Cornucopia: A Gastronomic Tour of Britain [Paperback]

Paul Richardson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2002

In the course of a journey around the eating places, the fine food producers, and the markets and supermarkets of Britain, Paul Richardson chatted with chefs and shoppers, foodie faddists, and junk food junkies. He visited cheesemakers, bakers, smokehouses, coffee houses, and artisan producers of everything from ham and jam to cakes and ale. Democratic to the end, he tasted his way through deep-fried Mars bars in Newcastle and udder in Accrington, peppering his narrative with fascinating culinary lore.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Historically speaking, British food has been noted for its sophistication a great deal longer than for its mediocrity. Medieval recipes were complex, often involving the pounding of almost a dozen different herbs into a paste before meat and vegetables were even considered. Somewhere along the way, Britain's culinary reputation got lost: before Paul Richardson began to sample British food, his French, Spanish and Italian friends offered him their condolences. But with cookery now occupying record space on our television screens, the tables seem to have turned. Good food is once again on Britain's menu. Although optimistic, Richardson approached his subject with scepticism, not wishing to be misled by media hype. During the 18-month tour that would become Cornucopia, he talked to both chefs and shoppers, visited cheesemakers, bakers, smokehouses and coffee-houses, and sampled everything from deep-fried Mars Bars in Newcastle to udder in Accrington. The book opens with Richardson leaving Normandy for Sussex--the start of a tour that would take him through England, Wales and Scotland--finishing up in London, a city now citing itself as the "food capital of the world". Richardson interpolates his narrative with fascinating snippets of culinary history, identifying, for example, the obscure food category of "traditional foods produced in village post offices". The book also includes a handful of recipes, including Burnt Cream and Trout With Bacon. Richardson tells his tale with wry humour, employing the occasional food-related metaphor (cities are described as "fried eggs, with a discernible neat logic of centre and outside"). In attempting to assess the state of Britain's national cuisine, Cornucopia comes close to achieving an impossible task. Daren KING, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW A carefully researched and immensely enjoyable tour of the remaining pockets of gastronomic excellence ... should not, perhaps, be read by those on a diet Tom Rosenthal, DAILY MAIL Manages to enthuse and enlighten, amuse and articulate, encourage and uplift those who enjoy reading about food as a part of life, rather than simply a frivolous drizzle of extra virgin. A joy Simon Hopkinson Highly entertaining...A must for serious foodies. MAIL ON SUNDAY

From the Publisher

Food, once the shame of the British nation, is now the object of their shameless interest. A revolution is afoot, and never in the annals of human nutrition have so many people eaten so well. So, at least, we are led to believe. But in the course of a dyspeptic journey around the eating places, the fine–food producers, and the markets and supermarkets of Britain, Paul Richardson discovered that the truth is more complex and much more amusing. Tasting everything from deep–fried Mars Bars to bull’s wazzel, Cornucopia answers the question: what is the state of the national cuisine?

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Product Details

• Paperback: 342 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0349111324
• ISBN-13: 978-0349111322
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,768,447 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)