Bills Food

This was my first book from Bill Granger and i confess that i was suspicious and woundering what it would be like because my only experience with Bill was a recipe i made from a jamaican coconut bread. Now I just have to say that i loooooove this book and certanly i will buy the others as soon as possible. Great recipes and very easy to make.

Bills simple yet elegant style of cooking captures the essence of the contemporary Australian lifestyle. Whether its a fabulous breakfast, a stunning desert, or a striking main course, Bills recipes are easy to prepare and boldly subtle in flavour. Bills food echos the feel of Sydney's Harbour, Melbourne's culture, Adelaide's wine districts, Perth's beaches and the vista of Brisbane's river at night.

Flavorful recipes and dishy chef come together in bill's food. The recipes are simple, turn out surprisingly well and are quite forgiving. The two main strengths of the content are that the book has lots of contemporary ideas (the yogurt pannacotta, for example) and recipes with multiple possibilities (corn cakes work as appetizer / brunch entree). The layout and pictures are attractive, instructions are simple, very much in keeping with the theme of the book: slow down and enjoy your food :-)

I just bought this book and spent the weekend making a selection the recipes - the tomato soup made by roasting tomatoes, garlic etc and whizzing it up in a blender (no water, no stock...), crispy skinned salmon with a sesame soy glaze and lime slice (as opposed to the lemon slice) as desert. Bill's recipes seem to achieve the same great results with at least half the effort. Compare his recipe for cheesecake with that in the Joy of Cooking and you will see what I mean. His version involves no baking at all and I can't wait to try it out. When I made the base for the lime slices in the food processor while the tomatoes roasted for the soup I was struck several times by a feeling that everything was easier than I was expecting. I will definately buy Bill's other books when I am through with this one. The photography and layout are inspiring and accurate of the results, which I always think is the measure of a good recipe book.

Bill's recipes have simple instructions & require few ingredients. Minimal fuss & great results! We use a little less butter than Bill' recipes ask for, however the food turns out just as well. For the (rare) special ingredients required, try your local whole foods or speciality gorcer. It's not difficult to source it. Better still substitute it with some thing equivalent. My favourite recipes are the banana bread with chocolate chips & breakfast scones.