What people say about Nadine Abensur

books | classes

Enjoy

"I have spent all night reading your new book 'Enjoy'. The name says it all - what a fabulous book! I am a huge (read massive) consumer (owner) of cookbooks and food magazines and I haven't felt so excited or so inspired by a book as I was with this one - as I turned each page I kept saying I have to make this and this and this!

I have been a great fan of yours for some time now - I have The New Cranks Recipe Book and two copies of The Cranks Bible (one I keep at work the other at home - I love to look through them for inspiration). I have a cafe in Epsom, Auckland called Constant Cravings - in November we were awarded 'Best Local Cafe' in Metro Magazine. Wheat/gluten/dairy free products feature very prominently in our daily range.

After reading your latest book all I can think about is somehow spending some time with you soaking up your enthusiasm and passion for food."

Sandra Gissing, New Zealand

Hi! I very recently bought your cookbook 'Enjoy' and have started reading
and cooking my way through it. I love it! I have so much to learn from you.

Last night I cooked your spinach and mushroom lasagne. As a vegetarian, I'm
sure you'll understand I've eaten numerous vegetable lasagnes in my time
(and endured quite a few too), but this was the best. The semi-dried tomato
bisque, on its own, is amongst the best things I've ever eaten.

I have only begun to get acquainted with your writing and cooking
this year, and I'm so enjoying it. Your passion really comes through, and
I've eaten some wonderful new meals because of it. I'm also very chuffed to discover you're now living in Australia and using our abundance of great produce: mangoes and lemon myrtle, etc.

Lisa Morrison (Food writer) Australia

The Crank's Bible

Dear Nadine,

I just wanted to say how much I really love the Cranks Bible - I bought it a few years ago and have been shamelessly converting all my friends ever since (not that they object, at all!).

It definitely would be my desert island cookbook - if I ever had the good fortune to be stuck on a desert island with a well-functioning stove, that is. In any case, I really enjoy the recipes - so many are standbys for me - and also the very personable, vivid way in which it is written. I am excited to hear your new Aus-influenced book will be out soon. I hope it does really well - I may get my little army of Cranks converts to snap up a few, hehe.

Thanks again.
Lee Tran

Dear Ms Abensur

I have to write to say how much the Crank's Bible has done for me. I was an enthusiastic but flagging "veggie" when I encountered it, and for the first time since I became a devotee of Elizabeth David & Jane Grigson, I can truly say your writing has re-illuminated my existence - I jest not. Now all the ingredients I have been using have suddenly come alive with their own qualities - you write like someone inspired, which I am sure you must be.

I could go on and on but for now, I can't thank you enough. All power and grace to your writing elbow

Yours most sincerely

Mrs M Jill Brown

"The Best Vegetarian Cookbook I've found"

"This book (and all of Nadine Abensur's cookbooks) is a delight to read and cook from. Nadine (as she is known in my family) is the person who made me realize that vegetarian cooking can be luxurious, flavorful, varied, fast and festive food. I have read and cooked from this book from cover to cover (along with her Cranks' Fast Food book) since I first discovered it in 2000. I have never loved a set of cookbooks so much. I use the Cranks' Bible (so named for a famous vegetarian restaurant in London which she used to be the head of) and her others practically every week.

Nadine always has an interesting story about how the recipe came about or how she uses it in her daily life; and at the end of the descriptions is often a number of suggestions for ways you could vary the dish or other things that you could serve the dish with to make a meal. This is very helpful.

Here's an example from the end of the recipe for Jerusalem artichoke souffle:

"Serve with a generous green salad, some garlic croutons, and, if you are not too cheesed out, some cubes of any vegetarian blue cheese; if you are, a few sliced toasted hazelnuts scattered over the leaves will marry well with the subtle nuttiness of of Jerusalem artichokes and provide a contrast to all that comforting creaminess."

Nadine is a wonderful and caring author, really in love with vegetarian cooking.

Epicurean Enthusiast (Cambridge, MA, USA) February 6, 2005

This book is definately a 'must have' for vegetarians. I have a copy and love it for the personal memoirs Nadine has written at the start of each recipe, it gets the gastric juices flowing! The dishes are Morrocan/Mediterranean inspired and inspire me to get cooking right now, so I'm off to the kitchen, byeee...

Annette (UK)

Nadine's cookery classes

'Recently I attended one of Nadine's classes with a group of friends. We had the best day ever. Nadine is such a fantastic and inspiring teacher - right up there with the best. I can't wait to do another class and wish she'd get her own TV show. She really rocks. We learnt all sorts of new tricks, easy but amazingly delicious recipes and last minute standbys - my husband is happy and so are my kids. And we had a good laugh along the way. A brilliant day'

Kristen Helps, Bangalow

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