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Amazon.co.uk Review
Publishers Grub Street are to be congratulated on re-issuing this single volume collection of Elizabeth David's first three books (A Book of Mediterranean Food, French Country Cooking and Summer Cooking), which have too long been out of print in hardback. The paperbacks are useful but tend to fall to pieces with repeated use. Moreover, even at full price this represents something of a bargain. The charm of the originals, with the evocative drawings by John Minton and Adrian Daintrey, remains intact. Grub Street have discreetly changed page numbers in references and that appears to be about it. The lobster on the cover is as forbidding and jealous of its dignity as Mrs David, famously, was wont to be. (The changing cover illustrations of ED reprints over the years might make an interesting study. The 70s paperback of Mediterranean Food features a spectacularly boring photograph of a corner of a French market-meaningless, until you spot in the foreground a big bunch of garlic, a symbol even then of everything Mediterranean.
As for the books, what is there to say? They are what they are. Everybody knows about them. The fumes of historical myth ("grey post-war Britain ... sudden blaze of southern sunshine") rises from them like incense. It's difficult to recapture the effect they must have had in the 50s, and perhaps it's scarcely worth the effort. One returns to them periodically, wearied of the exertions of the gastro-pornographers, to refresh oneself at the spring of Elizabeth David's perfect taste. Or so the theory goes. However, it's important to remember, what seems in danger of being forgotten, that despite the telegraphic concision of some of the recipes, these are practical books, intended to be used over and over in the kitchen. Elizabeth David regarded herself first and foremost not as a writer but as a cook. These little volumes really are indispensable, imperishable classics of the kitchen. --Robin Davidson
Product Description
This volume contains three of Elizabeth David's most popular cookery books: "Mediterranean Food", "French Country Cooking" and "Summer Cooking".
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
93 of 101 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
the tv chefs secret weapon,
This review is from: Elizabeth David Classics: "Mediterranean Food", "French Country Cooking" and "Summer Cooking" (Hardcover)
elizabeth david comes from another era. In the post war period food was for eating, there was no celebrity cooking, however the drought of rationing had been lifted,and she helped those who were interested discover fabulous ingredients from the meditteranean. This book along with An omlette and a glass of Wine will give anyone who wants to cook competently and honestly, a great grounding in good food, fairly easy techniques, the use of fresh ingredients and spectacular results,with amusing anecdotes to accompany the receipes, I wouldn't be without her in my kitchen, and having used everyone from Micheal Smith and The Galloping gourmet to jamie oliver, gorden ramsey and paul rankin, I still find myself cooking with elizabeth at least once a week. This is a wonderful version of her work I thoroughly recommend it and please remember you have to eat everyday to be healthy, so you might as well do it well and have some fun.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
30 years with Elizabeth David,
By
This review is from: Elizabeth David Classics: "Mediterranean Food", "French Country Cooking" and "Summer Cooking" (Hardcover)
30 years ago, while I was still a student, I bought "Mediterranean Food" in a Penguin paperback edition. It became one of my basic cookbooks, and has been used frequently until the present. The paperback has become worn, with interesting food-stains here and there. The possibility of getting it in a hard-back edition, together with two other early classics, was therefore irresistible. The other two books incorporated in this edition have been equally inspiring. Sometimes, I read it for inspiration and not because I am planning a meal. But at other times I start with one or two ingredients. Quite often, I find a dish in David's book, which I then try out. David put great emphasis on using seasonal ingredients. Making use of the season's vegetables is no longer necessary from an economic or practical point of view. But from an environmental view it still makes sense, if it means that you can buy local produce that has not been transported across half the globe. And it is also an interesting challenge for a hobby-cook!
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best cookbook I own.,
This review is from: Elizabeth David Classics: "Mediterranean Food", "French Country Cooking" and "Summer Cooking" (Hardcover)
I first owned Elizabeth David's volume of three books thirty years ago. It went missing ages ago - it is such a good book I am not surprised it mysteriously disappeared. Happily, I now own the book again and I am reacquainting myself with the recipes of the dishes I used to cook.
The book is more or less just as I remember it. Happily the publishers left it in the original, very readable format. The recipes use fresh ingredients, no long lists of them either, and are mostly simple to prepare. At the front of each chapter are amusing and interesting observations combined with a practical introduction to the dishes. This is a book that when I dip into it I am still enjoying an hour later, until hunger reminds me what I actually picked it up for. It is a book that I return to time and time again for inspiration, to cook from and just to read.
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