I was recently approached by a PR agency and asked if I would like to review some cookbooks from Parragon that have been released in time for Christmas. Parragon is the largest illustrated non-fiction publisher in the world and has been around for more than twenty years with cookbooks being one of their main publishing areas.
The Love Food range is designed to cater for all abilities, from budding chefs to those just keen to learn the basics.
I was sent 3 books to review and first up is Recipes from an Indian Kitchen. The cover price is £16 and this large hard-back book is perfect for any curry lover. It contains 100 authentic Indian recipes including chutneys, snacks, appetisers and vegetable, fish or meat based main dishes.
The great thing about this book is that every recipe has a photo of the dish, there is nothing worse than trying to follow a recipe and not knowing what the finished product should look like. As well as lovely photography, the instructions are very simple and clear. I really love the look of the Red Kidney Bean Curry and can't wait to give it a try.
Next is the 2 Mini Treats books. These come beautifully presented in a hard slipcase with one book for mini desserts and one for mini sweets. Between them they contain over 60 recipes to help you make perfect pastries, tiny ices, chocolates, fudges and more.
As well as the 2 books you also get some really cute little sweet cases and some labels to help add some finishing touches to your treats. Once again, all the recipes are accompanied by fantastic photography and I can't wait to bake some of these goodies, especially the sweets as they would make great homemade Christmas gifts...Cashew Nut Brittle anyone?
The 3rd book that I was sent is called The Burger and this also has a cover price of £16. I love the bright comic book style packaging, it is so eye-catching and I think that it would appeal to the male chef more than the other 2 books. It contains 25 burger recipes and not just beef either; everyone is catered for with poultry, fish and veggie options. There is even a burger press included!
The recipes are presented in the same comic book style as the box with lots of eye-catching photos and simple step by step instructions. A fantastic gift for any burger lover!
Verdict
I was impressed with all 3 cookbooks from Parragon. I do however think that £16 is a little pricey for The Burger cookbook. I know that you get the burger press but it is made of plastic and the book itself is paper-back with fewer recipes than the other 2. I would probably expect to pay around £10 for this one but would say that £16 is fair for Recipes from an Indian Kitchen and Mini Treats. Price aside, The Burger was actually my favorite of the 3 books. I just loved the novelty value and the comic book style presentation; I know a few people who would love this book for Christmas!
