Good Cooking: The New Essentials by Jill Dupleix

Jill Dupleix is already the author of twelve dynamic cookbooks and her enthusiasm for her subject is still as strong. She hasn't lost any edge and her finger is still firmly on the button. Jill is well known for her gutsy food, which rings with flavour and looks equally as good. Where she wins is in the preparation: all the recipes are unbelievably easy. They don't require a store cupboard full of ingredients and can be dashed off in a moment. She is a strong 'believer in fast cooking, because speed captures the good in food.' This time round, Jill has been tempted away from the camera and Peter Cassidy has done the honours. The effect is all alluring and captures the sort of food that we want to eat, come summer or winter.

The food in Good Cooking is cosmopolitan grazing with a bit of Thai, a smattering of Sichuan, some Vietnamese and rounded off with a good helping of Mediterranean. Along with the recipes, you will find plenty of pages given to plain good old ideas, focusing on an ingredient. Try spicing up soy sauce by adding four star anise, three dried chillies and twenty peppercorns to 300 ml soy. Yoghurt icecream takes just minutes to make. Use Greek style yoghurt, whip in some icing sugar and then freeze, beating at intervals. This can be served with luscious summer fruit or sandwiched between sesame snaps.

In keeping with tradition, Jill always includes a recipe for serving tray baked potatoes. This time, it is an idea inspired by a meal taken at the cafe in Rome Airport. Cook a layer of thinly sliced potatoes with some olive oil in a hot oven for half an hour. Cover the pan to do this. Remove from the oven and add a tin of chopped tomatoes, more olive oil, garlic, oregano, capers, parsely and seasoning. Scatter some halved cherry tomatoes and cook for a further thirty minutes. This goes with chicken, fish and barbecued sausages.

Jill first tried the Rocket Cocktail at La Pergola in the Cavalieri Hilton in Rome. This bright green and zingy cocktail is sure to wipe away the cobwebs. Just whiz a handful of rocket leaves, ginger ale and lemon sorbet and if needed, a dash of frozen vodka. Obviously for more exact quantities, you will need to buy the book but this just gives you an idea to play with.

There are numerous other recipes (over 100) and our favourites are too numerous to mention. Jill Dupleix's food is colourful, tasty and very easy to prepare. Good Cooking: The New Essentials will take you through the summer months in a haze of deep satisfaction.

Publication details:
176 pp. Photography by Peter Cassidy. £18.99
Published by Quadrille
ISBN 1844001393
2005

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