A Leon love affair

Since moving to London I kept stumbling across Leon restaurants everywhere I went (but not in the annoying Pret A Manger kind of way) and wondering what it was like. The idea of healthy fast food never really appealed to me. If I want something quick, chances are I want something big, carby, meaty and probably covered in cheese, because lets be honest, there is no time for kale or rye bread when hunger strikes. But as I discovered when I first visited last month, Leon isn't at all neo-hippie in it's approach to food on the go, it's just really good food, and fast.

Whilst my friend and I were in East London, we headed to Leon for a bite to eat before immersing ourselves in a day of shopping in an array of vintage shops (or 'trendy second hand' to you and me). The feel of the place is really laid back, the food was fuss-free and not to mention really delicious. On our way out, I noticed the stand of cookboooks. The brightly coloured hardbacks with beautifully stylised covers caught my attention, mainly because they're just SO pretty!

My reluctance to part with twenty-five pounds for the book lead to me picking up 'Leon: Family and Friends' in TK Maxx for only eleven, which I was more than chuffed with. When flicking through the book on the tube, I realised how great it is. The photos, illustrations and even anecdotes add a really personal touch and make it so much more than just a glorified instruction manual.

Thanks to having close friends in the food publishing world, my choice of degree and my job, I have been given/bought/flicked through a selection of really great cookbooks, but this Leon cookbook is really impressive! The book is segmented into unusual parts titled; 'memory lane', 'food on the move' and '10 things you should know how to cook before you leave home'. It has a abundance of great recipes including, easy pad Thai, garam masala and British classics like roast lamb. It also has a number of really useful pages including; 'the wheel of tomato based pasta sauce and the best of party nibbles titled 'things on sticks!' (which I can assure you, is a cheese and pineapple free zone). There is even a short section at the beginning about nutrition.

All in all, Leon is a huge winner for me. I highly recommend popping in for lunch, and if you love to cook, or even just want to learn a few basic dishes and skills, pick up a Leon cookbook for a truly lovely food experience.