delicious TEST REPORT

TASTE TEST WORDS: DAISY MEAGER

IT’S ALL GOOD Ricotta and cavolo nero gnocchi and, left, buttery potato cake

THE COOKBOOK

A Simple Table: Fresh and Fabulous Recipes for Every Day by Michele Cranston (£14.99; Murdoch Books)

TESTED BY Susan Low

If you’re after the kind of cookbook that invites armchair dreaming about exotic locations and ingredients, this is not the book for you.

If, on the other hand, you’re fed up with chefs waffling on about their philosophies, or 20-year-olds enthusing about strict, but transformative, health-giving regimes, you’ll be relieved that this book doesn’t have a chia seed in sight. Neither will you have to wade through chapters of spurious health advice, or swear off major food groups before getting to the point: the recipes. “This isn’t a book about clever food – there are no culinary gymnastics, no liquid nitrogen party tricks and no mention of the word ‘diet’,” promises Michele. Hurrah to that.

So, want something nice and not too tricksy to put together for a midweek dinner for two? Head for the Two Bowls chapter. Need some new ideas to liven up family meals? See the Four Plates section. There are also chapters for weekend platters, one-pot meals, side dishes, tea-time treats and some stunning-looking desserts.