Cookery Book Shelf

Cook Simple by Diana Henry

Megabytes has often praised the work of Diana Henry, especially her classic first book, "Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons". Somehow, as well as writing for The Sunday Telegraph. Ms Henry is managing a cookery book each year, and her latest is another beauty.
"Cook Simple" borrows it's name from Escoffier's dictum, "Faites Simple", and takes the idea of simple cooking to deliciously logical extremes.

The chapters are divided up into menu mainstays - Chicken; Chops; Sausages; Leg of Lamb; Fish; Pasta; Leaves and Herbs - and so on, and the imprimatur is that the dishes involve the minimum amount of work, of which the opening recipe, Pacific Lime Chicken, gives a classic example. "A recipe, from a café in Hawaii, which I have been cooking for years. There's practically no cooking, but everyone loves this dish…" Diana writes.

Another smart, friendly book that will be dog-eared and stain-splattered before you know it.

Mitchell Beazley £20stg.