Maggie's Harvest

Just before Christmas I picked up a damaged copy of Maggie's Harvest; it's a physically beautiful book and at first sight I have to admit that I wondered whether it was going to be very practical. Since arriving back in the city, I've made eight recipes and I'd really recommend it! 

The recipes are written exactly as Maggie Beer speaks on her show The Cook and the Chef and the result is that they are strangely personal as well as being easy to follow. Ingredients are not too way out, although they are also not selected for budget cooking or dieting! Some recipes are quite extended with a number of steps, but there are also simple, effective dishes (e.g. Grilled Peach Salad with Prosciutto, pg. 109). I haven't had a failure yet from the volume, although there are some small alterations that I've noted on a couple of recipes - mostly for aesthetic reasons (e.g. cut the zucchini up smaller in the Basil Anchovy and Zucchini Pasta). Highlights have included the Australian Herrings with Currants (pg. 79) which I made with mullet and the Salsa Agresto on pg. 22.

 More detail on individual recipes later, but this is a cook book which is just as useful as it is pretty - give it a go! 

p.s. The word on the street is that the next edition won't have the beautiful, embroidered cover so get it soonish.