This cookbook should appeal to all those who are tired of the chilly array of expensive imported produce in the supermarkets and bored by the cult of the celebrity chef. It draws on a rich seam of cookery talent in kitchens around the country. Fans of Xanthe Clay's popular Readers' Recipes columns in the Daily Telegraph show how to make the most of fresh produce from humble root vegetables to mouth-watering soft fruits. As well as delicious vegetable dishes, there are recipes for stews, soups, desserts, jams and preserves. Xanthe Clay adds her own useful tips on harvesting, choosing and cooking. This is a book that should be welcomed by vegetarians and anyone interested in good eating and good health. The recipes featured were contributed by readers and have been cooked, well tested and enjoyed. They use seasonal produce from the garden or the local greengrocer, and are unfussy, healthy and cheap.
A former bookseller specializing in cookery books, Xanthe Clay's urge to put her reading into practice led her to Leith's School of Food and Wine and on to set up and run the kitchen at Bath's fashionable Raincheck Bar. She now runs a freelance catering business and most importantly tests and comments on the recipes that make up this book.
Title: It's Raining Plums: Seasonal Recipes by Seasoned Cooks
Author: Clay, Xanthe
ISBN: 9780719560552
Binding:
Publisher: John Murray Press
Publication Date: 2002-05-23
Number of Pages: 218
Weight: 0.4220 kg
Long a favourite read of Saturday's Daily Telegraph adherents, this collection of Xanthe Clay's readers' recipes encompasses recipes for fruits and vegetables of every variety in every season. Xanthe Clay adds her own tips on harvesting, choosing and using to make this month-by-month recipe guide all the more pertinent to kitchen gardeners and lovers of fresh produce. An eclectic range of recipes sent in by readers: first hand experiences, hand-me-downs, recipes gleaned from holidays and home inventions. The scope is mind-boggling and is artfully pulled together by the author to make an entertaining read as well as a valuable reference source. Her descriptive writing more than makes up for the lack of illustrations and the knowledge that she has personally tried and tested all the recipes gives the reassurance needed to make the unknown. This is a wonderful collection of traditional and non-traditional English cooking, demonstrating that despite the plethora of ready-make meals on the supermarket shelves, home cooking is still alive and well throughout the country. - Lucy Watson
