The Daily Mail Modern British Cookbook: Over 500 recipes, advice and kitchen know-how [Hardcover]

The British kitchen door is wide open these days, it seems. For five years Alastair Little and Richard Whittington--a chef and a food-writer--jointly wrote a weekly newspaper column in which they addressed a huge variety of cookery questions sent in by readers. The thousands of letters they received have borne fruit in the Daily Mail Modern British Cookbook, a highly eclectic and wide-ranging collection of recipes, advice and "kitchen know-how" that demonstrates just how broad Britain's taste in food and cookery is these days. We all know why this should be--travel, television, new types of restaurants opening all the time---but it's fascinating to see it reflected in this way. Ingredients range from ackee (Jamaica) to zampone (Italy); explanations of cooking methods run from a thoughtful account of the theory and practice of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding to Cantonese Roast Duck, in which the skin of the bird is inflated with a bicycle pump then glazed with maltose ("a strange thick purplish substance that looks like hair gel"). Between these extremes lie over 500 recipes and dozens of tips. Even the simplest recipes rarely fail to illuminate what are often very well-known dishes. Ultimately, perhaps, the authors' intention is really to teach us to be better cooks, not simply slavish followers of brass-bound formulae. --Robin Davidson

This unbeatable award-winning duo provide the ultimate food bible for the modern cook – the definitive volume which will be referred to again and again.

For four years Alastair Little and Richard Whittington have collaborated on the Cookery Doctor column in the Daily Mail Saturday Magazine. As well as answering questions about traditional concerns, like why cakes sink and sauces curdle, they have used their column as a forum for readers whose culinary horizons are growing by leaps and bounds as the British food revolution proceeds apace. The authors relish debunking myths and jettisoning tired culinary cliches,delighting their readers with a truly cosmopolitan range of new ingredients and techniques, from Thailand and Mexico to Scandinavia and the Middle East.

While much of the material is based on their column it has been greatly expanded and reworked into book form, divided into chapters on Soups, Fish & Shellfish, Meat & Poultry, Vegetables & Salads, Desserts & Baking. Into over 700 informative entries are woven over 500 recipes, ranging from traditional favourites to the exotic and surprising. In addition , there is an invaluable Global Glossary and advice on stocking your kitchen for today’s eclectic style of cooking. The pages are peppered with hundreds of hints and tips at every turn.

Alastair Little is a world famous chef with 2 restaurants in London bearing his name. Richard Whittington is a renowned food writer. Together they won the "Glenfiddich Book of the Year" in 1994 for Keep It Simple.