrimp Dim Sum. Hey, this healthy eating isn’t as boring as I had supposed!

I thought that it would be a struggle to write a positive review of this book but then I read it (always a good start for a reviewer) and warmed to the subject. Whilst it’s true that Charlie Ayres is passionate about raw/organic/local/fresh food, he is equally passionate about taste and balance. You will eat and enjoy his food because it’s delicious ....and by the way, it’s good for you!

AWT’s Sweet Life

Antony was told that he was heading towards diabetes, but he is a chef with a passion for food and he still wanted to make delicious meals and treats for himself and his family. Splenda is easily used in cooking. It isn’t those little tablets, it looks like sugar and you use the same volume as sugar so it makes a good substitute. There is a section on using the product, so no need to panic.

All the photographs, and there are pictures for most of the recipes, make the food look every bit as gorgeous as you would expect from an “ordinary” cookbook. The truth is that the cakes, pies, mousses ARE as gorgeous as the sugar-laden alternatives. We are talking about seriously good puds. You could tuck into any of them and not feel that you are making a sacrifice for the sake of good health.

Antony even has chocolatey things like Homemade Chocolate-nut Spread. It’s a low-sugar alternative to that famous one. Easter Egg Brownies would be a lovely one for the kids....Ok, all of us. Who could resist Baked Cheesecake with Marsala-steeped Raisins? No sugar! Or Greek Lemon Pudding. No sugar!

Each recipe has nutritional information and I guess you would still have to keep an eye on that if you are diabetic. Although the refined sugar has been replaced by Splenda, there are still natural sugars from fruit as well as some recipes that use honey. All the information is there to help you so it's ....a piece of cake!

This isn’t just a book for those with health problems. Most of us could do with cutting back on the sugar but it’s good to be able to have great sweet things to eat while we are doing it. But let’s consider cooking for our friends with diabetes – invite them over and present them with a luscious dessert they can safely eat and enjoy!

Antony Worrall Thompson has done a smashing job. I thank you, Claude thanks you, and a lot of other people will as well.

Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts

The Cocktail – 200 Fabulous Drinks

Vegetarian Dishes from the Middle East

Wine Travel Guide to the World

Authentik Gourmet Guides

It’s nice to find a guide that is relevant equally to the resident and to the tourist. The local will obviously be familiar with lots of the suggested eateries but, unless you are the sort that dines out in restaurants three times each week and spends the other evenings researching local food issues, you will still manage to find much that is new and interesting.

The sketches by Alain Bouldouyre are charming and add much to the overall appeal. These books would make the most fantastic gifts for anyone going away for a special weekend or city break. They make lovely souvenirs in themselves but the guides have an elastic band closure and you are supplied with a little notebook to enable you to make each volume truly unique. Tuck a pencil inside and add your own experiences and opinions. Expand on those of the author.

If these little guides are still too much baggage for the foodie on the go, then you can download all the addresses onto a mobile phone. It sounds quite technical but the computer-savvy would have no problem with the method. I’ll stick to the paper versions!

The author of the Gourmet London guide, William Skidelsky, knows his stuff and writes for The Guardian, The Spectator and the New Statesman. Author of Gourmet Paris is Canadian-born Rosa Jackson who moved to France in 1995 to give culinary tours of the city, and now designs tailor-made food itineraries. She is also an author of two French language cookbooks.

For more information about Authentik guides please contact cphillips@footprintbooks.com

Gourmet Cornwall

This is another from that marvellous collaboration of Alison Hodge Publishing, author Carol Trewin and photographer Adam Woolfitt. This book is of the same glossy high standard that we have come to expect and makes a wonderful companion to Cornish Fishing and Seafood that I recently reviewed.

I must admit that I hadn’t thought of Cornwall as having a great culinary heritage. Apart from the likes of Rick Stein there don’t seem to be many that wax lyrical about Cornish food. It’s a shame because this book shows that it has so much to offer, not only by way of produce but also skill and passion for local enterprise.

Until relatively recently Cornwall had a simple but traditional food culture. It’s now enjoying a period of enthusiastic growth and appreciation of everything that the county has to offer. Not only fish and seafood but cheeses, cream, meat, bread, fruit and even wine. Well, who would have thought!

There are several lovely recipes (Baked Chocolate Pudding from Nigel Tabb at Tabb’s Restaurant in Portreath is gorgeous and so simple) but this book concentrates on educating us, in a most beautiful fashion, about the new Cornish food revival.

Carol manages to put produce and products into context with lovely historic notes about everything from wrecking, a colourful and lucrative pass-time, to saffron-growing. That’s a new one on me! Since the mid-1990s there has been a rise in Cornish nationalism which has helped to revive Cornish culture and respect for Cornish food. These days, Carol says, almost every commercial baker makes saffron cakes and buns but try Women’s Institute and Farmers’ Markets for a taste of the genuine article.

Oh, OK then, let’s mention Cornish Pasties! When Carol and Adam were discussing the title for the book, someone suggested “More than just pasties”. Whilst it’s true that Cornwall has much more to offer, it still deserves a place in this book. More than three million pasties are manufactured in Cornwall each WEEK although they are mostly “exported” to other counties. It’s the Cornish “national” dish and is the popular item that has allowed some bakeries to survive. There are more choices of filling these days but the purist will stick to the traditional beef, potatoes, sweed (or turnip as it is known as in Cornwall), onion, salt and pepper. That’s the one for me!

Adam Woolfitt is a truly talented photographer whose pictures complement Carol’s words wonderfully, each page is to linger over and admire. The stories are charming and informative and would persuade anyone that Cornwall has a lot to teach other counties about respect for culture and culinary heritage.

Slow Cooking  - Through the Seasons

This isn’t just about cooking food slowly although it is indeed that, it’s about using a slow cooker. It’s a great way to cook as it allows you to get the meal going and just leave it for a few hours. It uses very little power so it’s safe to leave switched on for a long time without giving you a nasty bill. Now, that’s something to think seriously about in these times of fuel price increases.

The author, Carol Humphries, takes you through the basic method of slow cooker or crockpot cooking. She encourages us to buy local produce in season. The book is divided into months, and each month has a list of fresh ingredients which are at their best, and then it’s on to the recipes with a nice bit of advice or a description before each one. Every month has a selection of seasonal recipes for fruit, vegetables, meat and fish.

I admit to using my slow cooker mainly for casseroles and soups, and most often in the winter, but Carol tells me that in May I could have Hot Mango Mousse or how about Sardines with Herbs, Garlic and Lemon. The advantage of using a slow cooker for fish is that it doesn’t dry out. It’s a very forgiving method of cooking.
 
Cheesecake is something I would never have thought of cooking in a Slow Cooker but Carol informs us that “Rich Cheesecakes are often baked in a very slow oven and, while the results are usually delicious, a cheesecake from a slow cooker will be moister, softer and beautifully pale.” Oooh, that sounds nice! It’s an easy recipe and you won’t have to hover by the cooker in a state of anxiety. Put the cake in the pot and forget about it for 3 or 4 hours. It’s only using the same power as a light bulb!

Slow Cooking – Through the Seasons is full of great new ideas and easy to follow recipes. This is just one from the series of Slow Cooking books, the others being Slow Cooking from Around the World, from Around the Mediterranean, for Vegetarians, and Slow Cooking – Curry and Spice Dishes.

Beans – A History

I was expecting a pamphlet. What is there to say about beans? Well, lots and it’s much more interesting than I had supposed.

The author, Ken Albala, already has a good track record for writing food-related books. His others include Eating Right in the Renaissance and The Banquet: Dining in the Great Courts of Late Renaissance Europe. This book, however, concentrates on the food of the poor, food of desperation and famine.

Raymond Blanc says of this book: “A vividly entertaining history of the humble bean takes the reader on a curious, surprising ad exciting journey across epochs, continents and cultures.” Couldn’t put it better myself!

This isn’t a recipe book although it does have several dozen, mostly historic, recipes, or rather instructions on how to cook all kinds of beans; it’s more a book that tells you everything you would ever need to know about the subject. Ken includes a chapter on “Oddballs and Villains”. These are some nasties that are actually poisonous and have been revived, to a small extent, by the Slow Food enthusiasts in Umbria who insist that it is a traditional foodstuff in danger of disappearance!

I had never thought of lupins as beans until I came across them in Madeira a few years ago. I might not have even tried them if I had known that, in their raw state, they can kill you. It takes lots of washing to remove the toxin and some of the bitter taste. I think the ones I had needed a bit more washing!

Mexican Refried Beans are delicious and easy to make. Ken gives us directions for making these. It’s not a recipe but a method. The same goes for Khichri which was the forerunner of the Anglo-Indian Kedgeree. The traditional version was rice, mung beans and spices and was a popular evening meal.

As a kid I loved baked beans. As an adult and a passionate cook I thought that it wasn’t a food I should admit to enjoying. These days I tuck into my beans on toast knowing they are quite good for me, quick, easy and comforting. Beans – A History persuades me that I am just continuing a long tradition. It’s an informative and amusing book.

Essential Scottish Cookery

We hear so much about the Scots’ passion for deep-fried chocolate bars and not nearly enough about the wealth of fine food that represents the true Scottish culinary heritage.

Haggis is the dish that first comes to mind when thinking about traditional Scots fare. I have a favourite one that I’ll review for you over winter but Carol Wilson and Christopher Trotter offer us a new presentation: Haggis, Potato and Apple Tart. I think I would describe it as more of a pie having a pastry lid but it’s such a great idea and would be a nice introduction to those who are a bit wary about trying a haggis in its natural state. Carol and Christopher admit that haggis, although still popular, is more often bought than made from scratch in the home. I wonder why!

Essential Scottish Cookery has plenty of fish and seafood recipes as you would expect. The Scots are famed for smoked fish of all kinds. A Cullen Skink isn’t some kind of Highland rodent but a classic soup made from Finnan haddock, onion and potatoes. It was a staple for the fishing community in the old days. It’s easy to make, as are all the recipes in this book, and you know you should eat more fish!

Each recipe has a little paragraph about either the main ingredients or the history of the dish. Auld Alliance Apple Tart is one that I had not come across before. The Auld Alliance is that between France and Scotland, a relationship that has lasted for 600 years or so. The apple tart is the Scots’ take on the classic Tarte Tatin.

Border Tart (I guess that’s from the North side of the border) illustrates the Scots’ love of all things sweet. It’s full of dried fruit and walnuts and would be a very welcome mid-morning snack, as the authors say.....and at any other time, I would say!

Let’s not miss out the Whisky Marmalade. It has a healthy ½ pint of the stuff for each 10lb of finished marmalade. How about a Highland Coffee that the authors suggest be presented in a tall wine glass with a ½ pint capacity!

Essential Scottish Cookery is a lovely, well illustrated book (360 photographs) and full of charming surprises, and introduces us to the generosity of the Scottish table.

Simply Lebanese

This is a wonderful and well-designed book. It has plenty of pictures in both colour and sepia. The recipes have lots of tips for saving time, for storage or final presentation, and the pages are arranged clearly with even the longer recipes being easy to follow.

The author, Ina’am Atalla, introduces us to simple Lebanese cooking. She has recreated almost all the dishes by remembering the flavours of the original but has made those dishes accessible to all of us.

Ina’am starts us with the basics, with such things as white rice, croutons, garlic sauce and pickles. Turnip Pickles are a reminder of Lebanese food for me: not just the taste but the look of them - delicious and so very pretty. They are the indispensible addition to a Falafel sandwich...also in the book.

Kidrah, Rice and Lamb in a Pot is lovely. The ingredients are simple but the finished dish is real comfort. This, as with other recipes, has some background information: Kidrah was originally cooked by nomads and takes its name from the cooking pot. How romantic is that!

Orange Semolina Cake is an Ina’am invention and sounds scrumptious. Most of the flour is replaced with semolina and ground nuts. Once again it’s easy but different, and works well with Lebanese food. I’d even make this cake to finish an Indian or Thai meal.

My favourite recipe from this book has got to be Deek Roumi which is Ina’am’s version of roast turkey. It has a gorgeous stuffing of ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, dried figs which are a great combination and would add real interest to the ordinary bird.

Meat Sambousek are little meat pies and there is a cheese version as well. There are plenty of recipes suitable for vegetarians that are different and flavourful. Chilli Potatoes are seasoned with, yes, chilli but also garlic and coriander.

I am not a great lover of Italian pizza but I do enjoy the Lebanese version, Sfeiha. It’s a flat bread topped with minced lamb and spices and a good dose of chilli sauce but, once again, Ina’am provides us with a vegetarian alternative.

Ina’am Atalla has an obvious passion for the food of Lebanon and she deserves to be proud of this very attractive book

Cornish Fishing and Seafood

A Handful of Honey

Annie Hawes, the bestselling author of Extra Virgin, has another cracking book. It’s A Handful of Honey and should be on the required reading list for anyone planning a trip to Morocco or, less probable, a trip to Algeria.

At first sight I wondered why the nice people at Pan Macmillan would want me to review a travel book. Well, OK, it sounds like it should be a history of bee keeping but it was obviously not that. What then?

A Handful of Honey – Away to the Palm Groves of Morocco and Algeria is an autobiography/travel book. It’s not like any other I have read but turned out to be utterly absorbing. The first few pages have nothing to do with North Africa but rather Portugal and we find our guide, Annie Hawes, incarcerated in a grubby prison. Even writing about those conditions Annie manages colourful descriptions of the meals, or I should say the same meal several times!

The book revolves around a search for friends she had made on her trip home from that Portugese ‘holiday’. She had been befriended by a group of young Algerians who were off to France to work on the building sites. Many years later Annie is offered a chance to visit Morocco and Algeria with a couple of French chums, and so she starts her quest.

The French guidebook series, Le Petit Futé (written by one of our neighbours), is often mentioned and seems to have been the indispensible companion for the group, however this didn’t prevent Annie from getting into some edgy situations. She is not a girl content to conform – if she was she wouldn’t have found the material to write this book!

Each episode seems to involve the famed North African hospitality and food. There are lovely memories of shared feasts, of alfresco snacks, dining customs and hitherto unknown ingredients. It hasn’t got glitzy restaurant reviews, nor enticing recipes but it gives a real flavour of what you might expect should you wander of the well-beaten tourist track.

If you are off to the Maghreb (southern Mediterranean coast) then read this book before you go.

Traditional Irish Cooking

Honey from Clova

Or to give the book its full and poetic title:  Honey – A handbook for home, health and happiness by Clova McQueen. That has got to be the most perfect name for a food writer with a health food shop. I wonder if the shop is called Bees Knees as Usual?

I am surprised that this is Clova’s first book but I hope it won’t be her last. She has an obvious talent for relaying information .This is quite one of the most entertaining books I have read in a long while. It’s informative but also very funny. The kind of humour that makes you laugh out loud and I didn’t expect to find that in a cookbook.

I say “cookbook” but it’s not strictly just that. It’s a little encyclopaedia of honey. You will learn the history of honey from mythical times to now, all about hives, the uses of honey, how it features in music and romance.

It’s a fascinating substance whose properties are legendary, mysterious and traditionally comforting. Clova McQueen (don’t you just love that name) guides us through all the aspects of honey in an absorbing and light-hearted way. She includes some gorgeous recipes such as Honey and Whisky Ice Cream Whip and a drink called Hair of the Dog which sounds so nice that it would be worth suffering a hangover just to have the excuse to try it.

Clova also has a section on beauty and honey which includes Honey Lip Balm and Honey and Oatmeal Face Mask. The chapter on health and honey suggests honey as a cure for both insomnia and constipation. Now, that worries me! Think about it!

Clova McQueen ends with this little story about the great Scottish comedian Chic Murray. He described staying in a particularly uninspiring guest house where, after an uncomfortable night’s sleep, he ordered some toast for breakfast. When it finally arrived at his table, it was accompanied by a small basket of jams and preserves. Hidden in the middle of the basket was one miniscule jar of honey. “Ah”, said Chic to the guest house manager, “I see you keep a bee.”

Quick and Easy – Eating for One

   Turkey Skewers
The author, Catherine Atkinson, has chosen easy, healthy but also quite exotic recipes. She has sections on sweets, snacks, meats, fish and vegetables. Yes, as you would expect, there are several pastas but not your “it’s Wednesday night so its spag bol night” but Linguine with Chicken and Asparagus or Oriental Prawn, Pepper and Pineapple Noodles. These probably take less time than your usual mid-week pasta, they are a lot healthier and they would make excellent meals when you have company.

All the recipes could easily be increased and this is very encouraging for a novice cook. You can practise these dishes when you have just yourself to feed, become more confident and then produce volumes appropriate for entertaining when mum comes over to see how much weight you’ve lost. She will be impressed!

Catherine has included a Planning Ahead section with menus for a month. Each day has a recipe as well as shopping lists for both fresh and larder ingredients, so there will be no need to resort to baked beans from the tin.

The Vegetables and Vegetarian section has some lovely Mediterranean recipes like Feta and Pine Nut Stuffed Peppers. The Spiced Coconut Rice with Cashew Nuts only takes 20 minutes and makes enough for two, so invite a friend. The Fish section offers, amongst other dishes, Lime and Ginger Salmon with Fruit Salsa steamed in a foil parcel which would be great for a smart dinner party.

These are not reworks of the usual “cooking for one” recipes but interesting dishes that just happen to be portioned for the single diner. They are truly simple recipes that would convert any take-away enthusiast but would be equally useful for anyone new to the single life.