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A review by kristennd
Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights by Sophie Dahl
4.0
The four stars are conditional because I haven't actually tried any recipes, but they certainly sound tasty. And simple. And healthy. Yet luscious.
I can't imagine picking up a cookbook by an American fashion model, but it's somehow different with the British. And it is mostly recipes, not memoir.
Quite a bit of it is homey nursery type food, which is a plus for me. In a more contemporary vein, there's lots of goat cheese, sweet potatoes, spelt flour, agave syrup, and yogurt. Meat as well. Sometimes. As with many British cookbooks, there's a lot of broiling. And flapjacks that have no relation to the American dish of that name (but they sound delicious).
I like the organization by season and within that by meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Just a single dessert section at the end, however. And most dishes serve just two people, which is a lovely change from the usual. Speaking of lovely, the kitchen sequences look like Nigella shoots and the atmosphere shots look just like an Anthropologie catalog. (This is a plus.)
It's not a book for beginners. She assumes some basic kitchen knowledge. I loved the assumption that everyone butters their chickens before roasting. The writing is wonderfully conversational, with small fat pans and plenty of flexibility. She understands that an effective hangover breakfast requires a Coke, in this case to accompany an egg sandwich recipe that can be placed in any sort of "bready thing." Macrobiotics are acknowledged as a nice healthy idea but too time-consuming for most people.
I can't imagine picking up a cookbook by an American fashion model, but it's somehow different with the British. And it is mostly recipes, not memoir.
Quite a bit of it is homey nursery type food, which is a plus for me. In a more contemporary vein, there's lots of goat cheese, sweet potatoes, spelt flour, agave syrup, and yogurt. Meat as well. Sometimes. As with many British cookbooks, there's a lot of broiling. And flapjacks that have no relation to the American dish of that name (but they sound delicious).
I like the organization by season and within that by meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Just a single dessert section at the end, however. And most dishes serve just two people, which is a lovely change from the usual. Speaking of lovely, the kitchen sequences look like Nigella shoots and the atmosphere shots look just like an Anthropologie catalog. (This is a plus.)
It's not a book for beginners. She assumes some basic kitchen knowledge. I loved the assumption that everyone butters their chickens before roasting. The writing is wonderfully conversational, with small fat pans and plenty of flexibility. She understands that an effective hangover breakfast requires a Coke, in this case to accompany an egg sandwich recipe that can be placed in any sort of "bready thing." Macrobiotics are acknowledged as a nice healthy idea but too time-consuming for most people.