Patricia Lousada and Charlotte Fraser co-wrote Flavours of the Sun, a cook book inspired by the Southern Mediterranean, an area which offers many diverse fresh ingredients to cook with. They show how to get the best from the seasonal ingredients of the area, how to prepare the basics and how to combined flavours to create irresistable treats.

Patricia and Charlotte have drawn inspration from the foods of the Mediterranean, dishes that are made from the fresh, seasonal ingredients available locally; not ingredients that have been flown 10,000 miles. The recipes cover all seasons, from winter classics like Pot-roasted Partridge with Shallots or Hare in Port and Mulberry Jelly through to Spring and Summer, bring some wondeful dishes like Artichokes Stuffed with Crabmeat or Jellied Tomato Soup with Basil.

The book is divided into 14 subject areas, being: Ingredients, Essentials, Soups, Starters, Light Main Courses, Pasta, Risottos & Gnocchi, Pizza, Savoury Tarts, Fish, Chicken & Game, Salads, Vegetables and Puddings. As can been seen from the list of subject area, the girls have put a lot of effort in putting together many recipes, allowing you to select dishes that will suit any season. Apart from a short introduction, which relates the inspriation for the book and the ingredients section, that describes the ingredients in detail, the book is just recipes. There are no photos to distract the reader from the task at hand.

The Flavours of the Sun is recommended for the the way it brings the simpliest of dishes to life in a easy to prepare manner. It is suitable for both experienced cooks and those wishing to extent their repoire.