This is a practical guide to the River Cottage lifestyle from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. It includes tips on how best to buy organic produce and, for the more adventurous, advice on rearing your own meat, growing your own vegetables and tapping into theOrdinarily the word "lifestyle" is more likely to be applied to slender magazine articles puffing lofts full of Eames furniture rather than books about smallholdings in Dorset. The River Cottage Cookbook, however, is a hefty 450 pages of pure, gumbooted rural lifestyle; and one could not wish it shorter. Cook, broadcaster and food-writer-at-large Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has been ensconced at River Cottage for a number of years, cultivating his vegetable garden, raising chickens, pigs and even cattle for his table and taking occasional potshots at the local wildlife. His achievements have been chronicled on television; now they appear between hard covers.

Although it calls itself a cookbook and does contain a large number of fine recipes, the book's scope is much broader. Really, this is more like one of those "Enquire Within on Everything" volumes 19th-century settlers used to take to the outback with them, full of instructions for mixing whitewash, worming dogs and making a bag pudding. Starting with vegetables, proceeding to livestock and fish (River Cottage does indeed have a river and is only five miles from the sea) and concluding with the wild food, floral and faunal, of the hedgerow, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall explains how he grows, gathers, kills and cooks his own food.

There is a lot of information here, and a lot of hard reality, too: he is very clear and forthright about the place of death in this kind of life. But then this is a very clear and forthright book overall, a very engaging and really quite inspirational manual of how to live the country life so many of us dream about. It's well-illustrated, too, with Simon Wheeler's fine photographs of Hugh at work chasing chickens, skinning eels, carrying piglets and so on. The food in the River Cottage kitchen looks wonderful, too, though the photo of a cod-head glaring resentfully from under a beehive of parsley in a stock pot carries many more resonances than it is possible to summarise here. --Robin Davidson

A great read, 28 Apr 2008
This book is wonderful, imaginative, easy to read and understand. I also found it entertaining, for a 'non cook' that is praise indeed! Although I am no great cook, I do keep chickens for eggs, the wife wont let me eat them, (yet!)I do grow lots of stuff, and much of this is credited to the Author. A man who cherishes his food and where it comes from, and how. This book comes close to being my Bible

A tome to be reckoned with!, 17 Oct 2006
If you're even remotely entertaining the idea of purchasing this book for yourself, your friend or your granny, then just go ahead and click the button.

Fantastic cookbook, yes, but also so much more than that. Here is someone who finally seems to love eating as much as cooking, and the whole process honestly excites him. You can't help but get swept up in his enthusiasm.

Recipes are broken down into easy to follow pieces, which work for budding cooks as well as those with more experience. Fantastically, he also does this without being condescending in the slightest.

If there were a version of Desert Island Books, this would most certainly be on my top 5 list!


The only cookbook you'll ever read..., 07 Oct 2006
I have just finished reading this book from cover to cover, and it is the only cookbook I have ever "read" in this way. Part of the reason is that half (at least) of the book is devoted to the smallholding economy of River Cottage, which like many I can only aspire to at the moment but still find fascinating. This part of the book is a creditable smallholder's manual, better in fact than some others I have read. There is also an immensely useful bibliography and contact list on this and related topics (from where to buy a wicker eel trap to where to get pigeon decoying tuition). But the book is a genuine cookbook as well, and a practical one at that. Personally I find the recipes absolutely mouthwatering, and they also are presented in such a way that at least the introduction and anecdote attached to each one is worth a read in itself, even if you're not in the kitchen. HFW can certainly write as well, with humour and a light touch throughout. At this price, it's an absolute bargain - being such a weighty tome I would recommend buying the hardback version.

Excellent, 20 Mar 2006
If after reading this book you don't want to do what he did...

The recipes are fantastic, and the writting behnd the recipies about how life comtinues is amazing

Uhm a bit though, 23 Aug 2004
Do not take me wrong. I enjoyed this book as much as I loved the TV series; the only problem is that I am not sure the average reader will be interested in breeding his/her own cattle. I love the recipes and have enjoyed this book more as a novel than as a manual to a do-it-yourself live in the country book.

More than just a cookbook, this beautifully produced volume in three parts promotes a total understanding of British fish, from their natural habitats to what sauce they go best with to how to respect their seasonality, in keeping with the River Cottage e

A great read, 28 Apr 2008
This book is wonderful, imaginative, easy to read and understand. I also found it entertaining, for a 'non cook' that is praise indeed! Although I am no great cook, I do keep chickens for eggs, the wife wont let me eat them, (yet!)I do grow lots of stuff, and much of this is credited to the Author. A man who cherishes his food and where it comes from, and how. This book comes close to being my Bible

A tome to be reckoned with!, 17 Oct 2006
If you're even remotely entertaining the idea of purchasing this book for yourself, your friend or your granny, then just go ahead and click the button.

Fantastic cookbook, yes, but also so much more than that. Here is someone who finally seems to love eating as much as cooking, and the whole process honestly excites him. You can't help but get swept up in his enthusiasm.

Recipes are broken down into easy to follow pieces, which work for budding cooks as well as those with more experience. Fantastically, he also does this without being condescending in the slightest.

If there were a version of Desert Island Books, this would most certainly be on my top 5 list!


The only cookbook you'll ever read..., 07 Oct 2006
I have just finished reading this book from cover to cover, and it is the only cookbook I have ever "read" in this way. Part of the reason is that half (at least) of the book is devoted to the smallholding economy of River Cottage, which like many I can only aspire to at the moment but still find fascinating. This part of the book is a creditable smallholder's manual, better in fact than some others I have read. There is also an immensely useful bibliography and contact list on this and related topics (from where to buy a wicker eel trap to where to get pigeon decoying tuition). But the book is a genuine cookbook as well, and a practical one at that. Personally I find the recipes absolutely mouthwatering, and they also are presented in such a way that at least the introduction and anecdote attached to each one is worth a read in itself, even if you're not in the kitchen. HFW can certainly write as well, with humour and a light touch throughout. At this price, it's an absolute bargain - being such a weighty tome I would recommend buying the hardback version.

Excellent, 20 Mar 2006
If after reading this book you don't want to do what he did...

The recipes are fantastic, and the writting behnd the recipies about how life comtinues is amazing

Uhm a bit though, 23 Aug 2004
Do not take me wrong. I enjoyed this book as much as I loved the TV series; the only problem is that I am not sure the average reader will be interested in breeding his/her own cattle. I love the recipes and have enjoyed this book more as a novel than as a manual to a do-it-yourself live in the country book.

Nice book shame about the index, 13 Nov 2008
I looked around before I bought this book - I wanted something that had a lot more to it than the fish sections of general cook books, and I really wanted the sections on choosing fish and basic tchniques.

As you can see from the other reviews, it fits the bill very well

However, I mark it down one star because using it as a cook book is actually quite difficult because of the lack of a proper cross-referenced index showing fish types and recipes. What they do is give you a load of recipes, which are listed under the name of a single fish, but may recommend up to about half a dozen other fish that will work.

Suppose you have a beautiful grey mullet. You look it up in the index and find pretty much zilch. So you turn to grey mullet in the fish directory and hidden in the grey box in the margin are some page numbers which contain recipes suitable for using with grey mullet - but no clue whatsoever as to what any of those recipes might be. So you have to turn to each one in turn to discover what they are. By the time you have done this you've spent half an hour finding out that the recipe you fancy needs an ingredient you don't have and the corner shop closed 10 minutes ago.

Wouldn't have been easier just to list in the index all the recipes under the fish to which they can apply ? And entries for fish steaks and fish fillets while you were at it guys - not all of us cook for 6 all the time, and those of us in small households tend to buy our fish dismantled (PS if you read this guys, look at Rose Elliot's Bean Book for an example of an almost perfect ingredient-led index).

A splendid book of reference, 25 Oct 2008
This is a major work of reference for anyone interested in fish cookery and sustainable fish buying. Everything you need to know about buying, gutting, filleting and cooking of every kind of fish and shellfish is dealt with and even how to kill fish and shellfish if you get them live.

I find the information about the best times of year to buy all the different species of fish and shellfish very useful. There are also lists of fish suppliers, including those who do mail-order for those who do not have easy access to good quality fish.

Sole trader, 29 Jul 2008
Great book to accompany a great series. Hugh isn't the cleanest looking cook around but he's certainly one of the most enthusiastic. My favourite scenes from the series were where he was cooking 'spoots' for the two clam divers. A hot pan, flash fried spoots, a sprinkling of paprika and they were won over! I just wanted to wash Hugh's hair and give him a big pat on the head.

Encyclopaedia and cookbook in one , 22 May 2008
Book is mostly aimed at people passionate about fish and cooking it and contains lots of information about fish, fishing practises etc. I personally was only looking for simple healthy recipes but I am still very happy with it. Was slightly disappointed with the number of recipes, however I love the description of each type of fish with comments on how best to cook this particular fish. With other cookbooks, you only have a dozen recipes for half a dozen types of fish, and are stuck if you have got anything that does not fit the list. Here, each recipe has suggestions on what other types of fish to use. And of course they know what they are talking about, it is all simple and elegant.

A Great book by a modern great., 27 Mar 2008
This book contains everything you would ever need to know about seafood and a lot more. From how to open shell fish, how to fish for them, how to refrigerate/ freeze them. It is great as a reference book, but comes into its own as a cookbook.

Hugh is a magnificent chef some of the food I have cooked tasted amazing. With such simple recipes/ ingredients this book is a winner. Buy it now.

But make sure the fish is as fresh as possible and the fish is sustainabley caught

Thank you.

As you would expect from the quirky and strong-minded Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, The River Cottage Meat Book is a quirky and strong-minded book. This arm-straining volume (weighing in at an impressive and well illustrated 543 pages) is quite the most ambitious volume yet by an author who absolutely refuses to be categorised. Is he a cookery writer? An expert on the sociology and history of food? An eccentric TV personality? Actually, of course, he's all three (and more); and all of his various skills find expression in this, his magnum opus.

The first intriguing question that The River Cottage Meat Book inspires is: what is the author's agenda? The book has so many aims it's difficult to know where to begin. First of all, this is a definitive guide to the preparation and cooking of meat, in all its various forms. Fearnley-Whittingstall deals (in assiduous detail) with such topics as roasting, grilling and preserving everything from turkey to trotters, in a variety of recipes that he obviously knows and loves. But there is far more to the book than this--fascinating sections on the many different types of meat (lamb, pork and so on) are crammed with information on the different cuts of meat and what they should be used for.

But as someone who raises and utilises his own livestock at the River Cottage, Fearnley-Whittingstall is clearly passionate about the welfare of animals bred for food, and provides some unpalatable information on widespread misdemeanours in these areas. If nothing else, this book will persuade you that it's a good idea to buy your meat from butchers who are equally passionate about these issues, or even direct from reputable farms. The concept makes sound ideological sense, but also ensures that your meat dishes will have an unrivalled depth of flavour. --Barry Forshaw

A great read, 28 Apr 2008
This book is wonderful, imaginative, easy to read and understand. I also found it entertaining, for a 'non cook' that is praise indeed! Although I am no great cook, I do keep chickens for eggs, the wife wont let me eat them, (yet!)I do grow lots of stuff, and much of this is credited to the Author. A man who cherishes his food and where it comes from, and how. This book comes close to being my Bible

A tome to be reckoned with!, 17 Oct 2006
If you're even remotely entertaining the idea of purchasing this book for yourself, your friend or your granny, then just go ahead and click the button.

Fantastic cookbook, yes, but also so much more than that. Here is someone who finally seems to love eating as much as cooking, and the whole process honestly excites him. You can't help but get swept up in his enthusiasm.

Recipes are broken down into easy to follow pieces, which work for budding cooks as well as those with more experience. Fantastically, he also does this without being condescending in the slightest.

If there were a version of Desert Island Books, this would most certainly be on my top 5 list!


The only cookbook you'll ever read..., 07 Oct 2006
I have just finished reading this book from cover to cover, and it is the only cookbook I have ever "read" in this way. Part of the reason is that half (at least) of the book is devoted to the smallholding economy of River Cottage, which like many I can only aspire to at the moment but still find fascinating. This part of the book is a creditable smallholder's manual, better in fact than some others I have read. There is also an immensely useful bibliography and contact list on this and related topics (from where to buy a wicker eel trap to where to get pigeon decoying tuition). But the book is a genuine cookbook as well, and a practical one at that. Personally I find the recipes absolutely mouthwatering, and they also are presented in such a way that at least the introduction and anecdote attached to each one is worth a read in itself, even if you're not in the kitchen. HFW can certainly write as well, with humour and a light touch throughout. At this price, it's an absolute bargain - being such a weighty tome I would recommend buying the hardback version.

Excellent, 20 Mar 2006
If after reading this book you don't want to do what he did...

The recipes are fantastic, and the writting behnd the recipies about how life comtinues is amazing

Uhm a bit though, 23 Aug 2004
Do not take me wrong. I enjoyed this book as much as I loved the TV series; the only problem is that I am not sure the average reader will be interested in breeding his/her own cattle. I love the recipes and have enjoyed this book more as a novel than as a manual to a do-it-yourself live in the country book.

Nice book shame about the index, 13 Nov 2008
I looked around before I bought this book - I wanted something that had a lot more to it than the fish sections of general cook books, and I really wanted the sections on choosing fish and basic tchniques.

As you can see from the other reviews, it fits the bill very well

However, I mark it down one star because using it as a cook book is actually quite difficult because of the lack of a proper cross-referenced index showing fish types and recipes. What they do is give you a load of recipes, which are listed under the name of a single fish, but may recommend up to about half a dozen other fish that will work.

Suppose you have a beautiful grey mullet. You look it up in the index and find pretty much zilch. So you turn to grey mullet in the fish directory and hidden in the grey box in the margin are some page numbers which contain recipes suitable for using with grey mullet - but no clue whatsoever as to what any of those recipes might be. So you have to turn to each one in turn to discover what they are. By the time you have done this you've spent half an hour finding out that the recipe you fancy needs an ingredient you don't have and the corner shop closed 10 minutes ago.

Wouldn't have been easier just to list in the index all the recipes under the fish to which they can apply ? And entries for fish steaks and fish fillets while you were at it guys - not all of us cook for 6 all the time, and those of us in small households tend to buy our fish dismantled (PS if you read this guys, look at Rose Elliot's Bean Book for an example of an almost perfect ingredient-led index).

A splendid book of reference, 25 Oct 2008
This is a major work of reference for anyone interested in fish cookery and sustainable fish buying. Everything you need to know about buying, gutting, filleting and cooking of every kind of fish and shellfish is dealt with and even how to kill fish and shellfish if you get them live.

I find the information about the best times of year to buy all the different species of fish and shellfish very useful. There are also lists of fish suppliers, including those who do mail-order for those who do not have easy access to good quality fish.

Sole trader, 29 Jul 2008
Great book to accompany a great series. Hugh isn't the cleanest looking cook around but he's certainly one of the most enthusiastic. My favourite scenes from the series were where he was cooking 'spoots' for the two clam divers. A hot pan, flash fried spoots, a sprinkling of paprika and they were won over! I just wanted to wash Hugh's hair and give him a big pat on the head.

Encyclopaedia and cookbook in one , 22 May 2008
Book is mostly aimed at people passionate about fish and cooking it and contains lots of information about fish, fishing practises etc. I personally was only looking for simple healthy recipes but I am still very happy with it. Was slightly disappointed with the number of recipes, however I love the description of each type of fish with comments on how best to cook this particular fish. With other cookbooks, you only have a dozen recipes for half a dozen types of fish, and are stuck if you have got anything that does not fit the list. Here, each recipe has suggestions on what other types of fish to use. And of course they know what they are talking about, it is all simple and elegant.

A Great book by a modern great., 27 Mar 2008
This book contains everything you would ever need to know about seafood and a lot more. From how to open shell fish, how to fish for them, how to refrigerate/ freeze them. It is great as a reference book, but comes into its own as a cookbook.

Hugh is a magnificent chef some of the food I have cooked tasted amazing. With such simple recipes/ ingredients this book is a winner. Buy it now.

But make sure the fish is as fresh as possible and the fish is sustainabley caught

Thank you.


Informative and inspiring, 29 Oct 2008
This massive tome has a wealth of information about everything to do with the meat we buy and eat. The pictures of what happens in abatoirs are salutary and remind one that to eat meat is a privilege. It's much more than a recipe book: more an instruction manual about which cuts to choose and how to cook them.

The author is convincing in his discussion of the ethical issues connected with different types of farming and the necessity to use every part of a carcass if an animal has been reared in a humane way. But it's far from being a polemical book: one can almost smell the aroma as he describes meat sizzling and browning and there are loads of inviting recipes that inspire one to get in the kitchen.

There's also a long list of suppliers of good meat.

Outstanding book, more of a meat encyclopedia than recipe book, 08 Jul 2008
As many others have mentioned this is a truly outstanding book. Aside from the chapters on the ethics of meat, which many others have covered, this really is an encyclopedia of meat. The various chapters explain all the different cuts of meat, what good cuts look and feel like and the appropriate way of cooking. It does have many recipes but its much more than that it gives a great overall idea of all the different cooking processes. These sections are particularly useful and give great background info on each method the likes of which i have found in no other cookbook. It has increased my confidence in choosing, buying and cooking meat no end. Since buying this I have had the skills to cook much more varied species and cuts of meat, cooking them using many different methods. Whilst i have made many of the tasty recipes, I use the book almost daily as a reference title. If your a meat eater and can only buy one cookbook this is the one.

I really need this book., 22 Jan 2008
Fantastic book. I have learned so much from this book and I have developed a whole new respect for the meat I eat.
This book is an eye opener educating about...
animal farming/welfare
what cuts of meat work for what purpose
how to recognise good quality
pricipals of different styles of cooking and why they work.

I also highly value the chapter on meat thrift. Using leftovers to their best advantage. There is no doubt that this book deserves all the praise it gets..well done hugh!

A Wonderful Book!, 11 Jan 2008
Please please please - everyone buy this book. Infact, everyone buy every book Hugh has published about food! This man is a hero. Yes, it is a cookbook but it is also soooooooo much more. A real education about meat - the whole process and not just skirting around the issues. Hugh states that he is a meat eater but that he is not a meat eater at ANY cost. He cares passionately about the conditions animals are kept in and how they are treated/live their lives whilst they are among us. Added to this - the recipes are absolutely fantastic. This book is a must for anyone who loves to cook, wants varied, interesting and easy to follow recipes and also cares about what they put on their plates. Fantastic book - I shall be adding ALL of his other books to my shelves.

Beware - this book could change you for life, 13 Dec 2007
I've had this book for a year and it's changed my meat shopping and cooking patterns for good. Out of over 150 cookbooks currently on my shelves, it comes out time and time again (and it's beginning to look like its been marinated). A combination of lifestyle philosophy, meaty reference book, polemic and evangelical call to ethical shopping and cooking, it is so much more than a cookbook. Hugh has a great easy and lucid writing style and the recipes really work (his tortilla mix has become my standard). Hugh's persuasive arguments for thinking about what we eat, how meat is produced and on animal welfare issues provide a powerful force for pricking the conscience. A major weapon in pushing back the fast food and processed food culture and the inhumane and poor production values that currently dominate. Read this together with Joanna Blytheman's Bad Food Britain and you may just start to seriously re-evaluate how you shop and eat. It may have increased the amount I spend on good quality ethically produced meat but its also made me respect good produce and eat better. Oh and its handsomely illustrated and well laid out as well - just a little difficult to read in bed and carry because of its size.

As you would expect from the quirky and strong-minded Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, The River Cottage Meat Book is a quirky and strong-minded book. This arm-straining volume (weighing in at an impressive and well illustrated 543 pages) is quite the most ambitious volume yet by an author who absolutely refuses to be categorised. Is he a cookery writer? An expert on the sociology and history of food? An eccentric TV personality? Actually, of course, he's all three (and more); and all of his various skills find expression in this, his magnum opus.

The first intriguing question that The River Cottage Meat Book inspires is: what is the author's agenda? The book has so many aims it's difficult to know where to begin. First of all, this is a definitive guide to the preparation and cooking of meat, in all its various forms. Fearnley-Whittingstall deals (in assiduous detail) with such topics as roasting, grilling and preserving everything from turkey to trotters, in a variety of recipes that he obviously knows and loves. But there is far more to the book than this--fascinating sections on the many different types of meat (lamb, pork and so on) are crammed with information on the different cuts of meat and what they should be used for.

But as someone who raises and utilises his own livestock at the River Cottage, Fearnley-Whittingstall is clearly passionate about the welfare of animals bred for food, and provides some unpalatable information on widespread misdemeanours in these areas. If nothing else, this book will persuade you that it's a good idea to buy your meat from butchers who are equally passionate about these issues, or even direct from reputable farms. The concept makes sound ideological sense, but also ensures that your meat dishes will have an unrivalled depth of flavour. --Barry Forshaw

A great read, 28 Apr 2008
This book is wonderful, imaginative, easy to read and understand. I also found it entertaining, for a 'non cook' that is praise indeed! Although I am no great cook, I do keep chickens for eggs, the wife wont let me eat them, (yet!)I do grow lots of stuff, and much of this is credited to the Author. A man who cherishes his food and where it comes from, and how. This book comes close to being my Bible

A tome to be reckoned with!, 17 Oct 2006
If you're even remotely entertaining the idea of purchasing this book for yourself, your friend or your granny, then just go ahead and click the button.

Fantastic cookbook, yes, but also so much more than that. Here is someone who finally seems to love eating as much as cooking, and the whole process honestly excites him. You can't help but get swept up in his enthusiasm.

Recipes are broken down into easy to follow pieces, which work for budding cooks as well as those with more experience. Fantastically, he also does this without being condescending in the slightest.

If there were a version of Desert Island Books, this would most certainly be on my top 5 list!


The only cookbook you'll ever read..., 07 Oct 2006
I have just finished reading this book from cover to cover, and it is the only cookbook I have ever "read" in this way. Part of the reason is that half (at least) of the book is devoted to the smallholding economy of River Cottage, which like many I can only aspire to at the moment but still find fascinating. This part of the book is a creditable smallholder's manual, better in fact than some others I have read. There is also an immensely useful bibliography and contact list on this and related topics (from where to buy a wicker eel trap to where to get pigeon decoying tuition). But the book is a genuine cookbook as well, and a practical one at that. Personally I find the recipes absolutely mouthwatering, and they also are presented in such a way that at least the introduction and anecdote attached to each one is worth a read in itself, even if you're not in the kitchen. HFW can certainly write as well, with humour and a light touch throughout. At this price, it's an absolute bargain - being such a weighty tome I would recommend buying the hardback version.

Excellent, 20 Mar 2006
If after reading this book you don't want to do what he did...

The recipes are fantastic, and the writting behnd the recipies about how life comtinues is amazing

Uhm a bit though, 23 Aug 2004
Do not take me wrong. I enjoyed this book as much as I loved the TV series; the only problem is that I am not sure the average reader will be interested in breeding his/her own cattle. I love the recipes and have enjoyed this book more as a novel than as a manual to a do-it-yourself live in the country book.

Nice book shame about the index, 13 Nov 2008
I looked around before I bought this book - I wanted something that had a lot more to it than the fish sections of general cook books, and I really wanted the sections on choosing fish and basic tchniques.

As you can see from the other reviews, it fits the bill very well

However, I mark it down one star because using it as a cook book is actually quite difficult because of the lack of a proper cross-referenced index showing fish types and recipes. What they do is give you a load of recipes, which are listed under the name of a single fish, but may recommend up to about half a dozen other fish that will work.

Suppose you have a beautiful grey mullet. You look it up in the index and find pretty much zilch. So you turn to grey mullet in the fish directory and hidden in the grey box in the margin are some page numbers which contain recipes suitable for using with grey mullet - but no clue whatsoever as to what any of those recipes might be. So you have to turn to each one in turn to discover what they are. By the time you have done this you've spent half an hour finding out that the recipe you fancy needs an ingredient you don't have and the corner shop closed 10 minutes ago.

Wouldn't have been easier just to list in the index all the recipes under the fish to which they can apply ? And entries for fish steaks and fish fillets while you were at it guys - not all of us cook for 6 all the time, and those of us in small households tend to buy our fish dismantled (PS if you read this guys, look at Rose Elliot's Bean Book for an example of an almost perfect ingredient-led index).

A splendid book of reference, 25 Oct 2008
This is a major work of reference for anyone interested in fish cookery and sustainable fish buying. Everything you need to know about buying, gutting, filleting and cooking of every kind of fish and shellfish is dealt with and even how to kill fish and shellfish if you get them live.

I find the information about the best times of year to buy all the different species of fish and shellfish very useful. There are also lists of fish suppliers, including those who do mail-order for those who do not have easy access to good quality fish.

Sole trader, 29 Jul 2008
Great book to accompany a great series. Hugh isn't the cleanest looking cook around but he's certainly one of the most enthusiastic. My favourite scenes from the series were where he was cooking 'spoots' for the two clam divers. A hot pan, flash fried spoots, a sprinkling of paprika and they were won over! I just wanted to wash Hugh's hair and give him a big pat on the head.

Encyclopaedia and cookbook in one , 22 May 2008
Book is mostly aimed at people passionate about fish and cooking it and contains lots of information about fish, fishing practises etc. I personally was only looking for simple healthy recipes but I am still very happy with it. Was slightly disappointed with the number of recipes, however I love the description of each type of fish with comments on how best to cook this particular fish. With other cookbooks, you only have a dozen recipes for half a dozen types of fish, and are stuck if you have got anything that does not fit the list. Here, each recipe has suggestions on what other types of fish to use. And of course they know what they are talking about, it is all simple and elegant.

A Great book by a modern great., 27 Mar 2008
This book contains everything you would ever need to know about seafood and a lot more. From how to open shell fish, how to fish for them, how to refrigerate/ freeze them. It is great as a reference book, but comes into its own as a cookbook.

Hugh is a magnificent chef some of the food I have cooked tasted amazing. With such simple recipes/ ingredients this book is a winner. Buy it now.

But make sure the fish is as fresh as possible and the fish is sustainabley caught

Thank you.


Informative and inspiring, 29 Oct 2008
This massive tome has a wealth of information about everything to do with the meat we buy and eat. The pictures of what happens in abatoirs are salutary and remind one that to eat meat is a privilege. It's much more than a recipe book: more an instruction manual about which cuts to choose and how to cook them.

The author is convincing in his discussion of the ethical issues connected with different types of farming and the necessity to use every part of a carcass if an animal has been reared in a humane way. But it's far from being a polemical book: one can almost smell the aroma as he describes meat sizzling and browning and there are loads of inviting recipes that inspire one to get in the kitchen.

There's also a long list of suppliers of good meat.

Outstanding book, more of a meat encyclopedia than recipe book, 08 Jul 2008
As many others have mentioned this is a truly outstanding book. Aside from the chapters on the ethics of meat, which many others have covered, this really is an encyclopedia of meat. The various chapters explain all the different cuts of meat, what good cuts look and feel like and the appropriate way of cooking. It does have many recipes but its much more than that it gives a great overall idea of all the different cooking processes. These sections are particularly useful and give great background info on each method the likes of which i have found in no other cookbook. It has increased my confidence in choosing, buying and cooking meat no end. Since buying this I have had the skills to cook much more varied species and cuts of meat, cooking them using many different methods. Whilst i have made many of the tasty recipes, I use the book almost daily as a reference title. If your a meat eater and can only buy one cookbook this is the one.

I really need this book., 22 Jan 2008
Fantastic book. I have learned so much from this book and I have developed a whole new respect for the meat I eat.
This book is an eye opener educating about...
animal farming/welfare
what cuts of meat work for what purpose
how to recognise good quality
pricipals of different styles of cooking and why they work.

I also highly value the chapter on meat thrift. Using leftovers to their best advantage. There is no doubt that this book deserves all the praise it gets..well done hugh!

A Wonderful Book!, 11 Jan 2008
Please please please - everyone buy this book. Infact, everyone buy every book Hugh has published about food! This man is a hero. Yes, it is a cookbook but it is also soooooooo much more. A real education about meat - the whole process and not just skirting around the issues. Hugh states that he is a meat eater but that he is not a meat eater at ANY cost. He cares passionately about the conditions animals are kept in and how they are treated/live their lives whilst they are among us. Added to this - the recipes are absolutely fantastic. This book is a must for anyone who loves to cook, wants varied, interesting and easy to follow recipes and also cares about what they put on their plates. Fantastic book - I shall be adding ALL of his other books to my shelves.

Beware - this book could change you for life, 13 Dec 2007
I've had this book for a year and it's changed my meat shopping and cooking patterns for good. Out of over 150 cookbooks currently on my shelves, it comes out time and time again (and it's beginning to look like its been marinated). A combination of lifestyle philosophy, meaty reference book, polemic and evangelical call to ethical shopping and cooking, it is so much more than a cookbook. Hugh has a great easy and lucid writing style and the recipes really work (his tortilla mix has become my standard). Hugh's persuasive arguments for thinking about what we eat, how meat is produced and on animal welfare issues provide a powerful force for pricking the conscience. A major weapon in pushing back the fast food and processed food culture and the inhumane and poor production values that currently dominate. Read this together with Joanna Blytheman's Bad Food Britain and you may just start to seriously re-evaluate how you shop and eat. It may have increased the amount I spend on good quality ethically produced meat but its also made me respect good produce and eat better. Oh and its handsomely illustrated and well laid out as well - just a little difficult to read in bed and carry because of its size.

Informative and inspiring, 29 Oct 2008
This massive tome has a wealth of information about everything to do with the meat we buy and eat. The pictures of what happens in abatoirs are salutary and remind one that to eat meat is a privilege. It's much more than a recipe book: more an instruction manual about which cuts to choose and how to cook them.

The author is convincing in his discussion of the ethical issues connected with different types of farming and the necessity to use every part of a carcass if an animal has been reared in a humane way. But it's far from being a polemical book: one can almost smell the aroma as he describes meat sizzling and browning and there are loads of inviting recipes that inspire one to get in the kitchen.

There's also a long list of suppliers of good meat.

Outstanding book, more of a meat encyclopedia than recipe book, 08 Jul 2008
As many others have mentioned this is a truly outstanding book. Aside from the chapters on the ethics of meat, which many others have covered, this really is an encyclopedia of meat. The various chapters explain all the different cuts of meat, what good cuts look and feel like and the appropriate way of cooking. It does have many recipes but its much more than that it gives a great overall idea of all the different cooking processes. These sections are particularly useful and give great background info on each method the likes of which i have found in no other cookbook. It has increased my confidence in choosing, buying and cooking meat no end. Since buying this I have had the skills to cook much more varied species and cuts of meat, cooking them using many different methods. Whilst i have made many of the tasty recipes, I use the book almost daily as a reference title. If your a meat eater and can only buy one cookbook this is the one.

I really need this book., 22 Jan 2008
Fantastic book. I have learned so much from this book and I have developed a whole new respect for the meat I eat.
This book is an eye opener educating about...
animal farming/welfare
what cuts of meat work for what purpose
how to recognise good quality
pricipals of different styles of cooking and why they work.

I also highly value the chapter on meat thrift. Using leftovers to their best advantage. There is no doubt that this book deserves all the praise it gets..well done hugh!

A Wonderful Book!, 11 Jan 2008
Please please please - everyone buy this book. Infact, everyone buy every book Hugh has published about food! This man is a hero. Yes, it is a cookbook but it is also soooooooo much more. A real education about meat - the whole process and not just skirting around the issues. Hugh states that he is a meat eater but that he is not a meat eater at ANY cost. He cares passionately about the conditions animals are kept in and how they are treated/live their lives whilst they are among us. Added to this - the recipes are absolutely fantastic. This book is a must for anyone who loves to cook, wants varied, interesting and easy to follow recipes and also cares about what they put on their plates. Fantastic book - I shall be adding ALL of his other books to my shelves.

Beware - this book could change you for life, 13 Dec 2007
I've had this book for a year and it's changed my meat shopping and cooking patterns for good. Out of over 150 cookbooks currently on my shelves, it comes out time and time again (and it's beginning to look like its been marinated). A combination of lifestyle philosophy, meaty reference book, polemic and evangelical call to ethical shopping and cooking, it is so much more than a cookbook. Hugh has a great easy and lucid writing style and the recipes really work (his tortilla mix has become my standard). Hugh's persuasive arguments for thinking about what we eat, how meat is produced and on animal welfare issues provide a powerful force for pricking the conscience. A major weapon in pushing back the fast food and processed food culture and the inhumane and poor production values that currently dominate. Read this together with Joanna Blytheman's Bad Food Britain and you may just start to seriously re-evaluate how you shop and eat. It may have increased the amount I spend on good quality ethically produced meat but its also made me respect good produce and eat better. Oh and its handsomely illustrated and well laid out as well - just a little difficult to read in bed and carry because of its size.

A great read, 28 Apr 2008
This book is wonderful, imaginative, easy to read and understand. I also found it entertaining, for a 'non cook' that is praise indeed! Although I am no great cook, I do keep chickens for eggs, the wife wont let me eat them, (yet!)I do grow lots of stuff, and much of this is credited to the Author. A man who cherishes his food and where it comes from, and how. This book comes close to being my Bible

A tome to be reckoned with!, 17 Oct 2006
If you're even remotely entertaining the idea of purchasing this book for yourself, your friend or your granny, then just go ahead and click the button.

Fantastic cookbook, yes, but also so much more than that. Here is someone who finally seems to love eating as much as cooking, and the whole process honestly excites him. You can't help but get swept up in his enthusiasm.

Recipes are broken down into easy to follow pieces, which work for budding cooks as well as those with more experience. Fantastically, he also does this without being condescending in the slightest.

If there were a version of Desert Island Books, this would most certainly be on my top 5 list!


The only cookbook you'll ever read..., 07 Oct 2006
I have just finished reading this book from cover to cover, and it is the only cookbook I have ever "read" in this way. Part of the reason is that half (at least) of the book is devoted to the smallholding economy of River Cottage, which like many I can only aspire to at the moment but still find fascinating. This part of the book is a creditable smallholder's manual, better in fact than some others I have read. There is also an immensely useful bibliography and contact list on this and related topics (from where to buy a wicker eel trap to where to get pigeon decoying tuition). But the book is a genuine cookbook as well, and a practical one at that. Personally I find the recipes absolutely mouthwatering, and they also are presented in such a way that at least the introduction and anecdote attached to each one is worth a read in itself, even if you're not in the kitchen. HFW can certainly write as well, with humour and a light touch throughout. At this price, it's an absolute bargain - being such a weighty tome I would recommend buying the hardback version.

Excellent, 20 Mar 2006
If after reading this book you don't want to do what he did...

The recipes are fantastic, and the writting behnd the recipies about how life comtinues is amazing

Uhm a bit though, 23 Aug 2004
Do not take me wrong. I enjoyed this book as much as I loved the TV series; the only problem is that I am not sure the average reader will be interested in breeding his/her own cattle. I love the recipes and have enjoyed this book more as a novel than as a manual to a do-it-yourself live in the country book.

Nice book shame about the index, 13 Nov 2008
I looked around before I bought this book - I wanted something that had a lot more to it than the fish sections of general cook books, and I really wanted the sections on choosing fish and basic tchniques.

As you can see from the other reviews, it fits the bill very well

However, I mark it down one star because using it as a cook book is actually quite difficult because of the lack of a proper cross-referenced index showing fish types and recipes. What they do is give you a load of recipes, which are listed under the name of a single fish, but may recommend up to about half a dozen other fish that will work.

Suppose you have a beautiful grey mullet. You look it up in the index and find pretty much zilch. So you turn to grey mullet in the fish directory and hidden in the grey box in the margin are some page numbers which contain recipes suitable for using with grey mullet - but no clue whatsoever as to what any of those recipes might be. So you have to turn to each one in turn to discover what they are. By the time you have done this you've spent half an hour finding out that the recipe you fancy needs an ingredient you don't have and the corner shop closed 10 minutes ago.

Wouldn't have been easier just to list in the index all the recipes under the fish to which they can apply ? And entries for fish steaks and fish fillets while you were at it guys - not all of us cook for 6 all the time, and those of us in small households tend to buy our fish dismantled (PS if you read this guys, look at Rose Elliot's Bean Book for an example of an almost perfect ingredient-led index).

A splendid book of reference, 25 Oct 2008
This is a major work of reference for anyone interested in fish cookery and sustainable fish buying. Everything you need to know about buying, gutting, filleting and cooking of every kind of fish and shellfish is dealt with and even how to kill fish and shellfish if you get them live.

I find the information about the best times of year to buy all the different species of fish and shellfish very useful. There are also lists of fish suppliers, including those who do mail-order for those who do not have easy access to good quality fish.

Sole trader, 29 Jul 2008
Great book to accompany a great series. Hugh isn't the cleanest looking cook around but he's certainly one of the most enthusiastic. My favourite scenes from the series were where he was cooking 'spoots' for the two clam divers. A hot pan, flash fried spoots, a sprinkling of paprika and they were won over! I just wanted to wash Hugh's hair and give him a big pat on the head.

Encyclopaedia and cookbook in one , 22 May 2008
Book is mostly aimed at people passionate about fish and cooking it and contains lots of information about fish, fishing practises etc. I personally was only looking for simple healthy recipes but I am still very happy with it. Was slightly disappointed with the number of recipes, however I love the description of each type of fish with comments on how best to cook this particular fish. With other cookbooks, you only have a dozen recipes for half a dozen types of fish, and are stuck if you have got anything that does not fit the list. Here, each recipe has suggestions on what other types of fish to use. And of course they know what they are talking about, it is all simple and elegant.

A Great book by a modern great., 27 Mar 2008
This book contains everything you would ever need to know about seafood and a lot more. From how to open shell fish, how to fish for them, how to refrigerate/ freeze them. It is great as a reference book, but comes into its own as a cookbook.

Hugh is a magnificent chef some of the food I have cooked tasted amazing. With such simple recipes/ ingredients this book is a winner. Buy it now.

But make sure the fish is as fresh as possible and the fish is sustainabley caught

Thank you.


Informative and inspiring, 29 Oct 2008
This massive tome has a wealth of information about everything to do with the meat we buy and eat. The pictures of what happens in abatoirs are salutary and remind one that to eat meat is a privilege. It's much more than a recipe book: more an instruction manual about which cuts to choose and how to cook them.

The author is convincing in his discussion of the ethical issues connected with different types of farming and the necessity to use every part of a carcass if an animal has been reared in a humane way. But it's far from being a polemical book: one can almost smell the aroma as he describes meat sizzling and browning and there are loads of inviting recipes that inspire one to get in the kitchen.

There's also a long list of suppliers of good meat.

Outstanding book, more of a meat encyclopedia than recipe book, 08 Jul 2008
As many others have mentioned this is a truly outstanding book. Aside from the chapters on the ethics of meat, which many others have covered, this really is an encyclopedia of meat. The various chapters explain all the different cuts of meat, what good cuts look and feel like and the appropriate way of cooking. It does have many recipes but its much more than that it gives a great overall idea of all the different cooking processes. These sections are particularly useful and give great background info on each method the likes of which i have found in no other cookbook. It has increased my confidence in choosing, buying and cooking meat no end. Since buying this I have had the skills to cook much more varied species and cuts of meat, cooking them using many different methods. Whilst i have made many of the tasty recipes, I use the book almost daily as a reference title. If your a meat eater and can only buy one cookbook this is the one.

I really need this book., 22 Jan 2008
Fantastic book. I have learned so much from this book and I have developed a whole new respect for the meat I eat.
This book is an eye opener educating about...
animal farming/welfare
what cuts of meat work for what purpose
how to recognise good quality
pricipals of different styles of cooking and why they work.

I also highly value the chapter on meat thrift. Using leftovers to their best advantage. There is no doubt that this book deserves all the praise it gets..well done hugh!

A Wonderful Book!, 11 Jan 2008
Please please please - everyone buy this book. Infact, everyone buy every book Hugh has published about food! This man is a hero. Yes, it is a cookbook but it is also soooooooo much more. A real education about meat - the whole process and not just skirting around the issues. Hugh states that he is a meat eater but that he is not a meat eater at ANY cost. He cares passionately about the conditions animals are kept in and how they are treated/live their lives whilst they are among us. Added to this - the recipes are absolutely fantastic. This book is a must for anyone who loves to cook, wants varied, interesting and easy to follow recipes and also cares about what they put on their plates. Fantastic book - I shall be adding ALL of his other books to my shelves.

Beware - this book could change you for life, 13 Dec 2007
I've had this book for a year and it's changed my meat shopping and cooking patterns for good. Out of over 150 cookbooks currently on my shelves, it comes out time and time again (and it's beginning to look like its been marinated). A combination of lifestyle philosophy, meaty reference book, polemic and evangelical call to ethical shopping and cooking, it is so much more than a cookbook. Hugh has a great easy and lucid writing style and the recipes really work (his tortilla mix has become my standard). Hugh's persuasive arguments for thinking about what we eat, how meat is produced and on animal welfare issues provide a powerful force for pricking the conscience. A major weapon in pushing back the fast food and processed food culture and the inhumane and poor production values that currently dominate. Read this together with Joanna Blytheman's Bad Food Britain and you may just start to seriously re-evaluate how you shop and eat. It may have increased the amount I spend on good quality ethically produced meat but its also made me respect good produce and eat better. Oh and its handsomely illustrated and well laid out as well - just a little difficult to read in bed and carry because of its size.

Informative and inspiring, 29 Oct 2008
This massive tome has a wealth of information about everything to do with the meat we buy and eat. The pictures of what happens in abatoirs are salutary and remind one that to eat meat is a privilege. It's much more than a recipe book: more an instruction manual about which cuts to choose and how to cook them.

The author is convincing in his discussion of the ethical issues connected with different types of farming and the necessity to use every part of a carcass if an animal has been reared in a humane way. But it's far from being a polemical book: one can almost smell the aroma as he describes meat sizzling and browning and there are loads of inviting recipes that inspire one to get in the kitchen.

There's also a long list of suppliers of good meat.

Outstanding book, more of a meat encyclopedia than recipe book, 08 Jul 2008
As many others have mentioned this is a truly outstanding book. Aside from the chapters on the ethics of meat, which many others have covered, this really is an encyclopedia of meat. The various chapters explain all the different cuts of meat, what good cuts look and feel like and the appropriate way of cooking. It does have many recipes but its much more than that it gives a great overall idea of all the different cooking processes. These sections are particularly useful and give great background info on each method the likes of which i have found in no other cookbook. It has increased my confidence in choosing, buying and cooking meat no end. Since buying this I have had the skills to cook much more varied species and cuts of meat, cooking them using many different methods. Whilst i have made many of the tasty recipes, I use the book almost daily as a reference title. If your a meat eater and can only buy one cookbook this is the one.

I really need this book., 22 Jan 2008
Fantastic book. I have learned so much from this book and I have developed a whole new respect for the meat I eat.
This book is an eye opener educating about...
animal farming/welfare
what cuts of meat work for what purpose
how to recognise good quality
pricipals of different styles of cooking and why they work.

I also highly value the chapter on meat thrift. Using leftovers to their best advantage. There is no doubt that this book deserves all the praise it gets..well done hugh!

A Wonderful Book!, 11 Jan 2008
Please please please - everyone buy this book. Infact, everyone buy every book Hugh has published about food! This man is a hero. Yes, it is a cookbook but it is also soooooooo much more. A real education about meat - the whole process and not just skirting around the issues. Hugh states that he is a meat eater but that he is not a meat eater at ANY cost. He cares passionately about the conditions animals are kept in and how they are treated/live their lives whilst they are among us. Added to this - the recipes are absolutely fantastic. This book is a must for anyone who loves to cook, wants varied, interesting and easy to follow recipes and also cares about what they put on their plates. Fantastic book - I shall be adding ALL of his other books to my shelves.

Beware - this book could change you for life, 13 Dec 2007
I've had this book for a year and it's changed my meat shopping and cooking patterns for good. Out of over 150 cookbooks currently on my shelves, it comes out time and time again (and it's beginning to look like its been marinated). A combination of lifestyle philosophy, meaty reference book, polemic and evangelical call to ethical shopping and cooking, it is so much more than a cookbook. Hugh has a great easy and lucid writing style and the recipes really work (his tortilla mix has become my standard). Hugh's persuasive arguments for thinking about what we eat, how meat is produced and on animal welfare issues provide a powerful force for pricking the conscience. A major weapon in pushing back the fast food and processed food culture and the inhumane and poor production values that currently dominate. Read this together with Joanna Blytheman's Bad Food Britain and you may just start to seriously re-evaluate how you shop and eat. It may have increased the amount I spend on good quality ethically produced meat but its also made me respect good produce and eat better. Oh and its handsomely illustrated and well laid out as well - just a little difficult to read in bed and carry because of its size.

The River Cottage Family Cookbook, 27 Aug 2008
This book is fantastic, I can not fault it one bit. Hugh and Fizz create a world where it is easy and fun to cook home made produce. My friends are often asking me how I know how to make so many good things, and its all in this cook book! Home made pasta, Who else actually does that anymore? Yet its easy and simple to do, all kinds of home made breads, cakes, its just brilliant!

A good book for beginners, children and everyone else, 16 Aug 2008
Yes, this book does contain recipes that are too basic for people with decent cooking skills, but there are recipes for those people too. It's the mixture that makes it a true family cookbook - you can hardly start your children off cooking with complicated recipes. All the recipes are presented in a very clear way and easy to follow. What I realy like about this book are the projects that are included in most chapters. They really make it possible to teach children how food is or used to be produced (make your own pasta, cream cheese, grow your own potatoes or little salad garden on very little space ...) or just suggest ideas for having some fun, for example at a children's party (have a pancake race, create your own icecream maker ...). Many recipes have step-by-step photographs to help you along, plus serving suggestions to vary the recipes. I quite enjoy this book, although I do also cook from Gary Rhodes' or Gordon Ramsay's books and obviously am not a beginner.

Great family cookbook, 26 Mar 2008
Having two small children I was looking for a cook book that would be both fun and educational and help me as a parent to get their hands dirty in the kitchen with some real cooking. I like Hugh's presentation style and enthusiasm for food which comes across strongly in his TV programmes and I was curious to see whether this translated into this book. Quite simply it does. To my surprise I also found myself getting seriously back into cooking and within a few weeks have cooked quite a few of the recipes with my children with great success.

A few people have commented negatively about the simplicity of the recipes in this book, but lets not forget the intended purpose and audience.

Also if you are looking for an encyclopaedic reference cookbook of family cooking this isn't it either, there are many other books that can do that for you. This cookbook contains a well chosen selection of recipes covering a good range of food types, a great way for me as a parent to try out new things for my children to eat with solid, fun recipes that they can get involved with.

Very highly recommended.

Good cook books, 17 Oct 2007
Having watched Hugh's series on living in Dorset, where we live, I am already a big fan of his cooking and this book did not disapoint.
I has been a super book to dip into and choose recipes to cook both on my own and with my children. What I particularly like is that the style doesn't patronise children and spreads the recipes between sweet dishes and main courses. The recipes are good for children to follow and presume that they are going to cook proper food not just fairy cakes.
I would really recommend this book to both families and adults, it's a good read (and beautiful to look at and handle) and the recipes work well. What more could you want!

fantastic book and recipies, 13 Aug 2007
This book is for every budding cook from begginers to more talented experts! The recipies are fantastic and truly inspirational, they make you want to cook. I now enjoy cooking when i get home. The insite into how meat gets to your plate is interesting and the information about where to buy decent meat and how to spot a good buy is really helpful. will definatly buy another book from his collection!

Few foods make us feel good as soup. From the thick tomato soup of childhood to restorative spicy concoctions on chilly evenings, or a low-fat meal at lunchtime, soup and well-being go hand in hand. Soup Kitchen is a fantastic collection that brings together 100 recipes from top food writers and chefs at work today. From Delia Smith's Cauliflower Soup with Roquefort to Jamie Oliver's Chickpea, Leek and Parmesan Soup, there are soups here for every need, whether quick post-work suppers or more sophisticated ideas to serve friends. With a foreword by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Soup Kitchen takes a seasonal approach so you can get the best from fresh ingredients. His introduction is complete with practical advice on stocks, and key soup-making techniques. Along with recipes from some of the world's finest chefs, this book is full of personality and quirky photography, making the art of soup-making enjoyable and accessible to all. The royalties from the book will go to homeless charities including The Salvation Army and CentrepointThe finest soup recipes from the top chefs of today, from Rick Stein and Delia Smith to Giorgio Locatelli and Jamie Oliver. Few foods make us feel as good as soup. From the thick tomato soup of childhood to restorative spicy concoctions on chilly evenings

A great read, 28 Apr 2008
This book is wonderful, imaginative, easy to read and understand. I also found it entertaining, for a 'non cook' that is praise indeed! Although I am no great cook, I do keep chickens for eggs, the wife wont let me eat them, (yet!)I do grow lots of stuff, and much of this is credited to the Author. A man who cherishes his food and where it comes from, and how. This book comes close to being my Bible

A tome to be reckoned with!, 17 Oct 2006
If you're even remotely entertaining the idea of purchasing this book for yourself, your friend or your granny, then just go ahead and click the button.

Fantastic cookbook, yes, but also so much more than that. Here is someone who finally seems to love eating as much as cooking, and the whole process honestly excites him. You can't help but get swept up in his enthusiasm.

Recipes are broken down into easy to follow pieces, which work for budding cooks as well as those with more experience. Fantastically, he also does this without being condescending in the slightest.

If there were a version of Desert Island Books, this would most certainly be on my top 5 list!


The only cookbook you'll ever read..., 07 Oct 2006
I have just finished reading this book from cover to cover, and it is the only cookbook I have ever "read" in this way. Part of the reason is that half (at least) of the book is devoted to the smallholding economy of River Cottage, which like many I can only aspire to at the moment but still find fascinating. This part of the book is a creditable smallholder's manual, better in fact than some others I have read. There is also an immensely useful bibliography and contact list on this and related topics (from where to buy a wicker eel trap to where to get pigeon decoying tuition). But the book is a genuine cookbook as well, and a practical one at that. Personally I find the recipes absolutely mouthwatering, and they also are presented in such a way that at least the introduction and anecdote attached to each one is worth a read in itself, even if you're not in the kitchen. HFW can certainly write as well, with humour and a light touch throughout. At this price, it's an absolute bargain - being such a weighty tome I would recommend buying the hardback version.

Excellent, 20 Mar 2006
If after reading this book you don't want to do what he did...

The recipes are fantastic, and the writting behnd the recipies about how life comtinues is amazing

Uhm a bit though, 23 Aug 2004
Do not take me wrong. I enjoyed this book as much as I loved the TV series; the only problem is that I am not sure the average reader will be interested in breeding his/her own cattle. I love the recipes and have enjoyed this book more as a novel than as a manual to a do-it-yourself live in the country book.

Nice book shame about the index, 13 Nov 2008
I looked around before I bought this book - I wanted something that had a lot more to it than the fish sections of general cook books, and I really wanted the sections on choosing fish and basic tchniques.

As you can see from the other reviews, it fits the bill very well

However, I mark it down one star because using it as a cook book is actually quite difficult because of the lack of a proper cross-referenced index showing fish types and recipes. What they do is give you a load of recipes, which are listed under the name of a single fish, but may recommend up to about half a dozen other fish that will work.

Suppose you have a beautiful grey mullet. You look it up in the index and find pretty much zilch. So you turn to grey mullet in the fish directory and hidden in the grey box in the margin are some page numbers which contain recipes suitable for using with grey mullet - but no clue whatsoever as to what any of those recipes might be. So you have to turn to each one in turn to discover what they are. By the time you have done this you've spent half an hour finding out that the recipe you fancy needs an ingredient you don't have and the corner shop closed 10 minutes ago.

Wouldn't have been easier just to list in the index all the recipes under the fish to which they can apply ? And entries for fish steaks and fish fillets while you were at it guys - not all of us cook for 6 all the time, and those of us in small households tend to buy our fish dismantled (PS if you read this guys, look at Rose Elliot's Bean Book for an example of an almost perfect ingredient-led index).

A splendid book of reference, 25 Oct 2008
This is a major work of reference for anyone interested in fish cookery and sustainable fish buying. Everything you need to know about buying, gutting, filleting and cooking of every kind of fish and shellfish is dealt with and even how to kill fish and shellfish if you get them live.

I find the information about the best times of year to buy all the different species of fish and shellfish very useful. There are also lists of fish suppliers, including those who do mail-order for those who do not have easy access to good quality fish.

Sole trader, 29 Jul 2008
Great book to accompany a great series. Hugh isn't the cleanest looking cook around but he's certainly one of the most enthusiastic. My favourite scenes from the series were where he was cooking 'spoots' for the two clam divers. A hot pan, flash fried spoots, a sprinkling of paprika and they were won over! I just wanted to wash Hugh's hair and give him a big pat on the head.

Encyclopaedia and cookbook in one , 22 May 2008
Book is mostly aimed at people passionate about fish and cooking it and contains lots of information about fish, fishing practises etc. I personally was only looking for simple healthy recipes but I am still very happy with it. Was slightly disappointed with the number of recipes, however I love the description of each type of fish with comments on how best to cook this particular fish. With other cookbooks, you only have a dozen recipes for half a dozen types of fish, and are stuck if you have got anything that does not fit the list. Here, each recipe has suggestions on what other types of fish to use. And of course they know what they are talking about, it is all simple and elegant.

A Great book by a modern great., 27 Mar 2008
This book contains everything you would ever need to know about seafood and a lot more. From how to open shell fish, how to fish for them, how to refrigerate/ freeze them. It is great as a reference book, but comes into its own as a cookbook.

Hugh is a magnificent chef some of the food I have cooked tasted amazing. With such simple recipes/ ingredients this book is a winner. Buy it now.

But make sure the fish is as fresh as possible and the fish is sustainabley caught

Thank you.


Informative and inspiring, 29 Oct 2008
This massive tome has a wealth of information about everything to do with the meat we buy and eat. The pictures of what happens in abatoirs are salutary and remind one that to eat meat is a privilege. It's much more than a recipe book: more an instruction manual about which cuts to choose and how to cook them.

The author is convincing in his discussion of the ethical issues connected with different types of farming and the necessity to use every part of a carcass if an animal has been reared in a humane way. But it's far from being a polemical book: one can almost smell the aroma as he describes meat sizzling and browning and there are loads of inviting recipes that inspire one to get in the kitchen.

There's also a long list of suppliers of good meat.

Outstanding book, more of a meat encyclopedia than recipe book, 08 Jul 2008
As many others have mentioned this is a truly outstanding book. Aside from the chapters on the ethics of meat, which many others have covered, this really is an encyclopedia of meat. The various chapters explain all the different cuts of meat, what good cuts look and feel like and the appropriate way of cooking. It does have many recipes but its much more than that it gives a great overall idea of all the different cooking processes. These sections are particularly useful and give great background info on each method the likes of which i have found in no other cookbook. It has increased my confidence in choosing, buying and cooking meat no end. Since buying this I have had the skills to cook much more varied species and cuts of meat, cooking them using many different methods. Whilst i have made many of the tasty recipes, I use the book almost daily as a reference title. If your a meat eater and can only buy one cookbook this is the one.

I really need this book., 22 Jan 2008
Fantastic book. I have learned so much from this book and I have developed a whole new respect for the meat I eat.
This book is an eye opener educating about...
animal farming/welfare
what cuts of meat work for what purpose
how to recognise good quality
pricipals of different styles of cooking and why they work.

I also highly value the chapter on meat thrift. Using leftovers to their best advantage. There is no doubt that this book deserves all the praise it gets..well done hugh!

A Wonderful Book!, 11 Jan 2008
Please please please - everyone buy this book. Infact, everyone buy every book Hugh has published about food! This man is a hero. Yes, it is a cookbook but it is also soooooooo much more. A real education about meat - the whole process and not just skirting around the issues. Hugh states that he is a meat eater but that he is not a meat eater at ANY cost. He cares passionately about the conditions animals are kept in and how they are treated/live their lives whilst they are among us. Added to this - the recipes are absolutely fantastic. This book is a must for anyone who loves to cook, wants varied, interesting and easy to follow recipes and also cares about what they put on their plates. Fantastic book - I shall be adding ALL of his other books to my shelves.

Beware - this book could change you for life, 13 Dec 2007
I've had this book for a year and it's changed my meat shopping and cooking patterns for good. Out of over 150 cookbooks currently on my shelves, it comes out time and time again (and it's beginning to look like its been marinated). A combination of lifestyle philosophy, meaty reference book, polemic and evangelical call to ethical shopping and cooking, it is so much more than a cookbook. Hugh has a great easy and lucid writing style and the recipes really work (his tortilla mix has become my standard). Hugh's persuasive arguments for thinking about what we eat, how meat is produced and on animal welfare issues provide a powerful force for pricking the conscience. A major weapon in pushing back the fast food and processed food culture and the inhumane and poor production values that currently dominate. Read this together with Joanna Blytheman's Bad Food Britain and you may just start to seriously re-evaluate how you shop and eat. It may have increased the amount I spend on good quality ethically produced meat but its also made me respect good produce and eat better. Oh and its handsomely illustrated and well laid out as well - just a little difficult to read in bed and carry because of its size.

Informative and inspiring, 29 Oct 2008
This massive tome has a wealth of information about everything to do with the meat we buy and eat. The pictures of what happens in abatoirs are salutary and remind one that to eat meat is a privilege. It's much more than a recipe book: more an instruction manual about which cuts to choose and how to cook them.

The author is convincing in his discussion of the ethical issues connected with different types of farming and the necessity to use every part of a carcass if an animal has been reared in a humane way. But it's far from being a polemical book: one can almost smell the aroma as he describes meat sizzling and browning and there are loads of inviting recipes that inspire one to get in the kitchen.

There's also a long list of suppliers of good meat.

Outstanding book, more of a meat encyclopedia than recipe book, 08 Jul 2008
As many others have mentioned this is a truly outstanding book. Aside from the chapters on the ethics of meat, which many others have covered, this really is an encyclopedia of meat. The various chapters explain all the different cuts of meat, what good cuts look and feel like and the appropriate way of cooking. It does have many recipes but its much more than that it gives a great overall idea of all the different cooking processes. These sections are particularly useful and give great background info on each method the likes of which i have found in no other cookbook. It has increased my confidence in choosing, buying and cooking meat no end. Since buying this I have had the skills to cook much more varied species and cuts of meat, cooking them using many different methods. Whilst i have made many of the tasty recipes, I use the book almost daily as a reference title. If your a meat eater and can only buy one cookbook this is the one.

I really need this book., 22 Jan 2008
Fantastic book. I have learned so much from this book and I have developed a whole new respect for the meat I eat.
This book is an eye opener educating about...
animal farming/welfare
what cuts of meat work for what purpose
how to recognise good quality
pricipals of different styles of cooking and why they work.

I also highly value the chapter on meat thrift. Using leftovers to their best advantage. There is no doubt that this book deserves all the praise it gets..well done hugh!

A Wonderful Book!, 11 Jan 2008
Please please please - everyone buy this book. Infact, everyone buy every book Hugh has published about food! This man is a hero. Yes, it is a cookbook but it is also soooooooo much more. A real education about meat - the whole process and not just skirting around the issues. Hugh states that he is a meat eater but that he is not a meat eater at ANY cost. He cares passionately about the conditions animals are kept in and how they are treated/live their lives whilst they are among us. Added to this - the recipes are absolutely fantastic. This book is a must for anyone who loves to cook, wants varied, interesting and easy to follow recipes and also cares about what they put on their plates. Fantastic book - I shall be adding ALL of his other books to my shelves.

Beware - this book could change you for life, 13 Dec 2007
I've had this book for a year and it's changed my meat shopping and cooking patterns for good. Out of over 150 cookbooks currently on my shelves, it comes out time and time again (and it's beginning to look like its been marinated). A combination of lifestyle philosophy, meaty reference book, polemic and evangelical call to ethical shopping and cooking, it is so much more than a cookbook. Hugh has a great easy and lucid writing style and the recipes really work (his tortilla mix has become my standard). Hugh's persuasive arguments for thinking about what we eat, how meat is produced and on animal welfare issues provide a powerful force for pricking the conscience. A major weapon in pushing back the fast food and processed food culture and the inhumane and poor production values that currently dominate. Read this together with Joanna Blytheman's Bad Food Britain and you may just start to seriously re-evaluate how you shop and eat. It may have increased the amount I spend on good quality ethically produced meat but its also made me respect good produce and eat better. Oh and its handsomely illustrated and well laid out as well - just a little difficult to read in bed and carry because of its size.

The River Cottage Family Cookbook, 27 Aug 2008
This book is fantastic, I can not fault it one bit. Hugh and Fizz create a world where it is easy and fun to cook home made produce. My friends are often asking me how I know how to make so many good things, and its all in this cook book! Home made pasta, Who else actually does that anymore? Yet its easy and simple to do, all kinds of home made breads, cakes, its just brilliant!

A good book for beginners, children and everyone else, 16 Aug 2008
Yes, this book does contain recipes that are too basic for people with decent cooking skills, but there are recipes for those people too. It's the mixture that makes it a true family cookbook - you can hardly start your children off cooking with complicated recipes. All the recipes are presented in a very clear way and easy to follow. What I realy like about this book are the projects that are included in most chapters. They really make it possible to teach children how food is or used to be produced (make your own pasta, cream cheese, grow your own potatoes or little salad garden on very little space ...) or just suggest ideas for having some fun, for example at a children's party (have a pancake race, create your own icecream maker ...). Many recipes have step-by-step photographs to help you along, plus serving suggestions to vary the recipes. I quite enjoy this book, although I do also cook from Gary Rhodes' or Gordon Ramsay's books and obviously am not a beginner.

Great family cookbook, 26 Mar 2008
Having two small children I was looking for a cook book that would be both fun and educational and help me as a parent to get their hands dirty in the kitchen with some real cooking. I like Hugh's presentation style and enthusiasm for food which comes across strongly in his TV programmes and I was curious to see whether this translated into this book. Quite simply it does. To my surprise I also found myself getting seriously back into cooking and within a few weeks have cooked quite a few of the recipes with my children with great success.

A few people have commented negatively about the simplicity of the recipes in this book, but lets not forget the intended purpose and audience.

Also if you are looking for an encyclopaedic reference cookbook of family cooking this isn't it either, there are many other books that can do that for you. This cookbook contains a well chosen selection of recipes covering a good range of food types, a great way for me as a parent to try out new things for my children to eat with solid, fun recipes that they can get involved with.

Very highly recommended.

Good cook books, 17 Oct 2007
Having watched Hugh's series on living in Dorset, where we live, I am already a big fan of his cooking and this book did not disapoint.
I has been a super book to dip into and choose recipes to cook both on my own and with my children. What I particularly like is that the style doesn't patronise children and spreads the recipes between sweet dishes and main courses. The recipes are good for children to follow and presume that they are going to cook proper food not just fairy cakes.
I would really recommend this book to both families and adults, it's a good read (and beautiful to look at and handle) and the recipes work well. What more could you want!

fantastic book and recipies, 13 Aug 2007
This book is for every budding cook from begginers to more talented experts! The recipies are fantastic and truly inspirational, they make you want to cook. I now enjoy cooking when i get home. The insite into how meat gets to your plate is interesting and the information about where to buy decent meat and how to spot a good buy is really helpful. will definatly buy another book from his collection!

A good read but rarely used, 19 Aug 2007
When I bought this book I was hoping for a book with simple easy to make recipes (soups should be easy I think). Some of the recipes are just too overcomplicated.

Souperb, 03 Jan 2007
An excellent book on soup.

If you want to make soup, I can't think that you need another book - excellent recipes. The celebrity chef inputs are inspiring and you do get great variety - the soups ranging from the simple to the more recherché. You also get various individual twists on different soups - which seems to prompt you to invent your own twists (normally conditioned by what you have or do not have in your fridge).

The layout is good too, but there is nothing particularly wonderous about the photography. In fact, the pictures which crop up throughout the book of a poorly-maintained allotment in winter are superfluous, irrelevant and mildly depressing. But you don't have to look at them and they don't stop you cooking soups.

A good idea too to set out the soups in seasons. This helps you concentrate on things for which you are likely to find the right ingredients at non-wallet-busting prices and with smaller carbon footprints. And you are probably going to want to cook hearty soups in winter and more refreshing ones in summer.

This is a lot of soup for your money. Heartily recommended.

A little disappointing, 21 Jan 2006
I purchased this based on the reviews and the celebrity chefs who have recipies in the book. It did not live up to my expectations. The pictures are not inspiring and for the most part the soups are a bit out of the ordinary. When I find some time to search for the unusual ingredients then perhaps I will get around the using the book. Would recommdend to people who are into gourmet soups with hard to get ingredients.

Good, 08 Dec 2005
I enjoyed this book and I think most people will also, especially since it's winter. I love soup and this book does a good job.

Excellent +, 02 Dec 2005
Soup is one of the easiest nutritious meals to make - even children like vegetables in soup and the fantastic recipies in this book are easy to follow, moving from the essential stock to bread to accompany! A must have book for cookery book shelf.

For an ever-growing army of admirers, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall can do no wrong. The River Cottage Year seems sure to follow the commercial and critical success of his previous book, The River Cottage Cookbook, which was something of a publishing phenomenon, selling by the bucket-load and winning every major cookery book award.

The format of this new book is intriguingly different: this time we are given (in chronological order) the author's insights and observations on life and food as the seasons and months go past, interweaving cookery with the cycles of the natural year. These sections aren't all the book has to offer: the new volume is crammed with 100 original seasonal recipes, all beautifully detailed. Of course, we may look at the results of these mouthwatering delights in the new Channel 4 series that accompanies this book and lament how we're not quite in the same cookery league. But Fearnley-Whittingstall has a gift not possessed by some of his rivals: we are always made to feel that the delights offered here are within our grasp, provided we follow the helpful advice we are given.

The food is a mixture of the ambitious and the achievable, and looking through The River Cottage Year is a blissful experience, whether your intention is simply to dream about dishes or to actually get down to the nitty-gritty of making them. The illustrations are as tempting as anything in the text, and the book will unquestionably raise the author's profile still higher.

--Barry Forshaw

A great read, 28 Apr 2008
This book is wonderful, imaginative, easy to read and understand. I also found it entertaining, for a 'non cook' that is praise indeed! Although I am no great cook, I do keep chickens for eggs, the wife wont let me eat them, (yet!)I do grow lots of stuff, and much of this is credited to the Author. A man who cherishes his food and where it comes from, and how. This book comes close to being my Bible

A tome to be reckoned with!, 17 Oct 2006
If you're even remotely entertaining the idea of purchasing this book for yourself, your friend or your granny, then just go ahead and click the button.

Fantastic cookbook, yes, but also so much more than that. Here is someone who finally seems to love eating as much as cooking, and the whole process honestly excites him. You can't help but get swept up in his enthusiasm.

Recipes are broken down into easy to follow pieces, which work for budding cooks as well as those with more experience. Fantastically, he also does this without being condescending in the slightest.

If there were a version of Desert Island Books, this would most certainly be on my top 5 list!


The only cookbook you'll ever read..., 07 Oct 2006
I have just finished reading this book from cover to cover, and it is the only cookbook I have ever "read" in this way. Part of the reason is that half (at least) of the book is devoted to the smallholding economy of River Cottage, which like many I can only aspire to at the moment but still find fascinating. This part of the book is a creditable smallholder's manual, better in fact than some others I have read. There is also an immensely useful bibliography and contact list on this and related topics (from where to buy a wicker eel trap to where to get pigeon decoying tuition). But the book is a genuine cookbook as well, and a practical one at that. Personally I find the recipes absolutely mouthwatering, and they also are presented in such a way that at least the introduction and anecdote attached to each one is worth a read in itself, even if you're not in the kitchen. HFW can certainly write as well, with humour and a light touch throughout. At this price, it's an absolute bargain - being such a weighty tome I would recommend buying the hardback version.

Excellent, 20 Mar 2006
If after reading this book you don't want to do what he did...

The recipes are fantastic, and the writting behnd the recipies about how life comtinues is amazing

Uhm a bit though, 23 Aug 2004
Do not take me wrong. I enjoyed this book as much as I loved the TV series; the only problem is that I am not sure the average reader will be interested in breeding his/her own cattle. I love the recipes and have enjoyed this book more as a novel than as a manual to a do-it-yourself live in the country book.

Nice book shame about the index, 13 Nov 2008
I looked around before I bought this book - I wanted something that had a lot more to it than the fish sections of general cook books, and I really wanted the sections on choosing fish and basic tchniques.

As you can see from the other reviews, it fits the bill very well

However, I mark it down one star because using it as a cook book is actually quite difficult because of the lack of a proper cross-referenced index showing fish types and recipes. What they do is give you a load of recipes, which are listed under the name of a single fish, but may recommend up to about half a dozen other fish that will work.

Suppose you have a beautiful grey mullet. You look it up in the index and find pretty much zilch. So you turn to grey mullet in the fish directory and hidden in the grey box in the margin are some page numbers which contain recipes suitable for using with grey mullet - but no clue whatsoever as to what any of those recipes might be. So you have to turn to each one in turn to discover what they are. By the time you have done this you've spent half an hour finding out that the recipe you fancy needs an ingredient you don't have and the corner shop closed 10 minutes ago.

Wouldn't have been easier just to list in the index all the recipes under the fish to which they can apply ? And entries for fish steaks and fish fillets while you were at it guys - not all of us cook for 6 all the time, and those of us in small households tend to buy our fish dismantled (PS if you read this guys, look at Rose Elliot's Bean Book for an example of an almost perfect ingredient-led index).

A splendid book of reference, 25 Oct 2008
This is a major work of reference for anyone interested in fish cookery and sustainable fish buying. Everything you need to know about buying, gutting, filleting and cooking of every kind of fish and shellfish is dealt with and even how to kill fish and shellfish if you get them live.

I find the information about the best times of year to buy all the different species of fish and shellfish very useful. There are also lists of fish suppliers, including those who do mail-order for those who do not have easy access to good quality fish.

Sole trader, 29 Jul 2008
Great book to accompany a great series. Hugh isn't the cleanest looking cook around but he's certainly one of the most enthusiastic. My favourite scenes from the series were where he was cooking 'spoots' for the two clam divers. A hot pan, flash fried spoots, a sprinkling of paprika and they were won over! I just wanted to wash Hugh's hair and give him a big pat on the head.

Encyclopaedia and cookbook in one , 22 May 2008
Book is mostly aimed at people passionate about fish and cooking it and contains lots of information about fish, fishing practises etc. I personally was only looking for simple healthy recipes but I am still very happy with it. Was slightly disappointed with the number of recipes, however I love the description of each type of fish with comments on how best to cook this particular fish. With other cookbooks, you only have a dozen recipes for half a dozen types of fish, and are stuck if you have got anything that does not fit the list. Here, each recipe has suggestions on what other types of fish to use. And of course they know what they are talking about, it is all simple and elegant.

A Great book by a modern great., 27 Mar 2008
This book contains everything you would ever need to know about seafood and a lot more. From how to open shell fish, how to fish for them, how to refrigerate/ freeze them. It is great as a reference book, but comes into its own as a cookbook.

Hugh is a magnificent chef some of the food I have cooked tasted amazing. With such simple recipes/ ingredients this book is a winner. Buy it now.

But make sure the fish is as fresh as possible and the fish is sustainabley caught

Thank you.


Informative and inspiring, 29 Oct 2008
This massive tome has a