Title: The Kitchen Magpie
Author: James Steen
Publisher: Icon Books Ltd (May 1, 2014)
Published: May 1, 2014
Page count: 227
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Book Summary:
A feast of hundreds of food facts, mouth-watering myths and culinary curiosities to satisfy all appetites.
Join award-winning writer James Steen for a feast of food and drink facts and culinary curiosities.
Delving into forgotten corners of gastronomic history, Steen reveals what Parmesan has to do with broken bones and why John Wayne kept a cow in a hotel. Laying bare the secrets of the kitchen, he concocts the ultimate hangover cure and explains how to cook perfect rib of beef with the oven off.
With much-loved cooks including Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood sharing passion and know-how, this mouth-watering miscellany will sate the appetite of every kitchen dweller, from the masterful expert to the earnest apprentice.
Featuring exclusive recipes from top chefs such as Marcus Wareing and Mary Berry, and contributions from Raymond Blanc, Marco Pierre-White, and chef-to-the-stars Kai Chase, this beautifully presented miscellany blends the history of cookery through the ages with expert tips and astonishing facts.
*The Chef’s Review*
My rating: 4/5 stars
I first started reading this book as a way to expand my knowledge on the kitchen area. I like discovering tips on the hows and whys in the process of food making. The title of this book drew my attention immediately and I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed.
This book doesn’t follow an order so you can feel free to browse through it’s pages to find the section that you are most interested. What I liked best about this book is that it uses simple and clear words to explain every tip, fact or curiosity. Like when ice-cream was created, it wasn’t generally liked because it lacked of the qualities it now has, but then farmer street vendors in London gave it another try and stared selling them. People didn’t know how to eat it, but claimed that “it had snowed in their bellies”. Later on, italian gourmets came to London and made a whole new market, improving the flavors of ice-cream.
Like that kind of information, The Kitchen Magpie if full of interesting stories ready to be enjoyed and here and there recipes that might catch your eye and wake up that culinary curiosity many of us out there have. I had fun with it, I believe many of you will too 😉
