Product Description

"Good cooking depends on two things: common sense and good taste."In England, no food writer's star shines brighter than Simon Hopkinson's, whose breakthrough Roast Chicken and Other Stories was voted the most useful cookbook ever by a panel of chefs, food writers, and consumers. At last, American cooks can enjoy endearing stories from the highly acclaimed food writer and his simple yet elegant recipes. In this richly satisfying culinary narrative, Hopkinson shares his unique philosophy on the limitless possibilities of cooking. With its friendly tone backed by the author's impeccable expertise, this cookbook can help anyone -- from the novice cook to the experienced chef -- prepare down-right delicious cuisine . . . and enjoy every minute of it! Irresistible recipes in this book include: Eggs Florentine Chocolate Tart Poached Salmon with Beurre BlancAnd, of course, the book's namesake recipe, Roast Chicken Winner of both the 1994 Andr+ Simon and 1995 Glenfiddich awards (the gastronomic world's equivalent to an Oscar), this acclaimed book will inspire anyone who enjoys sharing the ideas of a truly creative cook and delights in getting the best out of good ingredients.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26258 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-04
• Released on: 2007-09-04
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

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.)
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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

BookPage
"Charmingly opinionated. . . . It's great fun for armchair eating." --BookPage

Customer Reviews

A delight
Any one who loves to cook and eat will enjoy this charming, useful, and even -- culinarily speaking -- inspiring book.

A celebration of simple home cooking
Simon Hopkinson is a venerable English chef and newspaper columnist who enjoys pushing for simple, home-y food. This cookbook, originally published in London in 1994, is a small but useful collection of Hopkinson's favorite recipes, along with personal stories and asides to accompany each one.

My husband is a retired chef and his most basic meals are my favorites. Not that I don't love the rolled and stuffed game hens or the complex patés, but nothing compares to his beef lentil soup and his roast chicken with garlic buttermilk mashed potatoes.

In Roast Chicken and Other Stories we find a celebration of simple home cooking. There's plenty of butter, cream, and other "no-no's" to be found, but very little processed pre-cooked and microwaved food. This book celebrates fresh food, be it potatoes, chicken, or calves brains. It is simply organized around Hopkinson's favorite ingredients, and while many of them are not appetizing to an American taste (i.e., kidneys, tripe, sweetbreads) there is enough that is universal enough to suit us all.

Hopkinson writes in a very conversational style with many cooking tips in the prose and not in the recipes, so it is important that you read the entire book and then bookmark the recipes you like. For example, he tells us that boiling is better than steaming for vegetables to maintain color and texture (just don't overdo it) and that canned Italian tomatoes will work better in most stews and sauces than fresh Western tomatoes.

My favorite recipes? The Eggs Florentine, the Chocolate Tart, and the ubiquitous Roast Chicken. But again, don't just buy Roast Chicken and Other Stories for the recipes - but for the prose. Witty, warm, and interesting tales will make you feel like you are in the kitchen with a good friend who also happens to be great cook, and who doesn't like that?

Not a novel
I read an article about this book and thought it was a novel; only when I ordered and received did I realize it was cookbook ( I am kinda slow ); however, wonderful and all encompassing cookbook which covers a tremendous range of foods with easily understood instructions; who would have thought what a cup of red wine vinegar would do to a stewing chicknen!