Sara Lewis (1)

Yet another book in this very useful and practical series, this one covering pies ans tarts. It follows the same format as the other titles, which is one recipe to a page with a full page full colour photograph of the dish on the facing page. The recipes are clearly presented with a list of ingredients in one column and the method in another, but there are no additional comments about the recipes. An introductory section covers many of the basics such as the different pastries, and also some tips and techniques.

The pies and tarts all look very appealing even without any explanation - there is something very homely and inviting about pies that I find irresistible. The recipes are grouped under various headings, these being: bite-sized snacks; savoury light bites; main meals; sweet pies; sweet tarts; and finally gluten-free.

Among the savoury pies are such delights a venison and red wine pie, game pie, golden mushroom and leek pies, summer prawn and fish filo pie and Mediterranean vegetable pie. The sweet pies include a deep dish puff apple pie, Moroccan almond spiral, peach melba pie, apricot and pistachio purses, pumpkin pie, chocolate cream pie, and as well as lemon meringue pie (and those shop bought packet mixes cannot match a home made lemon meringue pie) there is citrus meringue pie, mile high chocolate meringue pie, St clement's meringue pie (made with full fat condensed milk), spiced pumpkin meringue pie and sweet potato meringue pie. In fact the list of tempting sweet pies and tarts seems endless, there are so many.

If there is a complaint about this book it must be the relative shortage of savoury pies, of which I count just sixteen in the main meal, thirteen under the savoury light bites heading, eight in the bite-sized snack section and five in the gluten free section, so the sweet pies and tarts far out number them.… (more)