No, I am not refering to Ms Lawson. I recently bought this book and have already tried over 10 recipes - each one a complete success and by that I mean absolutely no left-overs.
If you are looking for something to impress without having to spend many slavish hours in the kitchen, this book will give you enough ideas to keep you busy for many weeks to come.
The recipes are easy and I mean dead-simple! No fuss, no fiddling about with kitchen gadgets, no watching over the stove - nothing. Each recipe is stripped down to the basics and presented in a simple, idiot-friendly manner and yet the results are worthy of a nod from a gourmet chef!
I love the Sweet and Salty Peanut Biscuits, so different from the peanutbutter type biscuits we know. The Brownies are spectacular given that they are so easy to make, but wait...the Molten Chocolate Babycakes will leave you quite lost for words!
There is also a chapter on breads all all things yeasty. Here Ms Lawson pleads us to use old potato water as the liquid. Huh?! Well, yes, that's what she says! Who am I to dispute a guru. So, improbable as it sounds, I tried it. And .... well, frankly I don't quite see the big difference. I have turned to making my own bread for a few months now but it always finishes in two days. I have yet to test the theory that bread lasts longer with old potato water.
I also love the chapter on pies. Loads of easy stuff here to make and bake and I must confess that I am guilty of using family picnics as an excuse to make the Pizza Rustica and Cornish Pasties.
And finally, do not over look the chapter on puddings. For something unusual, try the Red Gooseberry Clafoutis and Om Ali. They are different and guaranteed to get you some 'ooohs' and 'aaahs'.
In general, I have enjoyed the reading the recipes in this book as much and making them - but not as much as eating them!!!