Pure Simple Cooking: Effortless Meals Every Day [Paperback]

Diana Henry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

Pure. Simple. Fresh.
 
This is the mantra of award-winning cookbook author Diana Henry. With a few core ingredients in your cupboard, you can transform humble staples, such as sausages, potatoes, and summer berries, into something special. Henry shows busy home cooks how to make no-fuss meals with an appealing mix of recipes inspired by her travels in southern France, Scandinavia, Italy, North Africa, Greece, and other regions.
 
More than 150 foolproof recipes, such as Pacific Lime Chicken, Seared Tuna with Avocado Salsa, Zucchini with Ricotta, Mint, and Basil, and Grilled Apricots with Blackberries and Mascarpone, offer casual but memorable dishes for creating convenient weeknight meals or entertaining friends on weekends. Fruit and vegetable recipes are organized seasonally, making it easy to feature fresh produce in your cooking.
 
With its relaxed approach to making dinner accessible and inspiring, Pure Simple Cooking embraces the truth that good food is often best cooked simply.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Ideal for the novice home cook in need of a bit of encouragement in the kitchen.”
—Publishers Weekly

"Diana Henry's passion is infectious and her recipes tantalizing."
—Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, author of The River Cottage Meat Book

"Pure Simple Cooking shows that given only a short time in the kitchen, a person can plan on a beautiful and nourishing meal any day of the week--without resorting to dubious tricks or takeout."
—Deborah Madison, author of Local Flavors

 "A new Diana Henry book is an occasion . . . Henry has perfect pitch when it comes to cooking--her recipes are never less than delicious."
—The Spectator

From the Publisher

* An everyday cookbook that expertly blends ease and style from one of the UK's leading food writers.
* In 2007, Diana Henry was named Cookery Writer of the Year in England by the Guild of Food Writers.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580089488
• ISBN-13: 978-1580089487
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.6 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun find., June 22, 2009

By 

Constance Casey (Old Chatham, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pure Simple Cooking: Effortless Meals Every Day (Paperback)

I knew nothing about this British cook, Diana Henry, until my niece, Maud, made me baked peppers stuffed with bread crumbs, from ``Pure Simple Cooking." Along with the bread crumbs, go toasted pine nuts and the amazingly good combination of chopped mint and chopped basil. (Maud believes that many good vegetarian recipes, including this one, are made even better by the addition of sauteed sweet Italian sausage. I heartily agree. )
Also a big success: pasta with shrimp, lots of garlic, italian parsley, feta cheese, and lemon zest. The lemon zest, like the mint combined with basil, adds some unusual zing to the dish. What Henry brings to the food world: her recipes are easy but really lively and interesting.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars British cooking that is (finally) more than a target of mockery, November 6, 2009

By 

Sizzalean (New York City, New York United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pure Simple Cooking: Effortless Meals Every Day (Paperback)

British cuisine usually comes up in conversation as a joke, so it's easy to forget about all the incredible UK cooks out there like Gordon Ramsey, Marco Pierre White...and now Diana Henry. I love the visuals in this cookbook and the beautiful, rustic-looking food photography.

The recipes are simple and quick, just as advertised, and the flavors are unique. There is definitely a British edge to the food, which is refreshing though sometimes a bit heavy compared to what we are used to eating in the US.

For example, I don't know anyone who cooks plain -- not Italian -- sausages for supper, though bangers and mash (aka: sausages and mashed potatoes) are a perfectly common meal in the UK. Somehow, Pure Simple Cooking made me want to try it anyway, particularly the vinter's sausages with grapes.


I made the roast chicken with preserved lemon, sweet potatoes, olives and pimentón -- it was incredible -- seriously, incredible. I also tried out the zucchini, herbs and ricotta dish for a dinner party. It went over so well that there were no leftovers (and I always cook with leftovers in mind)!

Henry provides a lot of different options for each of her recipes, which is helpful if you don't happen to have certain ingredients on hand. With basic spices and easy-to-find cuts of meat and poultry, Henry shows you how to create beautiful and easy hour-or-less meals.

Granted, I totally subscribe to Henry's method for meals: I spend the bulk of my kitchen time making a great main dish and then serve quickly-composed sides like green salads along with it. This isn't fancy cooking, but it's still unique and very tasty. A lot of the dishes in it are all-in-one meals, often combining veggies, starches and meats that go into the oven all together.

The only thing that I would change about this cookbook is its reliance on sugar in a number of the dishes that simply do not need it.

I prepared the middle eastern lentils as recommended but it could, at most, use a tiny pinch of sugar - not the teaspoon stated in the recipe. Ugh, I am shivering thinking about it -- the taste was SO off! Other than that, I am a big fan of this cookbook.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Simple Cooking Excellent simple and elegant recipes, September 30, 2009

By 

Jean "simple food lover" (Buffalo N Y) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pure Simple Cooking: Effortless Meals Every Day (Paperback)

I first got this book from the library and liked it so much I bought it - I like the way she makes basic food elegant enough for company in a very simple and quick way, including suggestions for altering the recipe, side dishes and ways to spiff up store bought stuff like ice cream for elegant desserts. Great book if you like to entertain or eat "gourmet" with a real limited time to prepare.