May 2012 releases

Sally Bee, Jennifer Irvine, Serge Dansereau and more…

By Andrea Pafitis-Hill

FRENCH BISTRO
(Flammarion, R435)
In featuring 12 of the best bistros in Paris, Bertrand Auboyneau, owner of the Paul Bert bistro, and Le Figaro food critic, François Simon, pay homage to honest French fare like organic tomato, anchovy, black olive and arugula salad, Niçoise style and sole meunière with lemon-buttered steamed potatoes – simple flavours that reach new heights when delicately balanced on a plate.

MARIE CLAIRE: FRESH + EASY
(Murdoch Books, R255)
With engaging chapter titles like ‘Savour’, ‘Zen’, ‘Tang’ and ‘Earthy’, you won’t know which page to turn to first in this mouthwatering collection of inspirational dishes by Michele Cranston. The simple steps to making flavourful meals such as the chicken and baby fig tagine and the roast sesame and beetroot salad make this a cookbook you’ll use for both weekday suppers and long, lazy weekend lunches.

HAVE YOUR CAKE & EAT IT TOO
(Collins, R290)
What else are you supposed to do with cake, we say! The good news is that Sally Bee serves up sweet treats and breads made a little less naughty with healthier ingredients. Butter-free fudge cake and fat-free strawberry Victoria sponge are just some of the lighter temptations on offer, so go on and dig in guilt-free.

THE DIET FOR FOOD LOVERS
(Orion, R318)
Jennifer Irvine launched The Pure Package in the UK in 2003, a delivery service of fresh, balanced and healthy meals to help people achieve their health goals, including sustained energy. For the first time, she shares her award-winning recipes and secrets for conscious eating with great flavour in dishes like puy lentil and salmon salad, and chicken, feta and leek pie, just to name a few.

THE VEGETARIAN KITCHEN
(Struik Lifestyle, R226)
Mellissa Bushby’s collection of over 140 vegetarian and lactose-free recipes would have even the most hard-core carnivore salivating. Beautiful illustrations and photographs accompany the scrumptious recipes for classics like pissaladière (French onion tart) and potato and leek soup.

FRENCH KITCHEN
(Jacqui Small, R429)
Leading chef Serge Dansereau makes classic French cooking accessible to home cooks and suggests seasonal ingredient variations to turn summer recipes into winter ones, and vice versa. Roast quail with pomegranates and citrus, and passion fruit floating islands are among many drool-factor recipes.

* May 2012 prices