Book shop around the corner sells River cottage Cookbooks all with free delivery
River Cottage FISH (Hardback)
£23.50
By Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Financial Times
Does for marine life what his Meat Book did for our four-legged and feathered friends... with dozens of fine recipes.
Spectator
Simply the best and most comprehensive work on the subject I have read... a well-illustrated compendium to British fish, it is a great reference book and a good read.
River Cottage MEAT (Hardback)
£23.50
By Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (HARDBACK)
As you would expect from the quirky and strong-minded Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, The River Cottage Meat Book is a quirky and strong-minded book. This arm-straining volume (weighing in at an impressive and well illustrated 543 pages) is quite the most ambitious volume yet by an author who absolutely refuses to be categorised. Is he a cookery writer? An expert on the sociology and history of food? An eccentric TV personality? Actually, of course, he's all three (and more); and all of his various skills find expression in this, his magnum opus.
The first intriguing question that The River Cottage Meat Book inspires is: what is the author's agenda? The book has so many aims it's difficult to know where to begin. First of all, this is a definitive guide to the preparation and cooking of meat, in all its various forms. Fearnley-Whittingstall deals (in assiduous detail) with such topics as roasting, grilling and preserving everything from turkey to trotters, in a variety of recipes that he obviously knows and loves. But there is far more to the book than this--fascinating sections on the many different types of meat (lamb, pork and so on) are crammed with information on the different cuts of meat and what they should be used for.
But as someone who raises and utilises his own livestock at the River Cottage, Fearnley-Whittingstall is clearly passionate about the welfare of animals bred for food, and provides some unpalatable information on widespread misdemeanours in these areas. If nothing else, this book will persuade you that it's a good idea to buy your meat from butchers who are equally passionate about these issues, or even direct from reputable farms. The concept makes sound ideological sense, but also ensures that your meat dishes will have an unrivalled depth of flavour.
RRP - £30 saving you £6.50
River Cottage Cookbook
£24.00
Published to tie in with the third series of the acclaimed Channel 4 River Cottage , this book draws on Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's experiences at his home in Dorset. Hugh writes:"There are two reasons why you may want to buy this book. The first is more or less selfish, because the main aim here is simply to help you enjoy your life more - your life with food, that is. One of the most satisfying things about my life at River Cottage is that I've hardly ever had a bad meal here. Of course I've burned things and messed up once in a while. But I rarely have that experience that used to seem all too common, where I find myself thinking "why am I eating this rubbish?" The second reason is more political. This book is written with a strong awareness that our current food production system leaves a great deal to be desired. Most of the meat we eat comes from industrially farmed animals who lead miserable lives and are fed on inappropriate diets. It is neither as tasty nor as healthy as it should be. Much of the fruit and vegetables we eat is the product of intensive agriculture that pollutes the land we live on and leaves unnecessary residues on and in the produce. I don't like that, and I know more and more people who feel the same way. How much of this book you incorporate into your life is up to you. But if all you do is grow a few herbs in a window box, make nettle soup once a year, and try a free range goose for Christmas instead of a frozen turkey, you will already, I hope, be enjoying your life more." With over 100 recipes, and Simon Wheeler's acclaimed photography, "The River Cottage Cookbook" should appeal to all downshifters and to all those who prefer their food to be full-blooded and wholesome.
