Leon [Hardcover]

Allegra McEvedy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2008

This is a book of two halves. "The Ingredients Book" arms you with everything you need to know about the basic building blocks of any recipe. Leon chooses it's ingredients above all for their flavour and healthiness but also with a view to the world we live in, so that such shark-infested waters as sustainable fish are tackled and easy to navigate. In the first half of the book Leon's top 250 fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, dairy and store cupboard ingredients are all given their own entries. Nutrition, a bit of history, flavour and the best way to get the most out of any given ingredient are all covered...seasoned with a fair amount of random miscellany. You will also travel to the outer-starburst that is 'Brassica Galatica', discover 'Passports for Herbs' and have your very own pull-out "Rainbow Seasonality Guide".The second half is "The Recipe Book" - this is where you can put your newly found knowledge of ingredients to great use. Here are over 140 recipes: some are familiar favourites taken from Leon's menus such as the Original Superfood Salad, Moroccan Meatballs or Magic Mackerel Couscous and, for those Leon Lovers everywhere, at last a recipe for the coveted Leon Better Brownie. Plus there are some recipes from the founders, their friends and those who helped make Leon what it is today, like Fred's Millennium Octopus and David Dimbleby's Spanish Omlette. Leon's food message is a simple and honest one - cook and eat with the best ingredients available...and don't forget the naughty bits that are so necessary for a fully-rounded life. Food is the greatest pastime we all share, and this book will fill you with interest, warmth and smiles like being shown round a garden you've always loved by a gardener you slightly fancy.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Allegra McEvedy founded, with partners Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent, Leon, the award-winning, healthy, fast-food restaurant chain, which currently has eight London restaurants, with more planned for 2008. Leon was voted "Best New Restaurant" by judges Rick Stein, Gordon Ramsay, Nigel Slater, Heston Blumenthal and Jay Rayner in the 2005 Observer food awards. In 2008 Allegra was awarded an MBE for services to the hospitality industry.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: Octopus Publishing Group (October 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840915021
• ISBN-13: 978-1840915020
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #508,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars saucyapron.com, April 13, 2009

By 

Saucy Apron - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leon (Hardcover)

A good friend's mum lugged the LEON Cookbook all the way from the UK, just for me. I couldn't wait to get the imps to bed so I could sit down with it.

What surprised me most was that recipes are just half of it. The front end is dedicated to ingredients. Every ingredient you love and some, offering info and inspiration on how best to use them. The second half is overflowing with recipes from the famous Leon Restaurants in the UK.

In a word it's a BIBLE. I'm already referring to it on a regular basis, marking pages with the colorful, attached silk ribbons. Did I mention it is art directed in a fabulously colorful vintage kinda way. Very cool for Mothers Day.

www.saucyapron.com

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leon Cookbook: LOVE this book!, May 31, 2009

By 

AH "AH" (Andover, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leon (Hardcover)

WOW! What a FUN cookbook. Love, love, love it! I have hundreds (1,000?) cookbooks, and this is hands-down, the most beautiful, interactive cookbook I have ever read. Think pop-up books for adult cooks- there are pull-out maps, a fun cupboard page that opens up to see 'pantry staples,' cut-out pages, and stickers, and outstanding art design. The food? Fantastic! The book is separated into two sections: one describing all the foods and staples (all super-healthy), and the second has recipes from Leon in London and its staff members. This book is a really fun read...lots of personal stories, vacation photos from when Leon staffers were kids, and interesting, healthy recipes. Bravo to the publisher for a truly unique book. highly recommended!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great images but conversions needed (US readers), February 7, 2010

By 

K. Schultz (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Leon (Hardcover)

The imagery in this book is absolutely fabulous and it gets you excited to start cooking with all these amazing ingredients. The only thing I wish I remembered before ordering it, is that the book was published in London therefore you need to convert all of the measurements within the recipes. Other than that, amazing book. I love the seasonal chart!