Fancy yourself as the host with the most but not sure where to start? Good Time Cooking promises to help save you the stress and share the secrets of easy entertaining for any occasion. A bold claim, but is it too good to be true?
What will I love?
The fact that all of the planning parts have been done for you. Mackean has curated a host of innovative, enticing menus for pretty much every occasion, complete with ‘Get Ahead’ time plans and mise-en-place directions to make it as straightforward as possible. Each recipe comes with substitutions too, great for avoiding any last-minute dashes to the shops. There is also advice on how to scale the recipes up/down to adjust for your gathering (and avoid lots of leftovers and/or potential wastage). Oh, and there are some excellent food styling and table scaping tips to help you really impress your guests.
The recipes are ordered into themed menus designed to work harmoniously together. This is ideal for anyone who doesn’t feel confident creating a complimentary menu of courses. However, Mackean stresses that this is just her suggestion and encourages you to get creative and create your own DIY menu, if you prefer. Equally, you can dip in and out and make recipes here and there if you have no plans on entertaining. The photography is striking too.
Is it good bedtime reading?
Good Time Cooking isn’t an especially ‘wordy’ book, but you could easily while away an afternoon (or evening) dreaming up your dream dinner party menus and the recipe introductions are genuinely interesting.
Will I have trouble finding the ingredients?
Not really. Merguez sausages are mentioned but they aren’t too tricky to find. The odd recipe may require a trip to the fishmonger or an online order, but those are few and far between. If you have access to a large supermarket, you should be fine. Even if you can’t find something, Mackean has been generous with her suggested substitutions, so there are always alternative options.
How easy are the recipes to follow?
The majority of the recipes are simple to make, however, Mackean has gone one step further with her time plans and mise-en-place directions, which makes cooking up a multi-course menu far more accessible. Even the more time-consuming ones don’t feel overwhelming thanks to Mackean’s personable and clear instructions.
Stand-out recipes?
On the savoury front, the ‘Rigatoni al Quattro Fromaggi’ is the epitome of comfort food. The ‘Warm Potato Salad with Basil and Pecorino’ is a delicious side dish and perfect if you want a mayonnaise-free potato salad.
As for the puds, ‘Chocolate Cream Pie’ is the ultimate indulgent (and very rich) treat for chocoholics, while the ‘Tiramisu’ is one of the best I have ever made (bear in mind that although it ‘serves 2 with leftovers’ you will get around 6 generous portions from the recipe). Don’t miss the ‘Sunday Crumble’, a) for the delicious combination of apples and pears and b) for the generous layer of crumble topping. It is the perfect rainy day pudding served hot with just-melting vanilla ice cream or lashings of custard.
How often will I cook from this book?
A fair bit. Although it’s a book about entertaining, you will still find plenty to enjoy even if you aren’t an avid host. You could easily pick out a few recipes here and there to make throughout the week and there are plenty of options for canapés, starters, sharers, snacks, mains, bakes, desserts and puddings.
Any negatives?
There are plenty of plant-based recipes in the book. However, it isn’t always clear when a recipe needs the cheese to be swapped for it to be vegetarian because it contains animal rennet (e.g. cheeses like Gruyère, Gorgonzola, Taleggio and Parmesan). Not all hosts would automatically know to swap for a vegetarian alternative if cooking for vegetarian guests.
Should I buy the book?
Yes. This is the culinary bible for anyone who enjoys entertaining. However, if you aren’t a keen host, you will still enjoy discovering a host of delicious, innovative recipes and flavour combinations.
Cuisine: International
Suitable for: Foodies – particularly those who enjoy hosting
Great for fans of: Skye McAlpine and Sophie Wyburd
Cookbook review rating: Five stars
Buy this book: Good Time Cooking: The stunning dinner party cookbook from the Pasta Queen, with recipe plans for any guest including gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan
£26.00, Pavillion
This review was written by Freelance Food Writer and Recipe Developer Sophie Knox Richmond. Follow her on Instagram on @sophie_kr_food.
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