THERE is a tempting aroma of international flavours bubbling throughout this richly illustrated book.
If your appetite is jaded, then Mangan's style should change it quickly.
- Luke Mangan at Home and in the Mood, by Luke Mangan. New Holland, rrp $59.95
Mangan is an international chef and restaurateur. It shows.
But if you think this is a book for super cooks, then you'd be wrong.
Mangan's gift is creating food readily baked, boiled or braised in a home setting.
There are some winners for family week-night meals and for entertaining as well.
Try the butter chicken with kashmiri rice if you want to turn it on for guests.
Besides the vast range of food offered here to get you into the kitchen and rattling the pots and pans, Mangan understands what cooks at home need to know.
His list of "My Kitchen Essentials" is pared down to the basics, such as a slow cooker, a wok and blender.
If you want to set up a kitchen, this is a good list to follow.
There is also a helpful list of spices and marinades and how to make spice mixes such as cajun spice and harissa.
His list of "Dos and Don'ts of Wine" is very reassuring for the novice cook and with more than a few tips for old hands as well.
There are recipes here for every taste and budget.
If you cook for one, two or 10, there are ample helpings.
The whole snapper with green vegetables, serving four, is a quick family meal, while the penne with chilli and tomatoes is a warming, colourful dish.
A great seasonal recipe for maybe colder days is the rabbit and mushroom pie.
Rabbit can be tricky to cook well, but Mangan's approach is to gently simmer the meat and when it's really tender, fill a pie dish covered with a cap of puff pastry. This is a hearty, welcoming dinner main course.
The puddings, including perhaps the best bread and butter pudding imaginable, are, like all the other recipes in this fine book, achievable with a little preparation.
With Mangan at your elbow, you can plan menus for any occasion.
