No comments about Good Old-Fashioned Puddings.

1 comments about The Sugar Plum Fairy Cook Book - Old English Recipes & High Tea.

1. My 5 year old granddaughter is crazy for fairys and this book is just perfect for her. She loves making the fun recipes with her mum and the wonderful tea parties with her father. It's a great tool for her already vivid immagination.

1 comments about Feasting Galore Irish-Style: Recipes and Food Lore from the Emerald Isle.

1. I've always believed that you can tell the true worth of a cookbook by its continual usage year after year. I have a number of old books that are tattered with age and marked up with spills. These are my old standbys that I return to again and again for my favorite dishes.
   
   Feasting Galore is one such book. This book was originally published in 1952, the recipes themselves are much older. The food is Irish style, lots of hardy vegetable, potato, and meat dishes as well as a nice selection of breads, cakes, and cookies.
   
   The quantities are plentiful. I have a larger than average family so normally when I cook I have to double or triple the recipes. It was nice to just follow a recipe and still have enough for everyone. That is, until one of my kids pointed out that these recipes were probably meant for entertaining. I can see that, many of these dishes would be great down to earth food for family gatherings, potlucks, etc.

1 comments about Traditional Teatime Recipes.

1. I have collected a lot of tea related books over the years and have found it disappointing to await the arrival of a new book only to discover that it is a revision of a book that was originally published in 1991! A new cover design and the addition of the word traditional to the title with the same recipes does not make a new book. I waited too long to return it. CFL

1 comments about Traditional British Cooking: Simple Recipes for Classic British Food.

1. I grew up in London, and have a very traditional English mother, so if there's one thing I know, it's British food. If you've never made British food before, I don't suggest that you start with this cookbook. The introduction states, "Traditional British Cooking brings you . . . British-inspired gems." And that's my main grumble with this cookbook. Many of the recipes aren't really traditional, but they might have British elements to them. For example, cheese and onion bread is a quite common recipe in British cookbooks. The authors call for leeks in their recipe, nothing wrong with that, but they also call for Asiago cheese. Note to authors: Asiago is an Italian cheese, and is definitely not a feature of traditional British cooking. The mashed potato recipe calls for two heads of garlic. If a British cook were feeling daring, she might toss in a clove or two, not two heads.
   
   I once read that the beauty of British cookery lies in its simplicity; it's the quality of the ingredients that carries it through. The authors don't emphasise that you really need to buy proper British ingredients to make British food work. A Welsh rabbit (cheese sauce on toast) made with American cheddar and beer will be ghastly. I make mine with English cheddar and Bass ale, and it's heavenly.
   
   Nevertheless, the recipes are quite good if you want to take British cooking beyond its roots. For a good starter cookbook, I'd recommend Hilaire Walden's Traditional British Cooking. It's the cookbook I reach for most often when I fancy having the things that I grew up with (which is almost every day). There are a few typos/omissions in that book, which have perhaps been corrected, as I have an early edition, and a couple of things that need to be changed (omit the lemon juice from the sticky toffee pudding sauce - it's horrible with it; roll the scones out to one-inch thick - scones don't rise all that much and will be too flat if not rolled out thick enough), but you can usually puzzle out what's missing and, overall, it's a splendid introduction to the glories of British food. Just remember: for success, top-notch ingredients, British wherever possible.

2 comments about Celtic Cookbook: Traditional Recipes from 6 Celtic Lands.

1. I bought this book 2 months ago for a Celtic theme party I was doing. I found it facinating what recipes originated from where. It is well layed-out, but there are no pictures for what it should look like when you are done. Overall I liked it.



2. What a pleasure to find this treasure of a cookbook. Helen Smith-Twiddy (who is listed as "an experienced cookery teacher and author" and lives in Wales) has put together a terrific collection of Celtic traditional and popular recipes. The recipes have been adapted and expanded for an American readership. The book is divided into chapters on soups, fish, main courses, breads and cakes and so on. Within each chapter, recipes are sorted according to the six Celtic regions represented: Brittany, Cornwall, Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales. There is also a full index, sorted by region.

   What amazed me most about this book is how simple the recipes are. Irish Soda Bread directions are one simple paragraph. Likewise the watercress soup, to take just two examples of recipes one would expect to be long and complicated. The Plum Pudding recipe lists ingredients and then has only two sentences of instructions! It's refreshing actually, as Smith-Twiddy not only illustrates her own confidence in the kitchen, but shows a respect for the abilities of her readers. I have made at least two-dozen of the recipes in this book and EVERY SINGLE ONE has come out beautifully! The Irish Stew is simple and tasty, the Whiskey Cake is divine, and the fish dishes are particularly tasty -- and a bit different, well...Celtic!

   A really nice section in this book is Drinks. Of course you'll find Mead and Irish Coffee. But the Tea Wine is quite wonderful and was completely new to me. It's the Ginger Beer that's worth the price of admission, though. It's ready in only 24 hours and it's terrific. Everyone we've offered it to has been impressed.

   I didn't find much in the Game section that fits my cooking style. Pigeon Casserole, Roasted Grouse and Rabbit Hoggan may all be delicacies, but they're not anything I'd be likely to cook myself. I loved reading the recipes though. And next time I travel to Celtic regions, I'll be sure to try some of these specialties. Some of them look delicious.

   Too bad this cookbook is now out of print. Grab a copy if you can find one. You won't be disappointed. It's a perfect wedding gift for anyone with Welsh or Irish ancestry too! These dishes have been passed down through generations of Celtic peoples, and it's such a wonderful link to that past to read and cook these recipes. It's a terrific bonus that everything turns out tasting so good!

2 comments about Jennifer Paterson's Seasonal Receipts.

1. Classic Paterson from the Spectator. The Elizabeth David (but with more humour) from the back of the magazine



2. Jennifer Paterson has written more than a cookbook. Her chatty, slightly dotty style makes this book worth more than a passing look. The recipes are without doubt simple and delicious. They are useable by any cook of any skill level. What caught my attention was the references to Saints Days. While it intially struck me as odd, when I considered it a bit further it seemed to be appropriate to include Feast days in a cook book. All in all well worth buying if you have any interest in good food.

3 comments about Traditional Food from Wales.

1. Bobby Freemans's "Traditional Food from Wales" is absolutely one of the most enjoyable cookbooks I have ever had my hands on. The recipies are so skillfully interwoven with the lore and stories of past and present Wales, that they serve only to enhance the readers' experience, as opposed to interrupting it. In this book you will find recipies ranging from early medieval times through to turn of the century and modern Wales. I consider this book a true cornucopia for anyone interested in Wales, not only it's foods, but its people, its past..



2. I've found it to be a very interesting book to read for the history as well as the recipes. I would, however, like greater detail in those recipes because while they are probably good enough for a good cook an amateur like me would need a bit more detail. You may also find that you'll need an English/American dictionary (Amazon has one or more)because this book was written by an Englishman and some terms will likely not be familiar.



3. Bobby Freeman does it again, giving us another compilation of traditional Welsh food,with easy to follow recipes, and interesting backgrounds on the food and its traditional preparation. Highly recommended.

No comments about Manchester on a Plate.

2 comments about Dinner at Buckingham Palace.

1. I did not buy this book for the recipes. I thought, and was correct, that perhaps this book might offer photographs of the Royal Family I had never seen in print before. The story of how this book came about is a wonderful story by itself. Read it and find out who the man was behind it's creation. There are private photos of the Queen Mother, the Queen, and a young Prince Charles that are ready for framing. And that is what I plan on doing this weekend. While I must purchase another copy to keep, I am going through my copy to remove the wonderful shots and frame them. My kitchen is decorated with numerous photos of the Royal Family. And yes, I have Union Jack rugs on the floors as well. The recipes are wonderful, but the photographs and stories are worth buying the book for. If you are an Anglophile as I am, or a huge fan of the Royals, this is the book for you.



2. This is a wonderful book, full of history from Queen Victoria to the present, with lovely photos of the Royal Family- A MUST for Anglophiles, and cooks alike! Included are dinner services for Royal Formal dinners, and all the dishes served. There is also a food glossary- very helpful.
   This book is from the diaries of a former Butler, a man who grew up in service with his father under the reign of Queen Victoria. A very interesting read- I loved it!