It's not overstating it to say that the authors' River Cafe was at the vanguard of the foodie revolution. However, for many people, this revolution has been more aspirational than achievable, as the punters turned on by radicchio and rocket are the very same ones who may have the least time to try recipes out--never mind trying to source specialist ingredients, fiddling with truffles or building their own wood-burning oven. River Cafe Easy is a boon with easy-to-follow and easy-to-make recipes presented clearly and attractively, each beginning with a shopping list. Kicking off with bruschetta, each combination of gnaw-inspiring ingredients arranged on toasted slabs of Italian bread is shot from above to form a space-saving yet clear menu mosaic with presentation suggestions. Pasta is divided up into Spaghetti, Short Pasta and Tagliatelle to show how each suits a different type of sauce from the simple cucina rustica of garlic, chilli, parsley and the omnipresent extra virgin olive oil or butter, parmesan and pecorino tossed with spaghetti, to more robust ingredients of tomatoes, seafood and sausage that nestle in the hollows of short pasta, to the richer cream-based sauces holding figs and chilli or dried porcini and sage to thick ribbons of tagliatelle. Cooking processes for meat, seafood and game dishes are simple yet sophisticated and many are ideal for barbeques, family meals and dinner parties as well as being easily scaled down for singles or couples who want to brave a step away from microwave meals. As expected from this source, the cakes and desserts are to die for, with an easy version of the River Cafe's legendary Chocolate Nemesis.

As well as an Italian store cupboard feature with a list of the perennial ingredients readily available that you should have on hand to whisk up meals at any time and a section on basics such as peeling tomatoes and sauces such as aioli and salsa verde, many recipes include tips and short cuts on ingredients, methods and equipment. River Cafe Easy works both as a quick meals bible and a great introduction to Italian country cooking. --Fiona Buckland

Like another reviewer said, this cookbook is full of many ideas that others books already contain. However, if you're in a rush, want a quick easy meal with ingredients already in your cupboard, and you basically know what you fancy, then this book is ideal. I bought it for that reason and think it will live up to its purpose.

For midweek meals when you havent got time to plan or flick through your other cookbooks this is ideal. If you want a challenge, go elsewhere


Wonderfull book   May 17, 2005
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

I love this book. the recipes are wonderfull and so easy to follow and easy to make recipe, easier than the other river cafe cookbook. It's defenitly a must have.
at the same time I bought Simple and Simply Delicious by Sylvie Rocher. Both book have great simple recipes


Buy it for the Kids   January 29, 2004
 9 out of 14 found this review helpful

If you are an experienced or interested cook, the chances are this book will offer nothing you don't already know or have somewhere else. What it does do very well is offer an appealing and accessible treatment of a lot of simple good food - it is PERFECT for a 12 year old who is starting to get into the idea of cooking, but is patronised by kids cook books. On that basis it's a very good addition to the family cook book shelf, and will make your early-teens feel stylish and sophisticated in the kitchen plus you might actually enjoy eating what they make rather than having to put a brave face on the latest lumpen offering.


Rip-off Cafe Cookbook   January 14, 2004
 20 out of 32 found this review helpful

For the most part it's decent grub but it suffers from too much padding, with a lot of one paragraph recipes (in an oversize font) taking up a whole page. As an example: is it really necessary for a recipe for grilled tomatoes (i.e. halve, salt and then grill) to take TWO whole pages (including photograph). This book should be about a quarter of the size it is. To sum up in one word - Overrated - just like the restaurant.


Good for novices   December 15, 2003
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This is a very good book for novices, but the more accomplished cooks and foodies may find the content of this book to be lacking somewhat. To be fair, the authors have obviously set out to write a book of simple yet tasty recipes and they have definitely succeeded in this....my point is that one should not expect to find any new or exciting recipes here.