It must also be his professional background that inclines him to present his recipes as complete servings--main dish and accompaniments. Grilled beef comes with baby turnips, marinated mushrooms and a beetroot dressing. Soaked lemon semolina wedge (a cake) with warm blueberries. Baked cheese puffs with fresh beetroot sauce. This is generous, but at the same time oddly limiting: it's hard to imagine many cooks taking these recipes into their repertoires and playing freely with them.

One hesitantly comes to the conclusion that Gary Rhodes inhabits a dimension not altogether congruent with the one occupied by the rest of us. There is, on the one hand, the fluent strangeness of his prose, in which verbs slip effortlessly from transitive to intransitive (main dish A "eats well" with garnish B, we keep being told). And the recipes themselves, on the other, invariably well-constructed and thought-provoking as they are, seem often to have arrived fully-formed from some mysterious other universe free of gastronomic tradition and history. What general principles can a cook extract from Roast Gurnard with Beetroot, White Bean and Orange Salad or Braised Beef Brisket with Tarragon Carrots and Cauliflower Champ?

Readers will be able to judge for themselves how liberating these combinations are. At any rate, it's a relief to find Rhodes largely eschewing his baffling enthusiasm for school dinners (no Gypsy Tart recipes here). --Robin Davidson

So you may have to do a little searching but this shouldn't put you off as you will be rewarded: try the seductive Pot-roasted lamb with sorrel and samphire and you'll never assault your senses with mint sauce again.

I think that the reason this book works so well lies not only with the enthusiasm and expertise of it's author, but also with his belief that using seasonal products gives you the best possible start to any recipe.

Overall this is an inspirational book with great recipes presented in an attractive format. I heartily recommend this book and hope that you get the pleasure from it that I have.


the worst Gary Rhodes book.   August 16, 2004
 2 out of 6 found this review helpful

This book was a big disapointment,It contains way to many fish dishes.I like all of his other books but this one is abit of a let down


Great Book!   September 13, 2002
 12 out of 12 found this review helpful

...This is a great book full of fantastic recipes that follow the logic if the food's fresh, why complicate it?

This is the kind of food I like to cook for friends at a mid week dinner party, when time can be tight at the end of the working day - simple, quick, elegant, yet still looks great on the plate and, as Gary would say, it 'eats well'. I speak as someone who also owns all of Gordon Ramsays' books, (including his own ode to the seasons which also follows the fresh and simple philosophy) so I know I'm not afraid of a more complicated recipe when it comes along: I'll leave Passion for Flavour for when I've got all day to cook. Who said every dish you make has to warrant a Michelin star in it's own right?!

I was also thrilled by the amount of fish recipes - we are after all an island nation and eating a more diverse range of fish, such as whiting and guernard, would give the poor old cod a bit of a break and a chance of long term survival, not to mention the obvious benefits to the nations health. I applaud the work of the likes of Gary Rhodes and Rick Stein for their efforts in this direction and their celebration of the best of British.

Yes - a few more photos of the end product would be nice, it's always good to see what you are aiming for, but don't let that put you off an otherwise fab book. If you want delicious, fresh food in reasonably quick time this is a great book to have under your belt. I can't help feeling those who have said it is overly simple have missed the point here - let the ingredients do the talking and stop showing off!

Good work Gary. It's a great book and I have already pre-ordered your Autumn/Winter volume!


For Fish Lovers!   May 11, 2002
 6 out of 11 found this review helpful

This book is very good, despite the lack of photography. About 3/4 of the book is made up of fish recipes, which is disappointing. However, the soft chocolate pudding recipe is absolutely to die for! Overall, I wouldn't really recommend you buy this.


Does what it says   April 9, 2002
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

The book both successfully encompasses simple cooking with the best ingredients available, as well as putting across Gary's obvious enthusiasm for the subject.
The simple recipes and ingredients that you are bound to have at hand ensure its influenece in everyday cooking - not just another recipe book resigned to the shelf until you are feeling adventurous at the weekend or are entertaining to impress.