Book Review

Title: Dish Entertains

Author: Trish Magwood

Publisher: Harper Collins Canada

Released: September 13^th, 2007

Pages: 232

ISBN-10: 000200772X

ISBN-13: 978-0002007726

$44.95 CDN

4 ½ Stars

Reviewed By: The British Chef

I might not be making any grand statements if you know who Trish Magwood is, but if you don't, then allow me to let you know that Mrs. Magwood will be big...huge! England has had far too many famous chefs and even America has had its celebrity chefs, but it appears that Canada will have their own tidal wave of culinary talent in the charismatic Trish Magwood.

I hate the fact that I love cookbooks so much and have the most horrendous time giving them anything less than 4 stars, but when food looks this appealing, it is hard not to do so. In Trish Magwood's first book dish entertains, this Torontonian has welcomed the reader into her kitchen. Sat upon a stool and watching Magwood build creations that are simply mouth-watering. dish is Trish Magwood's empire with a hit TV show party dish, a catering business, a cooking school, a retail business and now her first book that can proudly stand beside the likes of Nigella Lawson and Martha Stewart's bound publications. Not bad for a woman in her thirties with young children.

Magwood would be a threat to most women if she didn't consist of so much sincerity as she is the mythological Superwoman society has been searching for years, somehow managing to do it all, with a smile. Mind you, its not just Magwood's radiant personality that springs off every page of dish entertains, but it is also the fabulous food creations. Magwood's style does remind me a lot of Nigella Lawson's perception of food; a casual efficiency with a remarkable use of textures and flavours. dish entertains is divided into six standard sections: hors d'oeuvres, soups, salads, mains, sides, and desserts. An emphasis is made on hors d'oeuvres as Magwood's business was established in catering originally; the options are overwhelming, tantalizing and original.   

All of dish entertains is full of photos incorporating Magwood's family, friends and cooking community at large; which gives the book a ‘sit around the kitchen table and I'll cook for you' appeal to it. Magwood's recipes are all easy to follow as they are very detailed, and each recipe has little boxes of information on alternative tips and suggestions to the standard recipe. From pork tenderloin with grilled fruits, to latin-spiced beef with smoky tomato relish, to parsnip, celery root and green apple soup, each recipe sounds so rich to the taste buds! It must also be noted that dish entertains has a section on side dishes that takes vegetables to a whole new level. 

Possibly the most delightful sounding meal was in the salads section which had us adding  ‘Watermelon Feta and Pine Nut to a Sunshine Salad with Passion Fruit and Poppy Seed Vinaigrette,' does that not sound gorgeous? Magwood's cookbook is great from start to finish and she has adopted my philosophy on cookbooks, which is that they should end with a great dessert section. Pick up Trish Magwood's first cookbook and you will be able to enjoy a book of knowledge, an understanding of food and a visual appeal that will trickle down from your eyes to your taste buds. Trish Magwood's dish entertains is an absolute must have.