Cooking on a Bootstrap

Book excerpt: 'These are wonderful and inspiring recipes' – Nigella Lawson Award-winning cookery writer and anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe is back with Cooking on a Bootstrap: a creative and accessible cookbook packed with affordable, delicious recipes, most of which are vegetarian. Winner of the Observer Food Monthly Best Food Personality Readers' Award. Jack Monroe is a campaigner, food writer and activist and her first cookbook, A Girl Called Jack, was a runaway bestseller. The sequel Cooking on a Bootstrap makes budget food fun and delicious, with 118 incredible recipes including Fluffy Berry Pancakes, Self-Love Stew, Marmite Mac ‘n’ Cheese and Hot Sardines with Herby Sauce. Chapters include Bread, Breakfasts, A Bag of Pasta and a Packet of Rice, Spuds and Eat More Veg. There are vegan meals, sweet treats and what Jack calls ‘contraband’ dishes here, as well as helpful money-saving tips. With her trademark humour and wit, Jack shows us that affordable, authentic and creative recipes aren't just for those with fancy gadgets or premium ingredients. 'She understands first hand what it's like to be skint and have the desire to put something delicious on the table' – Nigel Slater