Loving and Cooking with Reckless Abandon (Hardcover)

Unlike Kevin Gould's first book, the design award-winning Dishy, this one actually looks at first glance like a conventional cookery book. Appearances are deceptive, though. A 14-line recipe (there are recognisable recipes) for Egyptian Rice with Vermicelli is prefaced with five pages of atmospheric description of the streets and street food of Cairo--and why not? The long chapter called Eating With A Lover kicks off with Consummation Consommé and continues with White Asparagus Wrapped in Ham--the accompanying photograph displays a mound of phallic spears sheathed (no other word will do) with prosciutto. Airily citing the Satyricon as a precedent, Gould gives a set of 12 Signs of the Zodiac Mezze, combinatorial markers of erotic compatibility: "Do your dishes mix?"

This is all great fun and certainly adds to the book's chic. The swish, yogic blether and one-world name-dropping may not be everyone's taste, but shouldn't conceal the fact that Cooking and Loving is packed with ideas for the most delicious foods, new and traditional, simple and elaborate, from all round the world. A feast, in short; a celebration of the world, the flesh and, for some of us, the spirit. --Robin Davidson

Review
Eating in a restaurant is lovely - good food, service, no washing up, but it lacks that little something extra you find when eating at home or with friends - love. Knowing that someone has put their heart into a meal makes it that bit more special and this is passed on into the food itself, making it taste even better. Acclaimed chef, cookery writer and organic food guru Kevin Gould found his inspiration for this new book in an unlikely source - the Dalai Lama with his ascribed tenet "approach love and cooking with reckless abandon". From this Kevin introduces a whole new philosophy to the way we see, prepare, serve and share food. Fabulously illustrated with his own luscious photographs, the recipes span the globe from South America, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Far East. Each recipe is personally ascribed to its creator and a history given of the ingredients making this more than an ordinary cookbook. You will get sidetracked by his easy, informative and fascinating prose and forget all about the cooking itself if you are not careful. You will find yourself engrossed in the lives of Italian mamas, English ex-pats and the history of the author's amazing family. Food for families, friends and lovers mixes with healthy eating and the introduction of a more relaxed approach to food preparation and cooking. Easy to follow instructions ensure perfect results providing your state of mind is in tune with your actions.. So take a global tour with this amicable chef, learn how to care for yourself, your food and your nearest and dearest and start "Loving and Cooking with Reckless Abandon".

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