River Cottage Family Cookbook [Hardcover]

Hugh Fearnley-Whitt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 2005

'Fizz Carr and I share the view that there are no really good cookbooks for the whole family to use together. It is our immodest intention to write a classic of this genre' Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's well-loved RIVER COTTAGE books have become a phenomenon, inspiring hundreds of thousands of people all over Britain to cook and enjoy good food. His new book THE RIVER COTTAGE FAMILY COOK BOOK, co-written with Fizz Carr, brings the River Cottage philosophy to the whole family. It will give pleasure to everyone: toddlers and grandparents, families discovering the fun of cooking together, and everyone who enjoys simple home-cooked food. From how to make butter from a jar of cream to how to make your own sausages, THE RIVER COTTAGE FAMILY COOKBOOK will inspire everyone with the magic and fun of cooking. 'A great way to learn the basics without feeling patronised ...You come away from the experience not just with a tasty supper but with a better knowledge of food ...comfortingly old-fashioned ...will almost certainly go on my shelf of "genuinely useful cook-books", cross-referenced with my folder of "ways to entertain the kids at weekends"' Time Out

Editorial Reviews

Review

Fizz Carr and I share the view that there are no really good cookbooks for the whole family to use together. It is our immodest intention to write a classic of this genre' Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall 'This is the most honest cookbook I have found, reeking with helpful, hands-on wisdom. It is everything it should be and more... deliciously funny, well written and neither macho nor sanctimonious.' - Jill Dupleix, The Times, on THE RIVER COTTAGE MEAT BOOK 'The best new book of the year without a shadow of a doubt, a serious treatise, a meat cookery bible and a supremely appetising recipe collection. Fearnley-Whittingstall is our most important and eloquent food writer today.' - Philippa Davenport, Financial Times, on THE RIVER COTTAGE MEAT BOOK 'Ripe and magnificent... a good and beautiful book' - The Guardian on THE RIVER COTTAGE YEAR 'If only all the men who put on an apron once a year to take charge of a barbecue had Hugh's knowledge and charm.' - Spectator on THE RIVER COTTAGE MEAT BOOK

From the Publisher

A distinctly educational cooking primer for the whole family with more than 100 recipes that can be made by children. * Written by a father of three and a mother of five who perfected the recipes with help from their kids and their kids' playmates. * Ideal for passionate parents who want to instill in their children a love of healthy food handmade from fresh, natural ingredients. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 415 pages
• Publisher: Hodder Hb (October 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340826363
• ISBN-13: 978-0340826362
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.7 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,132,163 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has become widely known as a broadcaster for his uncompromising commitment to real food and honest home cooking. His three series for Channel 4 -- most recently River Cottage Forever -- have earned Hugh a huge popular following. His most recent book, THE RIVER COTTAGE COOKBOOK, scooped the top food writing awards in 2002, winning the Glenfiddich Trophy, the Andre Simon Food Book of the Year and the Guild of Food Writers' Michael Smith Award. Hugh lives in Dorset with Marie and their son Oscar.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Cookbooks for Families Available, February 6, 2009

By 

Amy Senk "Read it, Loved it" (Orange County, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The River Cottage Family Cookbook (Hardcover)

We wanted our kids to love food, love cooking and be comfortable in the kitchen, and we thought investing in some family cookbooks would be the perfect place to start. Let the kids flip through the recipes and photographs, find things that tempted them and take it from there.

Sounds easy, right? It's not! Because most cookbooks aimed at children, or families, contain really gross recipes that do the following: 1. Try to sneak healthy foods into kids, like putting spinach into chocolate pudding, thereby insulting children by treating them as idiots who won't like so-called adult flavors. 2. Try to make foods kid-friendly by making them look like clown faces, or animals, by using shredded carrot "hair" or olive "eyes". or 3. Try to make recipes kid-friendly by using shortcut ingredients (dough from a tube, pre-made sauces) that turn cooking into a joke.

In the face of all the bad books, The River Cottage Family Cookbook stands out as one of the best books we've found, not just for our children, but for our entire family. We like everything about this book, from the explanations about cooking, to the photography, to the inclusive nature of the recipes.

We find that the more we cook with our kids, the more adventurous they become about food and the closer we all grow as a family. Don't waste your time with bad cookbooks. The River Cottage is a perfect place to start.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning Quality, January 28, 2006

By 

Contrary Weasel - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: River Cottage Family Cookbook (Hardcover)

This is actually 416 pages! Gorgeous yet realistic and very homey food photos including kid-next-door children, misshapen & imperfect dishes, and exquisitely crafted recipes with sublime descriptions of exactly how and why certain things are done, and when, in the creation of your meal. All ages will not only enjoy, but LEARN from this cookbook. Simply divine, and not to be missed.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Addition to the Kitchen Bookshelf, August 15, 2008

By 

Erin E. Nichols "Blogger at ErinCooks.com" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The River Cottage Family Cookbook (Hardcover)

The River Cottage Family Cookbook is a wonderful addition to the kitchen bookshelf. The authors, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Fizz Carr have researched and created a fanciful yet extremely factual cooking companion for the entire family to enjoy and learn from. These unique writers delve into the veritable meat and bones of the "whys" of cookery and stress the importance of including children in the food preparation process. In addition, the overarching message of the text addresses the timely issue of instilling in our families the value of consuming more local, organic, and humanely raised food. To that end, all of the recipes in this book were made by their children, with assistance from parents when needed.

The beginning of each chapter includes a very conversational primer on the topic covered. So for instance, in the "Flour" section you not only have bread, scone, and pasta recipes but also mini articles on the reasons why we have to knead dough, a brief history of the effects flour has had on civilization, and even the science behind soda breads. If I'm fascinated by these recipe asides, than I'm sure your children will be as well.

The photography of the book is also very down to earth. The images of food you'll find inside look like things that actually come out of your own oven. There are candid pictures of fresh pasta drying on coat hangers, gooey pink spills, and far from artistic eclairs but this only serves to give each dish a very approachable air.

If learning how to make your own salt, build a campfire, whip up ice cream without the aid of a special machine, or holding a pancake race appeals to your inner child then please make it a priority to check out The River Cottage Family Cookbook.