Pretoria - Feb 2021

Oh … we do love a pie. Comfort food at its best. And let’s face it, we’re all needing a little comfort these days.
The Pie Room boasts as being the definitive pie bible from self-confessed pastry deviant, chef and London’s King of Pies,
Calum Franklin, who guides you through the techniques and tools you need to perfect pastry, then presents a whole host
of delicious recipes … sweet and savoury. There are light options for us to make now in Summer (the Moroccan chickpea
and feta pie is delish); child-friendly family meal options (mac ‘n’ cheese pie, anyone?); and showstoppers (the venison and
bone marrow suet pie is a proper show-off meal). Also loads of old faves … think the ultimate sausage roll, hot pork pies,
vol-au-vents, lamb hotpot and more. Great puds – the fig, honey and pistachio clafoutis is a winner, as well as side dishes
and sauces. Yum, yum, yum. • What with the lockdown, then the festive holidays, some of us have a little extra weight we’d
like to lose. And if you’re a banting fan, and one of the many who bought the popular Banting 7 Day Meal Plans but wanted
more vegetarian options … here we go. Banting 7 Day Meal Plans Vegetarian, has 100 great recipes, and the authors, Rita
Venter, Natalie Lawson and Kim Blom, show you it is possible to follow a low-carb, banting or keto lifestyle while observing
the choice to not eat meat. • We’d eat Italian every night if we could … and it would be jolly easy with The Vegetarian Silver
Spoon cookbook, crammed with classic and contemporary Italian recipes. From snacks and small plate ideas to pizzas and
soups, pastas and crêpes, veggie tarts and grains to sweet, sweet desserts, this book is just page after page after glorious
page of heavenly Italian dishes – all of which are vegetarian, some dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan, too.
A Table for Friends is the most delightful book. It celebrates
the joy of eating with friends and family, with loads of simple
but wonderfully inviting recipes. Skye McAlpine says her table is
always filled with family, friends and whoever she can persuade to
join her for lunch or dinner – squeezing more of them than really
comfortable around the table in their kitchen … which is exactly
how she likes it. She shares her secrets to her stylish but relaxed
way of hosting … writing about low-effort starters, laying the
table, washing up (don’t do it until the next morning) … and all
her recipes include her suggestions on what to serve with each
dish. Lovely no-fuss, unpretentious food (she has ‘a really good
green salad’, and ‘a really good tomato salad’ ) … and there’s
everything from last-minute late-night dinners to large and
festive celebratory gatherings. If we had to select just one, this
would be our top cookbook choice. Brilliant.
February 21 Get It Magazine 07