Book description
The food you put on your table is at the heart of the house, as a
matter of survival and joy. Everything we eat sustains family, friends
and self, and The Good Table shows that it is best when sourced and
cooked with love and care. Whether making comforting favourites such as
Toad in the Hole or Paella, classic dishes such as Beef Suet Pudding or
a Brandy Snap with Berries, or recipes from far-flung shores such as
Lapland Fish Soup and a Spanish dish of Chorizo in Cider, Valentine's
omnivorous curiosity and attention to detail set his recipes apart. In
this timely book, Valentine pays homage to the slow cooking of cheaper
cuts of beef, pork and lamb, whilst encouraging us to enjoy less
widely-used meat such as rabbit and venison. His ingredients are local,
mostly inexpensive and easy to find, yet his dishes are often
surprising, based on forgotten classics or hailing from distant
countries such as Mexico and Morocco. For Valentine, The Good Table
starts with good shopping, and he encourages us to not be afraid of
buying new ingredients, especially when they are affordable and
plentiful. He seeks out sustainable fish, creates luxuries from everyday
ingredients such as bread and eggs, and cooks fruit and vegetables when
they are in season. Valentine Warner is a food writer and cook with a
passion for nature, the seasons and mainly being outdoors. He trained
under chefs such as Alastair Little and Rose Carrarini before setting up
a private catering company. In September 2008 Valentine burst on to our
TV screens with his first hit series What to Eat Now which saw him
seeking out the best food and dishes that the four seasons have to
offer.
