Rate this book

Food (2012)

by Mary McCartney(Favorite Author)

3.83 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0701186259 (ISBN13: 9780701186258)

languge

English

genre

Food & Cookbooks

publisher

Chatto & Windus

review 1: There is much to love about Mary McCartney's cookbook Food, though there are some oddly irritating aspects. The photography is lovely, the dishes are simple, easy to follow and consistent. The use of spices and other seasonings is on the subtle to bland side, though, obviously one can adjust up. Because for the most part the recipes are simple and towards subtle side in flavor there is plenty of room for adjustments for personal and family tastes. Everything I have tried has been easy to make and savory. There are some odd ingredients; I am surprised to see her asking for things such as canned lentils and other canned beans rather than dried. She seems to use an awful lot of soy sauce. She also has a seeming love affair with onions, the quiche calls for 6! Some measure... mores are off. The shortcrust pastry was far to dry to hold together, the quiche that is suppose to fit in a 9' -10" dish overflows the dish. I was able to make a quiche and several mini-quiches. Many of the names are irksome. Arty's Chocolate Chip cookies? Arty is her son. That's cute and all, but I can't go around calling them that. Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies is what I would call them. There are wonderful with the orange zest. And a quiche with 6 onions should not be called Cheesy Quiche. There are 6 onions!Strong points: well organized, great photograph, not too chatty, simple flavorful recipes that are easy to adjust for preferences.
review 2: Here is a colourful book that sets out to provide a range of "home cooking" recipes for vegetarians as well as, perhaps providing a bit of an introduction to meat-free eating for those who still have rather outdated views towards vegetarianism.In case you think the name might be familiar, you are right - Mary McCartney grew up with vegetarian cooking, worked with her mother on her range of vegetarian cookbooks and has been a consultant on the brand for Linda McCartney Foods for over a decade. After a brief introduction the reader is presented with various "cooking notes" that provide a few hints and tips that might be of most use to the "vegetarian virgin" and then it is straight on to the recipes.But fear not. This is a book for cooking, not campaigning.The recipes themselves are split into a few chapters for breakfast & brunch; snacks & sandwiches; soups, salads & starters; mains; basics & sides and desserts and baking. Everything is surrounded by a wide range of inspirational, scene-setting photographs and the design is relatively clean, fresh and accessible. It is particularly good to see quality food photography as this can help sway over the more sceptical, reluctant reader to try vegetarian food and see that it is not just mushed up vegetables and boring soups (!).There is a good, broad range of different dishes and, of course, at times "meat substitutes" come into play such as the Shepherd's Pie. A book like this could be particularly of use where one or more people in the family follow a vegetarian diet and yet other family members can still eat relatively familiar dishes together without needing to make two versions! Vegetarian mince is never going to be meat mince, but nonetheless… Some of the recipes look as if they have cut back on the seasoning but it is easier to add a bit more to suit an individual's taste rather than take it away afterwards.An index at the rear is fairly comprehensive and it lets you search by recipe and by key ingredient type. And that's about it. One common complaint about vegetarian books is (by vegetarians) that the range of dishes can often be limited or that the ingredients are not always an appreciated substitution. If that sort of thing is really important to you, check this book out before purchase. But as a general introduction, particularly to a non vegetarian, this did seem to provide a great amount of possibilities and a broad encouragement to try something vegetarian from time to time. It won't necessarily convert this reviewer and neither is that the goal, but if it even helps sway opinion a smidgeon…?Food, written by Mary McCartney and published by Chatto & Windus. ISBN 9780701186258, 234 pages. Typical price: GBP20. YYYY.// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. // less

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