I was really impressed by his book, and I'm very hard to please when it comes to cook books. Everything I've made from it has been delicious and loved by friends and family alike. Some of the recipes are a little time consuming, but Jennifer provides instructions on what you can do hours or days ahead in order to save time. The photography is beautiful, and it's a pleasure to leaf through even if you choose not to cook anything. I wouldn't contemplate making party food without taking at least a couple of recipes from this book.

You can now enjoy pub night at home with Small Bites. This great cookbook is full of great snacks, finger foods, and side dishes for formal entertaining or a casual nibble for two. The recipes range from simple one or two ingredient eats that can be made in minutes to more complex dishes that take a little more effort. Almost all of the recipes can be made in a half hour with very little marinating or preparation time. Since I tend to get in a mood to cook and grab a cookbook, I like that I don't really have to organize myself ahead of time in order to make the majority of these dishes. I also know that these aspects will come in handy when unexpected guests show up at my door.

I used the recipes in Small Bites for a big get together. I cooked like a mad woman and had a very good spread to show for my efforts. Quite a few of the recipes said that they could be made ahead of time and reheated. I was a bit concerned, especially about the deep-fried onion rings, the corn fritters, and the zucchini cakes but they tasted just as crispy outside and wonderful inside as when I first made them.

`A quiet revolution is taking place - the dining table is making way for the coffee table as the new focus for eating and entertaining.
`Small Bites` features practical instructions including tips on preparation and planning. Clever short-cuts and instant assembly dishes help to create maximum impact for minimum effort.'

Arguably more `handy' than some books, `Small Bites` measures nearly 7" wide x 9" long, and has 224 high quality, shiny pages split over 11 chapters:-

Fried
Soups
Dips
Salads
Skewers
Meat
Fish
Vegetables
Wrapped, Tied and Rolled
Sweets
Useful Recipes

sandwiched between an introduction and a concise index with useful addresses at the end.

Each section has a stylish opening such as:-

VEGETABLES
`Choice is not an issue with fresh vegetables. From Autumn's crimson beetroot to spring's emerald asparagus, each season brings a rich new selection. There are endless ways to prepare them, and simple is usually best. Often, all that's called for is a hint of garlic, seasoning, lemon juice, or creamy goat's cheese.'

There are themed menus with half a dozen suggested items e.g. `Bollywood Nights', with Seared Cinnamon Duck, Coconut Prawns, Tomato and Ginger Soup, Crispy Vegetable Pakoras, Tandoori Chicken Thighs and Raspberry Meringue along with the necessary planning required to achieve it on the night!

A taste of the recipes within:-

Cream Celery and Fennel Soup with Chilled Grapes
Red Curry Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Fried Shallots
Pork Satay on Lemon Grass with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Citrus Swordfish Brochettes with Pomegranate Dipping Sauce
Halibut Bites with Sticky Miso Glaze
Avocado Crostini with Cream Cheese and Sweet Chilli
Seafood Spring Rolls with Sweet Chilli and Coriander Sauce
Cucumber Martini
Peking Seared Duck Rolls with Plum Sauce
Mini Peach and Raspberry Crisps with Walnuts
Chocolate Cupcakes with Butter Cream Frosting

I first bought this book in November and made two of the recipes for a party -- so delicious that I bought 3 more copies to give away at Christmas - great for presents as the book is a small bite of a book - nice and compact. I have since tried several other recipes - to me they seem lead-edge - interesting ingredients in interesting combinations,with yummy results. Hurry, before Jamie copies her....!

This book was excellent. Great ideas. Some simple and some more complex. Great tips on how to plan and combine food and themes. I did a lunch for my girlfriends and they were so impressed and I did it with so little stress. You can tell Jennifer Joyce tests all her recipes as nothing failed to deliver results.