Smoothies, Blended Drinks and Health Juices ~ Susannah Blake

This book isn't really substantive, but it has big juicy pictures of its big juicy recipes. The book seems to hang on the imagery with many of the recipes given a double page spread, but when you sit down and go through them the recipes do hold their own - simple but fresh and flavourful with plenty of pep and zing.


If I had to complain about this book, it would only be that lots of the recipes feature melon, and I've not been a big fan of melon since I overdosed on watermelon as a kid and made myself sick. Blame my parents for doing some market gardening and having a bumper crop. Still, there is plenty to keep me happy, from the Sunburst full of apple, carrot, mango, OJ and strawberries, to the Pineapple protector which would really hit the spot at the end of a long summer day. I can't find a recipe that I don't like in the 'Cold comfort' chapter, from Soft fruit and ginger cup, Iced mango lassi and oh, so divine Snowball to the Coffee frappe and Hot chocolate float. And like many books they've saved some of the best recipes till last with the chapter on 'Boozy blends' bringing up the rear - I particularly like the Peach and mango margarita and the Blackberry and champagne crush.

Recommended for those who love their blenders, especially if you're thirsty.

- Kath