Lisa Faulkner caused quite the stir when she took part in celebrity Masterchef, going from the timid amateur cook in early rounds through to becoming the winner of what became a hot, heated challenging cooking competition.
Her first book was, so a little bunny tells us, a much fought over affair and on first glance you can see why.
Recipes from my mother for my daughter is an approachable, delicious volume filled with lovely family recipes and heartfelt anecdotes from a girl who lost her mother at a very young age. The tome is a testament to Lisa’s memories of her mother in the kitchen and a way to keep those memories alive so she can pass them down to her daughter.
The book is full of useful tips alongside the anecdotes and recipes, things Lisa has picked up either in the kitchen growing up or in one of the many professional kitchens she worked at post-Masterchef. It’s also packed with gorgeous, fashionable recipes for family and friends accompanied by warm, rich photography.
The recipes span the gap between jazzing up a weeknight supper (posh fish pie with a puff pastry lid) to twists on family favourites – mummy’s toad in the hole. But dinner parties are not forgotten either - a bit of posh nosh for a Saturday night – chestnut soup with scallops and crispy sage leaves and nor are (now the weather is getting warmer) great outdoor eats – American classics like sweet and sticky ribs with cornbread also make a welcome appearance. You’ll even get to check out the recipes from some of her Masterchef winning dishes.
Recipes from my Mother for my Daughter by Lisa Faulkner, published by Simon & Schuster RRP £20