Book Reviews

I have been collecting food and cookery books for many years and now have an embarrassingly large collection. The books are packed onto shelves all around my home and, despite the fact that available storage space is tight at this stage, my collection continues to grow.

I have learnt many of my cooking skills from reading through these books and trying out the recipes. Along the way I have been introduced to new ingredients and different cuisines. Initially I gravitated towards books about baking but as I have developed my skills, I now like to challenge myself and see whether I can recreate some of the fine dining dishes contained in the many restaurant cookery books that I own.

Modern cookery books tend to contain beautiful imagery with photographs of food that make you salivate but I also have a real soft spot for vintage cookbooks, many of which contain no images.

So… what makes a good cookery book? This is quite subjective but, for me, the best are those that are written with passion and a real understanding of the ingredients used and they contain recipes that are clearly laid out and understandable.

I would never be able to review all the cookery books that I own but here are my thoughts on some recently published cookbooks. From time-to-time I will also include reviews of some of my all-time favourites.

Reviews:
The Farmette Cookery Book by Imen McDonnell
Fruit on the Table by Theresa Storey
Nina Capri: Recipes from Italy's Amalfi Coast by Nina Parker
Sea Gastronomy by Michael O'Meara
Simple: Effortless Food, Big Flavours by Diana Henry
Toast Hash Roast Mash by Dan Doherty

Tasting Rome: Fresh Flavours and Forgotten Recipes from an Ancient City by Katie Parla & Kristina Gill