It's always a good sign when the very first recipe in a cookbook has me champing at the bit to get into the kitchen.
Rachel Allen is Ireland's answer (or indeed antidote) to Nigella Lawson. She's fresh, natural and engaging onscreen and is quite clearly passionate about her food (which is a good thing, since she married into the famous Irish Allen food-dynasty). Yes, she has an enviable lifestyle with a fabulous house—presuming that that they do indeed film in her real house and not a staged set in a warehouse as The Times revealed about Nigella Express—and what appears to be very much the perfect family, but somehow it doesn't grate on me. Naturally, opinions are divided on her, as is the case with Nigella these days. My only further comment on the matter is that it's much easier to relate to someone who cooks whilst wearing jeans and dog-eared trainers than someone who is baking a bread pudding at midnight whilst wearing a designer party dress!
The hallmarks of Rachel's Favourite Food For Living are: straightforward recipes, bold flavours—although there are some more refined and delicate dishes which I'm keen to try—well-illustrated—I've only found one unillustrated recipe in the book—and well-written recipes. Unlike some other big-name British authors, Rachel has actually specified the appropriate size of baking tin (or other vessel) to use in recipes and doesn't simply say "a knob" of ginger. She actually gives the rough size that it should be. While this isn't a big deal for more experienced cooks, beginners and novices need this sort of information otherwise they're left wide open to recipe failures and then throwing up their hands in dismay and never bothering again.
The food styling is a little n the twee side of things but that seems to work in its favour making the recipes seem achievable and the book as a whole welcoming and cosy. I'd have to say that the production values of Rachel's books have come a long way from her first book which felt dated almost as soon as it was published.
Those of you who are watching your weight will be pleased to hear that there is a chapter full of low(er) fat recipes and to be perfectly honest, you can easily slash the oil and butter content in the majority of the savoury recipes without feeling at all deprived.
Many of the recipes come with suggestions for variations and handy hints if the recipe features an uncommon preparation or cooking method. As a little bonus, there are a few essays scattered through the book on subjects such as choosing wine; chocolate; the perfect cup of tea, and others. I thought that this was a nice little touch, and it makes the book eminently suitable for bed-time reading.
My must make recipe list includes:
- Carpaccio of Fish with Peppers and Herbs
- Chocolate and Hazelnut Caramel Bars
- Asian Chicken Salad
- Arabian Spiced Rack of Lamb with Couscous
- Stacked Chocolate Fudge Squares with White Chocolate and Raspberries
- Roast Loin of Pork stuffed with Prunes and Apples with a Calvados Sauce
So, what was that first recipe that so swiftly caught my attention? 'Twas a Spanish Chorizo and Chickpea soup. Mmmm. My love of chorizo is well-documented and as I am an equally big chicpea fan, there was no way that I'd be making anything else to christen the book. The soup was a doddle to make and for once I didn't reduce the oil used in the recipe. For one, it didn't seem fair to test a recipe for a cookbook review and then set about altering it, and secondly, one tablespoon of heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil for four portions of food hardly seems excessive.
As Rachel indicated in the recipe introduction, this is the sort of soup that improves with keeping and I can vouch for that. I had a bowl on Saturday while the wind howled and rain lashed against the windows and thought that it was very good indeed, then Dave and I polished off the rest for dinner on Sunday after getting back from the Good Food Show by which time the soup tasted amazing.
Spanish Chorizo and Chickpea Soup
Serves 4
WW (UK) points per serving: 4
125g chorizo sausage, skin removed and chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped finely
2 sticks celery, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1x400g tin chickpeas
2x400g tin chopped plum tomatoes
1L chicken stock
250g baby/young leaf spinach
salt and pepper
In a large saucepan or casserole dish, fry the chorizo in olive oil over low heat until the fat renders out of the sausage. Turn up the heat and crisp up the chorizo.
Add the onion and celery, stir well, turn the heat down to lowest and cook covered for 10 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about five minutes until the vegetables have coloured a little.
Tip in the chickpeas and their liquid, tomatoes and stock. Season lightly and leave to simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.
Check seasoning and adjust as necessary. Stir in the spinach—it should wilt as soon as it hits the simmering soup—and serve in large bowls.
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