As I’m sure you’re all well aware by now, I’ve recently moved down from the Midlands to Bristol. It’s been almost a month now and so far, I’m loving it. It’s great to be discovering a city and all its edible treats. A well-known face on the foodie scene here is Elly Curshen, owner of Pear Cafe and author of Fast Days and Feast Days, a new cookbook I was recently sent to review. I’ve loved seeing photographs of the area I live in on the pages and am keen to visit the cafe for a slice of her famous frittata.
With a focus on healthy eating, it moves between low-calorie meals and snacks (fast) and heartier more calorific dishes (feasts). In essence, this book follows the 5:2 diet but is as far away from a ‘diet’ book as you can imagine. That said, I like the fact that this also isn’t just a book full of recipes, it talks about how to eat well, explains the principles behind ‘fast days and feast days’ and gives an insight into Elly’s personality and lifestyle.
In the last week or so I’ve already made a couple of dishes from the book already (cheats tagine and hummus to be precise) and am planning to get the ingredients for Buddha bowls next week. They just look so delicious with their layers of colour and texture. Have a look at this youtube video of Elly explaining how to put one together:
Fellow food blogger Farmers Girl Kitchen also reviewed this book and gave her yummy beetroot burgers a big thumbs up! Have a peek here.
So, finally, my verdict is in – and not surprisingly, it’s very positive!
I would definitely recommend Elly Pear’s Fast Days & Feast Days. Especially if you like to eat better during the week and have a treat (or a ‘feast’) at the weekend. You can pick up a copy on Amazon of course but it’s also available in all good bookshops too.
IT sounds like the type of book I'd love and those buddha bowls look delicious! I am trying to eat more healthily at the moment and especially not just eat the same old thing for lunch every day!
I'm glad you're enjoying Bristol 🙂 its always nice to explore somewhere new but can definitely be a little daunting! I'll be the first to admit I hadn't heard of Elly Pear before but this cookbook does look stunning! So colourful. Right up my street 🙂
It looks a good book. I really like Bristol, and Elly's cafe is well on the list the next time we visit.
Sounds like a great collection of recipes I would enjoy. I love the Buddha bowl guide, it has the perfect proportion of nutrients you need in a healthy meal. 🙂
I love the fast/feast philosophy – kind of like a more structured 80/20 rule 🙂 Have heard good things about this book and I love the vibrant colours of the images.
I love Bristol Emmy! It's a great book, I love it 🙂
I absolutely need to go! It's literally around the corner Helen! You'll have to let me know when you're next here and we can have a coffee 🙂
I think everyone loves how colourful this book is! Winner!
I love cooking books, and that one seems awesome!