The Good Cook [Kindle Edition]

.. to review this book.

OK - the basic facts first. It is a beautifully produced, solid, heavy book that feels good in the hand. 300plus pages, lots of illustrations, easy to use. Maybe too many illustrations and header pages and chapter breaks for my taste - a lot of space that could have been used for Hopkinson's writing is devoted to "design and presentation" - but that's a very personal view.

The organisation is very much Hopkinson's and - given that it is produced to accompany a television series - structured - I guess - around that. It doesn't fit together entirely naturally when simply approached as a book.

But this are all trivial quibbles. The recipes appear excellent, interesting, slightly different and well explained. He writes so well as anyone who had used one of his books before will know - the personal comments add to the simple recitation of recipes - and there are lots of useful hints and advice on technique etc along the way. There are recipes here that I have seen elsewhere but he has an individual take on them - and takes plenty of time to explain the processes - that makes them unique. The vegetable, the lamb, and the fish dishes are all outstanding - to read about anyway!

Will I be cooking from it? - yes - tomorrow with the aubergine dishes with which he begins the books. I have all his books - this may not be the best but it is up there with them. Certainly worth purchasing - particularly at Amazon's current price. Not that it seems to need a positive review - judging by the sales ranking at the time of writing Amazon must be selling a copy every five minutes. Good!!! A lot of happy cooks I think.

Part 2. I have now cooked a couple of recipes from the book. Piedmontese peppers and an aubergine dish. I had a little difficulty with interpreting the instructions (or maybe I am simply not as skilled and experienced as the author!) The problem was more about the technique than anything else - when I cut my peppers I couldn't get them the way he described them.

My wife says - forget it, they are absolutely delicious. And they were. But I think this may be an occasion to not just get the book but also to watch the TV series - there are techniques that I don't know and watching the expert would be really helpful. But early days. And I did love dinner!

I am rarely prompted to write a review of any book I've read, whether it's fiction or non-fiction, but I really love this book. I have a lot of cookery books and many of them lie dormant on the shelves, some have one or two favourite recipes which I come back to again and again and just one or two are spattered with love and constant use. Simon Hopkinson's The Good Cook, whilst still fairly pristine, is one of the latter. I have already made several of the recipes: Piedmontese Peppers; beurre blanc; the parpadelle with porcini; panzanella; rhubarb crumble with Jersey cream and tandoori chicken. (In fact three of these have been made twice now!) Without exception they have been absolutely delicious and I am keen to try many of the other recipes in the book. The rice pudding looks fantastic...and how wonderful to see it pure and unadulterated just as my grandmother made it with its nutmeg skin! In the TV programme Simon comes across as someone whose enthusiasm for eating and cooking is infectious...you feel as if you could have him round for a cup of tea while you make something tasty together. (Although I am not quite such a perfectionist, I suspect!) Buy this book if you love cooking for people...you won't regret it...and neither will they!

I couldn't think of a more apt title for a book by Simon Hopkinson. He is a joy to read. I can't think of another food writer who manages to convey so vividly his love of food and cooking. However, although it's a beautiful book and the recipes are all inspiring and wonderful, it is not a working book. It would be difficult to take it into the kitchen if you needed to follow a particular recipe. That, however, is down to the publisher. With the tv programme this book will get a lot of publicity. For those unfamiliar with his work this will be a good introduction. A lovely book by an under-rated chef and writer.