Book reviews

My Favourite Ingredients

helenka — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:48:01 +0000

Skye Gyngell’s first book ‘A Year in my Kitchen’, received a decent helping of praise from critics, winning The Guild of Food Writers ‘Cookery Book of the Year’ award in 2007. It’s no surprise then that Gyngell’s follow up is just as engrossing. ‘My Favourite Ingredients’ takes a look at some of Gyngell’s best-loved ingredients, and shapes a book full of recipes around them.

Head chef at Petersham Nurseries, Gyngell is known for her love and respect of the seasons and you really get a sense of this with her latest book. Her modesty and gentle tone fleck every page too, which draws you in to find out more. ‘My Favourite Ingredients’ is broken down into sixteen sections, each focusing on a particular ingredient, be it asparagus, cherries, honey or chocolate. The photography in the book is stunning so be prepared to drool, the recipes meanwhile are understated and sophisticated, but for the most part, simple to conjure up onto a plate.

Warm pheasant salad with pickled cherries and blood oranges with honey and rosemary do their best to get your saliva glands going. Whilst Gyngell’s nectarine and tomato salad with Parma ham and mozzarella makes you wish it was summer all year round, just so you could bite into the juicy, succulent fruit.

This is a wonderful book, which will probably bag a few awards itself. More importantly, it serves as a seasonal companion in the kitchen, that offers up plenty of inspiration for every month of the year.

Published by Quadrille, priced at £25.00.

Collins Mushroom Miscellany

Admin — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:32:30 +0000

This labour of love isn’t a guidebook to the mushrooms you’ll find under foot on your woodland walks, but more a wonderful book of everything else mushroom-like. Folklore, recipes, fables and facts have been woven into this quirky tome and make for addictive reading.

Long time mycologist, Patrick Harding, has many years under his belt as a university lecturer and has become something of an oracle on all things mushroom. Whilst his first residential weekend course on fungal forays drew only a modest crowd, the same course is now heavily oversubscribed, with people hungry to know more about the mushroom scene.

So what morsels of information will you glean from this book? Well, bizarre findings such as the archaic belief that mushrooms were formed from the slime left by snails, and the tendency of the aptly nicknamed ‘jack o’lantern’ mushroom to glow in the dark.

When it comes to handy statistics to wow dinner party guests, here are a few: over 3,200 species of fungi have been found on Esher Common in Surrey, there are 100,000 named fungal species worldwide, and the record for the largest spreading single organism goes to a mushroom which covered almost 3km².

This is one of those books you could constantly dip into, only to find something that amazes you. A bewitching, intriguing and beautifully illustrated read.

Mushroom Miscellany by Patrick Harding, priced at £14.99, published by Collins.

Fresh Moroccan

Admin — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:48:14 +0000

With stunning photography, an in depth approach to each recipe and a health conscious attitude, Fresh Moroccan takes you through over 80 recipes inspired by the Marrakech markets and Moroccan village food.

Nada Saleh nudges the reader towards healthier mealtimes with a passion for nurturing a healthy lifestyle. Flavours aren’t compromised in this clutch of recipes, but sensible approaches towards fats and sugar are incorporated throughout the book.

Handy basic guides for equipment and ingredients required, are included at the start of the book along with basic recipes that are called on for a variety of recipes. If you love the fire of harissa, the tang of preserved lemons and the calming refreshment of mint tea, Nada Saleh takes you knowledgably and clearly through accessible recipes for each.

Moroccan food can seem overwhelmingly complex just due to the wondrous mix of spices and herbs that perfume many dishes. Fresh Moroccan’s straightforward approach manages to guide the reader through many Moroccan delights as well as their nutritional value, and will have you dinner guests drooling over tagines of lamb and artichokes, carrot & orange salad and rice milk pudding. It’s the kind of recipe book that you buy for a friend but shamefully keep once you’ve peered through its pages.

Priced at £16.99, available from Amazon.

The Perfect Marriage

Admin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:31:51 +0000

If you thought sherry was just for grannies and Christmas, this book will make you think again. Heston Blumenthal heads up The Perfect Marriage with a passionate love of all things sherry, and guides the reader through its versatile forms.

If you’ve only ever dabbled with the likes of Harvey’s Bristol Cream, this book takes you through the many different sherries available. From the drier end of the scale, finos and manzanillas are paired with food suggestions to bring out their zesty crispness. At the other end of the spectrum, the raisin flavour and caramel sweetness of a Pedro Ximinez is lovingly matched with dessert dishes.

Aside from the explanation of the sherry process, tasting and serving suggestions and matching tips, the book is also full of recipes from sherry-loving chefs such as Angela Hartnett, Skye Gyngell and Marcus Wareing. A great reference book with plenty of tasting suggestions to get your mouth around.

Priced at £12.99, available from Amazon.

Rebel Cook

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:16:21 +0000

This is a great book to bestow on a fledgling cook who is keen to extend their repertoire in the kitchen. With its easy tone and accessible recipes, Simon Rimmer has managed to keep the reader’s interest with inventive creations, but an approachable feel.

The book is split into four main sections: meat, fish, veg and puds and is filled with classics and to be honest, some fairly odd concoctions. That’ll be the rebel in him then. ‘Mum’s lasagne’ and ‘Jerk chicken’ are easy favourites to follow, whilst the likes of ‘Wild boar & damson pie’ and ‘Sticky Guinness pudding’ offer up something a little less run of the mill. The last dessert on the very last page of Rimmer’s Rebel Cook, looks absolutely divine. So, for pure culinary heaven, flick straight to page 188 for his vodka, sultana and poppy-seed cheesecake, complete with its dark base made entirely of Oreos. Go forth and rebel.

Priced at £20.00, available from Amazon.

Larousse Gastronomique

Sun, 25 May 2008 16:43:35 +0000

If you despair at the number of cook books you've accumulated over the years, and wonder how much more strain your book shelves can take, you might consider down-sizing your recipe collection to one tome. And you'd be hard pressed to do better than choose Larousse Gastronomique as your lifelong guide in the kitchen. More of a reference book than a mere recipe book, this hefty weight of a book has over a thousand pages of gloassry terms, recipes and conversions for you to get your head around. If you don't know how to bake blind, haven't a clue what a baba is or would dearly love to be able to cook a coulis beautifully, time and time again, this book will steer you through a glut of knowledge and methodology with an experienced hand.

This recently revised edition updates what was originally the vision of Prosper Montagne, a French chef who saw the first edition published in 1938. This latest version charts the culinary developments since then too and is quite possible the only recipe book you'll ever need. History, theory and practice are thoroughly covered in this edition with plenty of references to international cuisines and enough recipes to keep you busy for years. £60.00 isn't a budget price for sure, but bearing in mind you're not likely to need to purchase another recipe book afterwards, it's a classic investment buy that your stomach will love you for.

Priced at £60.00, available from Amazon.

The Jewish Princess Cookbook

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:56:02 +0000

This book brings out the cake-making goddess in you. Even if you’ve never lined a baking tin, you’ll want to by the time you’ve flicked through a few of the recipes. Georgie Tarn and Tracey Fine babble their way through this recipe book with plenty of girl talk. Their quibbles and observations on shopping, eating and well, more eating occasionally grate, but if you find this happens, just skip straight to the recipes which are for the most part, simple, straightforward and most importantly, a pleasure to devour.

The ‘anytime cake’ was a particular recipe favourite of ours, with its suggestions for optional extras. There are plenty of recipes that will become life long favourites in this cookbook, and it’s not just cakes that feature. Sophisticated fish pie, bloody mary borscht and of course chicken soup all feature in this little treasure of a read. The prefect book to buy for friends’ birthdays – just make sure you take a peak before you wrap it up and give it away.

The Chicory Challenge Recipe Book

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:39:32 +0000

The Dutch Produce Association, the organisation behind the Chicory Challenge competition, has launched The Chicory Challenge recipe book to raise money for charity.

The Chicory Challenge competition offered amateur and professional cooks in England the chance to win up to £5,000 for a charity of their choice. Its aim was to draw attention to chicory's potential and inspire English cooks to create some great new chicory recipes.

The recipe book includes a selection of the competition's top entries and the recipes from the three finalists. Susie Carter who works for Hampshire Fare, won the £5,000 top prize with her recipe for chicory tarts with goats cheese & thyme. The prize money has been donated to Hampshire Fare where it will be used to develop courses to encourage more people to use fresh local produce.

Chicory is little known and little used in the UK but is a versatile vegetable which can be used raw in salads or cooked in a wide variety of ways. Chicory is used far more in the European continent, and the book has been launched to raise awareness of this moreish vegetable. This recipe book is full of inspirational chicory recipes including the likes of chicory & chorizo scones, chicory & butter bean soup, and chicory & orange salad.

The recipe book is being sold by the competition's chosen charity, BDF Newlife, who offer direct help and care for sick and disabled babies, children and families. For more information, visit: http://www.bdfnewlife.co.uk or http://www.ChicoryChallenge.co.uk.

The Abel & Cole Cookbook

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:32:34 +0000

Having made regular appearances on people’s doorsteps with their much-loved fruit and veg boxes, Abel & Cole have released a recipe book to celebrate the produce they deliver around the country. Keith Abel lovingly imparts his favourite recipes, collected from the farmers and producers that he’s worked with over the past 18 years.

Before launching into recipe mode, the book also takes a look at Abel & Cole’s history, and how the company managed to grow from one man and his van, to a fleet of vans, delivering around the UK daily. A wonderful antidote to supermarket shopping, Abel & Cole has held onto its integrity, working with farmers and artisan food producers to offer people good food, with fair pricing all round.

The cookbook breaks up into four seasonal sections with delights such as spinach & walnut pasta, Baba Ghanoush and Potato & Kohlrabi gratin. Meat lovers have no need to go off and cry in the corner, in the name of exclusion. Hearty dishes such as Calcutta lamb burgers, bacon & eggs with apple and parsnip, and vanilla roasted loin of pork will have you dribbling onto your apron and raring to get cooking.

For the sweeter-toothed foodie, there are some great ways to experiment with seasonal fruits. Berry soup, custardy pumpkin pie and mango lassi are all presented in straight forward language, with plenty of mentions in terms of provenance.

Whether you’re a vegaholic, a bit of a carnivore or a die hard dessert type, there’s something for everyone in this cookbook. With it’s light hearted, approachable tone it’s a great book to bestow on someone who needs a gentle nudge in the direction of the kitchen. A few pages in, and you’ll be dying to cook up the lot.

The Abel & Cole Cookbook by Keith Abel is published by Collins in paperback, priced at £12.99

The Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:14:33 +0000

This book, launched just in time for Fairtrade Fortnight 2008, is packed with recipes from Fairtrade supporters. Besides offerings from Jo Public, a handful of chefs have got involved too including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Anthony Worrall Thompson, Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray.

Each of the recipes featured, uses at least one Fairtrade ingredient, whether it’s sugar, honey or vanilla. The book has a decidedly international feel to it, which reflects the provenance of the producers involved in Fairtrade production. Caribbean Green Banana Curry, Indian Basmati Rice Pudding and Cuban Orange Chicken are just some of the dishes conjured up in the book. There are also recipes donated by well-known Fairtrade supporters including Sir Steve Redgrave’s Baked Pasta, Joanne Harris’s Lamb Tagine and Natasha Kaplinksy’s Summer Salad.

“In the pages of this book you will find recipes that have been contributed by a few of the burgeoning community of people who include Fairtrade ingredients in their daily diets,” says chef Sophie Grigson. “I know you will derive great pleasure from delving amongst them, safe in the knowledge that you are making the world a better place.”

Light lunches, dinner recipes and tempting puddings make this book a great ethical buy for families and friends that are interested in supporting producers around the world for a fairer price.

Priced at £16.99

Pork & Sons

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:00:02 +0000

Stéphane Reynaud pays homage to the pig in this extensive recipe book. Born into a family of butchers and the owner of restaurant Villa 9 Trois, (specialising in pork, just outside of Paris), Reynaud’s love of sow and boar was instilled at birth. His childhood in Saint-Agréve meant plenty of time was spent watching his grandfather working tirelessly in his butcher’s shop, and witnessing the delights that weighed down the shelves as his father took over the family business.

Reynaud talks the reader through the slaughtering process, pig producers and of course recipes, all decorated with stellar photography and well-crafted illustrations (of many a pig). For black pudding lovers, this book hugs a collection of recipes close to its heart: black pudding with autumn fruits, black pudding with walnuts and chestnuts, and black pudding gratin all call out to die hard meat eaters.

‘Do you speak sausage?’ asks Reynaud as he embarks on a loving narrative of the origins of sausage making and all its regional differences. Many sausage recipe ensue, including the comforting likes of sausage cassoulet and sausage gratin, along with the more stylish realms of sausage in brioche and sausage with salsify.

Paté, belly, tongue and bacon all get a look in, with Reynaud regularly studding the book with tales of family life and his many years of experience in the trade. This isn’t a book you can scan in a rush – it’s a tome large enough to warrant some serious attention. As with all good recipe books, it’s a great read in itself, and you’ll be hard pressed not to want to head straight to your local butchers for some cuts to play with. Vegetarians beware of an urge to defect…

Published by Phaidon

The Painter, the Cook and L’Arte di Sacla’

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:14:20 +0000

This limited edition recipe book from the Italian food producers, Sacla’, is a passionate tribute to regional Italian food. Three generations of the Ercole family have poured their love, hard work and gastronomic nous into Sacla’ - a food company that has won the hearts and stomachs of epicureans around the globe. Anna Del Conte (something of an Italian cookery icon), has written this beautifully produced book in collaboration with British Artist, Val Archer. The pair, travelled through Italy’s many towns and villages, talking to producers, chefs and cooks and collecting some stellar recipes in the process. The book, which is dedicated to Sacla’ founders, Secondo Ercole and Piera Campananelle Ercole is full of regional recipes, local history and beautiful paintings that illustrate the colour of Italian life.

Anna Del Conte takes the reader through the never-ending lists of risotti and warming peasant food she experienced in Piedamont, and the cosmopolitan approach to Venetian cooking. She writes about the lusciousness of Liguria, its terrain bulging at the seams with fruit, vegetables and herbs, and talks of Le Marche, Puglia and Sardinia with the same deeply appreciative tone.

Besides being a beautiful collection of recipes and paintings, The Painter, the Cook and L’Arte di Sacla’ sums up the Italian attitude to food. Chefs and their kitchen creations are unearthed throughout the book, with handfuls of their recipes peppered across the pages. Gnocchi di Patate con Zucchero e Canella (potato dumplings with sugar and cinnamon), serves up a quirkier side of Italian cookery, whilst classics such as Tocco di Noci (walnut sauce), and Crostata di Ricotta (ricotta tart) offer a traditional flavour. Just a word of warning: do eat before you sit down and familiarise yourself with this recipe book. It succeeds easily in communicating that Italian passion for great food, so much so, you might find yourself dribbling in an unglamorous fashion over its recipe-laden pages.

Cocktails & Perfect Party Drinks

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:10:21 +0000

This little book is a bible for party planning. It’s also filled with the kind of fun and frivolity that you only tend to experience at a particularly brilliant party. Before you even get as far as the introductory page, Susy Atkins urges the reader to be “generous” with measures for the occasions in the book where she has not specified exact numbers. Atkins advises on the social ritual of drinking throughout the book, whether you’re throwing a small gathering or an all out party, which refuses to abate until the sun comes up.

Cocktails and Perfect Party Drinks brims with tips on the kind of cocktail paraphernalia you need, how to make decent ice-cubes, garnishes and of course, those delectable cocktails themselves. If you’re throwing a dinner party, Aktins has plenty of tips when it comes to matching wine with food, and gives the slightly neglected notion of an aperitif a well-earned dusting off. If you’re having a Julia Robert’s Pretty Woman moment, and quivering with terror at the prospect of table etiquette, fear not – this book tells all. How many glasses? Which kind? How to hold, swirl and quaff your drink of choice? Susy Atkins knows, and let’s you in on her knowledge like a sophisticated aunt – the kind who drinks Champagne just because she feels like it.

That’s not to say that this little gem of a book is filled purely with expensive and obscure items that you’ll never find in your supermarket. Atkins’ main aim is to get you to enjoy yourself, so whether your preference is wine, cider, beer or even a soft drink, there are oodles of ways to serve them up, and plenty of tips to boot. Just about every occasion is covered, from dinner parties and weddings to hen nights and ‘dry’ christening teas. If you’ve never taken that much care with what you’ve served up to friends and family in the past, this book is likely to change that – if not with it’s wealth of information, then with it’s infectiously gregarious and companionable tone.

Breakfast

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:10:40 +0000

The first meal of the day has always been something of an obsession for Hugo Woolley. A man quite defiantly in favour of the supposition that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Hugo has put together a collection of some old favourites, modern flourishes and quite simply, quirky concoctions. With over 30 years of experience in the catering trade, including a stint running El Vino on Fleet Street, and another stint training up Bunny Girls in silver service, Hugo has quite possibly seen it all when it comes to breakfast.

Breakfast covers a sizeable geographic reach, with European morning-time creations such as Irish Potato Farls, Swedish Beef & Fig Open Sandwiches and Madeleines. Further a field American Blueberry Muffins, Huevos Rancheros and Spanish Frittata feature, with Hugo’s own take on Koulibiac, a traditional Russian breakfast-based pie.

Although Hugo is quite serious about starting the day with a coddled egg or two, his sense of humour and foodie experiences pervade the book. A good batch of these recipes have been passed on from Hugo’s friends and acquaintances including the Savoy Hotel's Bar American, “Heart Starter” or “Corpse Reviver” – a hangover cure that promises to give you a kick start. “Drink straight from the shaker”, advises Hugo to those bearing the brunt of a heavy night out - “you are probably past caring”.

For days when hangovers are happily a distant memory, Banbury Potato Cakes, Ham & Egg Breakfast Tart and The Colonel’s Rumble Tumble Eggs promise to give lunch and dinner a run for their money. The only trouble with this book, is that it runs the danger of leaving you dribbling over the pages in your fuggy haze of morning consciousness, while you decide which meal will be the first of the day.

Breakfast by Hugo Woolley.
For more information, visit http://www.breakfastbook.co.uk

Game for Gourmets

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:45:02 +0000

This book provides an accessible approach to cooking game. Instead of panicking at the thought of plating up grouse, partridge or pheasant at your table, you can relax with this tome which takes you through the paces with a few pearls of wisdom from four of the UK’s revered gastropub chefs.

Mark Gough (The Tollemache Arms, Buckminster, Leics), David Lem (Houghton’s at The Pear Tree, Woodhouse Eves, Leics), Sean Hope (The Olive Branch, Clipsham, Lincs) and Neil Dowson (The Lawns, Holt, Norfolk) select over 50 popular game dishes and seasonal puddings from their menus, and demonstrate how to prepare them quickly and easily at home.

Game for Gourmets, commissioned by Game-to-Eat, the campaign dedicated to increasing our enjoying of game, offers a whole host of ways to enjoy wild fare from the British countryside. Including pheasant, partridge, venison, grouse, duck, pigeon and rabbit, this book takes a wide-ranging look at making the most of game in its many forms.

Pigeon breasts with pea risotto, pan-roasted woodcock and hare in red wine with parpadelle make this book a special addition to your recipe collection. Usefully, it also takes you through the quandaries of seasonality, hanging game and wine matching. With game low in cholesterol and high in protein, it’s a healthy and comforting way to keep the cold out this winter.

For more information on game, visit: http://www.gametoeat.co.uk/

Trattoria

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 09:38:59 +0000

This book speaks from the view point of Italy’s many trattorias. These often family-run eateries serve up some of Italy’s best-loved dishes from bowlfuls of zucchini minestrone to the completely satisfying likes of meatballs and spaghetti. Ferrigno takes us through her experiences of Italy’s trattorias and fills this book with recipes of the dishes she’s experienced. There are also dishes featured in the book from chefs of various trattorias throughout Italy that Ferrigno encountered.

The book is full of passion, but clear in layout which is a real plus as flicking through this collection of recipes isn’t a five minute task. There are plenty to be tried out in the kitchen and Ferrigno divides the book up into clean sections such as soups, starters & antipasti and rice, pasta, gnocchi & polenta.

The simplicity of the trattoria approach to cooking is reflected in Ferrigno’s recipe collection. Although the recipes are mouth-wateringly appealing, their simplicity and unfussy style makes this a great book for cooks that are starting out as well as those who are simply very fond of Italian cooking.

Roast Figs, Sugar Snow

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:45:26 +0000

Diana Henry’s first book: Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons caught the imaginations of food lovers everywhere. Roast Figs, Sugar Snow is similarly rich in style, and harbours armfuls of recipes that delve into the depths of your pantry and lead your senses wondering into the colder climes of Russia, New England, Quebec and her homeland of Ireland.

The pages are full of Henry’s own narrative: her enchantment with foreign lands, her discovery of new ingredients and her reluctance to go a day without some kind of cheese all work to challenge your mouth not to drool over the pages. Onion & cider soup, Austrian rabbit and sour-cream apple-pie muffins collectively clamour for the attention of the kitchen.

The book’s title “Sugar Snow” refers to the kind of snowfall that beckons the beginning of the maple tree sap harvest in New England. Henry’s description of sugar snow parties, where hot maple syrup is drizzled onto snow, forming toffee-like cobwebs of deep sweetness, lures the reader into a magical whirl of winter tradition. The main danger with this book may be, that instead of cooking anything in it, you just sit there, book in lap, reading page after page just for the pleasure of it.

Fast Food

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:28:03 +0000

The unstoppable force that is Gordon Ramsay has put together a batch of recipes that are all achievable in less than 30 minutes. No slow cooking here – in fact, some of the recipes can probably be put together in less time than it takes Ramsey to get round to swearing in the kitchen. Wow, that is fast.

In preparation for all this fast action in the kitchen, Ramsay recommends a staple list of ingredients that every fridge and store cupboard should boast. With this culinary ammunition behind you, salmon stuffed with olives, basil and tomatoes becomes a cinch in the kitchen, rather than a recipe you get your knickers in a twist over.

The book is conveniently arranged in sections (to save time of course), so you can opt for some country cooking with a pork, apple and pear bake or wow your dinner guests with the berry cheesecake from the “Easy Crowd” section, which requires absolutely no baking. Gordon we love you.

Breakfasts

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 18:13:36 +0000

If your breakfast time has fallen into a bit of a culinary rut, then reach for this book. Jacque Malouf takes your taste buds through a morning tour of the globe with his selection of smoothies, cereals, brunches, and some inventive takes on the traditional fry-up.

Malouf looks at India, Morocco, and Thailand for inspiration without forgetting the beloved British take on the most important meal of the day. English favourites are given a European revamp with dishes such as Oak-smoked Salmon & Chive Scrambled Eggs on Toasted Brioche and Sausage, Roasted Tomato and Pecorino Frittata.

More international flavours leap of the page with Malouf's Minty Mango Lassi and Saffron-spiced Dried Fruit Salad. One tip though - just pick a recipe and endeavour to create it. If you start browsing through the book, you may find that it's lunchtime when you next look up.

The Vegetable Book

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:44:22 +0000

This book, beautifully illustrated by Emma Dibben takes a look at over 100 vegetables along with their history, their culinary uses and their current social standing within our increasingly convenience-driven lifestyles.

Colin Spencer lovingly resurrects roots, leaves, stems and tubers from the depths of obscurity and urges his readers to try vegetables, traditional and exotic in a whole host of delicious ways. What makes Spencer's narrative so difficult to stop reading is his ability to incorporate historical anecdotes, medicinal benefits and mouth-watering recipes for every vegetable he touches on.

He roots through veggie fact and myth, exploring the reason we turn our noses up at the whiff of garlic and onions and unearthing which vegetables really do serve as an aphrodisiac. A must read for vegetarians and veggie lovers.