Good Tempered Food [Hardcover]

Tamasin Day-Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2004

GOOD TEMPERED FOOD is quiet, unhurried, unchaotic cooking to be savoured with its natural accompaniments - conversation, music and a glass of wine. This is old-fashioned, slow cooking - the food we love to eat and cook with a new way to think about it. Preparation, marinating, half-cooking it before time, and adding the last minute touches without feeling stressed. It is what proper cooking is all about. 'This is one of those books that I suspect will never leave my kitchen. I want to eat everything in this book.' Nigel Slater

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Day-Lewis (sister of Daniel and author of Art of the Tart and Tarts with Tops On) strongly advocates taking your time to enjoy the hands-on pleasure of cooking. But slow-cooked meals ("good tempered food," as she calls it) don't have to be a challenge to prepare, either: food that you take your time to make, tweaking to perfection, "is what proper cooking is really all about." Like Day-Lewis's previous books, this is a sensuous package, with mouth-watering four-color full-page photos, charming anecdotes and clear and personal recipes. Day-Lewis's opinionated voice and uncompromising standards are felt throughout, as in the recipe for Spiced Chicken Livers, which calls for organic chicken livers ("since chemical residues collect in the liver and kidneys") and sensuously describes the final result: "When gorgeously oozily pink, slide the contents of the pan onto a white plate and consume." American readers may be more familiar with the Italian-influenced dishes such as Chicken Cacciatore, or even Indian fare such as Achari Paneer (flavored cottage cheese), than with British offerings like Potted Shrimp. The global choice of recipes included is random and unfocused, and the index is somewhat incomplete. Nonetheless, Day-Lewis fans should not be deterred: this book will rouse them to return to the kitchen.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Saturday's Daily Telegraph cookery columnist, Tamasin Day-Lewis, brings the art and enjoyment back to cooking in "Good Tempered Food", aptly subtitled "recipes to love, leave and linger over". No fast, quick recipes to be found here. More slow, sedate, innovative, imaginative cooking, enabling the cook to taste and savour every stage of a dish's creation. Some are started days in advance, allowing meat to soak up juices, others will take a morning to prepare. Tamasin's aim is to bring the satisfaction and feeling of creation back to the cook. Overburdened with current advertising campaigns and tv chefs advocating "convenience" foods, the next generation is in danger of losing the art of cooking. But with recipe books such as this, containing scrumptious dishes such as pancakes layered with pesto and mozzarella di Bufala, 17thcentury Mantuan chicken, chocolate mocha cake with Irish whiskey and spiced three-sugar crumble, there will hopefully be a reversal and people will once again discover the joys of cooking, and eating, proper food. - Lucy Watson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Miramax (October 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401352332
• ISBN-13: 978-1401352332
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,655,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Either 2 stars or 5 stars - depends on background and taste, January 10, 2007

By 

Stepone (TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Good Tempered Food (Hardcover)

I can't dislike this book, despite the troubles it's given me. The photos are beautiful, and the dishes make me want to eat them.

She's got some great ideas and an admirably simple and straight forward approach to food, and she often writes so vividly that you know exactly what to look for as you prepare your dish. However, her tone can also veer towards condescending and downright bossy, which could definitely put some readers off.

My biggest problem with this book--and the reason I give 3 stars--is that I have a lot of trouble with the actual recipes. You need to be comfortable in the kitchen to get this book to work: her instructions can be very vague, and sometimes I think they are just bad (eg., pureeing hot potatoes and boiling stock in a food processor with no mention of the tremendous care one must take in doing so).

Some of the recipes have just turned out poorly for me (some sauces), others merely underwhelming (noodle dishes, wilted endive, pork meatballs). However, many of the dishes I've made from this book have been delicious and beautiful (soups, spiced chicken livers, eggs with tapenade made with tuna), and for those very high points, I would recommend this to anyone who can bring their own background, tastes, and knowledge to Day-Lewis's recipes.

4 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning!, December 25, 2004

By 

Gayle (Santa Rosa, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Tempered Food (Hardcover)

Tasamin Day-Lewis does it again! I just received this book for Christmas and am planning to make the courgettes (zucchini) with pine nuts and sultanas for Christmas dinner. Can't wait to try the spicy pork meatballs as well. I haven't had time to cook much lately but this book makes me eager to get back to it! Wonderful read.