Archive For The “Cookbooks” Category
Well, that sounded a tall order! Was this going to be a lot of hastily-chopped salad? Perhaps a collection of toast recipes? Probably publicity for the world’s most expensive can-opener. No, these are very good recipes that will only take you (well, OK, a very practised you) 10 minutes or so. Admittedly we are not…
This is a book that you’ll find on the shelf in the cooking section of any good bookshop. You’ll flick though the pages. Your shopping bag will then be placed neatly on the floor between your feet. Next a glance around for one of those squidgy sofas to rest for just a short while as…
If you watch British TV then you would know of the Hairy Bikers, but there are those who have not, thus far, been fortunate enough to get to know these boys. You are missing a treat. Dave Myers and Si King are two northern lads with passions for travel, bikes and food. Their books are…
Clarissa Dickson Wright and Johnny Scott have produced quite a unique book, Sunday Roast. It’s the complete guide to cooking and carving and just about everything else you’ll need to make a success of your traditional Sunday dinner. How many of us sit down with friends and family for a real, old-fashioned Sunday Roast? It…
Over 2020 many of us found our way to the kitchen. We tinkered with both oven and hob, and rattled a few pots and pans. Results might have been patchy at the start but the majority of us have found new culinary talents and an appreciation of food in general. Mexico – The World Vegetarian…
Mary Berry is one of those few cooks who has remained current and popular despite the fads and fashions of the fickle food industry. Mary has over 60 books to her name! Now that must be worth some kind of a medal…or at least a mention on your favourite foodie Internet site. Her perennial appeal…
Jane Grigson is the author of The Mushroom Feast and is one of Britain’s most celebrated food writers. Her untimely death in 1990 left a big gap in food journalism. Her legacy is a list of amazing books and daughter Sophie who has taken up the baton of culinary education in fine fashion. The Mushroom…
As the dust cover says it’s Asian Bites – A Feast of Flavours from Turkey through India to Japan. It’s a great concept and teaches you how to produce a colourful range of traditional and contemporary dished presented in a different way. It’s marvellously illustrated, with photographs not only of the recipes but also of…
Perhaps bread has always been a comfort food. We welcome the day with a slice of hot toast dripping with butter, if we are lucky. Lunch of a bowl of hot soup with a slice of crusty rustic loaf. Afternoon tea with some crumpets (yes, they too are technically breads) and a romantic evening meal…
Jamie Oliver is the most successful chef in Great Britain. He graces our small screens continually and his TV series show us the idiosyncrasies of our concept of food, as well as introducing us to the food of the US and Europe. It’s a very British pastime to knock anyone who has general public regard….
I had never been a great Chinese food aficionado. I didn’t know enough about the subject to make informed choices when confronted by a Chinese restaurant menu. So much of it seemed to be rather mild, although pleasant and with diversity of texture, and so often attractively presented. There were, however, those dishes that did…
Valentina Harris is one of the most respected promoters of real Italian food in the UK. She has had a successful career encompassing cooking, writing and TV series. Her name might not seem entirely Italian but her pedigree doesn’t come any better, being a member of a noted family tracing its roots back to the…
The words “easy” and “entertaining” are not often found in close proximity to each other but here they are in cosy partnership as the title for this wonderful book from Ireland’s Queen of Cuisine Darina Allen. This lady never disappoints, and the photography by Peter Cassidy is crisp and stunning. Easy Entertaining is not only…
I have long been a fan of compact and concise cookbooks, the ones that present a recipe on one page and a confidence-boosting picture on the opposite page, single-topic books that one will truly take into the kitchen and use. This series from My Kitchen Table (they have a supporting web site at http://www.mykitchentable.co.uk) ticks…
No, it’s not a misprint: the Fifth Quarter is a delicate term, still used in France and Italy, for offal. Anissa Helou has penned the only book in print to address the subject of all those bits with which most British are hardly familiar, and of which most Americans are ignorant. The Fifth Quarter is…
Christmas, for many of us, is a celebration with family and friends. Most of the traditional festivities revolve around food. We think of Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. Turkey, duck, Moroccan stuffed lamb, traditional roast goose. What was that about Morocco? Its in 200 Christmas Recipes! This amazing little book contains, as it says,…
He must be one of the most iconic of Italian food writers. The late Antonio Carluccio will be known by everybody for the eponymous restaurants and delis, although he stepped away from those many years ago. This book shows his love of tasty food that just happens to have vegetables as its main focus, and…
Most of my UK readers will recognise the name Gregg Wallace and all TV food programme enthusiasts will recognise the face. Greg is the co-presenter of Masterchef and he is the follically challenged bloke with the cheeky grin and love of vegetables. This book has a slightly different perspective than most veggie cookbooks. Greg is…
Eric Lanlard is a familiar face on TV (his Channel 4 series Glamour Puds was a sweet travelogue of patisseries) and he has a voice that reminds us of the reason that we, women at least, still feel that a French accent is charming and perhaps a little romantic. The reality is that you won’t…
Yes, I do like Rick Stein. OK, it’s easy to take him for granted when one sees his programmes so often on TV. I confess to being almost word-perfect chanting along with Rick as he plies the waves (small ones) of the Canal du Midi or chats with a waitress in some far-flung restaurant. It’s…