100 Favourite 20 Minute Dishes will show you how to produce a remarkably wide range of good, interesting dishes in twenty minutes or less - without depending on processed, ready to eat foods or resorting to takeaways.

Regardless of your cooking abilities, whether you need to make a few snacks to enjoy with friends over a drink, want a comfort food style family meal or are preparing a more elaborate three course meal for guests, this cookbook by Alison & Simon Holst will provide inspiration and solutions with recipes you can make in 20 minutes or less.

This indispensable book combines the three best selling "Twenty Minute" titles: 'Finger Food & Starters', 'Quick & Easy Meals', and 'Desserts & After Dinner Treats'. It Provides simple suggestions for nibbles to serve with drinks, after-work, meals in minutes, spur-of-the-moment entertaining, and senseational desserts or sweet treats to round off an evening.

Look inside the book for:

* Fabulous finger foods & stunning starters
* Delicious dips, spreads & pates to serve with drinks
* Enticing hot and cold starters and snacks from around the world
* Trendy to traditional mains, from Laksa to lamb chops
* Enough quick and easy recipes for a different main dish every night of the month
* Fuss-free family favourites in next to no time!
* Simple & stylish desserts to "wow" your guests
* Tempting treats to serve with coffee
* Mouth-watering colour photographs of every recipe

This recipe collection will inspire both the raw beginner and the well seasoned cook!

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SAMPLE RECIPE: Fish Battercakes

This easy recipe is very popular with children who like crisp, crunchy coatings. It makes fish go further and works well with soft texture fish (red or blue cod, moki or hoki).

FOR 4-5 SERVINGS:

canola or other flavourless oil for frying
400-500g boneless, skinless fish fillets (see above)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2-1 tsp curry powder
1/2-1 tsp paprika (optional)
1 cup self-raising flour

Heat a large, preferably non-stick frypan containing oil 5mm deep. If the pan is thermostatically controlled, set it to 190C (or to the second highest number).

Cut the fish into 1 cm cubes, removing any bones and skin. Put aside until the batter is ready.

In a fairly large bowl, mix together the egg and milk. Mix together the remaining ingredients (using amounts to suit), then sprinkle the mixture over the egg and milk. Stir until partly mixed but still rather lumpy, then fold the cubed fish through the batter, stopping while batter still looks rough rather than smooth. (Over-mixing makes battercakes tough.) There should be just enough batter to hold the fish together and partly coat it.

Drop spoonfuls into the hot oil, helping mixture off with another spoon. Cook over moderate heat. Turn each battercake with tongs (or a fish-slice) when the bottom is golden. Cook the second side in the same way. The centre is cooked when a pointed knife comes out without uncooked batter on it. Do not cook any longer than necessary.

Serve with lemon wedges or tartare or tomato sauce, quick potato wedges (see page 60) or bread rolls, and small (or chopped) tomatoes and/or a green salad.

VARIATIONS: For Oyster Battercakes, add 6 chopped oysters to fish. For Mussel Battercakes, replace cubed fish with 25-40 steamed, chopped mussels (see page 46).