THIS cook book has a very interesting opening line.
"Two black bananas, one sad carrot, a bunch of slimy coriander and half a loaf of stale bread. That's how this book began."
- Making a Meal of It: Smart Ways to Buy, Store and Use up Food, by Jane Willcox and Rosemary Cadden. Wakefield Press, rrp $24.95
If you have been looking for a book that gets how we find ourselves with a motley collection of food somewhere between leftovers and overlooked, this is it.
Written in an upbeat, you-can-do-it style, it does not set out to be exhaustive and cover all kitchen calamities.
The contents are alphabetical, beginning with apple and ending with zucchini.
There is cheese between, eggs, lemons and rice, to give a sample.
But what the book may lack in comprehensiveness (you won't find pasta in the contents), it covers readily in its approach.
The "using up" section is hands-on, and the "have a go" recipes are sure to be favourites.
These are great ideas that take a little bit of imagination and minimal preparation.
It is all about being prepared to make the best out of very little.
The book is not without some excellent advice on buying, storing and freezing, and how to make the best of a small budget.
As for "heavy-duty ideas with a hefty flavour", the chapter on pumpkin, reveals just how versatile this vegetable can be.
