This is a full-colour photographic identification guide to 50 spices in all their guises & illustrated recipes for over 35 traditional spice mixtures. This is the most comprehensive reference guide to all the familiar & lesser-known spices & traditional spice blends complete with a fascinating historical introduction & information on preparation & cooking techniques containers & equipment. It is illustrated instructions on how to make spiced gifts decorations aromatic cooking oils flavoured vinegars & a variety of drinks. This book is a kitchen reference with information on all the common & lesser-known spices. The introductory section provides straightforward instructions on preparation cooking techniques plus information on storage & equipment. The book then features a full-colour A-Z index of 50 spices & aromatic ingredients each shown in all its various forms
- whole ground dried or fresh
- including facts about its history origins & medicinal & culinary uses. This volume gives a fascinating insight into the world of spices revealing their historical importance & the development of the spice trade as well as their diverse uses. It is an intriguing guide to spices of the world
- the only book on identifying preparing & using spices that you will ever need.


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Nancy Jackman was born in 1907 in a remote Norfolk village. Her father was a ploughman her mother a former servant who struggled to make ends meet in a cottage so small that access to the single upstairs room was via a ladder. The pace of life in that long-vanished world was dictated by the slow heavy tread of the farm horse & though Nancys earliest memories were of a green sunny countryside still unspoiled by the motorcar she also knew at first hand the harshness of a world where the elderly were forced to break stones on the roads & where school children were regularly beaten. Nancy left school at the age of twelve to work for a local farmer who forced her to stand in the rain when she made a mistake physically abused her & eventually tried to rape her. Nancy continued to work as a cook until the 1950s sustained by her determination to escape & find a life of her own. ...

This title offers mouthwatering food for every occasion from sharing snacks for parties to comfort food for a quiet night in
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The New York Times Top Five Bestseller
- Michael Pollan's uniquely enjoyable quest to understand the transformative magic of cooking.
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In 1994 Anchee Min published Red Azalea a memoir of growing up during the violent trauma of the Cultural Revolution. It became an international bestseller. Twenty years later Min returns to give us the next chapter as she moves from the shocking deprivations of her homeland to the sudden bounty of the promised land of America without language money or a clear path. With the help of actress Joan Chen Anchee applies to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She shows a portfolio of her self-taught brush paintings at the US consulate & is granted an entry visa but once in America Anchee finds she is on her own forced to survive by her wits & indomitable spirit. She teaches herself English by watching Sesame Street has five jobs at once sleeps in unheated rooms in desolate neighbourhoods. As well as her struggle to understand her new country
- the food the warm showers
- Anchee suffers rape collapses from exhaustion marries poorly & divorces after giving birth to her daughter Lauryann. Despite her tough lonely journey Anchee finds that it is Lauryann who will save her & root her finally in America. As a child Anchee understood herself as a mere 'bolt on the great machine that was Communism'; in America she learns how to succeed in a radically different culture despite bitter hardships & countless setbacks. The Cooked Seed is an unforgettable story.

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This is an indispensable guide to preparing fish from sourcing & seasoning to gutting & filleting with over 50 mouthwatering recipes. If you have ever found yourself at the fishmongers feeling overwhelmed at the variety of fish available then this is the book for you. Cooking fish doesnt have to be difficult if you are well prepared & have a few essential techniques mastered. The book begins with a detailed look at types of fish including white fish & oily fish as well as shellfish. A comprehensive techniques section follows covering essential skills such as gutting scaling filleting & marinating. Once the basics have been mastered choose from 50 delicious yet simple recipes each clearly explained with step-by-step photography & text. Cookery School: Fish" is a must-read for anyone looking to improve their skills in the kitchen & understand more about where the food we eat comes from." ...

This is an indispensable guide to preparing meat from sourcing & seasoning to boning & carving with over 50 delicious recipes. If you have ever found yourself in a butchers shop feeling overwhelmed at the variety of cuts of meat then this is the book for you. Cooking meat doesnt have to be difficult if you are well prepared & have a few essential techniques mastered. The book begins with a detailed look at the various cuts of meat available with invaluable advice on sourcing & choosing ingredients. A comprehensive techniques section follows covering essential skills such as slicing carving & de-boning & seasoning. Once the basics have been mastered choose from 50 mouthwatering yet simple recipes each clearly explained with step-by-step photography & text. Cookery School: Meat" is a must-read for anyone looking to improve their skills in the kitchen & understand more about where the food we eat comes from." ...

Beauty Cookson is no beauty. She's a plain timid girl who constantly feels inferior to the super-confident snooty girls at school. Worse than the teasing in the playground though is the unpredictable hurtful criticism from her father. Beauty & her meek sweet mother live in uneasy fear of his fierce rages sparked whenever they break one of his fussy house rules. Eventually after an unbearable birthday party & the very real threat of Dad's out-of-control temper Mum & Beauty run away. Finding themselves in a quiet idyllic seaside village their new-found freedom & a moment of culinary inspiration give them a hobby an income & even a new nickname for Beauty. Can they begin a happier sweeter life
- without Dad? A charming page-turning & heart-warming story from this beloved author.
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This title presents more than 200 great cookie biscuit bar & brownie recipes. Learn everything you need to know about making baking decorating & storing all types of cookies
- with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions for each technique. It

Includes:: more than 200 fantastic recipes for every occasion from sweet & sticky treats to wholesome crackers. With more than 650 glorious photographs each recipe is accompanied by a picture of the finished cookie & illustrated instructions to ensure perfect results every time. Try your hand at classic butter cookies sweet & funny puppy faces rich & indulgent praline Pavlova cookies or quick & simple no-bake white chocolate snowballs. Whether youre an experienced baker or a novice cook this stunning book is a must-have for every kitchen. This wonderful practical cookbook is perfect for everyone who loves cookies. The in-depth introduction covers all the basic techniques from making different doughs to decorating ideas. Over 200 classic & modern recipes are divided into tempting chapters on childrens party cookies brownies & bars indulgent treats celebration cookies no-bake cookies crackers & even healthier options & recipes for special diets. From Giant Triple Chocolate Cookies to Chinese Fortune Cookies there is a tantalizing treat for any occasion.


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Kate Shirazis endless reinvention of baking classics doesnt stop at cakes so shes followed her successful title Cupcake Magic with a new volume devoted entirely to delicious biscuits & cookies. All her recipes are made with eggs from her own free-range flock of (battery rescue) hens & a donation from the sale of each book will be made to a rescue charity. A perennial favourite biscuits & cookies are quick to make & impossible to resist. Here are recipes for all the biscuit tin must-haves & some creative reinventions of old classics. Packed with baking tips captivating new recipes modern photography & delightful illustrations this book provides ideas for sweet & savoury childrens & adults seasonal & special occasion biscuits
- & even a section for those with special dietary needs so nobody misses out on these delicious treats. A section devoted to ingredients & equipment makes sure youve always got the right kit to h&. Filled with Kates enthusiasm humour & expert baking knowledge fans of Cupcake Magic will love this must-have follow-up."
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