Maybe I was just unlucky in the few recipes I tried from this book. I was chuffed when the peanut butter noodle things tasted so great. Trouble is, once I'd made them, I realised they were only a side dish. The other recipes I tried were less successful.

The Thai curry was really exiting in theory: great ingredients such as coconut and lemongrass. Absolutely no flavour, though. The bean chili, again, no flavour. Me and my boyfriend decided to add Marmite to it to give it some taste. The lentil cakes with mint raita were the final straw. They were supposed to be sort of pressed into little cakes. Unfortunately, they just disintegrated, blobbing down in paisly-like shapes. They just crumbled after they'd been baked. Useless. And my boyfriend hated them. This book certainly ain't gonna convert meat-eaters, I can tell you.

I wanted what this book promises in it's title: fast, fresh and fabulous. I've got several other recipe books which produce great results, but take ages to prepare and cook. Unfortunately, the recipes in this book take just as long as those other recipes, with the exception that they are dull. Dull, dull, dull.


Rose shows us the way forward!   October 3, 2004
 51 out of 52 found this review helpful

With a very accurate title, Rose Elliot's Fast, Fresh and Fabulous shows how imaginative vegetarian cooking can be. You would expect nothing less from Britain's number one vegetarian food writer, but this is a leap forward in stylish, imaginative, nourishing food. The old image of veggie cookery, hanging over from the Seventies, can be well and truly forgotten; there isn't a whiff of musty health food shop around. Instead fragrant spices, fresh greens, and unusual grains are found on every page. I would have loved to have seen a BBC series to accompany this book; who else could convince Britain not to be scared of Tofu and Tempeh? Who else could tempt us to try Seaweeds? The Government's 5-a-Day campaign is well-backed up, and the nutrtional information is clear and not veiled by science, I think we would all rather eat than hear about antioxidants!
The section on grains is my favourite. It is a great introduction to the world beyond white Rice and Wheat, with recipes for Quinoa, Millet, Buckwheat and Barley, all combined with fresh veg, as stews, salads, risottos and bakes.
In the dessert section every taste and occasion is catered for. My favourite recipe is the Sparkling Raspberry Jelly, using agar flakes, raspberries and grape juice. Only three ingredients, but very simple, elegant and delicious!
I have to add that I am not a vegetarian, but I think this book is a great way to broaden anyone's horizons. There is so much information and inspiration in this book, that it could change the way you cook for the better, forever.