Product Description

Inspired by the excitement and simplicity of childhood, Tessa has brought together recipes based around colouful, pure fresh ingredients.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13670 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 432 pages

Customer Reviews

Family cookbook with a vintage appeal
I love all things red, so this cookbook with the red girl's shoes on the cover was bound to catch my interest. It is as pretty to look at inside as out, with clear photographs of the food that actually looks like the finished article intermixed with nostalgic photos of childhood articles. The arranging of recipes by colours could be twee, but is actually very appealing. Do you need a stripey recipe? Look it up! The recipes are basic family favourites, but Tessa Kiros sets out that idea at the beginning. They are all eminently cookable and eatable. I love to plan a whole months menu from one cookbook, but usually give up one week in because it's too complicated, too expensive, children start to refuse.... With Apples for Jam I am on my second week and there hasn't been a dud recipe yet. If you're after a recipe book for dinner parties, adult meals, then this is probably too pedestrian for you, but if you have a family of young/er children to feed and keep happy, this book has it all from pasta options to brown bread ice cream via chocolate bread(!) and enough chicken recipes for a week (and I should know...)

Uplifting for the soul
Before writing this review I had a read through some of the others that had been written. I was most interested by the one star reviews, irritation at the inclusion of the authors memories, and the categorisation of the recipes by colour. The organisation of the recipes by colour, I feel, is quite a nice novel touch - certainly pleasing on the eye. As for the inclusion of the authors memories? I thing this is one of the nicest things about the book. Tessa Kiros has an evocative way of writing and I can lose myself in her words (or they draw up my memories). Everything is interspersed with gorgeous photos.

As for the recipes - there is a lovely range. Some fairly simplistic admittedly, but plenty to inspire any cook. Tessa has a way of writing the recipes that I really enjoy - it almost feels as if she's looking over your shoulder talking you through it.

Recipes included:

Chicken escalopes with tomato and capers
Rosehip semolina puddings
Pumpkin pizza
Orange juice and olive oil cake with pine nuts
Mandarin jam
Fried custard squares
Penne with prawns, cream and tomato
Pomegranate sorbet
Green bean souffle loaf
Granola
Vanilla cake
Chocolate pannacotta
Apple bread with sugar and cinnamon topping

A lovely book to cook with, or curl up with.

Aesthetics, fun and stlye in one bottle!
Usually, I am the picky type of a book-reader. I not only need a good content or an interesting narrative. I also love hardcovers, stylish design, good-quality paper. To some people it might soud weird, but I feel that if I pay good money for a book, it should be good in all respects.
Well, Apples for Jam is a perfect example of a perfect book. Glossy pages, arty photographs that make you so hungry you want to chew your own tongue, children's funny drawings that bring out the very best in you and make you smile...
And on top of that, recipies that you actually are going to want to try! In just 2 days I have already cooked 3. And to do that, I didn't need to stock up my cupboard with weird ingredients like I had to with most of the "fancy chefs'" cookery books. The recipies are down-to-earth, simple but divine. Sometimes it's just 2-3 main ingredients, but the combination of flavours is fantastic. Some of the recipies are fun, some are healthy, some are more fiddly - but all of them are thoroughly explained. The magical bit is, with this book, whatever you try cooking out of it, works out the way it should - there is no plus or minus a spoon of flour, everything is pretty exact.
Therefore, you are guaranteed a delicious meal, a good mood and a happy smile.