COOKING THE BOOKS

PUTTING RECIPES TO THE TEST WITH RICHARD EHRLICH

Books combining cookery with personal history are a relatively new phenomenon, and rarely done well. Tamasin Day-Lewis's West of Ireland Summers is one of the rarities. This is really three kinds of book, usable in three different locales: the armchair for reading, the coffee table for visual admiration, and the kitchen for cooking. My Cooking Guinea Pig of the week, Clare House, mother of seven-year-old twin girls and an exceptionally boisterous four-point-five-year-old boy, thinks the world of it.

The book is subtitled "Recipes and Memories from an Irish Childhood", and that neatly sums up the book's written content. Some people (including me) would shy away from the implied autobiographical content, but Clare loved it.

"I've never chosen a cookbook as bedtime reading before, so this was a first, and as there are stories running alongside the recipes I found it very easy to sit back and relax with. She has some lovely stories to tell and has cleverly included the recipes as an integral part of the book. It's easy to pick up and browse through when you haven't got much time, but you can also sit back and enjoy it at length." Clare also found that the narratives made her keen to cook the recipes they introduced.

As the comments below make clear, the House household fell in love with Day-Lewis's book. From my own perusal (which does not include cooking), I'd say they have good taste. One caveat: the book is not for people who seek the cutting edge of culinary originality. But recipes that appeal to the eye, and work out in the kitchen, are much more important than ostensibly novel effects. With that caveat in mind, Clare's enthusiasm qualifies this book for the highest possible marks.

If you would like to test a cookbook with Richard Ehrlich, please write to him care of the Independent on Sunday, 1 Canada Square, London E14 5DL

WEST OF IRELAND SUMMERS: A COOKBOOK

by Tamasin Day-Lewis Photographs by Simon Wheeler

Weidenfeld & Nicolson pounds 18.99

PHYSICAL EASE AND DESIGN: Excellent. Clare said the size was "not too big and not too small"; it stayed open easily, and "fits well in my recipe book holder - an important consideration". The type was big and readable, she said, and clearly laid out. Recipes come two to a page maximum, and when there's more than one, they are often related in some way.

RECIPE QUALITY: "I'd like to try out most of the recipes in this book," says Clare, and there can be no higher recommendation. But as a busy mother, she had time only for three - and all worked "exactly as described". A Lentil, Pasta and Tomato Soup was "a meal in itself, and delicious". Mozzarella- Stuffed Meatballs with Fresh Tomato Sauce "took a while to prepare, but repaid the effort".

Clare's only quibble concerns the absence of information about the time needed for preparation and cooking - "but knowing me, they would take longer than the stated time anyway." She also said that she appreciated the suggestions for alternative ingredients.

PRACTICALITY: Clare was rarely bothered by recipes calling for rare ingredients - there aren't many in the book. Nor do many of them call for special equipment, though she is tempted to buy an ice-cream machine so that she can make Day-Lewis's Honey and Lavender Ice-Cream. While some recipes call for lengthy preparation (such as skinning tomatoes for that sauce), none of them call for unusual or exceptional kitchen skills.

PICTURE QUALITY: Outstanding. Simon Wheeler specialises in still life photography, but his landscapes, interiors and portraits are strong in colour and composition. They evoke a sense of place. And excellent printing does them full justice.

VALUE FOR MONEY: Clare said she would expect to pay pounds 20 for this book. Given that you are unlikely to get a 100-recipe paperback cookbook for much less than pounds 9 nowadays, and that pictures and text add genuinely substantial value, the VFM here is top of the class.

OVERALL RATING: 10/10