Customer Reviews

The Sugar Club Cookbook

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3 star:		(1)
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I first ate food made from Peter Gordon's Sugar Club Cookbook at a friend's house. Our friend impressed us with these unusual junxtapositions: scallops in a sauce made from chilis, garlic, lemongrass, and cilantro, corn fritters with creme fraiche, plaintain fritters with olive tampenade, and rich chocolate mousse cake flavored with anise. I had to copy down the recipes and make them for myself straight away to fill the fix I got. When I make people dinner using Sugar Club recipes now, I watch the same thing happen: they are impressed at my skils, shocked by the incredible flavors, and have to have the recipes. The recipes are simple enough that even my kitchen-dyslexic husband can make them on his own, despite some telling you to use charcoals to grill (not easy indoors in the winter) and making your own polenta, etc. But you can easily figure out shortcuts, or in my case, learn to make polenta. I haven't made it to the Sugar Club, but can make these posh and exotic meals at home and impress my dinner guests without an incredible amount of effort. Bravo, Chef Peter Gordon!

Named after London's most fashionable restaraunt of the moment, this book is big on fusing European and Asian cuisine. Taken at face value, the recipes are occassionally breathtaking (smoking salmon in tea), but usually just mildly novel. What is good is that new twists are put into well worn dishes(mustard in mashed potato), and it is this that sets the imagination swirling to make your own variant dishes. However, be warned, the ingredients list can be daunting; unless you live in a multi-cultural nirvana you haven't a chance of getting it all (Japanese sauces, chorizo, even kangaroo tail!). On the other hand - you can put the book on a prominent place on your bookshelf and look oh so devastatingly fashionable, sophisticated, and in the know!

This is without doubt the best and most inspirational cookbook I have ever had. Do not be put off by the ingredients. If you only buy one cookbook buy this one!

Having lived in London for nearly 5 years, I was fortunate to discover Peter Gordon's outstanding restaurant. His Sugar Club cookbook is brilliant. All the recipes are wonderful and very simple to prepare. Anyone who enjoys innovative gourmet cooking with an Asian influence should buy it!