For the Love of Food I don’t know how many years ago I first ate chef Paul Ainsworth’s food at his restaurants in Cornwall, but I’ve been patiently waiting for his debut cookbook. Ainsworth is a Michelin-starred chef – he’s worked with everyone from Rhodes to Ramsay – and while this book reflects those stepping stones, the recipes are entirely approachable without being over-simplified. Homemade ‘land and sea’ crumpets (smoked mackerel and poached eggs), lemon sole with Camel Valley sparkling wine sauce, and lime and vanilla rice pudding with earl grey tea prunes give you a flavour of what to expect.
For the most part, these are recipes for when you can invest a little time and attention in making great food. Elevated as Ainsworth’s restaurant food may be, this book wears its Michelin credentials lightly: everything about it is unpretentious but special. The sort of food most of us want to eat at the drop of a hat.
Published by Pavilion £26, available from and (£30). Photographs by Issy Croker. The good morning trifle (pictured): a festival of homemade toasted buckwheat granola, berry compote and yogurt.
Dinner Having Post-it-noted so many of the 120 vegetarian and vegan recipes and made a first few, I can tell you that Meera Sodha’s fourth book is one to make a friend of: flavours are large, combinations inventive and most of what’s here is quick from thought to fork. Broccoli spaghetti with zhoug is already a family favourite, the baked butter paneer.
