Amazon.co.uk Review
Richard Whittington has a no-nonsense approach to food, which is reflected in the titles of his books (
Alastair Little: Keep it Simple and
Food of the Sun) and his column in the
Daily Mail ("The Cookery Doctor"). It's a recipe, so to speak, which has worked for him--he has won the Glenfiddich Food Book of the Year and he is regarded as one of Britain's finest food writers.
Home Food: Exploring the World's Best Cooking continues the tradition. The book contains hundreds of well-chosen recipes which aren't gimmicky. Every recipe is achievable, being easy to prepare and carefully structured to maximise kitchen efficiency. They don't rely on excessive use of any one ingredient for impact and they are not described with adjectives like "wicked" or "sinful", words that some find go irresistibly with puddings. "Balance is the antithesis of self-conscious presentation," he writes. "I am not impressed if the sauce is pearled in equidistant and precisely uniform blobs around the circumference of a plate or the food built into towers that crash messily when prodded with a fork." His food is the good food of common sense and all our senses are involved in its enjoyment.
Illustrated with beautiful drawings by Brian Ma Siy and photographs by James Murphy, Home Food takes the reader on a dizzying culinary journey around the world. He sets off from Australia with fusion (not confusion) recipes like "Carpaccio of Yellow-fin Tuna with Wasabi Vinaigrette" before moving on to the Balkans and Bosphorus with "Moussaka with Dry-grilled Aubergine and Parmesan Custard". "Venison Pie" is one of the recipes chosen for Britain and "Stir-Fried Rice with Egg and Crab" gives a taste of China. And so he continues: "Pan-fried Red Mullet with Caper Butter Sauce" (France), "Three-cheese Pecorino Gnocchi with Spinach" (Italy), "Feijoada" (South America), "Thai Green Curry with Fish", "Jambalaya" (USA). Korea, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, the West Indies, India...
Home Food is a superb book. The recipes are arranged by country and each chapter could be a book itself. Together they reflect the way we eat today. In every major city around the world you will find Italian, Chinese and Indian restaurants. With Whittington's book you can have a Japanese lunch and Portuguese dinner. His erudite introductions to each chapter are evocative, informative and a joy to read. "Since we have to eat to live, let us make that necessity a joy." --Dale Kneen
Synopsis
This collection of 250 recipes is a voyage around the world in one cookbook, a journey which puts together dishes reflecting the best of each of the places it visits. In this entertaining and knowledgeable exploration, Whittington addresses the cultural roots of different cooking styles, putting good food firmly in its national context
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