James Martin's Easy British Food (Mitchell Beazley Food)

As someone who has recently come to back to cooking after too many years of ready made meals, I don't consider myself a natural cook so this book has done wonders for my cooking confidence! These recipes are easy to follow & not only do they taste fantastic but they actually turn out looking just like the mouth watering photos! Its an honest down to earth book full of very tasty recipes for food I grew up on. The ingredients are stuff you have probably already got in your kitchen, as long as you have a decent stock of herbs and spices you'll be fine. I've now bought more of James Martin's recipe books and I LOVE cooking again.

Good Yorkshire food, just like my mum makes... (17/18 people found this helpful)

This is the cook book I use most, unlike most cook books it seems to be aimed at producing food which you eat on a regular basis (pies, roasts, meatballs, curries, simple fish dishes etc) rather than flash dishes designed for entertaining, which most cook books cover. Using these recipes you could create a varied, balanced diet for the entire family/house, that they would never become bored of. If you could learn to cook most of the recipes in this book you would certainly be considered a bit of a culinary genius despite the simplicity of the recipes. It odd to think really that the average Yorkshirewomen (my mum included) used to keep all this stuff stored in their heads!

Anyway back to the book, it covers breakfasts, lunches, dinners, 'teas' and deserts, there are some genuinely excellent recipes in here; simple lamb curry, the meatballs and all the roasts spring to mind, however the book is worth buying just for the 'Beef & Black Sheep Ale Pie' which has to be the nicest pie ever made!

James Martin also suggests a number of 'shortcuts' that makes cooking these recipes easier, which is appreciated as we all know you can take shortcuts in cooking but only some a good idea, the rest usually result in taste disaster, so its nice to hear a professional chef's tips in this area. You do get the impression that this is the way James Martin cooks for himself and family, when he doesn't have to live up to the standards of his professional life, as such I think this is a level of cooking we can all aim at!

Another thing I like about the book is the honesty about the portion sizes (honesty it appears is a pervading theme in the book). When it says 'Serves 4' it means 'four hearty Yorkshire folk' not 'four models on a celery diet', as such most of the recipes almost guarantee leftovers, making tomorrows meal a doddle.

I recommend this to any person who is a bit too busy for home cooking but wants to try and fit some in, with guaranteed success; as well as busy mothers (or the relevant family cook!) and especially students in house shares. As mentioned some of the recipes will be enough to feed a house of four for a week, they're all generally pretty cheap to make and several contain alcohol as well.

James Martin's Easy British food (20/25 people found this helpful)

Bought as a first cookbook for a budding cook - we both found it a good book - both visually and informatively. It is unpretentious, and makes no apologies for shortcuts and use of brand foods.Also - nice photos of Whitby! A good no - nonsense book from a chef who appears to have his feet still on the ground, and who loves his craft.

A Useful Combination of Traditional Recipes and Modern Savouries and Puddings (24/28 people found this helpful)

`A Straightforward and traditional cookbook from the no-nonsense Yorkshire chef.'
Marie Claire

Rear Cover quote:-

`Roast Beef, Treacle Tart, Cornish Pasties, pies, cakes and many other quintessentially British classics are brought together I this new James Martin collection. With his down-to-earth approach to what can often be complicated dishes, James makes favourites such as `Beef and Black Sheep Ale Pie' and `Jam Roly-Poly' refreshingly easy to follow, and the stories and anecdotes that accompany his recipes give an even better insight into James, the chef and food-lover.'

144 high quality, shiny pages split over 7 chapters:-

Breakfasts
Weekday Lunch
Weekday Dinner
Sunday Lunch
Puddings
Teas and Cakes
Jams, Chutneys and Sauces

sandwiched between an introduction and a concise index.

From the JM intro:-
`I've cooked in all sorts of places.......
And if there's one thing I have learned, it's that everyone loves a shortcut.....
Over the years I have developed lots of great ideas for `instant' versions of our national favourites......it might just be a case of using shop-bought pastry...or making the most of timesaving ingredients such as easy-blend yeast or `Bisto' gravy powder. Some people turn their noses up at the idea of cheating like this - so let them spend hours in the kitchen while you have the fun, because easy food can be brilliant food, too!

Full colour photography, but not one of every dish, which may make the book less appealing to some who like to see what they are aiming for!
Clear ingredients list and easy-to-read method for each recipe.
Useful tips at the start of each recipe, written with the typical JM humour, e.g.:-

`Cottage Pie'
`Why is this always mixed up with `Shepherd's Pie'? Think about it, how many shepherds do you see looking after beef cattle...'
Cornish Pasty
`You can find all sorts of fancy recipes for 'Cornish Pasties' but the simple ones are the best. This dish was never invented to achieve stars in restaurants. It is what it is - a good gut filler....'

Favourite recipes:-
Smoked Bacon Welsh Rarebit
Mackerel with Gooseberry Cream Sauce
Pan-Fried Calf's Liver with Bacon & Onions
Simple Lamb Curry
Meatballs with Tomato Sauce
Roast Pork & Roast Potatoes with Spiced Apple Sauce
The Best Cheeseburger
Mashed Potatoes, Chips and French Fries
Chocolate Profiteroles
Doughnuts
Yorkshire Brack
Parkin
Home Made Salad Cream
Home Made Tomato Ketchup
Orange Whisky Marmalade

and simply the best:-

`Yorkshire Pudding' - (JM's Gran's recipe)

bought it for the yorkshire pudding (25/31 people found this helpful)

I loved this book since I saw it, full with great recipes and tips from one of the greatest chefs around.
it's worth buying for yourself, or as a gift.

James Martin's Easy British Food (Mitchell Beazley Food)

James Martin

Editorial Review:

Reader Reviews:

Great book (9/10 people found this helpful)

Good Yorkshire food, just like my mum makes... (17/18 people found this helpful)

James Martin's Easy British food (20/25 people found this helpful)

A Useful Combination of Traditional Recipes and Modern Savouries and Puddings (24/28 people found this helpful)

bought it for the yorkshire pudding (25/31 people found this helpful)

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