Simple, but not lacking in flavour - Rated 
I believe in simplicity.In my business, at the gym and in the food I eat.This is a godsend. Simple doesn't always mean easy, but in this case it's easy to use and produce delicious food, with a minimum of fuss.Any chef worth their salt will tell you food is at it's best when it's kept simple.Using this as your guide, you can create fantastic meals without slavishly following recipies, as Gary gives you lots of tips and ideas to vary the dishes to suit you.
Typically Gary Rhodes - 'keeping it simple' - Rated
A cookery book where `the basics' such as simply roasting pork, or lamb or beef and making their natural partners such as Yorkshire Pudding or Horseradish Sauce or `Simply the Best' Potatoes meet the more ambitious sounding:-
'Halloumi with Cucumber Pappardelle and Avocado' and 'Leek, Ham and Brie Slice'!
`This is the book I've wanted to write for so many years, one that isn't dictated or overly influenced by my 30 years in professional kitchens.
Yes, there are bits and pieces of that here, but generally, I'm just sharing with you the foods and dishes I like to cook at home....
Good cooking doesn't have to consist of lots of expensive ingredients, 'the simpler the better' couldn't be more accurate.
It's important to remember, however, that `quality' ingredients are the essence of good food. These hold so much flavour which means they don't have to rely on overcomplicated cooking.
Quite a variety of ingredients feature in these pages; most are cheap and easy to find, but none of the recipes are set in stone. Follow your own instincts and use this book as a guide from which to discover and create your own favourites, treating the recipes as a sort of 'pick 'n' mix', swapping and changing ingredients where it suits....
I want you to enjoy cooking and eating from this collection as much as I do...'
415 high quality shiny pages split over 10 main chapters:-
keeping fish simple
keeping seafood simple
keeping poultry simple
keeping pork simple
keeping lamb simple
keeping beef simple
keeping vegetables simple
keeping pasta & rice simple
keeping eggs & cheese simple
keeping desserts simple
sandwiched between an introduction, `my kitchen' and a concise index.
Each chapter opens with relevant narrative and notes e.g. selection and cooking of the specific ingredients.
Simple or basic recipes precede the main ones.
Each recipe is clearly laid out with number of servings, ingredients and method. Most have opening notes and all finish with `and more' hints, which is additional information - to `enhance' or `tweak`.
A majority of the main dishes are accompanied by mouth-watering, full page photographs.
A taste of the recipes within (and there are so many, it really is hard to choose a small selection!):-
Dover sole with hot lemon butter
Turbot t-bone with a béarnaise sauce
Prawn bisque
Chicken with wholegrain mustard asparagus
Roasted duck with red wine blackberries
Pork chops with an apple tart topping
White pork and wild mushroom stew
West Country squab pie
Café de Paris butter
Steak au poivre burger
Asparagus vichyssoise
Ragù
Ratatouille omelette
Clapshot
Pasta tartare
Sloe gin and stilton bites
Chocolate brownie mousse
Steamed Simnel pudding
Cracked raspberry meringue
Another Gary Rhodes book I couldn't live without - Rated
When I moved to the Middle East several years ago I enjoyed great new tastes but after a while I hankered for good old home cooking like Mum used to do but which I never quite mastered. My sister-in-law suggested Gary Rhodes New British Classics and it's a book that is dog-eared from use. I'm the first one to admit that my culinary skills are limited to say the least but Gary's New British Classics recipes are easier than you would expect from a man who does complicated for a living.
When I saw Gary Rhodes bring out a book called `Keeping it Simple'....well it just looked made for those of us who like tasty recipes but who are challenged in the kitchen arena. Keeping it Simple didn't disappoint. The dishes are arranged by section with all the fish recipes together, poultry together and so on. At the beginning of every section Gary details how you identify a good piece of chicken/fish/beef and lists some simple methods of cooking them and some easy complimentary sauces. And all that is before you even see the recipes! The recipes are easy, no-fuss recipes with few ingredients but which are big on taste. The accompanying pictures make your mouth water and although my finished results don't look quite as impressive as Gary's pictures each recipe has been a great success. A definite book for those who want to be able to cook nice food without pulling their hair out!
One of My Top Five - Rated
I have been cooking for 20 years and to be honest not a fan of watching gary rhodes but this book is fantastic. All recipes have a handful of ingredients and he proves this is all you need to make a fantastic meal. I have a craving for thick end of pork belly since this book you have to try the recipe, what an underated meat. Every recipe has been fantastic.
excellent!! - Rated
AS a novice but enthusiastic cook, I have found this inspiring and informative, excellent info and best of all simple food that is achievable. I love this book and have just eaten the very enjoyable lamb hotpot. Well worth owning, on a par with Nigel Slater.
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