Chocolate at Home by Will Torrent – review
I am biased, it’s true. This book was destined to have a good review on two counts. Firstly I adore the author, Will Torrent; and...
Singapore with Marco Polo – travel review
Not sure if Marco Polo, that celebrated explorer of the East, ever got to the area we now know as Singapore; however, he has given...
The Taste of Belgium by Ruth Van Waerebeek – review
It’s so near, but almost totally overlooked from the culinary perspective. Belgium is one of our closest neighbours but is overshadowed by the gastronomic giant...
Fresh Spice by Arul Kapil – review
We in northern Europe have had a long and delicious relationship with spice. We tend to think it’s just been this modern era of the...
Spices and Seasons by Rinku Bhattacharya – review
Indian is perhaps my favourite cuisine. To be honest though, saying that one is going out for an ‘Indian’ tonight is as ridiculous as saying...
It’s ‘Dim Sum’ but more – by Janice Wong – review
Janice Wong has the accolade of Asia’s no.1 Pastry Chef. Well, we all know what famous chefs are like. Ego-driven, imposing hulks with loud voices,...
Winter Cocktails by Maria del Mar Sacasa – review
Cocktails! We tend to have a vision of summer evenings, flowery dresses, sipping colourful libations in some place exotic. But for those of us who...
Pumpkins & Squashes by Janet MacDonald – review
I am an enthusiastic home cook and a periodic professional cook, but I hold my hands up and admit that I have avoided using pumpkins...
Sprinkles by Jackie Alpers – review
Baking is, thank goodness, enjoying something of a revival. We are reconnecting with some old-fashioned culinary values – the kitchen filled with tempting aromas, a...
The Food and Cooking of Venice and the North-East of Italy – review
Valentina Harris, author of The Food and Cooking of Venice and the North-East of Italy, has long been the UK’s Italian culinary authority of choice. She...
The Saké Handbook by John Gauntner – review
Saké has become more popular than ever in both restaurants and bars. One can find good quality saké by the bottle and made into cocktails,...
Great Homemade Soups by Paul Gayler – review
Chef Paul Gayler is one of the food industry’s gems. He is a well respected man with years of worthy career behind him. He is...
Smashing Plates by Maria Elia – review
The title alone would encourage a bookshelf browser to reach for this volume. A humorous play on words conjuring visions of exuberant Greek revellers ruining...
The Dal Cookbook by Krishna Dutta – review
We have always had those little red lentils on supermarket shelves. They seemed to be the only ones available when I was growing up. Mum...
Snackistan by Sally Butcher – review
I am convinced that Sally Butcher could write a book about paint drying and it would be a worthwhile read. Her books, and this is...
French Market Cookbook by Clotilde Dusoulier – review
This is a unique and surprising book in so many ways. It’s a Parisian cookbook but it’s a vegetarian recipe book. It’s undoubtedly French but...
The Hedgerow Cookbook by Wild at Heart – review
It’s a tradition, still, for many of us. We await the arrival of blackberries, we collect elderflowers, we are entranced by the perfume of wild...
Chocolat by Eric Lanlard – yes, its chocolate – review
The world loves chocolate, and combine that with a dashing chef with a rich French accent and recipes for goods that have graced many a...
The Cinnamon Club Seafood Cookbook by Vivek Singh – review
Britain is an island. So it goes without saying that we are surrounded by water and have had a close relationship with the sea. Surprising,...
Cooking with Flowers by Miche Bacher – review
You might think that cooking with flowers is pushing the culinary envelope. It’s perhaps reminiscent of the long-gone hippie era and its ethos of peace,...