- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Little, Brown (11 May 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0316648175
- ISBN-13: 978-0316648172
- Product Dimensions: 21 x 15.6 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,286,269 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Historically speaking, British food has been noted for its sophistication a great deal longer than for its mediocrity. Medieval recipes were complex, often involving the pounding of almost a dozen different herbs into a paste before meat and vegetables were even considered. Somewhere along the way, Britain's culinary reputation got lost: before Paul Richardson began to sample British food, his French, Spanish and Italian friends offered him their condolences. But with cookery now occupying record space on our television screens, the tables seem to have turned. Good food is once again on Britain's menu.
Although optimistic, Richardson approached his subject with scepticism, not wishing to be mislead by media hype. During the 18-month tour that would become Cornucopia, he talked to both chefs and shoppers, visited cheesemakers, bakers, smokehouses and coffeehouses, and sampled everything from deep-fried Mars Bars in Newcastle to udder in Accrington. The book opens with Richardson leaving Normandy for Sussex--the start of a tour that would take him through England, Wales and Scotland--finishing up in London, a city now citing itself as the "food capital of the world". Richardson interpolates his narrative with fascinating snippets of culinary history, identifying, for example, the obscure food category of "traditional foods produced in village post offices". The book also includes a handful of recipes, including Burnt Cream and Trout With Bacon. Richardson tells his tale with wry humour, employing the occasional food-related metaphor (cities are described as "fried eggs, with a discernible neat logic of centre and outside"). In attempting to assess the state of Britain's national cuisine,Cornucopia comes close to achieving an impossible task. --Daren King
Review
Historically speaking, British food has been noted for its sophistication a great deal longer than for its mediocrity. Medieval recipes were complex, often involving the pounding of almost a dozen different herbs into a paste before meat and vegetables were even considered. Somewhere along the way, Britain's culinary reputation got lost: before Paul Richardson began to sample British food, his French, Spanish and Italian friends offered him their condolences. But with cookery now occupying record space on our television screens, the tables seem to have turned. Good food is once again on Britain's menu. Although optimistic, Richardson approached his subject with scepticism, not wishing to be misled by media hype. During the 18-month tour that would become Cornucopia, he talked to both chefs and shoppers, visited cheesemakers, bakers, smokehouses and coffee-houses, and sampled everything from deep-fried Mars Bars in Newcastle to udder in Accrington. The book opens with Richardson leaving Normandy for Sussex--the start of a tour that would take him through England, Wales and Scotland--finishing up in London, a city now citing itself as the "food capital of the world". Richardson interpolates his narrative with fascinating snippets of culinary history, identifying, for example, the obscure food category of "traditional foods produced in village post offices". The book also includes a handful of recipes, including Burnt Cream and Trout With Bacon. Richardson tells his tale with wry humour, employing the occasional food-related metaphor (cities are described as "fried eggs, with a discernible neat logic of centre and outside"). In attempting to assess the state of Britain's national cuisine, Cornucopia comes close to achieving an impossible task. (Daren KING, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW )
A carefully researched and immensely enjoyable tour of the remaining pockets of gastronomic excellence ... should not, perhaps, be read by those on a diet (Tom Rosenthal, DAILY MAIL )
Manages to enthuse and enlighten, amuse and articulate, encourage and uplift those who enjoy reading about food as a part of life, rather than simply a frivolous drizzle of extra virgin. A joy (Simon Hopkinson )
Highly entertaining...A must for serious foodies. (MAIL ON SUNDAY )
A carefully researched and immensely enjoyable tour of the remaining pockets of gastronomic excellence ... should not, perhaps, be read by those on a diet (Tom Rosenthal, DAILY MAIL )
Manages to enthuse and enlighten, amuse and articulate, encourage and uplift those who enjoy reading about food as a part of life, rather than simply a frivolous drizzle of extra virgin. A joy (Simon Hopkinson )
Highly entertaining...A must for serious foodies. (MAIL ON SUNDAY )
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Many people might be thinking, "Well, what exactly IS British cuisine? Isthere such a thing?" That's precisely what Paul Richardson sets out toexplore. He dislikes a lot of what he finds, particularly in terms of thegeneral public's eating habits at home, the proliferation of poor-qualityfood in high street outlets, and the blandness of supermarket produce (andour blind unquestioning acceptance of it).
But he also finds much to celebrate, in top-notch farm produce, passionaterestaurateurs, and the persistence of local delicacies and definitiveregional signature dishes. The latter is probably the most positive andintriguing thread running through the book, and I really felt a sense ofdiscovery as I followed his journey around Britain and he sampled variousfoods specific to a region. His mission, to prove not only that there issuch a thing as British cuisine but that it includes some genuine gems ofreal quality, is highly laudable.
However, I don't think this book will capture any floating voters. Youalready have to have some passion for, or interest in, good produce,farmers markets, and interesting regional oddities in order to go alongwith him. Very few or no casual readers will investigate this book. I wasalso mildly irritated by his rather precious, ultra-middle-class manner onoccasions; and he unquestioningly champions the wild, thefresh-farm-reared and the organic while universally dismissing that whichenjoys popular mass consumption, without going too far into why thissituation prevails.
Those caveats aside, I found it a compelling, informative and entertainingread that will sadly amount to no more than preaching to the converted.But if you read this and are interested, I do recommend it.
But he also finds much to celebrate, in top-notch farm produce, passionaterestaurateurs, and the persistence of local delicacies and definitiveregional signature dishes. The latter is probably the most positive andintriguing thread running through the book, and I really felt a sense ofdiscovery as I followed his journey around Britain and he sampled variousfoods specific to a region. His mission, to prove not only that there issuch a thing as British cuisine but that it includes some genuine gems ofreal quality, is highly laudable.
However, I don't think this book will capture any floating voters. Youalready have to have some passion for, or interest in, good produce,farmers markets, and interesting regional oddities in order to go alongwith him. Very few or no casual readers will investigate this book. I wasalso mildly irritated by his rather precious, ultra-middle-class manner onoccasions; and he unquestioningly champions the wild, thefresh-farm-reared and the organic while universally dismissing that whichenjoys popular mass consumption, without going too far into why thissituation prevails.
Those caveats aside, I found it a compelling, informative and entertainingread that will sadly amount to no more than preaching to the converted.But if you read this and are interested, I do recommend it.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a fascinating book which takes us on a tour of the British Isles,investigating often over-looked local produce and visiting restaurants along the way. Richardson tries to gauge what the British actually eat in normal life.He is usually disappointed by the love of ready meals and poor quality food, despite the vast number of cookery programmes on TV. If you enjoy learning about the hidden joys of British food as well as the British fascination with MacDonald's and Little Chef, then you will enjoy this book. I recommend it.
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