Pure Simple Cooking: Effortless Meals Every Day (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Most cookbooks start off with chapters dedicated to appetizers, soups or salads. Henry, food columnist for London's Sunday Telegraph magazine, cuts right to the heart of the matter--and the center of the plate--with sections devoted to chicken, chops, sausages, leg of lamb, fish and pasta. After all, the question "what's for dinner?" is never answered with "a platter of crudités." Her latest collection of 150 recipes focuses on simple weeknight dishes, most of which can be prepared in under an hour and with only a handful of ingredients. Strong emphasis is placed on seasonal produce, with vegetable and fruit chapters broken down into "spring and summer" or "autumn and winter" categories. While Henry hails from Ireland and resides in London, her recipes reflect a distinct global influence: salmon ceviche garnished with mango and avocado; pork chops flavored with Thai spices and nam pla; and torrijas, the Spanish version of French toast. Endless variations for savory sauces, poultry stuffing, roasted potatoes and even whipped cream pepper the text, and many of the recipes contain footnotes offering simple substitutions. Even the baked desserts are streamlined, such as an all-in-one chocolate cake that employs self-rising flour and salted butter and is mixed entirely in the food processor. One hundred sumptuous, full-color photographs serve as both illustration and inspiration, making this reasonably priced title ideal for the novice home cook in need of a bit of encouragement in the kitchen. (Apr.) --Publishers Weekly, December 1, 2008

Review

"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

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580089488
• ISBN-13: 978-1580089487
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #161,327 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 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)

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.

1 of 1 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

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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.

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

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.