Growing up in a small town in New Zealand, Peter Gordon didn’t discover avocados or sushi until he moved to Australia in his late teens. From there he travelled to Asia where a whole new culinary world opened before his eyes.

Often dubbed the ‘Father of Fusion cuisine’ – a culinary style that integrates various regional flavours and cooking techniques in order to create innovative new tastes – Peter reveals in this, his signature book, how he developed his unique culinary philosophy. Exploring different cuisines, foods, tastes and cooking ideas, Peter creates dishes influenced by his extensive travels around the world.

Fusion: A Culinary Journey explores the history of food and why the Fusion style of cooking is frequently viewed as a threat to traditional culinary values. It is often forgotten that food is constantly on the move and always has been, with many of today’s national cuisines having developed as a direct result of historical fusion.

In his landmark book, Peter demonstrates how much dishes can benefit from cross-cultural play and how ingredients from different countries can be served in harmony to produce not only lip-smackingly delicious meals but a style of cooking that both enriches and stimulates us.

Illustrated with stunning photography from renowned photographer Jean Cazals, and supplemented by personal photos taken by Peter on his own travels, Peter takes us on a journey through Asia, Europe and the Pacific and presents 80 delicious recipes plus the key ingredients that epitomise Fusion cuisine.

‘Fusion is, therefore, simply one of many cuisines, happily sitting amongst them like a benevolent magpie, borrowing highlights from them all, and in the process creating new highlights of its own. This is surely something worth doing.’ – Peter Gordon

Fusion: A Culinary Journey is currently listed by Amazon.co.uk for £13.93.

Peter Gordon is UK based, and co-owns The Providores and Tapa Room in London with Michael McGrath. Peter consults to Istanbul’s Changa and Müzedechanga restaurants, and has a signature restaurant, dine by Peter Gordon, and Bellota tapas bar in Auckland, New Zealand. New Zealand born Peter writes his own cookbooks and this is his sixth to date.

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Cooking up ideas for fund raising can be difficult – but chef Andy Gabbitas and his wife Toni knew exactly where to start. As proprietors of The Wortley Arms, the couple decided to utilise their culinary expertise and create a cook book, with 100 per cent of proceeds going to Marie Curie Cancer Care.

In a society where celebrity-endorsed books are flying off the shelves, a publication featuring over 30 mouth-watering recipes (often found on the menu in The Wortley Arms and using ingredients sourced locally) offers the reader a refreshing change from the norm and the opportunity to support their community and a worthwhile charity.

Andy is a Masterchef of Great Britain who, prior to moving to the village of Wortley on the outskirts of Sheffield, spent seven years travelling the world and serving up fine cuisine to high-profile figures such as Margaret Thatcher, John Major and designers Dolce & Gabbana. After cancer touched his family, he and Toni mobilised and decided to do everything they could to raise money for Marie Curie. In April 2010 the pair will be running the London Marathon, and after months of training and getting sponsorship, they are ready to take on the challenge.

The concept for The Wortley Arms Cook Book was hatched in slightly more relaxing circumstances. While chatting over a pint with friends, Andy was encouraged to put his skills and knowledge to good use. After securing support from broadcaster and comedian Toby Foster and a local publishing company, the 48-page book went into production – kindly financed by Andy’s suppliers and friends with everyone working on it generously giving their time freely.

The team has finally reached boiling point with the book ready for release on 26 February 2010 and aiming to raise £15,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care – it will be available from The Wortley Arms, Mitchells Wines in Meadowhead and every branch of Crawshaws Butchers; the minimum donation is £5.

Now everybody has the opportunity to take the magic from the menu at The Wortley Arms into their own kitchen – Andy has even revealed the recipe to the famous Wortley Venison Pie!

Famed Italian deli and wine merchant Valvona & Crolla are hosting a 75th Anniversary Dinner on the 16th October. The event kicks off at 19:34 hours!

Join Mary Contini to Celebrate the 75th Anniversary year of Valvona & Crolla with a four course meal of recipesfrom her new book published 1st October. A selection of four wines will accompany the meal.
After dinner Mary will talk about the book, her travels in Italy, and the history of Valvona & Crolla over the past 75 years. Dinner without the book £60 per person.

More details on the dinner on the Valvona & Crolla website.

The book in question is Valvona and Crolla: A Year at an Italian Table available for pre-order on Amazon for £15 (Published price £25).

Valvona & Crolla has been described as ‘the Sistine chapel of continental delis’. Founded in 1934 by the Continis’ ancestors, the Italian shop and restaurant is legendary in food circles for its excellent food and drink. Now, co-owner Mary (author of the bestselling “Dear Francesca ” and co-author of the “Easy Peasy: Real Food For Kids Who Want to Cook” series) presents 200 delicious and authentic recipes. Organised season by season, the book offers a year of sumptuous delights from around the country of her heritage, together with recommendations for wines to match them. Starting with the festive flavours of winter, such as a creamy chestnut soup with smoked pancetta, moving on to the best of spring’s vegetables with a broad bean and spinach frittata, fresh seafood dishes in the summer, and finishing with the truffles, olive pressings and slow-cooked casseroles of the autumn, this beautifully written and evocatively photographed book adds up to a food diary of personal stories, history, anecdotes and recipes, all imbued with the warmth and local knowledge that only a true Italian family, passionate about food, can deliver.

The ‘Gourmand World Cookbook Awards’ were hosted in Paris this year at La Comédie rançaise. Established in 1995 and organised by the Cointreau family, the star-studied event honours the finest books produced in the gastronomic World. Over 7000 books were selected to compete in the Awards from 102 Countries.

‘Black Pudding and Foie Gras’ by Andrew Pern won the Silver Medal for ‘Best Chef Book in the World’.

‘Its an honour to walk away with this prestigious award amongst such world class competition. It just goes to show that our little part of Yorkshire is full of the most fantastic gastronomic subject matter on planet’ Andrew Pern

Andrew Pern is head chef at The Star Inn at Harome, one of a handful of pubs in the UK to achieve Michelin star status. ‘Black Pudding & Foie Gras’ is Andrew’s first major book and gives a gritty insight into how his
love for food has dominated his life. The 400 page cookbook shares Andrew’s unique approach to life, family, fabulous food and selected influential signature recipes.

The book has won huge critical acclaim: Winner of the ‘Best UK Chef Book’ and winner of the Silver Medal for ‘Best Chef Book in World 2009’ at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. It has also won 3 major Awards for the Book Design at The D&AD in London, The Art Directors Club in New York, & Fedrigoni in Italy.

“It really is a life’s work, a mixture of autobiography and a great reflection of the very best that
Yorkshire has to offer the world of gastronomy” Michel Roux

Black Pudding & Foie Gras by Andrew Pern is available from Amazon.co.uk for £25.99.

Relais & Châteaux – a name synonymous with fine independent hotels and gourmet restaurants – has produced a sumptuous feast of recipes, bringing together the varied styles and techniques of some of the UK and Ireland’s finest chefs. This cookbook, a culinary ‘first’, has been sponsored by Yes Chef! Magazine, part of Network Publishing Ltd., created by publishing duo Peter and Shirley Marshall. The book comprises nearly 100 recipes from 29 different establishments.

Recipes range from the simple ‘Lemon Pudding’ from Gravetye Manor, through to the more complex ‘Roast Loin of Dorset Lamb and Braised Shoulder Shepherd’s Pie’ from Summer Lodge. And for the really ambitious wanting to be technically challenged, Heston Blumenthal’s famous ‘Sound of the Sea’ from the Fat Duck: ideally to be eaten while listening to the sound of waves on one’s iPod.

Other chefs who have contributed to the book include: Raymond Blanc (Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons); Alain Roux (The Waterside Inn), John Campbell (The Vineyard at Stockcross) and Michael Caines (Gidleigh Park), each of whom has been awarded ‘Grand Chef’ status by Relais & Châteaux. All of the chefs featured have an enviable collection of Michelin stars, AA Rosettes and other industry accolades between them.

Michel Roux, a key creative influence on this project, says “The chefs featured within this unique book are all members of the special family of Relais & Châteaux, and have a great passion for their craft. I am proud to have been instrumental in bringing them together, to work on this exceptional compilation of delicious, memorable dishes, through which they share with us their individual creativity and talent. I hope their recipes will inspire”.

Each dish is individually photographed by Myburgh du Plessis, and accompanied by a wine suggestion from Harrison Vintners. It is sure to become a popular souvenir of any stay at one of the featured hotels.

The book is available from Amazon.co.uk priced at £28 and is available online at www.yeschefmagazine.com. It is also available at Relais & Châteaux properties, the Maison des Relais & Châteaux in Knightsbridge and exclusively in Harvey Nichols nationwide.