I’ve always seen the AWW as slightly staid and unfashionable; however, this hefty, encyclopaedic cookbook has certainly challenged this view. Traditional favourites such as bubble and squeak and cottage pie are present, sitting alongside more edgy, cosmopolitan dishes like sesame-crusted tuna with wasabi mayo and risotto-filled zucchini flowers. While one of the chief marketing focuses is the ease of the recipes, many of the dishes here are decidedly challenging, involving long lists of exotic ingredients. ‘Modern’ ingredients such as prosciutto and polenta abound. Eastern influences are evident, with many fiery and foreign spice blends. In terms of utility, the book functions particularly well, containing a useful glossary and comprehensive index which cross-lists recipes by their primary ingredients. It also works effectively from a design perspective, with photographs reminiscent of Donna Hay, clearly laid-out text and colourful, pop-art-style graphics. One minor quibble I had was with the overlap of material and the lack of vegetarian options. Overall, this capacious cookbook has something for everyone, and could be safely given as a gift to a relative, a discerning foodie, or the most ambitious culinary diva. At once nostalgic and contemporary, straightforward and sophisticated, it would make a welcome addition to any kitchen shelf.

Leonie Jordan is a high school English teacher and former children’s bookseller

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker

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