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Celebrity Vineyards by Nick Wise

by Andrew on May 21, 2013 in Books For Cooks with No comments

celebrity vineyards by nick wiseFrom the hills of Napa to the mountain slopes of Piedmont, wine writer Nick Wise went in search of great wine, and the new yet prolific modern trend of ‘celebrity turned winemakers’ – a collective group of actors, musicians, directors, artists and sports figures who have en masse entered the wine-making arena as a second profession. Celebrity Vineyards endeavours to illuminate the serious fruit aficionados from the label profiteers, and the reasons behind their personal decisions to produce fine wines.

Intrigued by this trend, Nick wanted to not only explore the reasoning behind their winemaking, but also demonstrate how much fun learning about and experiencing wine can be – and to open up the process to those less interested in the technicalities of winemaking. Exploring celebrity vineyards seemed to him an exciting place to start, and this book tells the fascinating story of the colourful characters he encountered, and their passion for wine.

Nick journeyed around the world, from Central and Northern California to Canada’s Niagara Wine Valley and on to the hills of Italy and Spain, to visit the vineyards of, and in most cases interview, winemakers such as composer/pianist Ludovico Einaudi, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, screenwriter Robert Kamen, acclaimed chef Charlie Palmer and actor Dan Aykroyd, among others. Celebrity Vineyards highlights only those who have become hands-on in their winemaking process, and the tasting notes and reviews in each chapter immediately trigger the senses and uncover brilliant wines that have gained industry recognition.

“After almost a year of travelling and research, we found some very amazing people who were incredibly dedicated to making great wine….The sixteen celebrities we ultimately selected were those people who put their blood, sweat, and tears into the actual winemaking, and others who stayed clear of the technical aspects but nonetheless invested their heart and soul in the process.”
— Nick Wise

The labels on the bottles, the nuances between each glass – Nick remembers every single wine he has tasted. His extraordinary travels and encounters are revealed in this fully illustrated and captivating book. Whether you are a wine connoisseur, or can’t tell your pinot from your merlot, Celebrity Vineyards will delight, charm and educate your palate.

Celebrity Vineyards by Nick Wise available for pre-order on Amazon for £15.70.


Great Yorkshire Beer By Leigh Linley

by Andrew on May 13, 2013 in Books For Cooks with No comments

Great Yorkshire Beer By Leigh LinleyYorkshire. Green hills, jagged drystone walls, flat caps, Yorkshire puddings, and – of course – pint upon pint of tawny Yorkshire Ale. The Yorkshire pint is revered across the world, a mark of quality and a guarantee of satisfaction and craftsmanship.

Except there’s much more to it than that – much, much more. The current boom in Craft and Microbrewing that the UK is seeing has exploded across Yorkshire, and the Yorkshire beer of today is more than just a pint of Best.

The new generation of Yorkshire brewers are breaking rules and traditions, resurrecting lost dynasties, soaking up influences from food and brewing in other countries and bringing a wave of fresh ideas to our beloved Yorkshire beer.

Leigh Linley has spent time with a handful of the region’s newest and most critically–acclaimed brewers, from the south to east ridings – and Great Yorkshire Beer is their story. Each brewer is interviewed and their most successful beers are profiled. Food pairings for the beers run throughout, along with recipes for complementary snacks and main meals.

Brewers featured in Great Yorkshire Beer By Leigh Linley include

The Brew Co (Sheffield)
Ilkley Brewery (Ilkley)
Kirkstall Brewery (Leeds)
Leeds Brewery (Leeds)
Little Valley Brewery (Cragg Vale)
Magic Rock Brewery (Huddersfield)
Mallinsons Brewery (Huddersfield)
Revolutions Brewing Co (Castleford)
Rooster’s Brewing Co (Knaresborough)
Saltaire Brewery (Shipley)
Summer Wine Brewery (Honley)
Wharfebank Brewery (Pool in Wharfedale, nr Leeds)
Wold Top Brewery (Hunmanby)

There is also a feature on breweries in the Dales.

“With great knowledge, obvious passion and an appropriate sense of Yorkshire pride, Leigh takes us round to meet the men and women who are making Yorkshire beer top of the national chart, as well as giving us great recipes matched with some of the county’s top new brews.“
From the foreword by Greg Mulholland MP – Chair, Parliamentary Save the Pub Group and one of CAMRA Top 40 Campaigners

Great Yorkshire Beer: Good Beer. Good Food. Good People

Bilton Basics

by Andrew on April 19, 2013 in Books For Cooks with No comments

Bilton Basics: Recipes and Essential Cooking Skills with a Touch of Plain Speaking“GET BACK TO BASICS”, SAYS TOP YORKSHIRE CHEF IN HIS NEW COOKERY BASICS BIBLE

Want to tell your hogget from your mutton, your chasseur from your chimichurri, your flat iron from your featherblade?

If you’re befuddled by blanching, confused by coddling and perplexed by parboiling then Tim Bilton’s new book – Bilton Basics – giving you the know-how to knock up restaurant standard dishes in the comfort of your own kitchen.

The plain-speaking Yorkshire chef/proprietor of The Butchers Arms in Hepworth takes budding cooks back to basics in his new book, sharing more than 50 of his favourite recipes in a simple, easy-to-read format, alongside store cupboard secrets and in-depth guides that include how to select meat and fish cuts, how to prepare and roast a turkey, and how to make basic sauces and stocks.

“The title is a pun on ‘Built on Basics’ and that’s exactly what it’s all about – recipes and essential cooking skills with a touch of plain speaking,” says Tim, who trained in the kitchens of Raymond Blanc. “It’s all about getting the textbook stuff right before moving on to more complex techniques.

“In this industry, young chefs can’t be great chefs without a foundation in the basics no matter what style of cooking they want to do. I see so many new kids making spheres out of seaweed veloute before they can make a stock!”

Bilton Basics also exemplifies Tim’s enthusiasm for Yorkshire produce – The Butchers Arms has won a clutch of national awards for its seasonal, locally-sourced food, including a prestigious 2013 ‘Top 50 Gastropubs’ listing – with recipes including Yorkshire rhubarb and game. Needless to say, there is also a recipe for the perfect Yorkshire pudding!

Bilton Basics: Recipes and Essential Cooking Skills with a Touch of Plain Speaking. currently listed by Amazon for £17.08.

Cooking with Armagnac

by Andrew on March 22, 2013 in Books For Cooks with 1 Comment

cooking with armagnacTo celebrate its 180th anniversary, the Armagnac house of CASTAREDE has just released a new book, ‘Cooking with Armagnac’ written by Florence Castarède and her father Jean. Castarède is the oldest Armagnac house in France.

The first of its kind, ‘Cooking with Armagnac’ is 68 pages dedicated to this little known brandy and how to use it in a multitude of recipes including a chapter on cocktails.

The authors introduce us to this ‘very individual spirit’ as they call it, with a little history and romance added by the famous Gascon musketeer D’Artagnan, who was an adept of Armagnac, introducing it to the court of Louis XIV. The reader will learn how to drink this fine digestive, the rituals associated with it and the reasons why it is so adapted to its use in cooking.

A clear and simple, no-nonsense presentation, interspersed with full colour mouth watering photographs, lays out chapters starting with a line up of tapas and leading on to starters, sauces, seafood and fish, meat and poultry, desserts and fruits with a finale of recipes from professional chefs.

Recipes such as the traditional Gascon Garbure, a hearty cabbage soup with duck pieces, pigeon and Armagnac casserole, roast partridge with grapes and armagnac, duck with apples, vanilla and Armagnac custard, apple or pear clafoutis with armagnac and even a delicious sweet Armagnac omelette traditionally served as a dessert in the region.

Several more complicated recipes from renowned chefs such as Michel Guérard from Eugénie-les-Bains who presents his tipsy turkey recipe, sushi of sturgeon with Aquitaine caviar by Florence Cathiard in Bordeaux or Armagnac Babas from Nicolas Berger, the head pastry chef at Alain Ducasse’s Plaza Athénée in Paris.

Cooking with Armagnac is priced at €7 + €5 postage and packaging (UK) and is available from Armagnac CASTAREDE, 140 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris. Contact Florence Castarede on Tel: +33 (0) 1 44 05 15 81 or email info@armagnac-castarede.fr

Too Many Chiefs Only One Indian named ‘Best in the World’

by Andrew on February 28, 2013 in Books For Cooks with No comments

Too Many Chiefs Only One Indian

Too Many Chiefs Only One Indian

Too Many Chiefs Only One Indian, published by Face Publications, has won the title of ‘Best Cookbook Design’ at the 2013 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris.

The debut cookbook from the Nottingham-based two-Michelin-starred chef features a behind-the-scenes account of a chef at the cutting edge of modern cuisine who won a Roux Scholarship in 1999 and now runs one of the world’s most compelling and applauded restaurants. It has 68 inspirational recipes, a foreword by Heston Blumenthal and anecdotal contributions from 36 of the world’s greatest chefs.

A total of 171 countries participated in in the 18th prestigious Gourmand Awards, which were held at Carrousel du Louvre in Paris.

Too Many Chiefs Only One Indian is packaged in its own hardback slipcase and mailing carton and is limited to 10,000 numbered copies. It’s an imaginative coffee table book appealing to anybody with a passion for food.

Sat Bains said:

“It’s been overwhelming and an amazing journey. We set out to create a book that would stand the test of time and be testament to exactly what’s going on in the industry right now – and we nailed it.”

This is the fourth book published by Face to be recognised at the Gourmand Awards. The debut cookbook from James Mackenzie of East Yorkshire’s Michelin-starred Pipe and Glass Inn, On The Menu, was also recognised at the 2013 awards as ‘Best First Cookbook’ in the UK. And in previous years, two books by Andrew Pern from North Yorkshire’s Star Inn at Harome, Black Pudding & Foie Gras, and Loose Birds & Game, have both won Gourmand awards.

Too Many Chiefs Only One Indian by Sat Bains is currently listed by Amazon.co.uk for £63.75.

[A full list of the 2013 Gourmand winners and nominees]

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