Well I must admit I cheated when it came to this book, I got it out of my local library. The reason being usually when I pick up a cookery book to purchase I end up going home with it only to use it for a couple of receipes then that is it, put back on the shelf and forgotten about.
However, this book I am pleased to say will be purchased as not only is it an easy cook book to follow, the front of each chapter tells you what it contains and honestly just reading them makes your mouth water! Full of delicious meals for all the family (including picky ones). Even down to vegetables, I like the Spaghetti of carrots with cardamom butter, certainly not like having a spoonful of carrots (most children detest them, but put like these mine think they are heaven). Also the Buttered sweetcorn niblets with fresh marjoram leaves, plain, simple but tasty and not costing the earth!
The Bubble and squeak receipe is certainly a good one for using up those sprouts and mash potato, now I would never have thought of adding chestnuts, but sounds dammed good to me. With this chapter you will never look at a potato in the same light, as there are so many things to do with them. Almost a different style of potato for each day of the week.
Whether it be soups for starters or even main course Spicy Fish Soup sounds like a nice winter warming main course one to myself, to Mushroom soup with truffle oil and chives, a great starter maybe for christmas day or boxing day, sounds expensive and fiddly to make but you would be surprised. All supermarkets seem to stock the ingredients needed in this and the other receipes in this book, this is in my opinion another reason to buy this cook book. You don't have to go searching high and low for the ingredients (especially after a busy day be it at work or at home), you just want decent, home cooked and honest food. Not elaborate time consuming, vastly expensive ingredients needed (and I think we are all thinking about the cost of food and how we can cook/present food without breaking the bank but still being filling and appetizing) as Tana says, Good, honest food made easy.
Now some of the receipes my take longer to do than others but she does state that, (prep time and cooking time are made easily visible) so you will not find yourself suddenly short of time and either the food be undercooked or your family/guests starving two hours or so later.
So good to have a cook book that not only has ideas for grown up food but children too and not just childish fun food, but proper sustaining food. Great to be able to have receipes that can all be eaten around the table together, no more different meals at meal time bliss!
Oh and there is a great one for using up those Maltesers out of those selection boxes.
