Leiths Cookery Bible

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Leiths Cookery Bible is an old-fashioned cook book in the best possible sense. It's not that the recipes are out of date--though the traditional favourites such as roast beef and Yorkshire pudding are present and correct--but that this isn't a volume written around gorgeous colour photographs so perfect they actually put the average home chef off even attempting the dishes for fear of failure. That said, there are 64 pages of very nice pictures.

Leiths concentrates on information: a 100-page primer covering conversion tables, cookery terms, menu planning, calculating quantities, presentation, serving, healthy eating, nutrition, food safety, storage, leftovers, freezing food, equipment and wine, and a further 740 large pages of very detailed recipes that are unambiguous, precise and easy to follow. Especially helpful is the fact that all measurements are given in imperial and metric, and all temperatures in Fahrenheit as well as Celsius.

Written in a practical, straightforward style, Leiths doesn't try to entertain and the recipes are as free from gimmicks and pretension as the prose: you won't learn here how to prepare anything which looks more suited to a contemporary art gallery than a dining table. Instead there are hundreds of recipes for every occasion from a quick and easy family meal to an upscale dinner party, all of which have been tested repeatedly during 27 years of the Leiths School of Food and Wine.

The result in this third edition is the inclusion of dozens of "new classics"--the fresh, imaginative cooking that has been such an inspiration for today's chefs. It has meant that Oriental, Indian, South American and vegetarian dishes have come into their own. It has meant due regard for healthy eating, alongside the "haute cuisine" of rich butter sauces and high-cholesterol puddings and the hearty, homely cooking of the modern brasserie.

Also included are useful sections on the preparation of all the main types of meat and fish, though for more detailed coverage of kitchen craft Leiths Techniques Bible is the place to go. Otherwise, this is the perfect one-stop shop for anyone wanting a practical, functional guide on how to cook just about anything. --Gary S Dalkin

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Synopsis
The Leith's Cookery Bible" is a classic. The most authoritative and comprehensive cookbook there is for seasoned cooks and beginners, chefs and caterers from the celebrated Leiths School of Food and Wine. Covering soups, first courses, vegetable dishes, salads, main courses, stocks, sauces, dips, spreads, puddings, cakes, breads, biscuits, preserves, canapes, snacks and garnishes, the "Leiths Cookery Bible" is truly exhaustive. In it you will find a perfected recipe for almost any dish you are looking for - Steak Tartare, Beef Bourguignonne, Peking Duck, Gazpacho, Dauphinoise Potatoes, Chicken Kiev, Thai Red Curry, Cassoulet - and for any occasion, be it a quick supper or cocktail party, picnic, three course meal or afternoon tea. The 1,400 recipes range from timeless classics such as Cheese Souffle and Steak and Kidney Pie to more innovative recipes such as Salmon and Plaice Ravioli and Red Onion and Polenta Tart, and come from every part of the world, from Scotland to the South Pacific. In addition there are clear, illustrated instructions on how to perform every culinary operation from preparing a game bird to skinning a squid.

From the prestigious Leiths School of Food and Wine, this is a comprehensive and authoritative cookbook that contains everything anyone could ever need or wish to know in the kitchen.

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-06-30 rating:
Read the recipes carefully
I really like this cookbook, it's the only one I own that I go back to again and again. It would make a great buy or gift for someone who wants to learn to cook but doesn't know where to start. The lack of photos makes the book seem dull but I've come to prefer it, there are no cheffy presentations to make me feel inadequate!

I've knocked it down from a 5 to a 4 because I've come across errors so obvious I have no idea how they went unnoticed. Take the Spaghetti Bolognese entry for an example. It tells you you'll need a 100g/14oz can of tomatoes. 14oz is 396g! In the same recipe there's no mention of celery in the ingredient list but the recipe says 'Add the onion and celery'.

Despite the errors I still recommend this book. Just be sure to read both the ingredient list and recipe thoroughly. If you find an error you should be able to use your judgement to make the right call.

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review by: date: 2006-11-15 rating:
The ultimate cookbook
On the back cover it says "The only cookery book you will ever need" and it is true. It contains almost every recipe (all 100% reliable) you could ever want and importantly, the principles of cooking and technique.

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review by: neller78 date: 2005-12-28 rating:
Constant Companion
As a self taught cook, I have often found myself wishing I had a recipe for the most basic of things (ie pastry or gravy) without having to use the trial and error method. I was given this book as a Christmas present and I love it, it has not left my side in the last 5 days. Yes some of the recipes are good old favourites but there are some great inspirational ones too plus the recipes are written in such a way that as a confident cook I can add my own twists and mix and match. A fantastic cookbook for all levels.

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review by: date: 2005-12-04 rating:
All you'll ever need
Echoing what has been said before, this is the best all round cookbook you'll ever find. Truly comprehensive and easy to use, it contains everything from comfort food to special occasion dishes. The primer at the beginning is fascinating, giving all the info you'll need on meats and veg, and preparation, and throwing dinner parties for the masses!

I stole my Mum's copy of this a few years ago, and refer back to it all the time, and will be buying her a new edition to replace the one I took! No kitchen is complete without it. It may not have fancy, obscure recipes, or little notes from the writers, but it's a no-nonsense compendium of tried and tested lovely lovely food!


review by: date: 2005-07-13 rating:
Simply the best
Ignore the cavilling comments of some of the earlier reviewers. This is, as it claims, the Bible of English-language cook-books. No, it doesn't have lots of chit-chat about food and how it reminds the author of summer evenings in Spain, and so on. There are plenty of other books to provide that sort of thing, if that is what one wants. This is a no-nonsense, easy to follow guide to how to cook most dishes in the common repertoire of English/French cooking. So what if it sounds a bit school-marmish at times? Prue Leith and Caroline Waldegrave were principals of a cookery school, so it really is no great surprise. Nor is it a problem in terms of using the book to learn how to cook.... The wine suggestions are not patronising in the least. One can ignore them if one chooses (I always do), but for those wishing to learn, they can, presumably, be useful.
As for the suggestion that some of the receipts are archaic - most normal people would call them classics because they have stood the test of time. No, the book isn't cutting edge, but it doesn't pretend or seek to be so. It gives the user the ability to produce the standard, classic repertoire, with a few new things thrown in. Some receipts are complex, some are easy.
There are occasional infelicities, especially in terms of cross-references, and I wish that the receipts were not always in quantities for 4 people, but those are very minor quibbles. The best thing about the book is that it gives the user the scope and the wherewithal to experiment and develop.
I cook and entertain a lot, and this book is my constant companion.

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