... I first came across Paradiso Seasons on a website called Natural Collection (they sell products that are generally ethically sound (e.g., organically produced, fair-trade etc)), and was intrigued by the concept- a cookbook arranged not by meal type or ingredient, but by season- I had to buy ... Read review
Cooking in Cafe Paradiso the internationally-renowned restaurant in Cork Ireland Denis ... more
Cotter has gained a reputation for innovation in his approach to food and for the quality and personal style of his menus. Paradiso Seasons represents Denis Cotte...
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Advantages: seasonal recipes, lovely writing style, great pictures Disadvantages: you still have to do the cooking yourself! perhaps a little expensive
...I first came across Paradiso Seasons on a website called Natural Collection (they sell products that are generally ethically sound (e.g., organically produced, fair-trade etc)), and was intrigued by the concept- a cookbook arranged not by meal type or ingredient, but by season- I had to buy it. It's no longer available there, unfortunately but is available from Amazon for the princely sum of £23.75 or, alternatively from the Cafe Paradiso website ... ...
Cafe Paradiso is a vegetarian cafe in Cork, Ireland. The author of this book, Denis Cotter is the owner said cafe. A quote from the Guardian describes the cafe thus: "Here is a restaurant which treats food with wit, knowledge, spirit and enjoyment...it just happens to be vegetarian". The same could be said of Paradiso Seasons.
The cover of the book reflects its contents- it's a gorgeous green cover that perfectly ... more
It was a good day indeed, the day I stumbled across this book. Named the "Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the World", in 2003, by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. I first came across Paradiso Seasons on a website called Natural Collection (they sell products that are generally ethically sound (e.g., organically produced, fair-trade etc)), and was intrigued by the concept- a cookbook arranged not by meal type or ingredient, but by season- I had to buy it. It's no longer available there, unfortunately but is available from Amazon for the princely sum of £23.75 or, alternatively from the Cafe Paradiso website for €39.00- a tad expensive perhaps, but it is a hardcover, and in my mind, well worth it for the amount of enjoyment I have had not just from preparing and eating the recipes, but just reading the book.
Cafe Paradiso is a vegetarian cafe in Cork, Ireland. The author of this book, Denis Cotter is the owner said cafe. A quote from the Guardian describes the cafe thus: "Here is a restaurant which treats food with wit, knowledge, spirit and enjoyment...it just happens to be vegetarian". The same could be said of Paradiso Seasons.
The cover of the book reflects its contents- it's a gorgeous green cover that perfectly coveys the simplicity of the concept and the freshness of both the idea of the book, and the ingredients Denis Cotter uses. The book opens with an introduction, written by the author, where he explains the concept behind the book- to present recipes that are appropriate for each season, to ensure the produce you are eating is fresh and healthy. It does so much more than that though- Cotter is passionate about food, good food, and reading his introduction made my mouth water at the thought of trying some of the recipes.
The book is divided into the following sections- Late Spring, Summer, Outdoor Cooking, Autumn, Winter and Early Spring. A simple, appropriately coloured title page introduces each section with a list of the produce usually available during that season. This is a nice touch- for example, with the unusually warm April we had this year- chances are fruits and vegetables that don't usually appear until summer were cropping up a little earlier, so you can do a quick scan of the season before or after the current season to see if the fruit or vegetable you are hoping to use is listed there.
Most recipes are accompanied by a beautiful full colour (often full page) picture of either the end product or one or two of the ingredients. I love these photos because they are so simple, and full of colour and life. One of my favourite touches, though, is the introduction the author gives to each recipe. In some cases, these are longer than the recipe itself! But he has a wonderful friendly, down to earth style of writing, and uses these introductions to tell you a little about the recipe- it may be information on how he discovered it, credit to people he has been inspired by or suggestions for changes or accompaniments. What I love best about these, though are the useless pieces of information, such as names he has given a recipe at various times, that, while irrelevant, make you feel as though a friend is sharing his favourite recipe.
Now, on to the recipes: The dishes presented in this book are not just your standard vegetarian fare- it's a good opportunity to explore some new tastes. Generally the instructions are clear, and easy to follow. There's a good range of recipes, and the ingredients used are usually readily available. I've enjoyed all the recipes I've tried so far from this book, and have been successful in re-producing them. No mean feat, as I am by no means a natural cook.
Appetisers, mains and desserts are all present in this book, although you won't find reference to them in the title page. My preferred way of using it is either to search the index for an ingredient I have in mind, in order to find options on how to cook it or, to lovingly pore over the pages for the current season, drooling over the pictures, smiling over the introductions, and generally building up my appetite. Here's a quick selection of recipe titles (taken randomly), just to give you an idea:
• Rigatoni with rocket, broad beans, cherry tomatoes, olives and fresh cheese • Black kale with plum tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and chillies • Summer stew of sweet peppers, new potatoes and sugar snaps with basil, garlic and olives, and goats cheese ciabatta • Roasted butternut squash with chickpeas and cumin • Sweet chilli fried tofu with leeks in coconut and lemongrass broth • Dark chocolate tart with raspberry sorbet and fresh raspberries
I could go on but my mouth is watering already. The simple way of naming a recipe by describing the main ingredients means you can easily scan the titles to see if the recipe appeals to your taste buds. There are over 140 recipes here, and one day I hope to try every one of them!
If you are one of those people who receives a weekly (or otherwise) fruit and veggie box of seasonal produce than this book will be the perfect accompaniment- sure to help you find something to do with those strange veggies you receive that you've never come across before. I love the concept of this book, and the execution is superb- it's more than a recipe book, it's the chance for someone who knows his stuff to share his passion with the world. Highly recommended.
