A Mini Khoo Review! The Little Paris Kitchen...

I went out on a mission yesterday to buy some groceries, come home and cook up a lovely dinner for my boyfriend's family. Both things were successfully accomplished but with another little hitchhiker in my bag, The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo. A welcome addition to my collection of cook books and here's why. Rachel Khoo has burst on to the scene in recent weeks with her new program on BBC2 and I have become hooked! I love her dainty little kitchen which oozes Parisian style, it may be compact but it has bags of character and is extremely functional. I have been picking up tips on how to save space by watching how she stores her food. I guess I could slightly gush over her but I won't for now. The show, however, can be slightly 'twee' but never mind, we all need some twee! The food has left me salivating, sexy chocolate deserts and beefy meaty mains have kept me watching.

The book follows the recipes from the show and has beautiful photographs from around Paris which make me want to jump on a plane and risk bellyache by munching on a baguette. If you have allergies like me, it is hard to find books which give you alternatives to dairy or wheat foods. I have seen a few recipes in the book which offer alternatives such as an alternative to creme fresh in her 'Oeufs en Cocotte' (eggs in pots) which from my point of view is a life saver! I was crushed watching the show thinking that I may never try this recipe. Thank you Rachel!

French food has always slightly scared me as it has strict rules and it is full of ingredients that can't pass my mouth. Rachel has put different spins on each classic recipe which makes it easier to translate into allergy language. I am absolutely sold to her simple approach to french cooking, who needs all those silly rules (forgive me Michel Roux) but its true!

I want to talk about one recipe in particular, not because of the ingredients but how imaginative it is! Coq au Vin on skewers. I was slightly unnerved by the idea of having the individual ingredients on a stick but when I saw them being made I almost fell in love. Summer is almost here and those body warming classics are shelved to make way for salads and grilled meats, but Rachel has provided us with comfort even in the summer months. I am already packing up my disposable BBQ and blanket for the beach to try this tasty looking recipe.

I am going to simply say, buy this book if you love french food but are scared of going near it. It makes those difficult classics easy and you get to live in Paris for a night. Ah that's the life.... *daydreams*

Miss Dolly x