The joy of veg

PAUL GAYLER is executive chef at London's Lanesborough Hotel and an award-winning food writer. He is well known for having brought vegetarian cooking to a new level.

He wrote his first book, Virtually Vegetarian, 10 years ago, and was one of the first chefs to put specifically vegetarian dishes on his "menu potager" - a seven-course gourmet dinner - at his restaurant in the Lanesborough.

In his new book, Pure Vegetarian, he continues to extol the virtues of seasonal fresh vegetables.