Why is the country cooking of France so compelling & why does it exert such fascination & evoke so much respect? The answer lies in the terroir of its pays (regions) the fresh produce & specialty foods that are unique to each area & are then transformed into such traditional favourites as Soupeau Pistou & Choucroute Alsacienne. Anne Willan is well known for her highly respected cooking school in France La Varenne founded thirty years ago as well as her many best-selling cookbooks. She combines her years of experience writing about French cuisine with extensive research hands-on experience & a deep appreciation of the current culinary trends in France to create this classic cookbook. ...

Country Cottage Quilting Learn how to make gorgeous quilting patchwork applique & sewing projects with Country Cottage Quilting from bestselling author & fabric designer Lynette Anderson. Lynette's country cottage garden provides the inspiration for this collection of 15 beautiful projects from quick-to-stitch applique designs that make ideal gifts to larger wall hangings & bed-sized quilt patterns. The stunning designs combine charming hand embroidery with traditional patchwork & quilting techniques. Beautiful fabrics warm colours & a homely feel are enhanced by a book design that captures Lynette's heart-warming quirky style. Inside Country Cottage Quilting: Patchwork & Applique Projects
- 15 projects for you to make at home from quilts & cushions to wall hangings scissor keepers & sewing cases. Techniques
- all the sewing patchwork & applique techniques you need to know to make the projects. In this chapter you will learn about sewing seams pressing work needle-turn applique English paper piecing how to make yo yos how to quilt & more & you will also find a comprehensive guide to all of the embroidery stitches that Lynette uses.

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This title is translated by Michael Glenny. With the ink still wet on his diploma the twenty-five-year-old Dr Mikhail Bulgakov was flung into the depths of rural Russia which in 1916-17 was still largely unaffected by such novelties as the motor car the telephone or electric light. How his alter-ego copes (or fails to cope) with the new & often appalling responsibilities of a lone doctor in a vast country practice
- on the eve of Revolution
- is described in Bulgakov's delightful blend of candid realism & imaginative exuberance.

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I thought of life's many bounties to have known the extremities of joy & sorrow love crossed love & unrequited love success & failure fame & slaughter to have read in the newspapers that as a writer I was past my sell-by date yet regardless to go on writing & reading to be lucky enough to live in these two intensities that have buttressed my whole life. Born in Ireland in 1930 & driven into exile after publication of her controversial first novel The Country Girls" O' Brien has created a body of work which bears comparison with the very best writers of the twentieth century. In " Country Girl" we come face to face with literary life of high drama & contemplation. & along the way there are encounters with Hollywood giants pop stars & literary titans
- all of whom lend this life so gorgeously sometimes painfully remembered here a terrible poignancy. In prose which sparkles with the effortless gifts of a master in her ninth decade Edna O' Brien has recast her life with the imaginative insight of a poet. It is a book of unfathomable depths & honesty."
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I thought of life's many bounties to have known the extremities of joy & sorrow love crossed love & unrequited love success & failure fame & slaughter to have read in the newspapers that as a writer I was past my sell-by date yet regardless to go on writing & reading to be lucky enough to live in these two intensities that have buttressed my whole life. Born in Ireland in 1930 & driven into exile after publication of her controversial first novel The Country Girls" O' Brien has created a body of work which bears comparison with the very best writers of the twentieth century. In " Country Girl" we come face to face with literary life of high drama & contemplation. & along the way there are encounters with Hollywood giants pop stars & literary titans
- all of whom lend this life so gorgeously sometimes painfully remembered here a terrible poignancy. In prose which sparkles with the effortless gifts of a master in her ninth decade Edna O' Brien has recast her life with the imaginitive insight of a poet. It is a book of unfathomable depths & honesty."
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John Humphreys was an enthusiast & great ambassador for the countryside its people ethics & sports & his friendly manner enabled him to connect immediately with all he met across the whole strata of life. As one of the shooting communitys foremost writers & a best-loved character his boundless knowledge & enthusiasm were beautifully communicated in his weekly Country Gun column for Shooting Times. Packed with a gloriously random selection of his finest shooting articles this beautifully produced volume is the perfect gift for the countryman. ...

Country house kitchen gardens were designed as perfect 'grown your own' environments & ensured that many households were supplied with their own fruit & vegetables throughout the year. This book offers an insight into the digging & sowing of these gardens as well as exploring how walled gardens contributed towards a sustainable lifestyle & often were a source of not just food but also natural medicines. A wealth of contemporary illustrations material from archives gardening manuals seed catalogues engravings & other documents paint a vivid picture of the country house kitchen garden & its development over three & a half centuries. This delightful book recounts an important part of our historic houses & their national heritage
- to be enjoyed by gardeners & non-gardeners alike. ' Fascinating to read' The Garden
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The Cotswolds the ridge of limestone hills that runs the fifty miles from Chipping Campden in the north to Bath in the south make up Englands largest designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The regions unspoilt countryside unrivalled architectural heritage & proximity to Bath Oxford & Stratford-upon-Avon make it the countrys most popular tourist destination outside of London. Drawing on Country Life magazines unrivalled picture archive
- a unique repository of architectural history
- Nicholas Mander has selected two hundred of the very finest photographs to illustrate his fascinating survey of the Cotswolds country house through the ages. Grouped by period & style the properties featured reveal the historical & architectural importance of the region. Divided into three main sections the book looks first at the castles such as Sudeley with its royal connections spanning a thousand years as well as magnificent examples of early manor houses including Owlpen & Snowshill Manors & Daneway House; & important Jacobean houses like Stanway & Chastleton House. The second section focuses on the great Classical country houses & noblemens palaces of the eighteenth century including Badminton House & Dyrham Park. The book concludes with a survey of the twentieth century & beyond documenting the work of leading practitioners of the Arts & Crafts movement including Ernest Barnsleys Rodmarton Manor & William Morriss Kelmscott -both superb embodiments of the Arts & Crafts ideal. A final chapter covers some of the most recent houses & gardens. A beautifully illustrated book Country Houses of the Cotswolds is a wonderful celebration of one of some of Britains most treasured architecture: an essential companion for the armchair sightseer & prospective tourist alike.

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People who want to learn to paint without relying on their drawing skills have everything they need in this book. Terry Harrison has painted five beautiful country scenes from an open gate leading to a farm a country church next to a bluebell wood spring blossom reflected in a stream a snow scene & a bridge over a ford in an autumn wood. The tracings & clear step-by-step photographs explain the painting process in great depth & make it easy for readers to reproduce all of the projects. ...

Country Lives Remembered" contains stories of Britains most colourful countrymen & women from the past lovingly edited by best selling countryside author Ruth Binney. The tales are packed with amusing anecdotes informative facts & folklore providing a valuable & evocative insight into what life was like in the countryside over many decades. Bygone Days sections source information & activities on country pursuits demonstrating the joy & satisfaction that can still be found in country living today. Beautifully illustrated throughout with specially commissioned artwork " Country Lives Remembered" celebrates a traditional way of life that so many people aspire to." ...