Posts Tagged “celebrity chefs”
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…
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…
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….
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…
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…
It’s every inch a limited edition book. In fact there are a lot of inches, oozing quality, artistry, style and delicious food. Too Many Chiefs Only One Indian by Sat Bains is a coffee-table book that is truly the size of a small coffee table, but will likely be more remarked upon than a four-legged…
The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook has Sophie Grigson as Consultant Editor, but the main contributors are ordinary folks who have an interest in food and who are the winners of the Fairtrade recipe competition 2007. These original and delicious recipes use Fairtrade products, and there are more of these available every year. It’s not just coffee…
This is a family cookbook and the recipes, like the author, are truly international. Yes, Valentina Harris is Italian from a globe-trotting family, although she speaks English without a trace of an accent thanks to her English father and BBC radio. Forget the voice and notice the animated gestures and one will be in no…
Anyone who loved the series Sweet Baby James (James Martin, that is) will be equally impressed by the companion book “Desserts”. In fact anyone who is a fan of this popular chef will want a copy. Sweet Baby James is considered by some to be the best of James Martin on TV. He has a…
The Observer Food Monthly described meeting Reza Mahammad as “like being ambushed by a cross between Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and Freddie Mercury”. He must be one of the most easily recognised Asian faces on British TV. His effervescent style and playful personality have made him a popular presenter. Reza was born in England to Indian parents…