SURREY HILLS
TOASTMASTERS CLUB
Where communication and leadership skills develop in a friendly environment
Book Review
For the hungry speaker.
Although there are many cooking shows on the television, for those who wish to browse a recipe before cooking it, for those who need some extra advice on kitchen craft where do you go? Look no further than Nigella Lawson's book "Kitchen, recipes from the heart of the home".
This is more than a cookbook. It is a homely afternoon in the kitchen with somebody who loves cooking and is able to relate her kitchen triumphs and failures in a very human way, a way that we can relate to, a way that inspires us.
The kitchen hints at the start of the book are priceless. Nowhere else have I seen such insightful suggestions, from the many uses of lemon to the unusual use of uncooked spaghetti. I will certainly be putting them into practice.
A cookery book is primarily about recipes and there are 190 recipes, including over 60 express-style that can be made in 30 minutes or less. The recipes cover the whole range of occasions. For a mid-morning snack you may like to make buttermilk scones with jumbleberry jam and topped with Margarita cream. For a nourishing and tasty lunch what could be better than than redcurrant and mint lamb cutlets. For afternoon tea try a strawberry and almond crumble or a baked egg custard, followed by coffee toffee meringues. There are so many dinner dishes that it is difficult to know where to start. All the recipes have photographs that will make you drool over what to wish to make. For the meat lovers try beer braised beef casserole with parsnip and potato mash. If you prefer pasta, then try pasta with pancetta, parsley and peppers with a side dish of wild mushrooms with leek and masala. For dessert what could be better than an orange and blackberry trifle.
This is not a book you keep on the bookshelf. This is a book you keep in the kitchen.
Available from Dymocks. Price $59.99