Supper for a Song is billed as being for the clever cook in the cost-concious kitchen. Tamasin Day-Lewis is a well-regarded food writer with an eclectic style, and while this cookbook represents her style, I don't believe that it lives up to its billing as a count-the-cost and spare-the-energy cookbook.

To fully take advantage of a lot of the recipes would mean having a well-stocked larder or cupboard, and while this is an admirable way to be, I can't see a lot of cost-concious cooks fitting into this category.

I received this book as the evenings start to darken and I am immediately tempted by a lot of the receipes which promise warmth and filling on cold winter evenings. However, I did find the layout of the book to be distracting with a mixtures of savouries and starters, rather than more clearly defined sections.

It is a beautiful cookbook with an exciting and interesting mix of recipes and tips. I just feel that it is completely missold by the strapline on the cover. ( )

Supper for a Song bills itself as “a save it, stretch it, re-vamp it, don't waste it . . . a cook-delicious-food but count-the-cost and spare-the-energy” cookbook, a “book for the resourceful cook in the prudent kitchen”. Tamasin Day-Lewis, a food writer who writes regularly for English and American Vogue, Saveur, Stella, Sainsbury's Magazine, Waitrose Food Illustrated and Reader's Digest on both food and non-food subjects. She has written several cookbooks and also produced and directed television documentaries.

Following a rather confusing contents page (which one could easily pass over without knowing it), Tamasin launches straight into the recipes. These range from Roast Chicken, Sausage Pie, Mince, Potato Bread, Cakes, Stews, Lasagne, some luxurious Happy Food, Bread, Puddings, and many more. They encompass a wide range of ethnic origins. They sound very tempting, and the un-enhanced photographs add to their appeal.

Each recipe is preceded by a few personal comments from the author, and the recipes themselves are laid out clearly and the instructions are easy to follow. There is also advice on buying, and on maintaining a well-stock sore-cupboard. However I am not convinced the book really achieves what it claims to. The ingredients for a number of the recipes are unlikely to be found in the average fridge or larder, and some of the ingredients are far from cheap, or even common fare in the typical supermarket. It may be “For the clever cook”, but I question “in the cost-conscious kitchen”.

The presentation is good but basic, and the variable layout does not always make the recipes as easy to follow as the might. ( )