Roast Chicken And Other Stories

From Publishers Weekly This idiosyncratic though charming cookbook was first published in the U.K. in 1994 and became a runaway favorite with a second publication in 2006. Hopkinson, a founding chef of London's Bibendum and a newspaper columnist, rejects the notion that a dinner's merit should be judged by its number of ingredients or steps. Instead, his earthy sensibility is guided by French techniques, rich English ingredients and lots and lots of butter. Chapters are organized not by course but by Hopkinson's favorite ingredients, such as eggplant (grilled, creamed, baked and stewed in his cayenne-spiked version of the Turkish classic Imam Bayildi); leeks (in vinaigrette, in a tart crust, vichyssoise, baked with cream and mint); and tripe (Madrid-style, Lyonnaise style, deep-fried). Each chapter begins with a bit of history and often witty personal reminiscence. He'll chart the use of anchovies around the globe, quote fellow food writer Elizabeth David on the beauty of anchoïade and guide readers to the best canned variety in the market. The recipes themselves are designed for the intuitive cook who can gauge a dish's doneness by its color rather than by slavish devotion to a timer. Yet Hopkinson's recipes are true winners, inspiring confidence in the kitchen and pleasure at the table with their simple, satisfying flavors. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist In engaging short essays and appealing recipes, celebrated London chef Hopkinson illustrates how far British cuisine has progressed both in restaurants and homes since the dreary postwar days of bangers, mash, and overcooked beef. Proceeding alphabetically from anchovies through veal, Hopkinson offers his trenchant observations on the best uses for each food product. Hopkinson does not hesitate to encourage readers to plunge into uncommon edibles such as brains, grouse, and tripe. He also reveres vegetables, devoting a section to taken-for-granted items such as parsley, which he suggests turning into a bright soup. Among the fish he favors, cod stands out as especially worthy when not suffering abuse at the hands of careless cooks. Some of the foods he cites, including hake, smoked haddock, and fresh kidneys, may not be generally available in U.S. markets, but recipes have been recast to reflect American measurements. Knoblauch, Mark " Roast Chicken and Other Stories , packed with homely native dishes, was recently voted the countryx92s [UKx92s] most useful cookbook of all time by a panel of 40 experts." -- R.W. Apple Jr., The New York Times "Called x91the most useful cookbook of all time,x92 Roast Chicken is actually better than that: it is also informative, intelligent, funny, and a pure delight to read and to cook from." -- Jeremiah Tower "Charmingly opinionated. . . . It's great fun for armchair eating." -- BookPage -- BookPage "Hopkinson's recipes are true winners, inspiring confidence in the kitchen and pleasure at the table with their simple, satisfying flavors." -- Publishers Weekly "Hopkinson's style is straightforward . . . graceful and witty, and the recipes include both classics and more contemporary dishes." -- Library Journal , starred review -- Library Journal "In engaging short essays and appealing recipes, celebrated London chef Hopkinson illustrates how far British cuisine has progressed both in restaurants and homes since the dreary postwar days of bangers, mash, and overcooked beef. Proceeding alphabetically from anchovies through veal, Hopkinson offers his trenchant observations on the best uses for each food product." -- Booklist "Simon Hopkinson's recipes have been voted the best ever." -- Daily Telegraph "This very personal collection of recipes lets you cook in someone elsex92s shoes -- some well-worn chef shoes at that -- which lets you get to know someone while putting some great food on your table. With Roast Chicken and Other Stories youx92ll end up with a host of delectable dishes that happen to be utterly doable, even if Simon Hopkinson is one of Britainx92s great chefs. I love this collection, both the recipes and the stories!" -- Deborah Madison Simon Hopkinson was born and raised in Lancashire. From his first restaurant job at age seventeen, La Normandie restaurant, where he worked under the tutelage of Yves Champeau, he then moved to London to set up Bibendum (right) in Kensington with Sir Terence Conran, which he left to pursue his food writing. He has written an award-winning column for the Independent since 1995. He lives in London. Read more