The Wholesome Cook, Martyna Angell

The Wholesome cook is a stunning book featuring do-able healthy and nutritious meals that are not only approachable but devoid of over-complication and unpronounceable ingredients that cost an arm and a leg.

Martyna experienced a traditional upbringing where wholefoods were the norm and throughout the book she interweaves her cultural background into the beautifully crafted recipes.

Growing up in Poland meant that family shopping trips to the local farmers' market would result in basketfuls of farm fresh and in-season produce filling up her fridge and pantry, and the underground cellar piled up with delicious preserves, pickled wild mushrooms, and homemade pasta stocks and sauces.

Her cook-from-scratch training was a family affair and evident when you flick through the beautiful pages of the book to discover a well ordered menu beginning with a homemade basics section with wholesome staples such as dressings, spice mixes, pestos and sauces and stocks.

 You’ll find her personal take on non-healthy foods, ways to detox your fridge and pantry and also a chapter on food wastage a subject which is somewhat de rigueur.

I love the roasted vegetable salad, poached chicken and crab salad and hot raspberry and apple kisiel, a Polish hot jelly made with tapioca flour.

Martyna is a talented cook with a unique approach to creating recipes that not only light up the page and are supremely beautiful to look at, but also extremely tasty and adaptable for many different diet styles.