Quintin’s by Mauve Binchy, Recipe by Denise Philips
I’ve read some of Maeve Binchy books before and liked a few of them, normally I reserve them for my holidays.
So this book I thought I’d get my act together and read it before the sun came out in the north east of England!
Quentins
by Maeve Binchy
I give it a 2 egg rating.
Maeve Binchy was born in County Dublin and educated at the Holy Child convent in Killiney and at University College, Dublin. After a spell as a teacher, she joined the Irish Times.
Her first novel, Light a Penny Candle was published in 1982, she went on to write over twenty books, all of them bestsellers.
Several have been adapted for cinema and television, including Tara Road
Not surprisingly she has won several awards, a Life time Achievement Award, the Irish Pen/a. T Cross Award and in 2010, she received the Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Book
Ella starts working at Quintin’s after quitting her job as a teacher. She also begins to help her friends with a film they’re making.
She’s accepted by the King Foundation in the US to illustrate the changes in Ireland by telling the story of Quentins by highlighting the key moments of the restaurant’s history.
While in New York, Ella meets Derry King, head of the King Foundation, who head back to Ireland with her. After his death, Ella finds that he’s left behind his computer.
Not a bad thing, except it contains incriminating evidence which puts her in danger.
Ella gets help from the people at Quentins as Kings henchmen pursue her.
With every table having its own story, Mauve Binchy’s new and familiar characters tell their tales of love, betrayal, revenge, hope and disaster.
Denise Philips
Denise has over 25 years experience having initially trained with renowned restaurateur Prue Leith before setting up her own successful catering business.
Her quest has always been to create Jewish cooking with style, taste and a rich visual look.
Denise has showcased her modern approach to kosher cookery on a range of radio and TV shows including appearances on BBC1, ITV and DKW Channel.
She also writes a weekly food column in the Jewish Weekly and is a regular contributor for the Jewish Chronicle, Jewish News, Jewish Recorder and Jewish Vegetarian Society magazine.
She offers a wide range of cookery classes and an array of mouth-watering modern stylish recipes through this website, her famous classes, her books and in the media.
Now, Denise has gifted us a recipe for Foodie Book Club!
Learn more about Denise and find her recipes here:
Lentil & Roasted Potato Salad
“This is a very useful vegetarian salad that just goes with anything.” Denise
Lentil & Roasted Potato Salad
Preparation Time 10 minutes Cooking Time 40 minutes Serves: 4 people
Ingredients
500g new potatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
200g cooked puy green lentils
150g fresh spinach
100g kale -washed and trimmed
100g cherry tomatoes – cut in half
75g cooked peas
50g green olives - pitted
Herb Dressing
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chives finely chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 400F/200C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Place the potatoes on the baking tray and coat with the olive oil and salt and roast for 40 minutes, or until golden.
3. To make the dressing, add the dill and herbs to a small bowl or jar. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
4. To assemble the salad, place the hot potatoes in a large bowl with the lentils, spinach, kale, tomatoes, peas and olives. Pour the dressing over the top and stir until the potatoes are fully coated and the spinach is wilted.
5. Serve warm or cold. This will keep in the fridge for up to three days.
