MEZCLA: Recipes to Excite

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From quick dishes with inspired combinations to longer ones for when you have the time to experiment at leisure, MEZCLA is packed with 100 recipes for every day and every occasion.

This is not cooking for beginners, one has to be confident to multitask and keep an eye on pots and pans, bowls and marinades all at once. Ixta Belfrage burst onto the cookbook scene via Flavour which was co-written with Ottolenghi when she worked in his test kitchen. Inspired by the shrimp and grits of the American South these prawn dumplings are perfect paired with a cheesy creamed corn and topped with spicy tomato butter sauce. Sprinkle over the chilli flakes, spoon over the ricotta (break it into chunks) if you are using it, garnish with the other half of the leaves, basil and chives and the pine nuts. She began her culinary career at Ottolenghi's NOPI restaurant, before moving to the Test Kitchen, where she worked for Yotam Ottolenghi for five years, contributing to his columns in the Guardian and The New York Times.I had planned to make a fourth dish but ran out of time – as I mentioned, these are complex dishes and take time to cook – so I made the tomato salad with tahini ginger sauce, chilli oil and crumpet croutons the following day. I was at this ploy again with a terrific recipe for charred red pepper sauce with omelette noodles from the Entertaining section.

While we have taken care in preparing this summary and believe it is accurate, it is not a substitute for your reading the product packaging and label prior to use.She focuses mainly on food and travel but with a lifelong love of the arts – especially visual arts, theatre and literature – she enjoys writing reviews for London Unattached. Finally, there is The End section – sweet dishes – which is subdivided into Quick Fixes and Showstoppers.

We ate all three of these dishes for dinner and I felt excited to be savouring a meal that all too often is a rush at the end of the day. Ixta has spent her life exploring and enjoying food in Italy, Mexico and Brazil, so it’s no surprise that MEZCLA is a fusion of different cultures and food traditions. MEZCLA means mix, blend or fusion in Spanish and in her first solo cookbook, Ixta Belfrage - loved for her inventive ingredient combinations - shares her favourite mezcla of flavours. MEZCLA means mix, blend or fusion in Spanish and in her first solo cookbook, Ixta Belfrage – loved for her inventive ingredient combinations – shares her favourite mezcla of flavours.

Helpfully divided into quick recipes (for when you need something great on the table, fast) and longer recipes (for when you have time to slow down and savour the process), here are 100 bold, impactful recipes inspired by Italy, Brazil, Mexico and beyond. Although it is not exclusively a vegetarian book, it is gratifying to see how meat and fish are relegated to the place where the vegetable recipes used to be – after the main dishes. Sometimes the novels chosen are new, often they are from the backlist and occasionally re-issued from way back.

I am off to source some of her ingredients that are new to me – azeite de dendê or red palm fruit oil being top of my list. But to keep ourselves on our toes, we have a rule that author gender is alternated, girl-boy-girl-boy, and the continents always rotated (with occasional glitches). Perfect for: Ottolenghi fans will love MEZCLA, as will anyone interested in experimenting with flavour and deepening their understanding of global cuisines.She is a die-hard Francophile – speaking French helps tremendously – but put her anywhere and she is happy.