Easy does it

Book: The Deli Cookbook, James Martin (Mitchell Beazley, £16.99)

Chef's CV: North Yorkshire's own celebrity chef, James cut his culinary teeth at Castle Howard, where dad Ian ran the kitchens. He now lives in Winchester where he runs his own deli and is a regular guest on TV's cook-against-the-clock show Ready Steady Cook. Known for his pretty-boy 'pin-up' looks as much as his cookery skills.

Presentation: This book is a treat. Elegantly laid out, with each recipe on its own page and full of tempting colour pictures (and I don't mean just those of James).

Ingredients: Informative introductory section on products from the deli, followed by dozens of tantalising recipes for starters, main courses, side dishes, desserts as well as chutneys and preserves. Highlights: Bruschetta of smoked beef and melted brie; Duck breasts with fennel pate and apples; Caramelised beetroot; Chocolate and ginger cheesecake. There is also a helpful guide to recipe combinations.

Recipe chosen: Warm Banana Tarte Tatin

Ready, steady, cook: This recipe caught my eye for two reasons: it sounded easy to make and I had some rosemary left over from my main course. Also I was curious as to the effect of rosemary in a sweet dish. I'd never caramelised sugar before and was a bit apprehensive. Being an impatient sort, I added water to hurry it along, but I think this stopped the sugar obtaining that lovely golden caramel colour. However, the rest of the recipe was straightforward.

Taste test: Oh, such praise! My guests absolutely loved this - despite the fact it was a lot paler in colour than in the picture (my fault, I'm sure, as I hadn't let the sugar brown enough). The rosemary was a real surprise. It added a pleasant, subtle fragrance to the dessert and left just a trace of its flavour in the banana/caramel mix. I served this with very good vanilla ice cream - a perfect combination.

Verdict? If your shopping list at the deli counter is limited to honey-roasted ham, Swiss cheese and a tub of olives this book will give you food for thought. It's packed full of imaginative combinations for food. A surprise at every turn of the page. A good book for the competent cook with a taste for adventure.

RECIPE

Warm Banana Tarte Tatin

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

500g (1lb 2oz) bought puff pastry, thawed if frozen.

250g (9oz) caster sugar.

Leaves stripped from one sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped.

6 ripe bananas.

Method

1 Roll out the pastry on a lightly-floured surface and cut into a 25cm (10 inch) round. Prick all over with a fork, then leave to rest in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

2 Place the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan and melt slowly over a very low heat until it turns a mid-caramel colour. You might like to add one table spoon of water to help it on its way, but most chefs don't. It is vital not to allow the syrup to bubble even around the edge until all the sugar grains have dissolved otherwise the mixture will become grainy. It can help to brush the sides of the pan with a pasty brush dipped in cold water, to prevent any stray sugar grains from causing the syrup to crystallise.

3 As soon as the sugar turns a mid-caramel colour, plunge the pan base into a sink of cold water to halt browning. It will spit alarmingly, so make sure that your arm is well covered. Beat in the butter until the mixture turns to a buttery caramel. Pour the caramel into an oven-proof frying pan, or 23cm (9 inch) shallow cake tin, turn and evenly coat the bottom and sides with the caramel.

4 Heat the oven to 190C (375F), Gas Mark 5. Sprinkle the chopped rosemary over the surface of the caramel, then slice the bananas on top. Finally, place the pastry round over the sliced bananas, pressing the edge down the sides of the filling all the way round.

5 Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Remove carefully from the oven to prevent spilling the hot caramel. Allow to stand for a few minutes before carefully inverting on to a serving plate. Cut into wedges to serve.