Lora Hates Spam

by Rachel Patterson

As the title would suggest, this is a cookery book, but it focuses on working with practicality; getting the most out of your food supplies to minimise waste and working with the fruits and vegetables in season rather than shipping stuff all over the planet. It's written in a fairly engaging style with just a touch of woo and the recipes are clear and would be easy to follow.

The author states her love of baking in the introduction and that is shown in some very original baked goods. While a lot of these are too 'busy' for my personal taste (adding fruits, nuts, etc) there are some I will certainly give a try. She gives equal space to meat, vegetarian and vegan recipes and they are set out by the month for what is in season or suitable for the climate. For example, hot, filling foods in winter and lighter foods for summer.

My only issue is that I'm the world's fussiest eater and suggesting I would ever touch things like parsnips or chickpeas is optimistic and dependent on a serious famine, but I won't hold that against the author as I suspect I'm not her ideal target audience. For someone with broader taste and a desire to eat healthy, it's a great resource.

There is definite originality in the recipes and thinking outside the box. For example, Bubble and Squeak put in a soup. For the non-English, Bubble and Squeak is basically mashed potato mixed with leftover vegetables, usually cabbage, and fried as a pancake. The idea of putting it in a soup sounds soggy to me, but it might just work.

I enjoyed the segments at the beginning of each month, talking about the seasons. The majority of the recipes are too healthy for my blood, but I enjoyed reading the book and would definitely recommend it to those who want healthy recipes to fit the seasons.