Friday book review – A Modern Way to Eat
“Though I cook for a living, I am also pretty impatient and want my dinner on the table in less than half an hour most nights.”
Those are Anna Jones’s refreshing words at the start of her gorgeous new vegetarian cookery book, A Modern Way to Eat.
I’ve got a million cookbooks already (I’m addicted to them in the same way I loved comics as a child) and as soon as I spotted this one I had to buy it.
I’m glad I did, because Anna’s approach to cooking is inspirational. She believes in cooking delicious food that’s “quick and easy to make and won’t cost the earth” – and she certainly delivers. This is the first cookery book in ages that made me scurry straight to the kitchen to cook something – in this case Anna’s scrumptious sweet and sticky tomato and onion bake.
Anna quit her job as a financial PR more than 11 years ago to become one of Jamie Oliver’s first students at Fifteen London. He’s written the foreword to the book and is bursting with pride about her achievements. “Well done, Anna,” he says. “This is a great cook book and I’m super proud.”
Anna was part of Jamie Oliver’s team for seven years and is now a stylist and food writer who’s worked with everyone from Antonio Carluccio to Yotam Ottolenghi.
So far, everything I’ve tried from the book has been a triumph. My favourites so far include overnight Bircher with peaches, avocado and lemon zest spaghetti and lentils and beets with salsa verde. As Anna says, they’re all quick and easy – and most important of all, delicious.
A Modern Way to Eat by Anna Jones (Fourth Estate, £25)