Ainsley Harriott's Friends and Family Cookbook: Over 200 Reasons to Eat In Book

Ainsley’s Friends and Family Cookbook is the latest entry from one of television’s most popular and ebullient chefs. And if Ainsley Harrriott’s in-your-face TV persona is a little overwhelming for some, no such problems arise with his exemplary cookery writing, as this latest large format book conclusively demonstrates. In fact, the measured, perfectly judged recipes on offer here (laid out in highly accessible, crystal clear formats) demonstrate that there’s more to Harriott than the hyperactive individual we see on screen: the ‘22 Reasons to Eat In’ that the jacket promises us are totally appropriate to modern tastes in both food and cooking methods: the lucid instructions, low-fat recipes (something no chef can ignore these days – even Delia Smith has had to take less fattening food on board) and time-planned menus are well within the range of the intermediate cook; there’s an avoidance (probably wise) of more eccentric and exotic recipes, with the bulk of the menus being based on everyday favourites, usually spruced up in an adventurous or novel fashion. The ‘lunch on the go’ section is particularly useful, demonstrating that even the humble sandwich can be made more intriguing: the Roquefort, grape, radicchio and walnut example here is a sure-fire taste bud tempter, while the ‘after eight dinners’ section (including a mouth-watering recipe for monkfish on crispy potato cakes) is equally inspiring. And inspiring is what Ainsley Harriott really does best – after reading Ainsley’s Friends and Family Cookbook, most of us will want to tackle almost everything detailed in these pages. --Barry ForshawRead More