Bibliofemme Bookclub An Irish Bookclub

Northern Irish cookery writer, radio and UTV television presenter Jenny Bristow has chosen to concentrate on Mediterranean food in her latest book, A Taste of Sunshine. With an emphasis on variety, simple ingredients and cooking meals from fresh raw unprocessed ingredients, Jenny comes firmly down on the side of healthy cooking. She doesn’t go overboard and the recipes certainly don’t suffer.

Clear and concise, the recipes are inspired both by Mediterranean influences and fresh local produce. There’s a glossary of ingredients that Jenny considers essential – honey, vinegar, olive oil, cheeses, herbs, spices and, very importantly, wines – alongside pictures of the author, looking browned and relaxed, wandering around Mediterranean markets and talking to producers.

Stylistically, the use of @ instead of a plain ‘at’ for oven temperatures rapidly became annoying and too many colours on the page make cluttered what was otherwise a clean design. There will be little new here for the more experienced cook but A Taste of Sunshine is an inviting and unthreatening recipe book, offering readers a gentle introduction to the cuisine of the Mediterranean.

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