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Seasonal Cooking - UK


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As I'm a city boy who doesn't understand country ways I thought it'd be useful to get a guide to what was in season when. A bit of milling around Foyles and eGullet today has turned up the following; which would you recommend and are there any others?

Seasonal Food - Paul Waddington

The River Cottage Year - Hugh F-W

The Kitchen Diaries - Nigel Slater

Thanks.

(Andy - feel free to move to Media/News if you feel that's more appropriate)

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Interesting topic, particularly for my own New Year resolution to stop buying fruit, vegetables, meat and fish from supermarkets and move to independent (more seasonally inclined) suppliers. My problem has been finding the suppliers as I live in Central London, but that’s probably a thread of its own.

Two books to add to your list.

The Four Seasons Cookery Book by Margaret Costa : first published in 1970, this is a bit of a lost classic which took years before a reprint became available. Full of good stuff and plundered by many a cookery writer.

The Independant Cook by Jeremy Round : some interesting recipes, and very handy charts. First published in 1988. His writing style can be a bit snooty, but I think it's worth persevering with. Useful, though short, early sections on shopping and eating seasonally.

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Interesting topic, particularly for my own New Year resolution to stop buying fruit, vegetables, meat and fish from supermarkets and move to independent (more seasonally inclined) suppliers. My problem has been finding the suppliers as I live in Central London, but that’s probably a thread of its own.

It seems that the problem of "supermarkets" is now starting to surface as many people are moving back to the small vegy market/shop and meat/fish...etc.

Not only you get better service and quality of food but even prices are lower which was the original selling point of the supermarket where you are supposed to find all your food requirements under one roof at a lower price than the shop next door.

I hope the small shops make a come back as frankly the quality of food stuff at all Waitrose/Sainsbury/Tescos..etc is rather bland!

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The Independent Cook by Jeremy Round : some interesting recipes, and very handy charts. First published in 1988. His writing style can be a bit snooty, but I think it's worth persevering with. Useful, though short, early sections on shopping and eating seasonally.

Seconded. Jeremy was prone to pomposity, but ahead of the pack in promoting seasonality. There's been loads of books since that take a similar tack: Fresh From The Market by Sarah Woodward (1993) was a good 'un and pipped Huge (sic) Fearnley-Whittingstall's Cuisine Bon Marche (1994) to publication. The latter is particularly interesting because it predates Hugh's TV career.
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It seems that the problem of "supermarkets" is now starting to surface as many people are moving back to the small vegy market/shop and meat/fish...etc.

Even my local street market and the 'old fashioned' (round here, that seems to mean 'Turkish owned') greengrocers now sell strawberries and asparagus all year round.
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I've got both Seasonal Food by Paul Waddington and the River Cottage Year and like them both.

Seasonal Food is more about the ingredients and includes some history - I find it useful when I'm thinking what ingredients I want to cook with, though it has few recipes. Paul Waddington also has a column in the Friday Guardian on seasonal ingredients.

The HFW book is like many of his others - full of pictures and no-nonsense recipes.

My resolution this year is to start getting an organic box - no all-year strawberries for me...

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I rate Leith's Seasonal Bible. Lots of helpful tables at the front showing what's in season when and then detailed recipes further back. Like all the Leith's books, it tends towards being a tome.

Somewhat svelter is Rowley Leigh's No Place Like Home. It doesn't list what is in season when, but he does offer up different recipes & menus for all of the seasons.

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my favourites have already been mentioned .... but Sybil Kapoor's Modern British Food is another good one. Rather like Margaret Costa's book in that she picks a few highlights for each month .... and then provides recipes for them.

and if you happen to have Nigel Slater's appetite ... then there's a good couple of pages in his introductory chapter which sum up what to look forward to throughout the year.

cheers

Yin

x

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I'll second the Jeremy Round recommendation. There are some good, and unusual recipes in their too.

You'll struggle to get a copy, but one of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's early books 'Cuisine Bon Marche' was pretty good too.

I love animals.

They are delicious.

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