Christmas book fare
Jennifer Paterson
Iam glad to see that cook books are get- ting smaller. I have no enormous coffee- table-sized ones before me this year, though some are pretty bulky nevertheless, like Leith's Fish Bible by Caroline Walde- grave and C. J. Jackson (Bloomsbury, £25) but at that price, and being a bible, I sup- pose it should look imposing. It is, in fact, a splendid tome for the eager fish-eater. It contains over 800 receipts and includes everything you need to know about fish from all over the world, which is useful now that we get such exotic creatures on the slab. It also includes suitable and delectable vegetables and seaweeds, breads, rites, sauces and preserves. A fine book indeed.
Sophie Grigson comes up with Meat Course (Network Books, £17.99) to accom- pany her television series. It resembles Frances Bissell's The Real Meat Cookbook with the little animal motifs on the relevant pages. It is handsomely produced and also hopes to be the carnivore's bible. Bibles seem to be in this year, as the real ones have been ruined by the churches. There's a lot of good stuff here, including a deli- cious receipt for lamb's testicles cooked in white wine (rognons Blanc, as the French daintily call them). A good party dish to lighten the conversation I should think. I wonder if she will do them on the box.
I really like a mysterious book which has arrived, Creative Belgian Cuisine by Pierre Wynants of Comme Chez Soi in Brussels (Les Editions de la Truffe Noire), still awaiting distribution. It has a preface by Sir Edward Heath, praising the writer and the restaurant like mad, and is crammed full of regional and classical dishes which I very much like the sound of. He started at the age of 16, following in his father's foot- steps, and now has three Michelin stars, which can't be bad.
The prettiest book is for charity and the proceeds will go to the Elizabeth Fitzroy homes for the mentally handicapped. It has a foreword by H. R. H. Princess Alexandra and is a collection from world famous chefs and kitchens, beautifully illustrated by Gra- ham Rust in a rather Rex Whistler manner. The contributions range from the sublime to the curious, from Nico Ladenis to Norma Major and Admiral Sir Benjamin and Lady Bathurst's ginger ice-cream. Very good receipts of all kinds and a noble pre- sent for Christmas. Published by Little, Brown at £17.50, it is called The Fine Art of Dining.
For a walk on the wild side we have Sue Style's Fruits of the Forest (Pavilion, £17.99), a must for foragers and wood walkers, not to mention ramblers if they cook. Good tips on dangerous specimens when gathering wild food and mushrooms, and many diverse receipts. Then from Artisan via Workman there is A Cook's Book of Mushrooms by Jack Czarnecki (£17.99). This is a description of the princi- pal edible mushrooms and provides 100 receipts for using a wide range of the wild and exotic ones. Lovely grub. Sue Lawrence, of Masterchef fame, has pro- duced Feasting on Herbs (Kyle Cathie, £17.99). This is an original collection of new receipts using 20 of the most impor- tant culinary herbs. Sweet Cicely Soda Bread — what a lovely sound — uses one I have never tasted. It has a subtle aniseed flavour and seems to be for puddings and sea food. A useful book, with very good ideas.
Foreign food is gloriously proclaimed by the beloved and wonderful Anna Del Conte in her new book, The Classic Food of Northern Italy (Pavilion, £19.99). The great thing about Del Conte is that she is a purist and takes endless trouble experimenting with the dishes of her native land. She is from Lombardy, where we begin, which together with Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta has strong historical links with the Alpine cooking of France and Switzerland totally different from any Mediterranean food, which starts its influence round about the ancient trading port of Genoa. This book takes in Lombardia, Trentino, Vene- to, Friuli-Venezia, Giulia, Liguria, Emilia- Romagna, Toscana, Umbria and Marche. A selection of dishes to set before a splen- did family, as is their wont in Italy. A great addition to the Del Conte books.
For Francophiles we have two glossy books from Cassell. Recipes from the French Wine Harvest by Rosi Hanson (£18.99) is good earthy fare, as you might imagine for the workers: onion soup for breakfast in Anjou and the like, wild boar, rabbits, chicken and smoked herrings. The other is Recipes from the French Kitchen Garden by Brigitte Tilleray (£16.99). This is chiefly to do with fruit and veg, with pretty photographs of both. Backroad Bistros, Farmyard Fare by Jane Sigal (Pavilion, £17.99) is an excellent and useful book for travellers as well as devoted cooks. There is a list of addresses, mostly of restaurants in the French countryside which only serve regional food or make creative use of local ingredients. Just what we all long for in unknown territory.
The Emerald Isle is given to us by Dari- na Allen in her Irish Traditional Cooking (Kyle Cathie, £19.99). Miss Allen runs and owns the Ballyrnaloe Cookery School at Shanagarry, Cork, so she certainly knows her Boxty from her Colcannon. In fact this is a first-class book of simple and sumptu- ous dishes, made from the finest ingredi- ents available in which Ireland abounds. Wonderful shellfish, beef, pork, lamb, game and even thrushes. It may rain a lot over there but the produce is terrific.
For interest rather than cooking I would choose A Culinary Campaign by A. Soyer Alexis, which is reprinted for the first time since 1859. Fascinating details of the author's trip to the Crimea at his own expense to reorganise the catering for the army to the sound of the guns pounding Sebastopol (Southover Press, £22).
Royal Recipes by Michele Brown (Pavil- ion, £9.99) is an interesting book contain- ing a delightful collection of royal dishes which were enjoyed by 35 monarchs from William the Conqueror to Edward VII.
Paul Heiney is the farmer chronicled in the Times each week. He has written a charming and politically incorrect paean to his beloved pigs, Ham & Pigs: A Celebration of the Whole Hog (Excellent Press, Metro House, 5 Eastman Road, Acton, London W3 7YG, £16). To keep a pig happy and healthy then eat it in all its glory. Mr Heiney will tell you all most lovingly. If you want quickie cooking there are two books from Piatkus, both at £12.99. The Quick After-work Italian Cookbook and Quick After-work Curries by Hilaire Walden and Pat Chapman respectively. Then there is Antony Worrall Thompson's 30 Minute Menus (Headline, £16.99) which is an eclectic mix of receipts from all eras and parts of the world. This is really very good and useful; or you can use In and Out of the Kitchen in 15 Minutes or Less by Anne Willarr (Quadrille, £15.99). Miss Willan is the proprietor of La Varenne cookery school in Burgundy. Enough said.
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