The River Cottage Cookbook Review

This book is, for me, unambiguously brilliant. I honestly fail to see how anyone in their right mind could fail to enjoy it. For those unfamiliar with the River Cottage concept, here's some background.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was the subject of a show based in Dorset, England, in the late 90s. Hugh moved into an old cottage with the aim of turning it into a self-sufficient smallholding. If you're lucky enough to find the show somewhere in the cavernous depths of the internet, it's definitely worth a watch. You can learn an awful lot about growing your own vegetables, rearing animals for meat and, of course, cooking! Hugh's approach is to buy seasonally - to buy produce from local sources as and when they are available. The obvious positive consequence of this is that you are supporting local farms and producers - one of the concepts upon which River Cottage is based.

The book contains information on almost any vegetable, meat, fish or spice you could ever wish to cook with, from buying, preparing and cooking. As a resource for those new to cookery, it is an invaluable tool, and is even useful for those who might consider themselves experts.

Also check out the website of River Cottage. After over 10 years the old place is still going strong, and Hugh hosts regular cooking tutorials and seminars at the property.

Check out Hugh's other titles too, and keep a lookout for his TV shows!