Get yer brolly Maw, I fancy a day oot!, 08 Dec 2008
Ok, the weather outside may be frightful but this hasn't stopped me daydreaming about days out in the country after flicking through this lovely book. This is the sequel to Maw's cookbook (what other gems are lurking at the back of the big press at Glebe Street?) and shows us how the Broons live when they are in the country at the But an' Ben. By the way, where exactly is Auchentogle? A funny, charming, nostalgic cookbook, which is even more jam-packed with jokes, strips, cuttings and good old fashioned recipes that will stick to your ribs, than the first one. Of course the other family members make their cheeky contributions: Granpaw adds his wine making tips (don't fancy the turnip much), Hen relates the rules of conkers, and the Twins recommend fresh Frog Soup, served live in pond water. Do you remember making sugarelly water, home made ginger beer, and a poke of sugar and a rhubarb stalk! If you do you will love this!

Maw does it again !, 09 Nov 2008
This was on show at the Good Food Show last week beside the original - Maw Broon's Cookbook. Same kind of nostalgic appeal - days oot ! Cookin' the catch o' the day, some really basic stuff too. Recipes not as old as the first cookbook perhaps, but real Broons humour and great memorabilia tucked in to the pages - a 'must-have' if you got Maw Broon's Cookbook. Compared with other cookbooks on the go this year, this is great value.

Horace writes poetry!, 09 Nov 2008
I gave this book five stars, but the Amazon thing only recorded two for some reason. Anyway, this book has recipes that date to 1940, and use more fresh ingredients than the original Maw Broon Cookbook. I wouldn't say it is 'better' or 'worse' - it is just a very different cookbook, so complements the first one. I use the first one a lot to cook from, as well as just to read, as it is funny and entertaining, and also looks like the cookbooks my mum had from her mother. The design of the second one is equally as strong as the first cookbook, and But an' Ben has poetry from Horace, which is inspirationally funny! But an' Ben has recipes for picnics and barbeques, as well as home made ginger beer. While I might not make ginger beer, it really reminded me of when I used to make it as a kid, with my brother, and the corks exploded off the bottles in the night in our cellar. Very funny. This cookbook is more seasonal, and has the scope to let you use more organic, local produce, than the first one. There is a recipe for perch, which is rather weird, as no one really eats perch anymore - because you can't buy it (fishermen still catch it of course), apart from in the US, but you can substitute salmon or trout for perch. The new cookbook has recipes for whisky marmalade and jams, as well as good soups and some game. It is a worthwhile addition to any collection of cookbooks - I currently have over 200 cookbooks and But an' Ben is a strong addition.

Get yer brolly Maw, I fancy a day oot!, 08 Dec 2008
Ok, the weather outside may be frightful but this hasn't stopped me daydreaming about days out in the country after flicking through this lovely book. This is the sequel to Maw's cookbook (what other gems are lurking at the back of the big press at Glebe Street?) and shows us how the Broons live when they are in the country at the But an' Ben. By the way, where exactly is Auchentogle? A funny, charming, nostalgic cookbook, which is even more jam-packed with jokes, strips, cuttings and good old fashioned recipes that will stick to your ribs, than the first one. Of course the other family members make their cheeky contributions: Granpaw adds his wine making tips (don't fancy the turnip much), Hen relates the rules of conkers, and the Twins recommend fresh Frog Soup, served live in pond water. Do you remember making sugarelly water, home made ginger beer, and a poke of sugar and a rhubarb stalk! If you do you will love this!

Maw does it again !, 09 Nov 2008
This was on show at the Good Food Show last week beside the original - Maw Broon's Cookbook. Same kind of nostalgic appeal - days oot ! Cookin' the catch o' the day, some really basic stuff too. Recipes not as old as the first cookbook perhaps, but real Broons humour and great memorabilia tucked in to the pages - a 'must-have' if you got Maw Broon's Cookbook. Compared with other cookbooks on the go this year, this is great value.

Horace writes poetry!, 09 Nov 2008
I gave this book five stars, but the Amazon thing only recorded two for some reason. Anyway, this book has recipes that date to 1940, and use more fresh ingredients than the original Maw Broon Cookbook. I wouldn't say it is 'better' or 'worse' - it is just a very different cookbook, so complements the first one. I use the first one a lot to cook from, as well as just to read, as it is funny and entertaining, and also looks like the cookbooks my mum had from her mother. The design of the second one is equally as strong as the first cookbook, and But an' Ben has poetry from Horace, which is inspirationally funny! But an' Ben has recipes for picnics and barbeques, as well as home made ginger beer. While I might not make ginger beer, it really reminded me of when I used to make it as a kid, with my brother, and the corks exploded off the bottles in the night in our cellar. Very funny. This cookbook is more seasonal, and has the scope to let you use more organic, local produce, than the first one. There is a recipe for perch, which is rather weird, as no one really eats perch anymore - because you can't buy it (fishermen still catch it of course), apart from in the US, but you can substitute salmon or trout for perch. The new cookbook has recipes for whisky marmalade and jams, as well as good soups and some game. It is a worthwhile addition to any collection of cookbooks - I currently have over 200 cookbooks and But an' Ben is a strong addition.

The serious foodies bible!, 09 Sep 2008
Once upon a time if you wanted to find the best restaurants in the world it meant owning multiple Michelin guides and reading lots of reviews from different sources.
For the past 6 years however the food establishment has voted for the best restaurants from around the world.
For this purpose the world is divided into 23 voting regions with a selection of up to 31 top chefs and critics in each region, each casting up 5 votes for their favourite restaurants. 3410 votes in total. They must have visited the restaurant in the last 18 months and can only cast 2 votes for restaurants in their home region and they can't vote for themselves.
Now for the first time these reults have been published in book form.
This has resulted in what many will agree as a definitive guide as to what the top 50 restaurants are for this year.
Each have between 2 and 4 colour pages dedicated to them in this book with details of the chefs, favourite dishes, tips on booking the restaurant, contact details and price guides. Where as the michelin guide would have a merely a few lines usually in a foreign language on each restaurant it is great to see pictures of the restaurants in colour as well as of the food they serve. It makes it much easier to make an informed decision about where to dine. In addition to the top 50 restaurants the 51 - 100 restaurants also each have a paragraph dedicated to them at the back of the book.
A great coffee table book for the serious foodie and an excellent guide if you plan to dine at any of these great restaurants.

Get yer brolly Maw, I fancy a day oot!, 08 Dec 2008
Ok, the weather outside may be frightful but this hasn't stopped me daydreaming about days out in the country after flicking through this lovely book. This is the sequel to Maw's cookbook (what other gems are lurking at the back of the big press at Glebe Street?) and shows us how the Broons live when they are in the country at the But an' Ben. By the way, where exactly is Auchentogle? A funny, charming, nostalgic cookbook, which is even more jam-packed with jokes, strips, cuttings and good old fashioned recipes that will stick to your ribs, than the first one. Of course the other family members make their cheeky contributions: Granpaw adds his wine making tips (don't fancy the turnip much), Hen relates the rules of conkers, and the Twins recommend fresh Frog Soup, served live in pond water. Do you remember making sugarelly water, home made ginger beer, and a poke of sugar and a rhubarb stalk! If you do you will love this!

Maw does it again !, 09 Nov 2008
This was on show at the Good Food Show last week beside the original - Maw Broon's Cookbook. Same kind of nostalgic appeal - days oot ! Cookin' the catch o' the day, some really basic stuff too. Recipes not as old as the first cookbook perhaps, but real Broons humour and great memorabilia tucked in to the pages - a 'must-have' if you got Maw Broon's Cookbook. Compared with other cookbooks on the go this year, this is great value.

Horace writes poetry!, 09 Nov 2008
I gave this book five stars, but the Amazon thing only recorded two for some reason. Anyway, this book has recipes that date to 1940, and use more fresh ingredients than the original Maw Broon Cookbook. I wouldn't say it is 'better' or 'worse' - it is just a very different cookbook, so complements the first one. I use the first one a lot to cook from, as well as just to read, as it is funny and entertaining, and also looks like the cookbooks my mum had from her mother. The design of the second one is equally as strong as the first cookbook, and But an' Ben has poetry from Horace, which is inspirationally funny! But an' Ben has recipes for picnics and barbeques, as well as home made ginger beer. While I might not make ginger beer, it really reminded me of when I used to make it as a kid, with my brother, and the corks exploded off the bottles in the night in our cellar. Very funny. This cookbook is more seasonal, and has the scope to let you use more organic, local produce, than the first one. There is a recipe for perch, which is rather weird, as no one really eats perch anymore - because you can't buy it (fishermen still catch it of course), apart from in the US, but you can substitute salmon or trout for perch. The new cookbook has recipes for whisky marmalade and jams, as well as good soups and some game. It is a worthwhile addition to any collection of cookbooks - I currently have over 200 cookbooks and But an' Ben is a strong addition.

The serious foodies bible!, 09 Sep 2008
Once upon a time if you wanted to find the best restaurants in the world it meant owning multiple Michelin guides and reading lots of reviews from different sources.
For the past 6 years however the food establishment has voted for the best restaurants from around the world.
For this purpose the world is divided into 23 voting regions with a selection of up to 31 top chefs and critics in each region, each casting up 5 votes for their favourite restaurants. 3410 votes in total. They must have visited the restaurant in the last 18 months and can only cast 2 votes for restaurants in their home region and they can't vote for themselves.
Now for the first time these reults have been published in book form.
This has resulted in what many will agree as a definitive guide as to what the top 50 restaurants are for this year.
Each have between 2 and 4 colour pages dedicated to them in this book with details of the chefs, favourite dishes, tips on booking the restaurant, contact details and price guides. Where as the michelin guide would have a merely a few lines usually in a foreign language on each restaurant it is great to see pictures of the restaurants in colour as well as of the food they serve. It makes it much easier to make an informed decision about where to dine. In addition to the top 50 restaurants the 51 - 100 restaurants also each have a paragraph dedicated to them at the back of the book.
A great coffee table book for the serious foodie and an excellent guide if you plan to dine at any of these great restaurants.

Not as good as the rest of Tessa's books, 16 Jun 2008
I write as a cook who enjoys actually reading cookery books, not just cooking from them.
In comparision with Tessa's other books this one has turned out to be less enjoyable. The publishers should take note: The simple fact that the ingredients are not arranged vertically makes it more difficult to grasp the recipe as a whole, it's not as amusing when just flicking through the book for inspiration!
I don't know why but it does give the impression that Tessa hurried through Portugal just to write this book, there's no soul to it if one could say that.
That said, the book as a whole is beautifully published, the photographs amazing and I have tried Pasteis de Nata, very good!



A wonderful culinary voyage, 19 Apr 2008
As someone who is Portuguese it's hard not to be taken away to the cake shops and restaurants of Portugal whilst flicking through the pages of this book. This book feels, tastes and smells like Portugal. The recipes are all authentic and each new page brings with it a new set of directions for making mouthwatering traditional Portuguese cuisine. From seafood to the addictive pasteis de nata, Tessa Kiros has created a book filled with beautiful photographs and enticing and easy to make recipes. This book introduces you to the warm and friendly nature that is Portugal and the culture of its people. Live to eat! Don't eat to live.


A wonderful book about Portugal's food, 14 Apr 2008
Portugal's cuisine is not as famous as that of its neighbour, Spain, nor that of Italy or France. It is a simple, humble way of dealing with local ingredients : seafood, the omnipresent bacalhau (salt cod), sardines, chouriço sausage are the main players here. It is honest but tasty, heartwarming and sunny.
Tessa Kiros manages to capture the essence of the food, with a lot of affection for the land and its people, who shine through in the snippets of her travelogue.
This book may not be as eye-catching as her previous two, its colour theme being much more subdued (grey-blue), but it brings back memories of my own travels to that thankfully still mostly undiscovered country.

Portugal Found......., 11 Apr 2008
In my opinion Portuguese food still hasn't been truly discovered, it's always been a hidden gem (maybe there's a small chance of this review being biast as I have a Portuguese mother and a Brazilian father) but still, Portuguese food is something that's always been so personal to me, given me comfort. I always thought it might be just me who had been so deeply in love with Portugal and it's culture....after reading Piri piri starfish I see I'm not alone(there are more of us out there!!) Being raised in a family where food is everything ...my first real memory was seeing my mother soaking salt fish (bacalhau) smelling the onions, garlic, tomatoes, piri piri chillies, & coriander frying in a big pot with olive oil.(it was heavenly). This book truly captures how magical Portuguese food is.

The layout of the book is in true Tessa Kiros style...beautiful layout and beautiful photos of most of the dishes. I've tried the Roast Octopus with Red Wine & Potatoes, it was so tasty....the Grilled Squid with Chourico & Lemon Coriander Oil....was really really good....Piri Piri oil which is always at my table, Pasteis de bacalhau (fish cakes), grilled pork chops with chourico & pancetta, stuffed squid, pineapple cake (delicious)....Piri Piri Chicken with the Tomato Rice....I have to say it was just as tasty as the rice my mum makes. All recipes are authentic and turned out amazingly. I can't wait to continue trying out the others.

Some more recipes included:
Prawns with Piri piri, Whisky & Lemon
Seafood Rice
Stuffed Squid with Chourico
Baked Pork Ribs with Orange (these were AMAZING!!!!)
Roasted new potatoes with Tomatoes & White Wine
Prego Rolls (marinated Steaks in soft bread rolls)
Coffee Creme Caramels
Churros
Melon Sorbet with Port
Prawn Pastries (these are delicious, I promise you)

If I was to try and find fault, it would be the desserts & cake section...even though some lovely cakes were included, caramel cake, honey tart, pineapple cake...I haven't been to one family gathering or friends house in Portugal where Arroz doce (portuguese sweet rice)wasn't on the table...or Tarte de Amêndoa(almond tart with a carmel glaze)Pudim Molotof, Bolo de Bolacha (a biscuit cake) these are cakes/desserts that are very very popular in Portugal so I was suprised when I saw that they weren't included in the book. Still, this is a great book with some great recipes. If you love honest rustic food, then this book will not disappoint. Tessa Kiros has managed to capture everything I love in 254 pages.

Get yer brolly Maw, I fancy a day oot!, 08 Dec 2008
Ok, the weather outside may be frightful but this hasn't stopped me daydreaming about days out in the country after flicking through this lovely book. This is the sequel to Maw's cookbook (what other gems are lurking at the back of the big press at Glebe Street?) and shows us how the Broons live when they are in the country at the But an' Ben. By the way, where exactly is Auchentogle? A funny, charming, nostalgic cookbook, which is even more jam-packed with jokes, strips, cuttings and good old fashioned recipes that will stick to your ribs, than the first one. Of course the other family members make their cheeky contributions: Granpaw adds his wine making tips (don't fancy the turnip much), Hen relates the rules of conkers, and the Twins recommend fresh Frog Soup, served live in pond water. Do you remember making sugarelly water, home made ginger beer, and a poke of sugar and a rhubarb stalk! If you do you will love this!

Maw does it again !, 09 Nov 2008
This was on show at the Good Food Show last week beside the original - Maw Broon's Cookbook. Same kind of nostalgic appeal - days oot ! Cookin' the catch o' the day, some really basic stuff too. Recipes not as old as the first cookbook perhaps, but real Broons humour and great memorabilia tucked in to the pages - a 'must-have' if you got Maw Broon's Cookbook. Compared with other cookbooks on the go this year, this is great value.

Horace writes poetry!, 09 Nov 2008
I gave this book five stars, but the Amazon thing only recorded two for some reason. Anyway, this book has recipes that date to 1940, and use more fresh ingredients than the original Maw Broon Cookbook. I wouldn't say it is 'better' or 'worse' - it is just a very different cookbook, so complements the first one. I use the first one a lot to cook from, as well as just to read, as it is funny and entertaining, and also looks like the cookbooks my mum had from her mother. The design of the second one is equally as strong as the first cookbook, and But an' Ben has poetry from Horace, which is inspirationally funny! But an' Ben has recipes for picnics and barbeques, as well as home made ginger beer. While I might not make ginger beer, it really reminded me of when I used to make it as a kid, with my brother, and the corks exploded off the bottles in the night in our cellar. Very funny. This cookbook is more seasonal, and has the scope to let you use more organic, local produce, than the first one. There is a recipe for perch, which is rather weird, as no one really eats perch anymore - because you can't buy it (fishermen still catch it of course), apart from in the US, but you can substitute salmon or trout for perch. The new cookbook has recipes for whisky marmalade and jams, as well as good soups and some game. It is a worthwhile addition to any collection of cookbooks - I currently have over 200 cookbooks and But an' Ben is a strong addition.

The serious foodies bible!, 09 Sep 2008
Once upon a time if you wanted to find the best restaurants in the world it meant owning multiple Michelin guides and reading lots of reviews from different sources.
For the past 6 years however the food establishment has voted for the best restaurants from around the world.
For this purpose the world is divided into 23 voting regions with a selection of up to 31 top chefs and critics in each region, each casting up 5 votes for their favourite restaurants. 3410 votes in total. They must have visited the restaurant in the last 18 months and can only cast 2 votes for restaurants in their home region and they can't vote for themselves.
Now for the first time these reults have been published in book form.
This has resulted in what many will agree as a definitive guide as to what the top 50 restaurants are for this year.
Each have between 2 and 4 colour pages dedicated to them in this book with details of the chefs, favourite dishes, tips on booking the restaurant, contact details and price guides. Where as the michelin guide would have a merely a few lines usually in a foreign language on each restaurant it is great to see pictures of the restaurants in colour as well as of the food they serve. It makes it much easier to make an informed decision about where to dine. In addition to the top 50 restaurants the 51 - 100 restaurants also each have a paragraph dedicated to them at the back of the book.
A great coffee table book for the serious foodie and an excellent guide if you plan to dine at any of these great restaurants.

Not as good as the rest of Tessa's books, 16 Jun 2008
I write as a cook who enjoys actually reading cookery books, not just cooking from them.
In comparision with Tessa's other books this one has turned out to be less enjoyable. The publishers should take note: The simple fact that the ingredients are not arranged vertically makes it more difficult to grasp the recipe as a whole, it's not as amusing when just flicking through the book for inspiration!
I don't know why but it does give the impression that Tessa hurried through Portugal just to write this book, there's no soul to it if one could say that.
That said, the book as a whole is beautifully published, the photographs amazing and I have tried Pasteis de Nata, very good!



A wonderful culinary voyage, 19 Apr 2008
As someone who is Portuguese it's hard not to be taken away to the cake shops and restaurants of Portugal whilst flicking through the pages of this book. This book feels, tastes and smells like Portugal. The recipes are all authentic and each new page brings with it a new set of directions for making mouthwatering traditional Portuguese cuisine. From seafood to the addictive pasteis de nata, Tessa Kiros has created a book filled with beautiful photographs and enticing and easy to make recipes. This book introduces you to the warm and friendly nature that is Portugal and the culture of its people. Live to eat! Don't eat to live.


A wonderful book about Portugal's food, 14 Apr 2008
Portugal's cuisine is not as famous as that of its neighbour, Spain, nor that of Italy or France. It is a simple, humble way of dealing with local ingredients : seafood, the omnipresent bacalhau (salt cod), sardines, chouriço sausage are the main players here. It is honest but tasty, heartwarming and sunny.
Tessa Kiros manages to capture the essence of the food, with a lot of affection for the land and its people, who shine through in the snippets of her travelogue.
This book may not be as eye-catching as her previous two, its colour theme being much more subdued (grey-blue), but it brings back memories of my own travels to that thankfully still mostly undiscovered country.

Portugal Found......., 11 Apr 2008
In my opinion Portuguese food still hasn't been truly discovered, it's always been a hidden gem (maybe there's a small chance of this review being biast as I have a Portuguese mother and a Brazilian father) but still, Portuguese food is something that's always been so personal to me, given me comfort. I always thought it might be just me who had been so deeply in love with Portugal and it's culture....after reading Piri piri starfish I see I'm not alone(there are more of us out there!!) Being raised in a family where food is everything ...my first real memory was seeing my mother soaking salt fish (bacalhau) smelling the onions, garlic, tomatoes, piri piri chillies, & coriander frying in a big pot with olive oil.(it was heavenly). This book truly captures how magical Portuguese food is.

The layout of the book is in true Tessa Kiros style...beautiful layout and beautiful photos of most of the dishes. I've tried the Roast Octopus with Red Wine & Potatoes, it was so tasty....the Grilled Squid with Chourico & Lemon Coriander Oil....was really really good....Piri Piri oil which is always at my table, Pasteis de bacalhau (fish cakes), grilled pork chops with chourico & pancetta, stuffed squid, pineapple cake (delicious)....Piri Piri Chicken with the Tomato Rice....I have to say it was just as tasty as the rice my mum makes. All recipes are authentic and turned out amazingly. I can't wait to continue trying out the others.

Some more recipes included:
Prawns with Piri piri, Whisky & Lemon
Seafood Rice
Stuffed Squid with Chourico
Baked Pork Ribs with Orange (these were AMAZING!!!!)
Roasted new potatoes with Tomatoes & White Wine
Prego Rolls (marinated Steaks in soft bread rolls)
Coffee Creme Caramels
Churros
Melon Sorbet with Port
Prawn Pastries (these are delicious, I promise you)

If I was to try and find fault, it would be the desserts & cake section...even though some lovely cakes were included, caramel cake, honey tart, pineapple cake...I haven't been to one family gathering or friends house in Portugal where Arroz doce (portuguese sweet rice)wasn't on the table...or Tarte de Amêndoa(almond tart with a carmel glaze)Pudim Molotof, Bolo de Bolacha (a biscuit cake) these are cakes/desserts that are very very popular in Portugal so I was suprised when I saw that they weren't included in the book. Still, this is a great book with some great recipes. If you love honest rustic food, then this book will not disappoint. Tessa Kiros has managed to capture everything I love in 254 pages.

really good fun, 18 Jul 2007
This is such a cute little book! the recipes aren't really hi-tec or anything but it tells you how to build a fire and gives you checklists for equipment and stuff, which is good if you've never been camping before. and it's got lots of yum stuff i never would have thought of, like cooking roast chicken or this omlette with strawberries in. Theer are other harder recipes, but I preferd the easy, messy stuff which involves stuffing things on sticks! And barbecue stuff is well-covered too. The pictures look good but not fake, and the words are quite quirky and funny, made me laugh anyway, which i wasn't expecting. glad i bought it... might spur me on to cook a bit more outdoors instead of heading to the pub...

Get yer brolly Maw, I fancy a day oot!, 08 Dec 2008
Ok, the weather outside may be frightful but this hasn't stopped me daydreaming about days out in the country after flicking through this lovely book. This is the sequel to Maw's cookbook (what other gems are lurking at the back of the big press at Glebe Street?) and shows us how the Broons live when they are in the country at the But an' Ben. By the way, where exactly is Auchentogle? A funny, charming, nostalgic cookbook, which is even more jam-packed with jokes, strips, cuttings and good old fashioned recipes that will stick to your ribs, than the first one. Of course the other family members make their cheeky contributions: Granpaw adds his wine making tips (don't fancy the turnip much), Hen relates the rules of conkers, and the Twins recommend fresh Frog Soup, served live in pond water. Do you remember making sugarelly water, home made ginger beer, and a poke of sugar and a rhubarb stalk! If you do you will love this!

Maw does it again !, 09 Nov 2008
This was on show at the Good Food Show last week beside the original - Maw Broon's Cookbook. Same kind of nostalgic appeal - days oot ! Cookin' the catch o' the day, some really basic stuff too. Recipes not as old as the first cookbook perhaps, but real Broons humour and great memorabilia tucked in to the pages - a 'must-have' if you got Maw Broon's Cookbook. Compared with other cookbooks on the go this year, this is great value.

Horace writes poetry!, 09 Nov 2008
I gave this book five stars, but the Amazon thing only recorded two for some reason. Anyway, this book has recipes that date to 1940, and use more fresh ingredients than the original Maw Broon Cookbook. I wouldn't say it is 'better' or 'worse' - it is just a very different cookbook, so complements the first one. I use the first one a lot to cook from, as well as just to read, as it is funny and entertaining, and also looks like the cookbooks my mum had from her mother. The design of the second one is equally as strong as the first cookbook, and But an' Ben has poetry from Horace, which is inspirationally funny! But an' Ben has recipes for picnics and barbeques, as well as home made ginger beer. While I might not make ginger beer, it really reminded me of when I used to make it as a kid, with my brother, and the corks exploded off the bottles in the night in our cellar. Very funny. This cookbook is more seasonal, and has the scope to let you use more organic, local produce, than the first one. There is a recipe for perch, which is rather weird, as no one really eats perch anymore - because you can't buy it (fishermen still catch it of course), apart from in the US, but you can substitute salmon or trout for perch. The new cookbook has recipes for whisky marmalade and jams, as well as good soups and some game. It is a worthwhile addition to any collection of cookbooks - I currently have over 200 cookbooks and But an' Ben is a strong addition.

The serious foodies bible!, 09 Sep 2008
Once upon a time if you wanted to find the best restaurants in the world it meant owning multiple Michelin guides and reading lots of reviews from different sources.
For the past 6 years however the food establishment has voted for the best restaurants from around the world.
For this purpose the world is divided into 23 voting regions with a selection of up to 31 top chefs and critics in each region, each casting up 5 votes for their favourite restaurants. 3410 votes in total. They must have visited the restaurant in the last 18 months and can only cast 2 votes for restaurants in their home region and they can't vote for themselves.
Now for the first time these reults have been published in book form.
This has resulted in what many will agree as a definitive guide as to what the top 50 restaurants are for this year.
Each have between 2 and 4 colour pages dedicated to them in this book with details of the chefs, favourite dishes, tips on booking the restaurant, contact details and price guides. Where as the michelin guide would have a merely a few lines usually in a foreign language on each restaurant it is great to see pictures of the restaurants in colour as well as of the food they serve. It makes it much easier to make an informed decision about where to dine. In addition to the top 50 restaurants the 51 - 100 restaurants also each have a paragraph dedicated to them at the back of the book.
A great coffee table book for the serious foodie and an excellent guide if you plan to dine at any of these great restaurants.

Not as good as the rest of Tessa's books, 16 Jun 2008
I write as a cook who enjoys actually reading cookery books, not just cooking from them.
In comparision with Tessa's other books this one has turned out to be less enjoyable. The publishers should take note: The simple fact that the ingredients are not arranged vertically makes it more difficult to grasp the recipe as a whole, it's not as amusing when just flicking through the book for inspiration!
I don't know why but it does give the impression that Tessa hurried through Portugal just to write this book, there's no soul to it if one could say that.
That said, the book as a whole is beautifully published, the photographs amazing and I have tried Pasteis de Nata, very good!



A wonderful culinary voyage, 19 Apr 2008
As someone who is Portuguese it's hard not to be taken away to the cake shops and restaurants of Portugal whilst flicking through the pages of this book. This book feels, tastes and smells like Portugal. The recipes are all authentic and each new page brings with it a new set of directions for making mouthwatering traditional Portuguese cuisine. From seafood to the addictive pasteis de nata, Tessa Kiros has created a book filled with beautiful photographs and enticing and easy to make recipes. This book introduces you to the warm and friendly nature that is Portugal and the culture of its people. Live to eat! Don't eat to live.


A wonderful book about Portugal's food, 14 Apr 2008
Portugal's cuisine is not as famous as that of its neighbour, Spain, nor that of Italy or France. It is a simple, humble way of dealing with local ingredients : seafood, the omnipresent bacalhau (salt cod), sardines, chouriço sausage are the main players here. It is honest but tasty, heartwarming and sunny.
Tessa Kiros manages to capture the essence of the food, with a lot of affection for the land and its people, who shine through in the snippets of her travelogue.
This book may not be as eye-catching as her previous two, its colour theme being much more subdued (grey-blue), but it brings back memories of my own travels to that thankfully still mostly undiscovered country.

Portugal Found......., 11 Apr 2008
In my opinion Portuguese food still hasn't been truly discovered, it's always been a hidden gem (maybe there's a small chance of this review being biast as I have a Portuguese mother and a Brazilian father) but still, Portuguese food is something that's always been so personal to me, given me comfort. I always thought it might be just me who had been so deeply in love with Portugal and it's culture....after reading Piri piri starfish I see I'm not alone(there are more of us out there!!) Being raised in a family where food is everything ...my first real memory was seeing my mother soaking salt fish (bacalhau) smelling the onions, garlic, tomatoes, piri piri chillies, & coriander frying in a big pot with olive oil.(it was heavenly). This book truly captures how magical Portuguese food is.

The layout of the book is in true Tessa Kiros style...beautiful layout and beautiful photos of most of the dishes. I've tried the Roast Octopus with Red Wine & Potatoes, it was so tasty....the Grilled Squid with Chourico & Lemon Coriander Oil....was really really good....Piri Piri oil which is always at my table, Pasteis de bacalhau (fish cakes), grilled pork chops with chourico & pancetta, stuffed squid, pineapple cake (delicious)....Piri Piri Chicken with the Tomato Rice....I have to say it was just as tasty as the rice my mum makes. All recipes are authentic and turned out amazingly. I can't wait to continue trying out the others.

Some more recipes included:
Prawns with Piri piri, Whisky & Lemon
Seafood Rice
Stuffed Squid with Chourico
Baked Pork Ribs with Orange (these were AMAZING!!!!)
Roasted new potatoes with Tomatoes & White Wine
Prego Rolls (marinated Steaks in soft bread rolls)
Coffee Creme Caramels
Churros
Melon Sorbet with Port
Prawn Pastries (these are delicious, I promise you)

If I was to try and find fault, it would be the desserts & cake section...even though some lovely cakes were included, caramel cake, honey tart, pineapple cake...I haven't been to one family gathering or friends house in Portugal where Arroz doce (portuguese sweet rice)wasn't on the table...or Tarte de Amêndoa(almond tart with a carmel glaze)Pudim Molotof, Bolo de Bolacha (a biscuit cake) these are cakes/desserts that are very very popular in Portugal so I was suprised when I saw that they weren't included in the book. Still, this is a great book with some great recipes. If you love honest rustic food, then this book will not disappoint. Tessa Kiros has managed to capture everything I love in 254 pages.

really good fun, 18 Jul 2007
This is such a cute little book! the recipes aren't really hi-tec or anything but it tells you how to build a fire and gives you checklists for equipment and stuff, which is good if you've never been camping before. and it's got lots of yum stuff i never would have thought of, like cooking roast chicken or this omlette with strawberries in. Theer are other harder recipes, but I preferd the easy, messy stuff which involves stuffing things on sticks! And barbecue stuff is well-covered too. The pictures look good but not fake, and the words are quite quirky and funny, made me laugh anyway, which i wasn't expecting. glad i bought it... might spur me on to cook a bit more outdoors instead of heading to the pub...

A bit obnoxious, 16 May 2008
I was left dissapointed by this book which seems to assume that good food in London can only be found in affluent or trendy areas, and mostly in expensive delis or restaurants. I really felt that they missed a trick to really unearth the jems of London's food scene but opted instead for the obvious. For example, coverage for South East London is woeful, despite it being home to any number of excellent pan-asian and caribean shops and restaurants, as well as some of the best British food from great roasts, to fish and chips and pie and mash. You can only assume that the researchers didn't like the idea of Jerk Chicken in Catford. The cynic in me would also like to know how many of the establishments listed are somehow a part of the Conran empire. All in all, a bit poor, very elitist and not at all indicative of the best that London has to offer the adventurous foodie.

It gets two stars for being well produced.

Perfect gift for a foodie, 20 Jan 2008
I was bought this book for christmas this year and, halfway into January, would already highly recommend it. For someone who lives in London and is always on the lookout for new places to go but doesn't quite know where to start, it is invaluable. 3 out of the 3 places I have tried on their recommendation have been superb and I already have my next birthday meal, anniversary meal, boyfriend's birthday meal, day out with friends from out of town, and dinner with the mother all planned. I would say buy one for all your friends, but if you keep it to yourself you will be the most erudite epicurean amongst them!

Love London, Love Food, 17 Nov 2007
Buy this book! If you don't love either food or London, poor soul, then buy it for someone who does; you must be surrounded buy them. The cover opens into a map of London to plan your gastronomic tour. Market stalls, delis, front-room cafes and speciality restaurants are incorporated within this gem of a book. Informative text and photos cover a huge array of retailers all of whom are PASSIONATE about their products. It is a real page turner that will be dipped into for many years to come.

Foodie's Handbook to Discovering London, 13 Jul 2007
This book is a real find, it lists all the best places in London for food. Not just restaurants but markets, shops and cafes as well. The only downside is that now my list of places I want to go to is getting unmanageable.

Get yer brolly Maw, I fancy a day oot!, 08 Dec 2008
Ok, the weather outside may be frightful but this hasn't stopped me daydreaming about days out in the country after flicking through this lovely book. This is the sequel to Maw's cookbook (what other gems are lurking at the back of the big press at Glebe Street?) and shows us how the Broons live when they are in the country at the But an' Ben. By the way, where exactly is Auchentogle? A funny, charming, nostalgic cookbook, which is even more jam-packed with jokes, strips, cuttings and good old fashioned recipes that will stick to your ribs, than the first one. Of course the other family members make their cheeky contributions: Granpaw adds his wine making tips (don't fancy the turnip much), Hen relates the rules of conkers, and the Twins recommend fresh Frog Soup, served live in pond water. Do you remember making sugarelly water, home made ginger beer, and a poke of sugar and a rhubarb stalk! If you do you will love this!

Maw does it again !, 09 Nov 2008
This was on show at the Good Food Show last week beside the original - Maw Broon's Cookbook. Same kind of nostalgic appeal - days oot ! Cookin' the catch o' the day, some really basic stuff too. Recipes not as old as the first cookbook perhaps, but real Broons humour and great memorabilia tucked in to the pages - a 'must-have' if you got Maw Broon's Cookbook. Compared with other cookbooks on the go this year, this is great value.

Horace writes poetry!, 09 Nov 2008
I gave this book five stars, but the Amazon thing only recorded two for some reason. Anyway, this book has recipes that date to 1940, and use more fresh ingredients than the original Maw Broon Cookbook. I wouldn't say it is 'better' or 'worse' - it is just a very different cookbook, so complements the first one. I use the first one a lot to cook from, as well as just to read, as it is funny and entertaining, and also looks like the cookbooks my mum had from her mother. The design of the second one is equally as strong as the first cookbook, and But an' Ben has poetry from Horace, which is inspirationally funny! But an' Ben has recipes for picnics and barbeques, as well as home made ginger beer. While I might not make ginger beer, it really reminded me of when I used to make it as a kid, with my brother, and the corks exploded off the bottles in the night in our cellar. Very funny. This cookbook is more seasonal, and has the scope to let you use more organic, local produce, than the first one. There is a recipe for perch, which is rather weird, as no one really eats perch anymore - because you can't buy it (fishermen still catch it of course), apart from in the US, but you can substitute salmon or trout for perch. The new cookbook has recipes for whisky marmalade and jams, as well as good soups and some game. It is a worthwhile addition to any collection of cookbooks - I currently have over 200 cookbooks and But an' Ben is a strong addition.

The serious foodies bible!, 09 Sep 2008
Once upon a time if you wanted to find the best restaurants in the world it meant owning multiple Michelin guides and reading lots of reviews from different sources.
For the past 6 years however the food establishment has voted for the best restaurants from around the world.
For this purpose the world is divided into 23 voting regions with a selection of up to 31 top chefs and critics in each region, each casting up 5 votes for their favourite restaurants. 3410 votes in total. They must have visited the restaurant in the last 18 months and can only cast 2 votes for restaurants in their home region and they can't vote for themselves.
Now for the first time these reults have been published in book form.
This has resulted in what many will agree as a definitive guide as to what the top 50 restaurants are for this year.
Each have between 2 and 4 colour pages dedicated to them in this book with details of the chefs, favourite dishes, tips on booking the restaurant, contact details and price guides. Where as the michelin guide would have a merely a few lines usually in a foreign language on each restaurant it is great to see pictures of the restaurants in colour as well as of the food they serve. It makes it much easier to make an informed decision about where to dine. In addition to the top 50 restaurants the 51 - 100 restaurants also each have a paragraph dedicated to them at the back of the book.
A great coffee table book for the serious foodie and an excellent guide if you plan to dine at any of these great restaurants.

Not as good as the rest of Tessa's books, 16 Jun 2008
I write as a cook who enjoys actually reading cookery books, not just cooking from them.
In comparision with Tessa's other books this one has turned out to be less enjoyable. The publishers should take note: The simple fact that the ingredients are not arranged vertically makes it more difficult to grasp the recipe as a whole, it's not as amusing when just flicking through the book for inspiration!
I don't know why but it does give the impression that Tessa hurried through Portugal just to write this book, there's no soul to it if one could say that.
That said, the book as a whole is beautifully published, the photographs amazing and I have tried Pasteis de Nata, very good!



A wonderful culinary voyage, 19 Apr 2008
As someone who is Portuguese it's hard not to be taken away to the cake shops and restaurants of Portugal whilst flicking through the pages of this book. This book feels, tastes and smells like Portugal. The recipes are all authentic and each new page brings with it a new set of directions for making mouthwatering traditional Portuguese cuisine. From seafood to the addictive pasteis de nata, Tessa Kiros has created a book filled with beautiful photographs and enticing and easy to make recipes. This book introduces you to the warm and friendly nature that is Portugal and the culture of its people. Live to eat! Don't eat to live.


A wonderful book about Portugal's food, 14 Apr 2008
Portugal's cuisine is not as famous as that of its neighbour, Spain, nor that of Italy or France. It is a simple, humble way of dealing with local ingredients : seafood, the omnipresent bacalhau (salt cod), sardines, chouriço sausage are the main players here. It is honest but tasty, heartwarming and sunny.
Tessa Kiros manages to capture the essence of the food, with a lot of affection for the land and its people, who shine through in the snippets of her travelogue.
This book may not be as eye-catching as her previous two, its colour theme being much more subdued (grey-blue), but it brings back memories of my own travels to that thankfully still mostly undiscovered country.

Portugal Found......., 11 Apr 2008
In my opinion Portuguese food still hasn't been truly discovered, it's always been a hidden gem (maybe there's a small chance of this review being biast as I have a Portuguese mother and a Brazilian father) but still, Portuguese food is something that's always been so personal to me, given me comfort. I always thought it might be just me who had been so deeply in love with Portugal and it's culture....after reading Piri piri starfish I see I'm not alone(there are more of us out there!!) Being raised in a family where food is everything ...my first real memory was seeing my mother soaking salt fish (bacalhau) smelling the onions, garlic, tomatoes, piri piri chillies, & coriander frying in a big pot with olive oil.(it was heavenly). This book truly captures how magical Portuguese food is.

The layout of the book is in true Tessa Kiros style...beautiful layout and beautiful photos of most of the dishes. I've tried the Roast Octopus with Red Wine & Potatoes, it was so tasty....the Grilled Squid with Chourico & Lemon Coriander Oil....was really really good....Piri Piri oil which is always at my table, Pasteis de bacalhau (fish cakes), grilled pork chops with chourico & pancetta, stuffed squid, pineapple cake (delicious)....Piri Piri Chicken with the Tomato Rice....I have to say it was just as tasty as the rice my mum makes. All recipes are authentic and turned out amazingly. I can't wait to continue trying out the others.

Some more recipes included:
Prawns with Piri piri, Whisky & Lemon
Seafood Rice
Stuffed Squid with Chourico
Baked Pork Ribs with Orange (these were AMAZING!!!!)
Roasted new potatoes with Tomatoes & White Wine
Prego Rolls (marinated Steaks in soft bread rolls)
Coffee Creme Caramels
Churros
Melon Sorbet with Port
Prawn Pastries (these are delicious, I promise you)

If I was to try and find fault, it would be the desserts & cake section...even though some lovely cakes were included, caramel cake, honey tart, pineapple cake...I haven't been to one family gathering or friends house in Portugal where Arroz doce (portuguese sweet rice)wasn't on the table...or Tarte de Amêndoa(almond tart with a carmel glaze)Pudim Molotof, Bolo de Bolacha (a biscuit cake) these are cakes/desserts that are very very popular in Portugal so I was suprised when I saw that they weren't included in the book. Still, this is a great book with some great recipes. If you love honest rustic food, then this book will not disappoint. Tessa Kiros has managed to capture everything I love in 254 pages.

really good fun, 18 Jul 2007
This is such a cute little book! the recipes aren't really hi-tec or anything but it tells you how to build a fire and gives you checklists for equipment and stuff, which is good if you've never been camping before. and it's got lots of yum stuff i never would have thought of, like cooking roast chicken or this omlette with strawberries in. Theer are other harder recipes, but I preferd the easy, messy stuff which involves stuffing things on sticks! And barbecue stuff is well-covered too. The pictures look good but not fake, and the words are quite quirky and funny, made me laugh anyway, which i wasn't expecting. glad i bought it... might spur me on to cook a bit more outdoors instead of heading to the pub...

A bit obnoxious, 16 May 2008
I was left dissapointed by this book which seems to assume that good food in London can only be found in affluent or trendy areas, and mostly in expensive delis or restaurants. I really felt that they missed a trick to really unearth the jems of London's food scene but opted instead for the obvious. For example, coverage for South East London is woeful, despite it being home to any number of excellent pan-asian and caribean shops and restaurants, as well as some of the best British food from great roasts, to fish and chips and pie and mash. You can only assume that the researchers didn't like the idea of Jerk Chicken in Catford. The cynic in me would also like to know how many of the establishments listed are somehow a part of the Conran empire. All in all, a bit poor, very elitist and not at all indicative of the best that London has to offer the adventurous foodie.

It gets two stars for being well produced.

Perfect gift for a foodie, 20 Jan 2008
I was bought this book for christmas this year and, halfway into January, would already highly recommend it. For someone who lives in London and is always on the lookout for new places to go but doesn't quite know where to start, it is invaluable. 3 out of the 3 places I have tried on their recommendation have been superb and I already have my next birthday meal, anniversary meal, boyfriend's birthday meal, day out with friends from out of town, and dinner with the mother all planned. I would say buy one for all your friends, but if you keep it to yourself you will be the most erudite epicurean amongst them!

Love London, Love Food, 17 Nov 2007
Buy this book! If you don't love either food or London, poor soul, then buy it for someone who does; you must be surrounded buy them. The cover opens into a map of London to plan your gastronomic tour. Market stalls, delis, front-room cafes and speciality restaurants are incorporated within this gem of a book. Informative text and photos cover a huge array of retailers all of whom are PASSIONATE about their products. It is a real page turner that will be dipped into for many years to come.

Foodie's Handbook to Discovering London, 13 Jul 2007
This book is a real find, it lists all the best places in London for food. Not just restaurants but markets, shops and cafes as well. The only downside is that now my list of places I want to go to is getting unmanageable.

Slainte... er... meadhanach..., 03 Jan 2009
Not so much a slainte mhath as an average one. Like other posters i like Banks' writing and his politics. But theres too much waffle here, especially about cars - just boring.

His comments on the whiskies, distilleries and life/culture surrounding them are excellent though and make this book just readable. Fast forward through the car bits though.

Slainte mhath, gach la a chi is nach fhaic.



No spirit, 18 Jul 2008
Waste of money. Self-indulgent, parochial, political. Rather buy something on whisky by Jim Murray or the late Michael Jackson. Any book on Scotland by anybody on earth, even if he is from Tierra del Fuego,would be better. And as for the author's friends, his youth, cars and his naive and fashionable politics- who cares and why does he think anybody else would?

Self indulgent and boring! , 03 May 2008
How can Iain Banks have assembled such a tedious book? I'm almost of an age with him; I too used to fool about with cannabis, I'm a Scot like him and I hate the Iraq war and the politicians that got us into it. And over the years, I've grown to love malts. And I even Like Iain Banks' books.
I'm going to love this, right? Nooooo!
It reeks of a book written in a hurry for a cheque. Did he ever re-read it once written? There's maybe a good 50 page pamphlet in there; please please don't make me re-read all those tedious sections with his so-entertaining pals and his so-fantastic cars. Iain, sober up!

Warm and hilarious, 06 Apr 2008
I occasionally drink whisky and know a little about what is a good whisky. I'm not especially interested in cars or driving. I've read a couple of Ian Bank's other books, but found them rather grim or obscure for my taste.
That said, I greatly enjoyed reading this book - despite not being a whisky, Ian Banks or car buff. The book, as made clear in the introduction, is a ramble around Scotland in every sense of the word ramble. Ian Banks travels around Scotland describing the roads he travels, the car he drives, the people he meets, the scenery, a little history, the friends he stays with, his opinions on the Iraq war, a bit on the publishing process, the distilleries he tours and the whisky he drinks. He has a really great time and I had a great time reading it. He also comes out with some absolutely brilliant one line cracks and punchlines that made me laugh out loud.
This one is now the front running book for buying as presents this year.

A pub bores' manual, 27 Jan 2008
I've read a couple of Iain Banks' books and quite liked them. I also have an interest in whisky, so a book by Banks on the subject sounded like it could be a good read...I was wrong.

The core of the book is Banks' journey to visit various distilleries and sample the whiskies they produce in an effort to find the `perfect dram'. His notes on this whisky trek are interspersed with various anecdotes, autobiographical notes and `rants'.

Most of the rants are directed against America (the book was written at the start of Gulf War II) and for the most part consist of juvenile name-calling. Some of the topics he raises might deserve serious discussion, but not in a book like this (it is meant to be about whisky is it not) and not using the type of language a Glasgow drunk might shout at cars while trying to stagger across a motorway. In fairness, Banks' does acknowledge the fact that he is ranting, but this does not excuse him.

Including his rants (on America, drug legislation, nuclear weapons etc) was extremely self-indulgent and you get the feeling they were left in to bump up the word count. However, we soon discover that Banks (or `Banksie' as we come to know him) has made quite an art of self-indulgence and is very keen on treating himself. We find out that he's now worth a few bob, has numerous fast cars, enjoys fine wines and buys whisky by the crate-full. These 'loadsamoney' revelations are of little interest. There is very little in this book that could be described as interesting. The anecdotes in particular are terrible. Let's say you had an interesting experience, such as fighting of a ninja death squad in the supermarket. Let's give this a score of 100 and compare it to a banal occurrence such as seeing a pebble - which we give a score of 1. Based on this system only a handful of Banksie's stories get to the low teens and the majority struggle to get above 5. Examples include: the time Banksie (pissed) twatted about on a balcony, the time Banksie (pissed) jumped off a wall, the time Banksie (pissed) saw a friend drop a tray and, my favourite, the time Banksie (presumably sober) walked into a shop and didn't buy some cheese.

Worst of all these stories are the ones about cars and driving. Parts of the Scottish road network are described in mind-numbing detail and start to resemble Monty Python sketches. If you got Eric Idle to read them out in a nasal southeast England `car bore' accent he'd probably win a Perrier award. Many of Banksie's car stories are laughable, but not in a good way. Take for example the time Banksie was driving in his car following a much more powerful car, then saw an opportunity to overtake the other car - but didn't! Later he's driving in a powerful car and sees he's being following by a less powerful car. Banksie gives the following car an opportunity to pass him, but this is not taken! The long winter evenings must just fly past.

Another tedious feature of the book is Banksie's friends. It's almost as if he's compiling a list of everyone he's ever shared a drink with. He seems afraid of leaving someone out and every friend and relation (and all their friends and relations get a mention). At times it almost reads like one of those Xmas round-robin letters people send out. You know the sort of thing: "In May we went to visit Gerald and Mary in their new home. They have a new dog called Toby. Their daughter, June is doing very well in her art course..." After a few pages of these banalities you start to pray for death.

I did have some other observations on this book. But I can't be bothered to write them out. The book is not worth the effort, some of the bits on whisky are okay but Banksie's observations are pedestrian at best and the rest is just dull. Oh so dull.

Get yer brolly Maw, I fancy a day oot!, 08 Dec 2008
Ok, the weather outside may be frightful but this hasn't stopped me daydreaming about days out in the country after flicking through this lovely book. This is the sequel to Maw's cookbook (what other gems are lurking at the back of the big press at Glebe Street?) and shows us how the Broons live when they are in the country at the But an' Ben. By the way, where exactly is Auchentogle? A funny, charming, nostalgic cookbook, which is even more jam-packed with jokes, strips, cuttings and good old fashioned recipes that will stick to your ribs, than the first one. Of course the other family members make their cheeky contributions: Granpaw adds his wine making tips (don't fancy the turnip much), Hen relates the rules of conkers, and the Twins recommend fresh Frog Soup, served live in pond water. Do you remember making sugarelly water, home made ginger beer, and a poke of sugar and a rhubarb stalk! If you do you will love this!

Maw does it again !, 09 Nov 2008
This was on show at the Good Food Show last week beside the original - Maw Broon's Cookbook. Same kind of nostalgic appeal - days oot ! Cookin' the catch o' the day, some really basic stuff too. Recipes not as old as the first cookbook perhaps, but real Broons humour and great memorabilia tucked in to the pages - a 'must-have' if you got Maw Broon's Cookbook. Compared with other cookbooks on the go this year, this is great value.

Horace writes poetry!, 09 Nov 2008
I gave this book five stars, but the Amazon thing only recorded two for some reason. Anyway, this book has recipes that date to 1940, and use more fresh ingredients than the original Maw Broon Cookbook. I wouldn't say it is 'better' or 'worse' - it is just a very different cookbook, so complements the first one. I use the first one a lot to cook from, as well as just to read, as it is funny and entertaining, and also looks like the cookbooks my mum had from her mother. The design of the second one is equally as strong as the first cookbook, and But an' Ben has poetry from Horace, which is inspirationally funny! But an' Ben has recipes for picnics and barbeques, as well as home made ginger beer. While I might not make ginger beer, it really reminded me of when I used to make it as a kid, with my brother, and the corks exploded off the bottles in the night in our cellar. Very funny. This cookbook is more seasonal, and has the scope to let you use more organic, local produce, than the first one. There is a recipe for perch, which is rather weird, as no one really eats perch anymore - because you can't buy it (fishermen still catch it of course), apart from in the US, but you can substitute salmon or trout for perch. The new cookbook has recipes for whisky marmalade and jams, as well as good soups and some game. It is a worthwhile addition to any collection of cookbooks - I currently have over 200 cookbooks and But an' Ben is a strong addition.

The serious foodies bible!, 09 Sep 2008
Once upon a time if you wanted to find the best restaurants in the world it meant owning multiple Michelin guides and reading lots of reviews from different sources.
For the past 6 years however the food establishment has voted for the best restaurants from around the world.
For this purpose the world is divided into 23 voting regions with a selection of up to 31 top chefs and critics in each region, each casting up 5 votes for their favourite restaurants. 3410 votes in total. They must have visited the restaurant in the last 18 months and can only cast 2 votes for restaurants in their home region and they can't vote for themselves.
Now for the first time these reults have been published in book form.
This has resulted in what many will agree as a definitive guide as to what the top 50 restaurants are for this year.
Each have between 2 and 4 colour pages dedicated to them in this book with details of the chefs, favourite dishes, tips on booking the restaurant, contact details and price guides. Where as the michelin guide would have a merely a few lines usually in a foreign language on each restaurant it is great to see pictures of the restaurants in colour as well as of the food they serve. It makes it much easier to make an informed decision about where to dine. In addition to the top 50 restaurants the 51 - 100 restaurants also each have a paragraph dedicated to them at the back of the book.
A great coffee table book for the serious foodie and an excellent guide if you plan to dine at any of these great restaurants.

Not as good as the rest of Tessa's books, 16 Jun 2008
I write as a cook who enjoys actually reading cookery books, not just cooking from them.
In comparision with Tessa's other books this one has turned out to be less enjoyable. The publishers should take note: The simple fact that the ingredients are not arranged vertically makes it more difficult to grasp the recipe as a whole, it's not as amusing when just flicking through the book for inspiration!
I don't know why but it does give the impression that Tessa hurried through Portugal just to write this book, there's no soul to it if one could say that.
That said, the book as a whole is beautifully published, the photographs amazing and I have tried Pasteis de Nata, very good!



A wonderful culinary voyage, 19 Apr 2008
As someone who is Portuguese it's hard not to be taken away to the cake shops and restaurants of Portugal whilst flicking through the pages of this book. This book feels, tastes and smells like Portugal. The recipes are all authentic and each new page brings with it a new set of directions for making mouthwatering traditional Portuguese cuisine. From seafood to the addictive pasteis de nata, Tessa Kiros has created a book filled with beautiful photographs and enticing and easy to make recipes. This book introduces you to the warm and friendly nature that is Portugal and the culture of its people. Live to eat! Don't eat to live.


A wonderful book about Portugal's food, 14 Apr 2008
Portugal's cuisine is not as famous as that of its neighbour, Spain, nor that of Italy or France. It is a simple, humble way of dealing with local ingredients : seafood, the omnipresent bacalhau (salt cod), sardines, chouriço sausage are the main players here. It is honest but tasty, heartwarming and sunny.
Tessa Kiros manages to capture the essence of the food, with a lot of affection for the land and its people, who shine through in the snippets of her travelogue.
This book may not be as eye-catching as her previous two, its colour theme being much more subdued (grey-blue), but it brings back memories of my own travels to that thankfully still mostly undiscovered country.

Portugal Found......., 11 Apr 2008
In my opinion Portuguese food still hasn't been truly discovered, it's always been a hidden gem (maybe there's a small chance of this review being biast as I have a Portuguese mother and a Brazilian father) but still, Portuguese food is something that's always been so personal to me, given me comfort. I always thought it might be just me who had been so deeply in love with Portugal and it's culture....after reading Piri piri starfish I see I'm not alone(there are more of us out there!!) Being raised in a family where food is everything ...my first real memory was seeing my mother soaking salt fish (bacalhau) smelling the onions, garlic, tomatoes, piri piri chillies, & coriander frying in a big pot with olive oil.(it was heavenly). This book truly captures how magical Portuguese food is.

The layout of the book is in true Tessa Kiros style...beautiful layout and beautiful photos of most of the dishes. I've tried the Roast Octopus with Red Wine & Potatoes, it was so tasty....the Grilled Squid with Chourico & Lemon Coriander Oil....was really really good....Piri Piri oil which is always at my table, Pasteis de bacalhau (fish cakes), grilled pork chops with chourico & pancetta, stuffed squid, pineapple cake (delicious)....Piri Piri Chicken with the Tomato Rice....I have to say it was just as tasty as the rice my mum makes. All recipes are authentic and turned out amazingly. I can't wait to continue trying out the others.

Some more recipes included:
Prawns with Piri piri, Whisky & Lemon
Seafood Rice
Stuffed Squid with Chourico
Baked Pork Ribs with Orange (these were AMAZING!!!!)
Roasted new potatoes with Tomatoes & White Wine
Prego Rolls (marinated Steaks in soft bread rolls)
Coffee Creme Caramels
Churros
Melon Sorbet with Port
Prawn Pastries (these are delicious, I promise you)

If I was to try and find fault, it would be the desserts & cake section...even though some lovely cakes were included, caramel cake, honey tart, pineapple cake...I haven't been to one family gathering or friends house in Portugal where Arroz doce (portuguese sweet rice)wasn't on the table...or Tarte de Amêndoa(almond tart with a carmel glaze)Pudim Molotof, Bolo de Bolacha (a biscuit cake) these are cakes/desserts that are very very popular in Portugal so I was suprised when I saw that they weren't included in the book. Still, this is a great book with some great recipes. If you love honest rustic food, then this book will not disappoint. Tessa Kiros has managed to capture everything I love in 254 pages.

really good fun, 18 Jul 2007
This is such a cute little book! the recipes aren't really hi-tec or anything but it tells you how to build a fire and gives you checklists for equipment and stuff, which is good if you've never been camping before. and it's got lots of yum stuff i never would have thought of, like cooking roast chicken or this omlette with strawberries in. Theer are other harder recipes, but I preferd the easy, messy stuff which involves stuffing things on sticks! And barbecue stuff is well-covered too. The pictures look good but not fake, and the words are quite quirky and funny, made me laugh anyway, which i wasn't expecting. glad i bought it... might spur me on to cook a bit more outdoors instead of heading to the pub...

A bit obnoxious, 16 May 2008
I was left dissapointed by this book which seems to assume that good food in London can only be found in affluent or trendy areas, and mostly in expensive delis or restaurants. I really felt that they missed a trick to really unearth the jems of London's food scene but opted instead for the obvious. For example, coverage for South East London is woeful, despite it being home to any number of excellent pan-asian and caribean shops and restaurants, as well as some of the best British food from great roasts, to fish and chips and pie and mash. You can only assume that the researchers didn't like the idea of Jerk Chicken in Catford. The cynic in me would also like to know how many of the establishments listed are somehow a part of the Conran empire. All in all, a bit poor, very elitist and not at all indicative of the best that London has to offer the adventurous foodie.

It gets two stars for being well produced.

Perfect gift for a foodie, 20 Jan 2008
I was bought this book for christmas this year and, halfway into January, would already highly recommend it. For someone who lives in London and is always on the lookout for new places to go but doesn't quite know where to start, it is invaluable. 3 out of the 3 places I have tried on their recommendation have been superb and I already have my next birthday meal, anniversary meal, boyfriend's birthday meal, day out with friends from out of town, and dinner with the mother all planned. I would say buy one for all your friends, but if you keep it to yourself you will be the most erudite epicurean amongst them!

Love London, Love Food, 17 Nov 2007
Buy this book! If you don't love either food or London, poor soul, then buy it for someone who does; you must be surrounded buy them. The cover opens into a map of London to plan your gastronomic tour. Market stalls, delis, front-room cafes and speciality restaurants are incorporated within this gem of a book. Informative text and photos cover a huge array of retailers all of whom are PASSIONATE about their products. It is a real page turner that will be dipped into for many years to come.

Foodie's Handbook to Discovering London, 13 Jul 2007
This book is a real find, it lists all the best places in London for food. Not just restaurants but markets, shops and cafes as well. The only downside is that now my list of places I want to go to is getting unmanageable.

Slainte... er... meadhanach..., 03 Jan 2009
Not so much a slainte mhath as an average one. Like other posters i like Banks' writing and his politics. But theres too much waffle here, especially about cars - just boring.

His comments on the whiskies, distilleries and life/culture surrounding them are excellent though and make this book just readable. Fast forward through the car bits though.

Slainte mhath, gach la a chi is nach fhaic.



No spirit, 18 Jul 2008
Waste of money. Self-indulgent, parochial, political. Rather buy something on whisky by Jim Murray or the late Michael Jackson. Any book on Scotland by anybody on earth, even if he is from Tierra del Fuego,would be better. And as for the author's friends, his youth, cars and his naive and fashionable politics- who cares and why does he think anybody else would?

Self indulgent and boring! , 03 May 2008
How can Iain Banks have assembled such a tedious book? I'm almost of an age with him; I too used to fool about with cannabis, I'm a Scot like him and I hate the Iraq war and the politicians that got us into it. And over the years, I've grown to love malts. And I even Like Iain Banks' books.
I'm going to love this, right? Nooooo!
It reeks of a book written in a hurry for a cheque. Did he ever re-read it once written? There's maybe a good 50 page pamphlet in there; please please don't make me re-read all those tedious sections with his so-entertaining pals and his so-fantastic cars. Iain, sober up!

Warm and hilarious, 06 Apr 2008
I occasionally drink whisky and know a little about what is a good whisky. I'm not especially interested in cars or driving. I've read a couple of Ian Bank's other books, but found them rather grim or obscure for my taste.
That said, I greatly enjoyed reading this book - despite not being a whisky, Ian Banks or car buff. The book, as made clear in the introduction, is a ramble around Scotland in every sense of the word ramble. Ian Banks travels around Scotland describing the roads he travels, the car he drives, the people he meets, the scenery, a little history, the friends he stays with, his opinions on the Iraq war, a bit on the publishing process, the distilleries he tours and the whisky he drinks. He has a really great time and I had a great time reading it. He also comes out with some absolutely brilliant one line cracks and punchlines that made me laugh out loud.
This one is now the front running book for buying as presents this year.

A pub bores' manual, 27 Jan 2008
I've read a couple of Iain Banks' books and quite liked them. I also have an interest in whisky, so a book by Banks on the subject sounded like it could be a good read...I was wrong.

The core of the book is Banks' journey to visit various distilleries and sample the whiskies they produce in an effort to find the `perfect dram'. His notes on this whisky trek are interspersed with various anecdotes, autobiographical notes and `rants'.

Most of the rants are directed against America (the book was written at the start of Gulf War II) and for the most part consist of juvenile name-calling. Some of the topics he raises might deserve serious discussion, but not in a book like this (it is meant to be about whisky is it not) and not using the type of language a Glasgow drunk might shout at cars while trying to stagger across a motorway. In fairness, Banks' does acknowledge the fact that he is ranting, but this does not excuse him.

Including his rants (on America, drug legislation, nuclear weapons etc) was extremely self-indulgent and you get the feeling they were left in to bump up the word count. However, we soon discover that Banks (or `Banksie' as we come to know him) has made quite an art of self-indulgence and is very keen on treating himself. We find out that he's now worth a few bob, has numerous fast cars, enjoys fine wines and buys whisky by the crate-full. These 'loadsamoney' revelations are of little interest. There is very little in this book that could be described as interesting. The anecdotes in particular are terrible. Let's say you had an interesting experience, such as fighting of a ninja death squad in the supermarket. Let's give this a score of 100 and compare it to a banal occurrence such as seeing a pebble - which we give a score of 1. Based on this system only a handful of Banksie's stories get to the low teens and the majority struggle to get above 5. Examples include: the time Banksie (pissed) twatted about on a balcony, the time Banksie (pissed) jumped off a wall, the time Banksie (pissed) saw a friend drop a tray and, my favourite, the time Banksie (presumably sober) walked into a shop and didn't buy some cheese.

Worst of all these stories are the ones about cars and driving. Parts of the Scottish road network are described in mind-numbing detail and start to resemble Monty Python sketches. If you got Eric Idle to read them out in a nasal southeast England `car bore' accent he'd probably win a Perrier award. Many of Banksie's car stories are laughable, but not in a good way. Take for example the time Banksie was driving in his car following a much more powerful car, then saw an opportunity to overtake the other car - but didn't! Later he's driving in a powerful car and sees he's being following by a less powerful car. Banksie gives the following car an opportunity to pass him, but this is not taken! The long winter evenings must just fly past.

Another tedious feature of the book is Banksie's friends. It's almost as if he's compiling a list of everyone he's ever shared a drink with. He seems afraid of leaving someone out and every friend and relation (and all their friends and relations get a mention). At times it almost reads like one of those Xmas round-robin letters people send out. You know the sort of thing: "In May we went to visit Gerald and Mary in their new home. They have a new dog called Toby. Their daughter, June is doing very well in her art course..." After a few pages of these banalities you start to pray for death.

I did have some other observations on this book. But I can't be bothered to write them out. The book is not worth the effort, some of the bits on whisky are okay but Banksie's observations are pedestrian at best and the rest is just dull. Oh so dull.





I had high expectations..., 16 Sep 2008
I really like Hardeep Singh Kohli and I love food; so this book should have been right up my alley. Having asked himself the question, `Why did I feel the need to apologise for being British in India and apologise for being Indian when in Britain?', Hardeep plans a journey to India in order to `find himself'. The blurb would have you believe that he does this by cooking typically English foods such as Yorkshire Pudding and fry ups, and using them as a means to connect with Indian people and as a result to learn more about himself and his feelings about having a dual nationality.

Unfortunately, the blurb is a bit misleading. Just to give you an idea of what I mean, I quote from page 208 (more than two-thirds of the way through the book) `I have been rather remiss in preparing the foods of Britain.' Yes, you have haven't you! I really don't like to be pedantic, but this book is more like a guide to long train journeys across India. The writing fails to convey any real connections made with people he met during his journey; he moves impassively through the landscape, failing to `find himself' at any of the stops along the way.

There are some nice anecdotes, but these mostly relate to his childhood in Glasgow, the tale of the stolen Victoria sponge was a particular highlight. There was also a lovely segment about shopping for turbans and a few more observational interludes like that would have made all the difference.

It's a shame. I wish I'd have liked it more.

Get yer brolly Maw, I fancy a day oot!, 08 Dec 2008
Ok, the weather outside may be frightful but this hasn't stopped me daydreaming about days out in the country after flicking through this lovely book. This is the sequel to Maw's cookbook (what other gems are lurking at the back of the big press at Glebe Street?) and shows us how the Broons live when they are in the country at the But an' Ben. By the way, where exactly is Auchentogle? A funny, charming, nostalgic cookbook, which is even more jam-packed with jokes, strips, cuttings and good old fashioned recipes that will stick to your ribs, than the first one. Of course the other family members make their cheeky contributions: Granpaw adds his wine making tips (don't fancy the turnip much), Hen relates the rules of conkers, and the Twins recommend fresh Frog Soup, served live in pond water. Do you remember making sugarelly water, home made ginger beer, and a poke of sugar and a rhubarb stalk! If you do you will love this!

Maw does it again !, 09 Nov 2008
This was on show at the Good Food Show last week beside the original - Maw Broon's Cookbook. Same kind of nostalgic appeal - days oot ! Cookin' the catch o' the day, some really basic stuff too. Recipes not as old as the first cookbook perhaps, but real Broons humour and great memorabilia tucked in to the pages - a 'must-have' if you got Maw Broon's Cookbook. Compared with other cookbooks on the go this year, this is great value.

Horace writes poetry!, 09 Nov 2008
I gave this book five stars, but the Amazon thing only recorded two for some reason. Anyway, this book has recipes that date to 1940, and use more fresh ingredients than the original Maw Broon Cookbook. I wouldn't say it is 'better' or 'worse' - it is just a very different cookbook, so complements the first one. I use the first one a lot to cook from, as well as just to read, as it is funny and entertaining, and also looks like the cookbooks my mum had from her mother. The design of the second one is equally as strong as the first cookbook, and But an' Ben has poetry from Horace, which is inspirationally funny! But an' Ben has recipes for picnics and barbeques, as well as home made ginger beer. While I might not make ginger beer, it really reminded me of when I used to make it as a kid, with my brother, and the corks exploded off the bottles in the night in our cellar. Very funny. This cookbook is more seasonal, and has the scope to let you use more organic, local produce, than the first one. There is a recipe for perch, which is rather weird, as no one really eats perch anymore - because you can't buy it (fishermen still catch it of course), apart from in the US, but you can substitute salmon or trout for perch. The new cookbook has recipes for whisky marmalade and jams, as well as good soups and some game. It is a worthwhile addition to any collection of cookbooks - I currently have over 200 cookbooks and But an' Ben is a strong addition.

The serious foodies bible!, 09 Sep 2008
Once upon a time if you wanted to find the best restaurants in the world it meant owning multiple Michelin guides and reading lots of reviews from different sources.
For the past 6 years however the food establishment has voted for the best restaurants from around the world.
For this purpose the world is divided into 23 voting regions with a selection of up to 31 top chefs and critics in each region, each casting up 5 votes for their favourite restaurants. 3410 votes in total. They must have visited the restaurant in the last 18 months and can only cast 2 votes for restaurants in their home region and they can't vote for themselves.
Now for the first time these reults have been published in book form.
This has resulted in what many will agree as a definitive guide as to what the top 50 restaurants are for this year.
Each have between 2 and 4 colour pages dedicated to them in this book with details of the chefs, favourite dishes, tips on booking the restaurant, contact details and price guides. Where as the michelin guide would have a merely a few lines usually in a foreign language on each restaurant it is great to see pictures of the restaurants in colour as well as of the food they serve. It makes it much easier to make an informed decision about where to dine. In addition to the top 50 restaurants the 51 - 100 restaurants also each have a paragraph dedicated to them at the back of the book.
A great coffee table book for the serious foodie and an excellent guide if you plan to dine at any of these great restaurants.

Not as good as the rest of Tessa's books, 16 Jun 2008
I write as a cook who enjoys actually reading cookery books, not just cooking from them.
In comparision with Tessa's other books this one has turned out to be less enjoyable. The publishers should take note: The simple fact that the ingredients are not arranged vertically makes it more difficult to grasp the recipe as a whole, it's not as amusing when just flicking through the book for inspiration!
I don't know why but it does give the impression that Tessa hurried through Portugal just to write this book, there's no soul to it if one could say that.
That said, the book as a whole is beautifully published, the photographs amazing and I have tried Pasteis de Nata, very good!



A wonderful culinary voyage, 19 Apr 2008
As someone who is Portuguese it's hard not to be taken away to the cake shops and restaurants of Portugal whilst flicking through the pages of this book. This book feels, tastes and smells like Portugal. The recipes are all authentic and each new page brings with it a new set of directions for making mouthwatering traditional Portuguese cuisine. From seafood to the addictive pasteis de nata, Tessa Kiros has created a book filled with beautiful photographs and enticing and easy to make recipes. This book introduces you to the warm and friendly nature that is Portugal and the culture of its people. Live to eat! Don't eat to live.


A wonderful book about Portugal's food, 14 Apr 2008
Portugal's cuisine is not as famous as that of its neighbour, Spain, nor that of Italy or France. It is a simple, humble way of dealing with local ingredients : seafood, the omnipresent bacalhau (salt cod), sardines, chouriço sausage are the main players here. It is honest but tasty, heartwarming and sunny.
Tessa Kiros manages to capture the essence of the food, with a lot of affection for the land and its people, who shine through in the snippets of her travelogue.
This book may not be as eye-catching as her previous two, its colour theme being much more subdued (grey-blue), but it brings back memories of my own travels to that thankfully still mostly undiscovered country.

Portugal Found......., 11 Apr 2008
In my opinion Portuguese food still hasn't been truly discovered, it's always been a hidden gem (maybe there's a small chance of this review being biast as I have a Portuguese mother and a Brazilian father) but still, Portuguese food is something that's always been so personal to me, given me comfort. I always thought it might be just me who had been so deeply in love with Portugal and it's culture....after reading Piri piri starfish I see I'm not alone(there are more of us out there!!) Being raised in a family where food is everything ...my first real memory was seeing my mother soaking salt fish (bacalhau) smelling the onions, garlic, tomatoes, piri piri chillies, & coriander frying in a big pot with olive oil.(it was heavenly). This book truly captures how magical Portuguese food is.

The layout of the book is in true Tessa Kiros style...beautiful layout and beautiful photos of most of the dishes. I've tried the Roast Octopus with Red Wine & Potatoes, it was so tasty....the Grilled Squid with Chourico & Lemon Coriander Oil....was really really good....Piri Piri oil which is always at my table, Pasteis de bacalhau (fish cakes), grilled pork chops with chourico & pancetta, stuffed squid, pineapple cake (delicious)....Piri Piri Chicken with the Tomato Rice....I have to say it was just as tasty as the rice my mum makes. All recipes are authentic and turned out amazingly. I can't wait to continue trying out the others.

Some more recipes included:
Prawns with Piri piri, Whisky & Lemon
Seafood Rice
Stuffed Squid with Chourico
Baked Pork Ribs with Orange (these were AMAZING!!!!)
Roasted new potatoes with Tomatoes & White Wine
Prego Rolls (marinated Steaks in soft bread rolls)
Coffee Creme Caramels
Churros
Melon Sorbet with Port
Prawn Pastries (these are delicious, I promise you)

If I was to try and find fault, it would be the desserts & cake section...even though some lovely cakes were included, caramel cake, honey tart, pineapple cake...I haven't been to one family gathering or friends house in Portugal where Arroz doce (portuguese sweet rice)wasn't on the table...or Tarte de Amêndoa(almond tart with a carmel glaze)Pudim Molotof, Bolo de Bolacha (a biscuit cake) these are cakes/desserts that are very very popular in Portugal so I was suprised when I saw that they weren't included in the book. Still, this is a great book with some great recipes. If you love honest rustic food, then this book will not disappoint. Tessa Kiros has managed to capture everything I love in 254 pages.

really good fun, 18 Jul 2007
This is such a cute little book! the recipes aren't really hi-tec or anything but it tells you how to build a fire and gives you checklists for equipment and stuff, which is good if you've never been camping before. and it's got lots of yum stuff i never would have thought of, like cooking roast chicken or this omlette with strawberries in. Theer are other harder recipes, but I preferd the easy, messy stuff which involves stuffing things on sticks! And barbecue stuff is well-covered too. The pictures look good but not fake, and the words are quite quirky and funny, made me laugh anyway, which i wasn't expecting. glad i bought it... might spur me on to cook a bit more outdoors instead of heading to the pub...

A bit obnoxious, 16 May 2008
I was left dissapointed by this book which seems to assume that good food in London can only be found in affluent or trendy areas, and mostly in expensive delis or restaurants. I really felt that they missed a trick to really unearth the jems of London's food scene but opted instead for the obvious. For example, coverage for South East London is woeful, despite it being home to any number of excellent pan-asian and caribean shops and restaurants, as well as some of the best British food from great roasts, to fish and chips and pie and mash. You can only assume that the researchers didn't like the idea of Jerk Chicken in Catford. The cynic in me would also like to know how many of the establishments listed are somehow a part of the Conran empire. All in all, a bit poor, very elitist and not at all indicative of the best that London has to offer the adventurous foodie.

It gets two stars for being well produced.

Perfect gift for a foodie, 20 Jan 2008
I was bought this book for christmas this year and, halfway into January, would already highly recommend it. For someone who lives in London and is always on the lookout for new places to go but doesn't quite know where to start, it is invaluable. 3 out of the 3 places I have tried on their recommendation have been superb and I already have my next birthday meal, anniversary meal, boyfriend's birthday meal, day out with friends from out of town, and dinner with the mother all planned. I would say buy one for all your friends, but if you keep it to yourself you will be the most erudite epicurean amongst them!

Love London, Love Food, 17 Nov 2007
Buy this book! If you don't love either food or London, poor soul, then buy it for someone who does; you must be surrounded buy them. The cover opens into a map of London to plan your gastronomic tour. Market stalls, delis, front-room cafes and speciality restaurants are incorporated within this gem of a book. Informative text and photos cover a huge array of retailers all of whom are PASSIONATE about their products. It is a real page turner that will be dipped into for many years to come.

Foodie's Handbook to Discovering London, 13 Jul 2007
This book is a real find, it lists all the best places in London for food. Not just restaurants but markets, shops and cafes as well. The only downside is that now my list of places I want to go to is getting unmanageable.

Slainte... er... meadhanach..., 03 Jan 2009
Not so much a slainte mhath as an average one. Like other posters i like Banks' writing and his politics. But theres too much waffle here, especially about cars - just boring.

His comments on the whiskies, distilleries and life/culture surrounding them are ex