RACHEL Khoo came to the attention of many with her quirky TV series where she hosted diners in her tiny Paris apartment.
The show made viewers realise that if she could create decadent meals in a matchbox-sized kitchen then they could too.
That series, The Little Paris Kitchen, along with the cookbook of the same name, made her a celebrity chef.
Her newie, Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook, is a beautifully presented book packed full of the author’s whimsical illustrations.
In the introduction she tells us that she never travels without her trusty notebook, in which she sketches, writes notes and creates recipes.
From hearty yet healthy stir-fried cauliflower rice, to not-so-healthy but delicious soft-serve ice-cream with hazelnut caramel sauce, the book has a wide variety of recipes.
For sheer ‘‘wow factor’’ it is hard to go past the ‘‘peeping mushroom pasta’’ in which rigatoni pasta is served vertically then stuffed with exotic mushrooms and eaten with a creamy cheese sauce.
Presented in individual baking dishes it makes the perfect autumn meal.
There’s also snacks including pizza grissini, potato churros with red pepper sauce, and caramel popcorn, proving that sometimes it is the smaller things in life that can create the most happiness.
Penguin Books, $39.99
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