Cooking for Friends by Alastair Hendy

We like Alastair Hendy. He is a self-taught cook, who has reached heights that his critics might have found impossible. It just goes to prove that if you are passionate about something, you will succeed. And he has, contributing to various publications, writing books and holding the post of Food Editor of Livingetc. You may also come across him in his weekly articles in the Style section of the Sunday Times. Harnessed with his wanderlust, his travels have furnished him with all the material he could possibly need for writing recipes.

Alastair's approach is simple. The finest of ingredients, cooked simply is the recipe to his success. ‘No mucking about in the kitchen with complicated sauces or fretting too much over weights and measures' is his mantra. You only have to look at Cooking for Friends and be inspired. David Loftus' photographs are outstanding in their simplicity. But, read the instructions and you will be surprised how easy it is to achieve the same effect. And what a pleasure it is to be served food that is as visually pleasing as tempting to the palate.

Hendy's recipes reflect his travels and in Cooking for Friends, he presents a cross section of culinary influences from his light broths, Spice island noodle soup to Squab and peach tagine and back to Ham and peas.

We love his tarts, rectangular with the contents lying in uniform fashion. Asparagus filo tart with spinach and potato is something waiting to be lined up for next year, as is Rhubarb and custard pastries.

All the recipes are mouth watering and it is difficult not to recommend them all. They are simple to prepare and even the most foolhardy will achieve culinary heights they never dreamt of. But a word of warning, this is not a book for gluttons but for food lovers who want their taste buds to be tantalised.

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Publication Details
176 pages. Photography by David Loftus. £15
ISBN 1841720682. Published by Ryland Peters & Small
2000

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