Canteen: Great British Food Hardcover – March 4, 2010

I love this book. It has great, quirky, illustrations and all the British classics you could want. I am sick of everyone raving about foreign food as if GB is some culinary dive. Yes, Thai, Italian and so forth are lovely now and again but tasty British grub has its place too. Smack your lips over Devilled Kidneys and Fish and Chips. Veggies are more than catered for with Mararoni Cheese and Mushroom Pie. Being biased, I was pleased to see Wales well represented with Glamorgan Sausages, Welsh Rarebit and Cawl. Those with a sweet tooth can indulge it with Carrot Cake and Victoria Sponge. What I particularly liked about the book is that recipes for suggested accompaniments are included - so you get great, fool-proof, jams, chutneys and sauces. Not only that, but the book gives suggestions on how to store things and how long they can be kept.This would make a great gift for a foody friend. Better still, keep it for yourself and pass off that home-made beetroot relish and strawberry jam as your Grandma's secret recipes!

I brought this book back in March as soon as it was published as I admire the restaurant Canteen and its menu of hearty British grub that is wholesome and comforting.Seven months on and I am pleased to say that I am irrefutably delighted with this book as it is jam-packed with recipes that should be cooked and savoured.The book is split into six key chapters;Chapter 1 Breakfast and all DayChapter 2 Starters, Small dishes and SoupsChapter 3 Mains, Pies, Stews, Roasts and Grills and FishChapter 4 Puddings and DessertsChapter 5 Cakes and BiscuitsChapter 6 Basics and MiscWhat I like about this book is that it is down to earth and none of the recipes are difficult to follow and the end result is always flavoursome and filling. The recipes that I love are too many to mention here but my weakness has always been for roast dinners and puddings like treacle tart with clotted cream, yum yum :-).

This is a very attractive book. However, I found the content very disappointing. Most of the recipies are extremely basic and really don't warrant an inclusion in a recipe book. Many sound a bit like this: "Ingredients: some meat and some potatoes. Instructions: Cook the meat in a pan then boil the potatoes. Eat." They even have a 'recipe' for a ploughmans lunch which basically tells you to arrange some cheese and salad on a plate...and then eat it. That, along with a load of promotional fodder about the Canteen chain made me really think that whoever produced this book is really taking the Michael. Don't waste your money.

I really like this cookbook. I first love the way it styled as an old cookbook. It covers a lot of the basics for British cooking so it's good for someone like me who isn't British and hasn't made fish and chips from scratch before. I love the mac n' cheese served in the restaurant and can't wait to make my own at home.

Lovey recipe book