Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3540 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Amazon.co.uk
It's a jungle out there. With the number of TV chefs vying for our attention (along with all their attendant books), we really need to hack our way through the foliage to discover those worthy of our attention. With Rachel's Food for Living, Rachel Allen moves effortlessly to the top of the pile, and this book (which accompanies a 13-part BBC prime-time series) does full justice to its video version. What distinguishes Rachel Allen from so many other chefs is the way in which she appreciates that food must be integrated into our lives, rather than just being fuel or a way of showing off our culinary skills. As Allen points out, food can be restorative, nurturing and emotionally fulfilling, even apart from its tastiness. As she reminds us, the ritual of eating may be formalised or spontaneous, and the appreciation of the way in which we can approach food in different ways is very much at the heart of Rachel’s Food for Living

But if all of the above sounds a little forbidding, it should be noted that the book here functions admirably as a guide to the best available food -- and leaving aside any philosophical underpinnings, there are over 100 delicious recipes included here, from Perfect Lamb Stew and Chicken with Lemon and Honey to Banana and Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding. The recipes are presented in as user-friendly a fashion as possible, with full-page illustrations showing us just what we can aspire to in our own kitchens. When Allen says this book is filled with foods which have special meaning for her, her family and friends, it makes clear the personal nature of the recipes on offer here. But (in the end) such things don’t matter: on a strictly utilitarian level, Rachel’s Food for Living really delivers the goods. --Barry Forshaw

Review
"A natural TV chef: relaxed, articulate and knowledgeable" -- Sunday Times "Food for real people" -- Irish Examiner 'If you haven't heard of Rachel Allen, you will soon. Ireland's blond and beautiful equivalent of Nigella Lawson...is taking her place on the international culinary scene with her everyday food that focuses on simple suppers and divine puddings.' -- Daily Mail YOU Magazine 'With her finely-etched patrician features and delicious recipes, Rachel manages to do what the buxom Nigella Lawson never could. She makes us believe we can do what she does...' -- Irish Post '...an obvious addition to the best-loved and most-used category of cookbook' -- Sunday Tribune 'She's back, to make us green with envy as we drool over her house, her children, her clothes, her industrious lifestyle, and her food, too, of course.' - The Irish Times Magazine 'We're big fans of Rachel Allen here at Delicious and love this book.' Delicious Magazine 'Rachel's passion for her subject is infectious.' Somerfield Magazine

Ulster Tatler, Nov 06
"Rachel's recipes inject light-hearted fun back into the art of cooking"

Customer Reviews

Reliable
I now own two of Rachel Allen's books and have tried many of the recipes from each (Food for Living & Food for Friends), they have worked every time and are very reliable and easy to make. At last a 'proper' cookbook and Rachel seems to be a very likeable person - well done.

Easy recipes for every occasion
As always with Rachel's books, the recipes are easy to follow and turn out the way you expect them to - so you get great results with a minimum of fuss. There is something for every occasion in this book, as the chapter titles show: "Food for the Soul", "Childhood Favourites", "Making Memories", "Something to Celebrate", "The Lazy Sunday", "An Elegant Afternoon", Pleasure Without the Guilt", "Food for Romance", "For the Love of Chocolate" and "Classic Dishes". I tried the "White Chocolate Buns" and they were dead easy to make, I even managed to whip them up before going to work, something I normally wouldn't be able to do, since I'm not exactly a member of the rise and shine party. They tasted great (funnily like macaroons - very yummy and a bit sticky) and disappeared really quickly once my colleagues tasted them. I can only recommend this book, especially if you're looking for something to make the whole family happy. Since it is beautifully laid out (with an added pink ribbon to mark your page) it also makes a nice present.

Food for the Soul
Marcel Proust may have explored the effects of a Madeleine cake on the memory but Rachel Allen's recipes for `Dad's Brown Bread' and `Rhubarb and Custard Tart' are equally capable of evoking all those memories of Sunday-teas gone by whilst expanding your practical cooking skills.

With chapters that offer great recipes from childhood, meals for celebrations and even food for romance, Rachel Allen invites readers to cook dishes which are (or soon will be) part of the fabric of life. Grown-up Pavlova and rich buttered lobster recipes sit surprisingly well alongside the simple joys of cheesy pasta bake. Each section is beautifully illustrated with stunning family-centric photography and the recipes are easy to follow - encouraging household participation in cooking (although readers may find it difficult to share any of the goodies that are the result of the chapter entitled `For the Love of Chocolate').

Wholesome without being preachy and sweet without being sickly, Rachel Allen's Food for Living is quaint food philosophy with a kick and the perfect book to add to your kitchen shelf.