I got hooked on Diana Henry with Crazy
Water, Pickled Lemons, published back in
2002, and I’ve been a card-carrying fan
ever since. I even have a dedicated Diana
shelf. Why? Her books are
well researched and
creatively put together;
they gently shake you
from kitchen stasis;
they’re filled with recipes
you want to cook, using
ingredients that hint at
exotic origins; and they’re
practical – not the sexiest
adjective, but who wants
recipes that aren’t practical?
These lines from Diana’s latest sum up
why I’m a fan: “This is a book about getting
dinner on the table every day and about
making food for friends. But a meal is
always about more than the dishes served.
Food isn’t just physical sustenance, it’s
also about pleasure and about people.”
That brings me to my final point
about why I rate Diana’s books:
they’re a joy to read.
HOW GOOD ARE THE RECIPES?
There’s a whole chapter on
chicken thighs (Diana’s favourite
ingredient) so I had to give one
dish a go. Admittedly, it didn’t test my
kitchen skills – all I had to do was roast
the chicken with baby potatoes, onion
wedges and garlic for 45 minutes,then
scatter over feta, lemonzestandfreshdill,
with harissa-spiced yogurtontheside.An
extra 15 minutes’ cookingtimedidn’tgoamiss (I like my potatoes crisp) but
it was dead simple and totally
satisfying.
I also tried the butter-roast
aubergines and tomatoes with
freekeh and koch-kocha (a spicy
Ethiopian sauce based on coriander,
green pepper and chilli). The
flavours and textures were gorgeous,
but I found the 40 minutes of
cooking time too short for the veg
to caramelise (perhaps my tomatoes
were too watery). Still, the portions
were generous and the leftovers
were even better the next day.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN
Diana’s editors, photographer and
designer work as a well-oiled
machine. The book is harmonious, with a
clear layout and inspiring pictures.
WHO’S THE BOOK SUITABLE FOR?
This warm duvet of a book is full of
hunger-inducing recipes that are simple
but not dull. I’ve already made space on
my shelf for it and I heartily recommend
you do too.
VERDICT
++++THE COOKBOOK
From the Oven to the Table:
Simple Dishes That Look
After Themselves by Diana
Henry (Mitchell Beazley £25)
TESTED BY Susan LowTHE TASTE TEST MARGHERITAPIZZA
HOW WE TEST
Our panel are taste experts.
We conduct our tests without
packaging, so tasters don’t know
who produced each product or
how much it costs. And to prevent
one tester influencing another,
the panel aren’t allowed to talk
during the tests, so the results
you read here are unbiased.
WHAT WE LOOKED FOR
Flavoursome dough with a crisp
base and chew y crust, a balanced
tomato sauce, creamy mozzarella
and generous, tasty additions such
as pesto or sun-dried tomatoes.TASTE TEST: PHOEBE STONE. BOOK REVIEWS
; SUSAN LOW. PHOTOGRAPHS: LAURA EDWARDS
WINNER
Find the recipes Susan cooked at
deliciousmagazine.co.uk/diana-henryPicardSuperior
MargheritaPizza,
frozen,£4.49for
420g,Ocado
Crisp-chewycrust
withairbubbles,
plustangytomatosauce,stretchy
cheeseandsubtleherbiness.
RUNNER-UP
Crosta& MollicaPizzeriaMargherita
Wood-FiredSourdoughPizza,frozen,
£4.20for403g,Ocado,Sainsbury’s
Thick,crispy,flavoursome
crust,butcheeseunevenly
distributedanda littlebland.RUNNER-UP
Co-opIrresistible
Wood-Fired
MargheritaPizza,
£5.35for510g
Plentyofcolour
fromthepesto
andtomatoes,
lotsofcheese- butletdown
bya slightly
doughycrust.
15
PRODUCTS
TESTEDJOINT WINNER
Iceland Luxury Ultra
Thin Wood-Fired
Margherita Pizza
£1.75 for 374g
Rectangular
pizza with
generous diced
tomato topping,
punchy pesto
and a thicker,
crusty base.JOINT WINNER
Aldi Specially
Selected Semi-Dried
Tomato & Buffalo
Mozzarella
Sourdough Pizza,
£3.29 for 490g
Good tomatoes
and masses of
cheese – too
much for some.
Chewy crusts.SUPERMARKET BRANDED