DELICIOUSLY VERSATILE, THE POTATO CAN BE EXOTIC, ELEGANT PLAIN OR TRADITIONAL. IT MARRIES PERFECTLY WITH ANY NUMBER OF HERBS AND SPICES, IT IS COMFORTING, CHEAP AND UBIQUITOUS. ITS NUTRITIONAL QUALITIES HAVE AT LAST BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED AND, NOT LEAST OF ALL, IT IS EXTREMELY TASTY - AS THIS HOST OF RECIPES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD SHOWS. LINDSEY BAREHAM GIVES DEFINITIVE VERSIONS OF ALL THE COOKING METHODS AND NUMEROUS UNEXPECTED VARIATIONS ON THE THEMES. THEN SHE OFFERS A FEAST OF APPETISERS, SOUPS, SALADS, LUNCH, SIDE AND DINNER DISHES, IDEAS OF LEFTOVERS, STUFFINGS, SAUCES, BUNS, CAKES, BREADS AND DRINKS. THIS IS AN EXHAUSTIVE ANTHOLOGY RANGING FROM TIME-HONOURED AND NURSERY FAVOURITES TO MORE ESOTERIC, POSITIVELY SURPRISING FOREIGN CONCOCTIONS FROM SUCH FAR- FLUNG CORNERS AS THE LEBANON, TUNISIA, THAILAND AND PERU. SOME OF THE RECIPES COME DIRECTLY FROM FAMOUS RECIPES, OTHERS ARE ADAPTIONS OF ONES BY SUCH MASTERS AS ELIZABETH DAVID, JANE GRIGSON AND THE ROUX BROTHERS. THIS STAPLE VEGETABLE IS ASTONISHING IN ITS ADAPTABILITY AND THIS IS A DELIGHTFULLY LIVELY BOOK FULL OF INFORMATION.