Introduction

There are no hard and fast rules about which recipes are right for any particular occasion. The choice of a recipe for a particular meal or menu lies with the cook. The time available for preparation, the equipment and facilities in the kitchen, the time of year and availability of seasonal foods are all important factors to bear in mind. Chapter headings exist to group recipes together in some kind of order and to suggest where they might be particularly suitable, but the cook should feel free to choose and serve recipes as she likes. No amount of advice from an author can take the place of the necessary imagination and initiative on the part of the cook herself.