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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Note that there are two books!, 9 Dec 2009
Note that the reviews for two separate books by Diana Henry with very similar titles have been conflated here, namely the sequel "The Gastrobook Cookbook: Another Helping" (published Oct 2008 ISBN 1845333373) and the original book "The Gastropub Cookbook" (published hardback Oct 2003 ISBN 1840007427, paperback Oct 2005 ISBN 184533194X). I won't go into too much detail here as others have already reviewed them both. However I will note that whilst the first book very nearly meets Diana Henry's usual high standard in the class of recipes she has collected therein, the second is a real disappointment and contains hardly any recipes which inspire one to attempt to create. For me the recipes themselves are the important part of the book. The gastropub listings are mostly as much use as a chocolate teapot as the information can very quickly become out of date as pubs close or change ownership and the quality takes a nosedive, plus unless you are on some sort of Grand Tour of Britain one is unlikely to get much chance to visit many of these hostelries. So whilst the first volume is a valuable and useable cookbook, the sequel feels a bit more like a doorstop and a bit of a waste of time. 4/5 stars for the original book, 2/3 for the second. I recommend that you check out Diana Henry's Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons: Enchanting Dishes from the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa, Roast Figs, Sugar Snow: Food to Warm the Soul and Cook Simple: Effortless Cooking Every Day (the latter published in paperback under the title Pure Simple Cooking: Effortless Meals Every Day), being probably my three favourite cookbooks.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice book but not as good as the first, 14 Feb 2009
I enjoyed this book but haven't found it as good as the first Gastropub book by Diana Henry. I have cooked several things from the first book but have so far found only two or three dishes which I would like to try. But I'm still glad to have it and it's a great book to browse through.
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35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Grub Crawl, 20 Oct 2003
This review is from: The Gastropub Cookbook (Hardcover)
Diana Henry does it again - after being enthralled by her last title, Crazy water Pickled lemons I was pleased to see the same thoughtful and intelligent approach to what is a guide that focuses on the finest eating pubs in the UK. A wide mix of recipes are included which range from simple to fairly complex - but it's easy to adapt them to your abilities and equipment.Of the 20 or so pubs featured each chef offers up a sample of their style often including a starter, main course and dessert.Recipes seem to be well adapted from a commercial enviroment - making them tempting to cook yourself and each includes a few words beforehand to set the context - making me want to rush to the kitchen and get cooking. Also included in each regional chapter is a 'best of the rest' section detailing boozers also visited with an idea of what to expect.This is what makes a great cookery book into a travelog, you just can't wait to plan a long weekend away sampling these hostelries.Best be quick though the catering trade being what it is and businesses change hands... Overall a great read thats full of enthusiasm and passion.
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