A
Bit of What You Fancy
By
Jo Seagar
I
love short recipes. I personally hate it when they go over the page but I do
want to cook meals that receive lots of raves and praise without too much hard
slog on my part.
Maximum
effect for minimum effort has always been and remains my philosophy”
-
Jo Seagar.
In her new book A Bit of What You Fancy, Jo
Seagar is back in her cook school kitchen creating those delicious dishes that
so endear her to the hearts (and stomachs) of New Zealanders.
Staying true to her philosophy of maximum effect for minimum effort Jo
has created a number of modern classics, as well as giving a refreshing twist
to some of those recipes we all know and love.
Need some nibbles for a party? What about trying Crispy Fried
Chickpeas with Smoked Paprika, accompanied by Garlic Oil Crostini with Spinach,
Coriander and Lime Dip, and the very simple but effective Breadsticks with
Prosciutto and Rocket?
You can’t decide what to make for dinner? Why not try going retro with
Sixties Chicken Kiev, or impress your friends with Pan-Roasted Duck Breads and
Roasted Nectarines with Pineapple and Fresh Ginger Chutney.
Many of the recipes in A Bit of What You Fancy are
inspired by Summer. The photo shoot for the book took place at a gorgeous New
Zealand bach, and this gives it a wonderfully fresh and light feel. What better
dish to have after a day on the boat than Tequila, Lime, Scallop and Fresh Fish
Ceviche? Can’t you just picture yourself coming back from the beach hot, tired
and sandy to a refreshing Paw Paw Salsa?
With its 130 new recipes A Bit of What You Fancy will
inspire you to create gorgeous dishes for all of your friends and family no
matter whether its for a quick mid-week dinner, a relaxed weekend meal or a
special occasion.
Jo Seagar and her husband Ross run Seagars at
Oxford, their cafe, cook school and kitchen shop. Jo’s passion is for simple,
contemporary, but impressive food. She is the author of many best-selling cook
books and is the proud Patron for Hospice New Zealand.
Trained as a cordon bleu chef in Paris and London,
for many years Jo ran the popular Harley’s restaurant in Auckland.
She was ‘ahead of the curve in the whole
seasonal/local/simple food-done-well philosophy’ (Weekend Herald). Her
promotion of fresh local ingredients with cooking that should be a ‘doddle’,
combined with her humorous down-to-earth approach, has endeared her to the
nation, with the first edition of her classic You Shouldn’t Have Gone to So
Much Trouble, Darling selling over 70,000 copies.
A real sense of joy and passion infuses her
approach to cooking: ‘There’s a lot more to food than getting nutrients.’ As
well as her trademark books on stress-free entertaining she has written
cookbooks for novice cooks and for children. She adores entertaining and
cooking for friends, and always has a houseful of people staying. Enjoying
country life, polo, pet lambs, old recipe books, trashy novels, good jokes and
gardening, she runs the very successful Seagars at Oxford - cook school, cafe,
kitchen shop and bed-and-breakfast.
The publishers have kindly given me to reproduce a recipe from the book that I have made with great success:
Nicholas’s Cauliflower
Nicholas and
Silvia are a lovely young Italian couple who work at our villa in Umbria,
welcoming the tour groups I take a couple of times each year. They have visited
New Zealand for a years travel and working holiday. This is how Nicolas
prepares cauliflower — it has become our
favourite, and we often add broccoli too.
Serves 4–6
1 cauliflower
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4–5 basil leaves, finely sliced
salt
and freshly ground black pepper
Break
the cauliflower into florets. Cook in a saucepan of boiling salted water until
tender. Drain and return to the hot pan. Add the olive oil and vinegar and
sprinkle over the basil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to
taste. Toss well and serve either as a hot vegetable or a cold salad.
A Bit of What You Fancy
Jo Seagar,
Random House NZ - $55
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