Everyone should have this book!, 01 Sep 2008
What a wonderful cookbook. Great recipes, wonderfully chosen,
charmingly illustrated.
Great comfort stuff, takes you back to childhood. I've sent
many copies to all my expat Scottish friends and family. My
own copy keeps on being borrowed so I'm buying myself another
one for Christmas!
Dinnae miss it!

Maw Broon's Cookbook, 19 Aug 2008
Thanks! I found Maw Broon's Cookbook recipes very amazing and oldest recipes i ever read! I will going to try them out as I am chef for six years. Reckon it will bring customers old memories back from years ago of foods they never thought will eat them again! Thanks a million!

A Braw Book, 16 Aug 2008
I was given this book as for a joke but I must admit its a cracking cookbook to boot, real stick to yer ribs food with all the extras you'd expect from the Broons (Scotland's premier cartoon family)

A great book for all whether you are familiar with the Broons antics in the Sunday Post or not, its packed with traditional Scottish fare just like granny used to make.

Can't wait for the But n Ben cookbook full of holiday fare!!



favourite recipes, 06 Aug 2008
This book is the perfect cook book to have beside any cooker/Aga/Rayburn. It was recommended to me by a professional chef. Maw Broon's recipes certainly work for our household - plain simple recipes that have stood the test of time and that can be prepared with minimum fuss and bother. But there is more to this book than the recipes - the format is simply brilliant - If like me you have collected hundreds of scraps of paper with recipes from family and friends together with a mounting pile of magazine and paper cuttings in the hope of using them 'someday' then you will think you have gone to heaven. As I turned each page I was soon reminiscing...this led me to realise that our elders are usually able to rustle up a meal in an instant for anyone who happens to drop in and without first of all needing to resort to a supermarket trolley dash. If you have someone who is moving away from home buy them this book you can then rest easy that they will be able to feed themselves without too much damage to their finances. I had never heard of the Broons before I read this book but the little cartoons and comments brought many a smile to my face. This book is rated 5 stars but deserves 6

Absolutely Fabulous, 04 Jul 2008
This is one great book you can either get one for yourself or it makes a really unusual gift. Even if you never use it as a cookbook, it is a wonderful talking point.

Everyone should have this book!, 01 Sep 2008
What a wonderful cookbook. Great recipes, wonderfully chosen,
charmingly illustrated.
Great comfort stuff, takes you back to childhood. I've sent
many copies to all my expat Scottish friends and family. My
own copy keeps on being borrowed so I'm buying myself another
one for Christmas!
Dinnae miss it!

Maw Broon's Cookbook, 19 Aug 2008
Thanks! I found Maw Broon's Cookbook recipes very amazing and oldest recipes i ever read! I will going to try them out as I am chef for six years. Reckon it will bring customers old memories back from years ago of foods they never thought will eat them again! Thanks a million!

A Braw Book, 16 Aug 2008
I was given this book as for a joke but I must admit its a cracking cookbook to boot, real stick to yer ribs food with all the extras you'd expect from the Broons (Scotland's premier cartoon family)

A great book for all whether you are familiar with the Broons antics in the Sunday Post or not, its packed with traditional Scottish fare just like granny used to make.

Can't wait for the But n Ben cookbook full of holiday fare!!



favourite recipes, 06 Aug 2008
This book is the perfect cook book to have beside any cooker/Aga/Rayburn. It was recommended to me by a professional chef. Maw Broon's recipes certainly work for our household - plain simple recipes that have stood the test of time and that can be prepared with minimum fuss and bother. But there is more to this book than the recipes - the format is simply brilliant - If like me you have collected hundreds of scraps of paper with recipes from family and friends together with a mounting pile of magazine and paper cuttings in the hope of using them 'someday' then you will think you have gone to heaven. As I turned each page I was soon reminiscing...this led me to realise that our elders are usually able to rustle up a meal in an instant for anyone who happens to drop in and without first of all needing to resort to a supermarket trolley dash. If you have someone who is moving away from home buy them this book you can then rest easy that they will be able to feed themselves without too much damage to their finances. I had never heard of the Broons before I read this book but the little cartoons and comments brought many a smile to my face. This book is rated 5 stars but deserves 6

Absolutely Fabulous, 04 Jul 2008
This is one great book you can either get one for yourself or it makes a really unusual gift. Even if you never use it as a cookbook, it is a wonderful talking point.

Disappointed, 24 Sep 2008
I bought this book because it's Gordon Ramsay and it was on special on Amazon. I found the book badly laid out and the pages too busy looking. The recipes are good but I've hardly used it because I don't like the look (or feel!) of the book.

Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food, 12 Aug 2008
Don't buy this book uness you're sure you like Gordon's style. As with most fast food stuff, it doesn't present a realistic timescale which can cover everything you need to put into a meal. I don't usually eat my carbo stuff separately from the rest, but find eg spuds are presented as a separate recipe. Most of the recipes need contstant attention to the main ingredients to get quick timing. Unless you're going for size 0 this is normal length cookery.

Great Tasting fast food, 28 May 2008
This is the book to turn to after a long day at work, but you want something tasty for dinner.Put away the takeaway menus, almost all the dishes in this book are quicker and tastier.Not to mention a whole lot better for you.Stock up with a few essentials, follow the recipies, and you can have great food on the table, and still have time to "play".
Excellent

Great book, 04 May 2008
I bought this book and received the Silverspoon as a gift.
I ended up making more from this one and sold the Silverspoon.
It's a great book. I tried many recipes and they are really tasty, easy to make (no exotic ingredients difficult to find as in others book) and overall quick. Believe me, I am italian and food must be tasty for me.

I went from starters to pudding and all was up to expectations. I recommend this book to anyone and will buy more from Gordon. He's is the n.1 in UK.

Buon appettito!

Fast Food, 02 Feb 2008
This is a great book with loads of recipes as featured in 'The F Word'. They are all easy to make and can be prepared and cooked in under 30 minutes, and the selected menu ideas can be put together in about 45 minutes. The recipes are easy to follow and are very clear, i've tried other book and got lost at times, but you get none of that with this book. The photography is great and really shows the food well. You occasionally get pictures of the food in it's pre and post cooked state so that you can see how it should look before and after and acts as a great guide. I've used this book (as well as Jamie Oliver's latest) to help me try some new recipes and to add some new ideas to my usual selection of meals I make on a routine basis. This is perfect for that goal, as each recipe is perfectly timed to get it prepared and cooked when i've got in from a busy day at work. The food tastes great as well, what more can you ask for? Well worth a try to expand your cooking skills and recipe knowledge.

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

But if all of the above sounds a little forbidding, it should be noted that the book here functions admirably as a guide to the best available food -- and leaving aside any philosophical underpinnings, there are over 100 delicious recipes included here, from Perfect Lamb Stew and Chicken with Lemon and Honey to Banana and Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding. The recipes are presented in as user-friendly a fashion as possible, with full-page illustrations showing us just what we can aspire to in our own kitchens. When Allen says this book is filled with foods which have special meaning for her, her family and friends, it makes clear the personal nature of the recipes on offer here. But (in the end) such things don't matter: on a strictly utilitarian level, Rachel's Food for Living really delivers the goods. --Barry ForshawBestselling author and TV chef Rachel Allen is back with a celebration of favourite foods for making memories. Ever feel rapture over a pudding? Fall in love over a romantic meal? Can you remember the smell of baking in your grandmother's kitchen? Food has the power to conjure up many emotions -- it can make us feel happy or energetic, nostalgic or loved. Cooking and enjoying great food with others is part of how we relish life and in her new book, Rachel Allen provides the mouth-watering recipes to help you do just that. Rachel explores the foods that stir these wonderful feelings. She provides inspiring and easy-to-achieve suggestions for all kinds of occasions whether you want to make an indulgent celebratory meal for someone special, create memories with your kids, or need a little healthy boost or a sneaky treat! This is the food that will make you smile. Cooking and enjoying great food with others is how we relish life and in this book to accompany her new TV series, Rachel Allen provides the mouth watering recipes that make and conjure up memories.

Everyone should have this book!, 01 Sep 2008
What a wonderful cookbook. Great recipes, wonderfully chosen,
charmingly illustrated.
Great comfort stuff, takes you back to childhood. I've sent
many copies to all my expat Scottish friends and family. My
own copy keeps on being borrowed so I'm buying myself another
one for Christmas!
Dinnae miss it!

Maw Broon's Cookbook, 19 Aug 2008
Thanks! I found Maw Broon's Cookbook recipes very amazing and oldest recipes i ever read! I will going to try them out as I am chef for six years. Reckon it will bring customers old memories back from years ago of foods they never thought will eat them again! Thanks a million!

A Braw Book, 16 Aug 2008
I was given this book as for a joke but I must admit its a cracking cookbook to boot, real stick to yer ribs food with all the extras you'd expect from the Broons (Scotland's premier cartoon family)

A great book for all whether you are familiar with the Broons antics in the Sunday Post or not, its packed with traditional Scottish fare just like granny used to make.

Can't wait for the But n Ben cookbook full of holiday fare!!



favourite recipes, 06 Aug 2008
This book is the perfect cook book to have beside any cooker/Aga/Rayburn. It was recommended to me by a professional chef. Maw Broon's recipes certainly work for our household - plain simple recipes that have stood the test of time and that can be prepared with minimum fuss and bother. But there is more to this book than the recipes - the format is simply brilliant - If like me you have collected hundreds of scraps of paper with recipes from family and friends together with a mounting pile of magazine and paper cuttings in the hope of using them 'someday' then you will think you have gone to heaven. As I turned each page I was soon reminiscing...this led me to realise that our elders are usually able to rustle up a meal in an instant for anyone who happens to drop in and without first of all needing to resort to a supermarket trolley dash. If you have someone who is moving away from home buy them this book you can then rest easy that they will be able to feed themselves without too much damage to their finances. I had never heard of the Broons before I read this book but the little cartoons and comments brought many a smile to my face. This book is rated 5 stars but deserves 6

Absolutely Fabulous, 04 Jul 2008
This is one great book you can either get one for yourself or it makes a really unusual gift. Even if you never use it as a cookbook, it is a wonderful talking point.

Disappointed, 24 Sep 2008
I bought this book because it's Gordon Ramsay and it was on special on Amazon. I found the book badly laid out and the pages too busy looking. The recipes are good but I've hardly used it because I don't like the look (or feel!) of the book.

Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food, 12 Aug 2008
Don't buy this book uness you're sure you like Gordon's style. As with most fast food stuff, it doesn't present a realistic timescale which can cover everything you need to put into a meal. I don't usually eat my carbo stuff separately from the rest, but find eg spuds are presented as a separate recipe. Most of the recipes need contstant attention to the main ingredients to get quick timing. Unless you're going for size 0 this is normal length cookery.

Great Tasting fast food, 28 May 2008
This is the book to turn to after a long day at work, but you want something tasty for dinner.Put away the takeaway menus, almost all the dishes in this book are quicker and tastier.Not to mention a whole lot better for you.Stock up with a few essentials, follow the recipies, and you can have great food on the table, and still have time to "play".
Excellent

Great book, 04 May 2008
I bought this book and received the Silverspoon as a gift.
I ended up making more from this one and sold the Silverspoon.
It's a great book. I tried many recipes and they are really tasty, easy to make (no exotic ingredients difficult to find as in others book) and overall quick. Believe me, I am italian and food must be tasty for me.

I went from starters to pudding and all was up to expectations. I recommend this book to anyone and will buy more from Gordon. He's is the n.1 in UK.

Buon appettito!

Fast Food, 02 Feb 2008
This is a great book with loads of recipes as featured in 'The F Word'. They are all easy to make and can be prepared and cooked in under 30 minutes, and the selected menu ideas can be put together in about 45 minutes. The recipes are easy to follow and are very clear, i've tried other book and got lost at times, but you get none of that with this book. The photography is great and really shows the food well. You occasionally get pictures of the food in it's pre and post cooked state so that you can see how it should look before and after and acts as a great guide. I've used this book (as well as Jamie Oliver's latest) to help me try some new recipes and to add some new ideas to my usual selection of meals I make on a routine basis. This is perfect for that goal, as each recipe is perfectly timed to get it prepared and cooked when i've got in from a busy day at work. The food tastes great as well, what more can you ask for? Well worth a try to expand your cooking skills and recipe knowledge.


Easy recipes for every occasion, 14 Aug 2008
As always with Rachel's books, the recipes are easy to follow and turn out the way you expect them to - so you get great results with a minimum of fuss. There is something for every occasion in this book, as the chapter titles show: "Food for the Soul", "Childhood Favourites", "Making Memories", "Something to Celebrate", "The Lazy Sunday", "An Elegant Afternoon", Pleasure Without the Guilt", "Food for Romance", "For the Love of Chocolate" and "Classic Dishes". I tried the "White Chocolate Buns" and they were dead easy to make, I even managed to whip them up before going to work, something I normally wouldn't be able to do, since I'm not exactly a member of the rise and shine party. They tasted great (funnily like macaroons - very yummy and a bit sticky) and disappeared really quickly once my colleagues tasted them. I can only recommend this book, especially if you're looking for something to make the whole family happy. Since it is beautifully laid out (with an added pink ribbon to mark your page) it also makes a nice present.

Reliable, 11 Mar 2008
I now own two of Rachel Allen's books and have tried many of the recipes from each (Food for Living & Food for Friends), they have worked every time and are very reliable and easy to make. At last a 'proper' cookbook and Rachel seems to be a very likeable person - well done.

absolutely invaluable!, 23 Feb 2008
this is such a fab recipe book! i got it for xmas and i use it alot. so far have made the spanish chorizo (used veggie sausage instead) and chickpea soup, blue cheese potato and leek soup (which is so gorgeous), heart shaped toast with egg and the cheesy soda bread, and some of the smoothies! they all turned out really well. i can't wait to make so many different things and next on my list is the chocolate and banana bread and butter pud! the book is written in such a simple and lovely way and is not pretencious atall. it also has great illustrations and feels very good quality. i particularly like the different sections such as food for the soul and the lazy sundays section, as there is something for any occasion. i would DEFINITELY recommend this!

Personable and practical, 23 Oct 2007
Rachel Allen presents a lot of these recipes on Saturday mornings on BBC1 and extremely good they are too - varied, easy to follow and in possession of an ambience from a time gone by yet somehow modern at the same time - witness her seeds and honey bread recipe. Elements of the traditional and modern combine perfectly. Allen's prawn pate is delicious (believe me!) as are her white chocolate buns and her tips on ways to embellish a simple roast chicken dish are useful (not ground-breaking in any way, but tempting to try with the minimum of fuss or expense). Her lasagne is, as she admits herself a basic enough dish, but she adds just a few things to it in pureed onion, carrot and celery that make it absolutely delicious. I did it last weekend and it was truly wonderful. Her flapjacks are tantalising, as is her pork and mushroom pie. As for the chicken Kiev - best I have ever tasted !

Rachel Allen has an easy-going style devoid of pretension and posturing, yet simultaneously exuding class and culture, not an easy thing to do.

A Beautiful Book full of Real Food, 21 Sep 2007
I was so excited to see Rachel Allen has published another cookbook!
It's a beautiful book, full of lovely colourful photos and most of the recipes are things I will actually use.

She's always great on Saturday Kitchen so I made sure to watch her new show and I love it - she's very easy to watch and her accent is lovely to listen to. It's refreshing that there are no pointless self-obsessed innuendos like Nigella or tired cliches like Gordon and Jamie. I get the impression she's just a real woman with a real family and real clothes who likes really good food!

Everyone should have this book!, 01 Sep 2008
What a wonderful cookbook. Great recipes, wonderfully chosen,
charmingly illustrated.
Great comfort stuff, takes you back to childhood. I've sent
many copies to all my expat Scottish friends and family. My
own copy keeps on being borrowed so I'm buying myself another
one for Christmas!
Dinnae miss it!

Maw Broon's Cookbook, 19 Aug 2008
Thanks! I found Maw Broon's Cookbook recipes very amazing and oldest recipes i ever read! I will going to try them out as I am chef for six years. Reckon it will bring customers old memories back from years ago of foods they never thought will eat them again! Thanks a million!

A Braw Book, 16 Aug 2008
I was given this book as for a joke but I must admit its a cracking cookbook to boot, real stick to yer ribs food with all the extras you'd expect from the Broons (Scotland's premier cartoon family)

A great book for all whether you are familiar with the Broons antics in the Sunday Post or not, its packed with traditional Scottish fare just like granny used to make.

Can't wait for the But n Ben cookbook full of holiday fare!!



favourite recipes, 06 Aug 2008
This book is the perfect cook book to have beside any cooker/Aga/Rayburn. It was recommended to me by a professional chef. Maw Broon's recipes certainly work for our household - plain simple recipes that have stood the test of time and that can be prepared with minimum fuss and bother. But there is more to this book than the recipes - the format is simply brilliant - If like me you have collected hundreds of scraps of paper with recipes from family and friends together with a mounting pile of magazine and paper cuttings in the hope of using them 'someday' then you will think you have gone to heaven. As I turned each page I was soon reminiscing...this led me to realise that our elders are usually able to rustle up a meal in an instant for anyone who happens to drop in and without first of all needing to resort to a supermarket trolley dash. If you have someone who is moving away from home buy them this book you can then rest easy that they will be able to feed themselves without too much damage to their finances. I had never heard of the Broons before I read this book but the little cartoons and comments brought many a smile to my face. This book is rated 5 stars but deserves 6

Absolutely Fabulous, 04 Jul 2008
This is one great book you can either get one for yourself or it makes a really unusual gift. Even if you never use it as a cookbook, it is a wonderful talking point.

Disappointed, 24 Sep 2008
I bought this book because it's Gordon Ramsay and it was on special on Amazon. I found the book badly laid out and the pages too busy looking. The recipes are good but I've hardly used it because I don't like the look (or feel!) of the book.

Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food, 12 Aug 2008
Don't buy this book uness you're sure you like Gordon's style. As with most fast food stuff, it doesn't present a realistic timescale which can cover everything you need to put into a meal. I don't usually eat my carbo stuff separately from the rest, but find eg spuds are presented as a separate recipe. Most of the recipes need contstant attention to the main ingredients to get quick timing. Unless you're going for size 0 this is normal length cookery.

Great Tasting fast food, 28 May 2008
This is the book to turn to after a long day at work, but you want something tasty for dinner.Put away the takeaway menus, almost all the dishes in this book are quicker and tastier.Not to mention a whole lot better for you.Stock up with a few essentials, follow the recipies, and you can have great food on the table, and still have time to "play".
Excellent

Great book, 04 May 2008
I bought this book and received the Silverspoon as a gift.
I ended up making more from this one and sold the Silverspoon.
It's a great book. I tried many recipes and they are really tasty, easy to make (no exotic ingredients difficult to find as in others book) and overall quick. Believe me, I am italian and food must be tasty for me.

I went from starters to pudding and all was up to expectations. I recommend this book to anyone and will buy more from Gordon. He's is the n.1 in UK.

Buon appettito!

Fast Food, 02 Feb 2008
This is a great book with loads of recipes as featured in 'The F Word'. They are all easy to make and can be prepared and cooked in under 30 minutes, and the selected menu ideas can be put together in about 45 minutes. The recipes are easy to follow and are very clear, i've tried other book and got lost at times, but you get none of that with this book. The photography is great and really shows the food well. You occasionally get pictures of the food in it's pre and post cooked state so that you can see how it should look before and after and acts as a great guide. I've used this book (as well as Jamie Oliver's latest) to help me try some new recipes and to add some new ideas to my usual selection of meals I make on a routine basis. This is perfect for that goal, as each recipe is perfectly timed to get it prepared and cooked when i've got in from a busy day at work. The food tastes great as well, what more can you ask for? Well worth a try to expand your cooking skills and recipe knowledge.


Easy recipes for every occasion, 14 Aug 2008
As always with Rachel's books, the recipes are easy to follow and turn out the way you expect them to - so you get great results with a minimum of fuss. There is something for every occasion in this book, as the chapter titles show: "Food for the Soul", "Childhood Favourites", "Making Memories", "Something to Celebrate", "The Lazy Sunday", "An Elegant Afternoon", Pleasure Without the Guilt", "Food for Romance", "For the Love of Chocolate" and "Classic Dishes". I tried the "White Chocolate Buns" and they were dead easy to make, I even managed to whip them up before going to work, something I normally wouldn't be able to do, since I'm not exactly a member of the rise and shine party. They tasted great (funnily like macaroons - very yummy and a bit sticky) and disappeared really quickly once my colleagues tasted them. I can only recommend this book, especially if you're looking for something to make the whole family happy. Since it is beautifully laid out (with an added pink ribbon to mark your page) it also makes a nice present.

Reliable, 11 Mar 2008
I now own two of Rachel Allen's books and have tried many of the recipes from each (Food for Living & Food for Friends), they have worked every time and are very reliable and easy to make. At last a 'proper' cookbook and Rachel seems to be a very likeable person - well done.

absolutely invaluable!, 23 Feb 2008
this is such a fab recipe book! i got it for xmas and i use it alot. so far have made the spanish chorizo (used veggie sausage instead) and chickpea soup, blue cheese potato and leek soup (which is so gorgeous), heart shaped toast with egg and the cheesy soda bread, and some of the smoothies! they all turned out really well. i can't wait to make so many different things and next on my list is the chocolate and banana bread and butter pud! the book is written in such a simple and lovely way and is not pretencious atall. it also has great illustrations and feels very good quality. i particularly like the different sections such as food for the soul and the lazy sundays section, as there is something for any occasion. i would DEFINITELY recommend this!

Personable and practical, 23 Oct 2007
Rachel Allen presents a lot of these recipes on Saturday mornings on BBC1 and extremely good they are too - varied, easy to follow and in possession of an ambience from a time gone by yet somehow modern at the same time - witness her seeds and honey bread recipe. Elements of the traditional and modern combine perfectly. Allen's prawn pate is delicious (believe me!) as are her white chocolate buns and her tips on ways to embellish a simple roast chicken dish are useful (not ground-breaking in any way, but tempting to try with the minimum of fuss or expense). Her lasagne is, as she admits herself a basic enough dish, but she adds just a few things to it in pureed onion, carrot and celery that make it absolutely delicious. I did it last weekend and it was truly wonderful. Her flapjacks are tantalising, as is her pork and mushroom pie. As for the chicken Kiev - best I have ever tasted !

Rachel Allen has an easy-going style devoid of pretension and posturing, yet simultaneously exuding class and culture, not an easy thing to do.

A Beautiful Book full of Real Food, 21 Sep 2007
I was so excited to see Rachel Allen has published another cookbook!
It's a beautiful book, full of lovely colourful photos and most of the recipes are things I will actually use.

She's always great on Saturday Kitchen so I made sure to watch her new show and I love it - she's very easy to watch and her accent is lovely to listen to. It's refreshing that there are no pointless self-obsessed innuendos like Nigella or tired cliches like Gordon and Jamie. I get the impression she's just a real woman with a real family and real clothes who likes really good food!


A comprehensive guide with some excellent recipes, 25 Sep 2008
Halloween tends to be an exceedingly interesting time of year in the Redhart household. Personally I am always ready to get into the party mood, although in the past there has rarely been so much as a 'ghost' of a chance that my wife might join in. Indeed, Doreen has always demonstrated a rather pronounced level of disdain for youngsters- the roots of which could probably be traced back to the birth of our daughter Dawn. Sadly the careless 'mistakes' that have since led to the arrivals of both Horace and Crispin did little to change her mind about the merits of children. Anyhow, although Doreen would never participate, I have had some wonderful celebrations in the past. Sadly, however, in 2006 Doreen decided to ban Halloween altogether, much to the fury of the trick or treaters who were turned away from our door...

Well, you should have seen the mess our house was in that night! There was rude graffiti daubed across the garage wall, an assortment of rubbish strewn all over the lawn (including a couple of used contraceptives!), and a trail of human excrement smeared along the lounge windows. Indeed, with the house already in such a terrible state, I wouldn't have thought that a few old Halloween pranks could very well have made things any worse. How wrong I was! Much as I would like to think that we are a part of a highly respectable neighbourhood, I wouldn't deny that there are a few unsavoury kids in the community. However, the last thing I would have expected to receive through my window was a severed head tied to a brick! Doreen was absolutely furious! While she can be grumpy at the best of times, she was sorely unimpressed at having a pig's head invade the privacy of our bedroom at 2 am (although eventually she calmed down enough to see that the cloud had a silver lining- sure enough, the very next day we had the basis for a very lovely pot of stew).

Still, last Halloween, Doreen seemed to have learned her lesson from this incident- for she picked up a copy of this extremely helpful book and set about organising celebrations herself! I am pleased to say that we had an absolutely cracking party that year! The book covers anything and everything, including party games and how to make scary costumes (which Doreen had never previously been known to wear- aside from her négligée, that is!). There are also some very wise recipes for healthier alternatives to sweets and chocolate. Indeed, when trick or treaters came to the door, they were greeted by a cackling, gap-toothed old witch (kitted out in a werewolf costume) who was extremely generous about handing out some nutritious (yet tasty!) home-made treacle flapjacks. How surprising it was to see Doreen getting into the swing of things with quite such verve! It was only later on that I was to discover an empty bottle of high-strength laxative solution in the kitchen bin- and I'm afraid it was already well beyond the hour when I could feasibly have done anything about it. Some of the kids who called by had been clad in extremely high-quality costumes. If they had been hired from a fancy dress shop, they almost certainly would have had to leave a sum of money that would be retained in the event of damage. Yes, let's just hope that any 'deposits' that were left on the costumes were not terribly substantial!

PS. While Doreen must take full responsibility for her unconscionable actions, I can't help but feel that a fair chunk of blame lies at my own two feet. A few days after the pig's head came crashing into my home, I found out that (far from being a childish trick) it was actually a reminder from Mickey 'Gold Fillings' O'Flanagan regarding the considerable debts that I had incurred on the greyhound track- but, of course, I wasn't very well going to inform Doreen of that!

Everyone should have this book!, 01 Sep 2008
What a wonderful cookbook. Great recipes, wonderfully chosen,
charmingly illustrated.
Great comfort stuff, takes you back to childhood. I've sent
many copies to all my expat Scottish friends and family. My
own copy keeps on being borrowed so I'm buying myself another
one for Christmas!
Dinnae miss it!

Maw Broon's Cookbook, 19 Aug 2008
Thanks! I found Maw Broon's Cookbook recipes very amazing and oldest recipes i ever read! I will going to try them out as I am chef for six years. Reckon it will bring customers old memories back from years ago of foods they never thought will eat them again! Thanks a million!

A Braw Book, 16 Aug 2008
I was given this book as for a joke but I must admit its a cracking cookbook to boot, real stick to yer ribs food with all the extras you'd expect from the Broons (Scotland's premier cartoon family)

A great book for all whether you are familiar with the Broons antics in the Sunday Post or not, its packed with traditional Scottish fare just like granny used to make.

Can't wait for the But n Ben cookbook full of holiday fare!!



favourite recipes, 06 Aug 2008
This book is the perfect cook book to have beside any cooker/Aga/Rayburn. It was recommended to me by a professional chef. Maw Broon's recipes certainly work for our household - plain simple recipes that have stood the test of time and that can be prepared with minimum fuss and bother. But there is more to this book than the recipes - the format is simply brilliant - If like me you have collected hundreds of scraps of paper with recipes from family and friends together with a mounting pile of magazine and paper cuttings in the hope of using them 'someday' then you will think you have gone to heaven. As I turned each page I was soon reminiscing...this led me to realise that our elders are usually able to rustle up a meal in an instant for anyone who happens to drop in and without first of all needing to resort to a supermarket trolley dash. If you have someone who is moving away from home buy them this book you can then rest easy that they will be able to feed themselves without too much damage to their finances. I had never heard of the Broons before I read this book but the little cartoons and comments brought many a smile to my face. This book is rated 5 stars but deserves 6

Absolutely Fabulous, 04 Jul 2008
This is one great book you can either get one for yourself or it makes a really unusual gift. Even if you never use it as a cookbook, it is a wonderful talking point.

Disappointed, 24 Sep 2008
I bought this book because it's Gordon Ramsay and it was on special on Amazon. I found the book badly laid out and the pages too busy looking. The recipes are good but I've hardly used it because I don't like the look (or feel!) of the book.

Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food, 12 Aug 2008
Don't buy this book uness you're sure you like Gordon's style. As with most fast food stuff, it doesn't present a realistic timescale which can cover everything you need to put into a meal. I don't usually eat my carbo stuff separately from the rest, but find eg spuds are presented as a separate recipe. Most of the recipes need contstant attention to the main ingredients to get quick timing. Unless you're going for size 0 this is normal length cookery.

Great Tasting fast food, 28 May 2008
This is the book to turn to after a long day at work, but you want something tasty for dinner.Put away the takeaway menus, almost all the dishes in this book are quicker and tastier.Not to mention a whole lot better for you.Stock up with a few essentials, follow the recipies, and you can have great food on the table, and still have time to "play".
Excellent

Great book, 04 May 2008
I bought this book and received the Silverspoon as a gift.
I ended up making more from this one and sold the Silverspoon.
It's a great book. I tried many recipes and they are really tasty, easy to make (no exotic ingredients difficult to find as in others book) and overall quick. Believe me, I am italian and food must be tasty for me.

I went from starters to pudding and all was up to expectations. I recommend this book to anyone and will buy more from Gordon. He's is the n.1 in UK.

Buon appettito!

Fast Food, 02 Feb 2008
This is a great book with loads of recipes as featured in 'The F Word'. They are all easy to make and can be prepared and cooked in under 30 minutes, and the selected menu ideas can be put together in about 45 minutes. The recipes are easy to follow and are very clear, i've tried other book and got lost at times, but you get none of that with this book. The photography is great and really shows the food well. You occasionally get pictures of the food in it's pre and post cooked state so that you can see how it should look before and after and acts as a great guide. I've used this book (as well as Jamie Oliver's latest) to help me try some new recipes and to add some new ideas to my usual selection of meals I make on a routine basis. This is perfect for that goal, as each recipe is perfectly timed to get it prepared and cooked when i've got in from a busy day at work. The food tastes great as well, what more can you ask for? Well worth a try to expand your cooking skills and recipe knowledge.


Easy recipes for every occasion, 14 Aug 2008
As always with Rachel's books, the recipes are easy to follow and turn out the way you expect them to - so you get great results with a minimum of fuss. There is something for every occasion in this book, as the chapter titles show: "Food for the Soul", "Childhood Favourites", "Making Memories", "Something to Celebrate", "The Lazy Sunday", "An Elegant Afternoon", Pleasure Without the Guilt", "Food for Romance", "For the Love of Chocolate" and "Classic Dishes". I tried the "White Chocolate Buns" and they were dead easy to make, I even managed to whip them up before going to work, something I normally wouldn't be able to do, since I'm not exactly a member of the rise and shine party. They tasted great (funnily like macaroons - very yummy and a bit sticky) and disappeared really quickly once my colleagues tasted them. I can only recommend this book, especially if you're looking for something to make the whole family happy. Since it is beautifully laid out (with an added pink ribbon to mark your page) it also makes a nice present.

Reliable, 11 Mar 2008
I now own two of Rachel Allen's books and have tried many of the recipes from each (Food for Living & Food for Friends), they have worked every time and are very reliable and easy to make. At last a 'proper' cookbook and Rachel seems to be a very likeable person - well done.

absolutely invaluable!, 23 Feb 2008
this is such a fab recipe book! i got it for xmas and i use it alot. so far have made the spanish chorizo (used veggie sausage instead) and chickpea soup, blue cheese potato and leek soup (which is so gorgeous), heart shaped toast with egg and the cheesy soda bread, and some of the smoothies! they all turned out really well. i can't wait to make so many different things and next on my list is the chocolate and banana bread and butter pud! the book is written in such a simple and lovely way and is not pretencious atall. it also has great illustrations and feels very good quality. i particularly like the different sections such as food for the soul and the lazy sundays section, as there is something for any occasion. i would DEFINITELY recommend this!

Personable and practical, 23 Oct 2007
Rachel Allen presents a lot of these recipes on Saturday mornings on BBC1 and extremely good they are too - varied, easy to follow and in possession of an ambience from a time gone by yet somehow modern at the same time - witness her seeds and honey bread recipe. Elements of the traditional and modern combine perfectly. Allen's prawn pate is delicious (believe me!) as are her white chocolate buns and her tips on ways to embellish a simple roast chicken dish are useful (not ground-breaking in any way, but tempting to try with the minimum of fuss or expense). Her lasagne is, as she admits herself a basic enough dish, but she adds just a few things to it in pureed onion, carrot and celery that make it absolutely delicious. I did it last weekend and it was truly wonderful. Her flapjacks are tantalising, as is her pork and mushroom pie. As for the chicken Kiev - best I have ever tasted !

Rachel Allen has an easy-going style devoid of pretension and posturing, yet simultaneously exuding class and culture, not an easy thing to do.

A Beautiful Book full of Real Food, 21 Sep 2007
I was so excited to see Rachel Allen has published another cookbook!
It's a beautiful book, full of lovely colourful photos and most of the recipes are things I will actually use.

She's always great on Saturday Kitchen so I made sure to watch her new show and I love it - she's very easy to watch and her accent is lovely to listen to. It's refreshing that there are no pointless self-obsessed innuendos like Nigella or tired cliches like Gordon and Jamie. I get the impression she's just a real woman with a real family and real clothes who likes really good food!


A comprehensive guide with some excellent recipes, 25 Sep 2008
Halloween tends to be an exceedingly interesting time of year in the Redhart household. Personally I am always ready to get into the party mood, although in the past there has rarely been so much as a 'ghost' of a chance that my wife might join in. Indeed, Doreen has always demonstrated a rather pronounced level of disdain for youngsters- the roots of which could probably be traced back to the birth of our daughter Dawn. Sadly the careless 'mistakes' that have since led to the arrivals of both Horace and Crispin did little to change her mind about the merits of children. Anyhow, although Doreen would never participate, I have had some wonderful celebrations in the past. Sadly, however, in 2006 Doreen decided to ban Halloween altogether, much to the fury of the trick or treaters who were turned away from our door...

Well, you should have seen the mess our house was in that night! There was rude graffiti daubed across the garage wall, an assortment of rubbish strewn all over the lawn (including a couple of used contraceptives!), and a trail of human excrement smeared along the lounge windows. Indeed, with the house already in such a terrible state, I wouldn't have thought that a few old Halloween pranks could very well have made things any worse. How wrong I was! Much as I would like to think that we are a part of a highly respectable neighbourhood, I wouldn't deny that there are a few unsavoury kids in the community. However, the last thing I would have expected to receive through my window was a severed head tied to a brick! Doreen was absolutely furious! While she can be grumpy at the best of times, she was sorely unimpressed at having a pig's head invade the privacy of our bedroom at 2 am (although eventually she calmed down enough to see that the cloud had a silver lining- sure enough, the very next day we had the basis for a very lovely pot of stew).

Still, last Halloween, Doreen seemed to have learned her lesson from this incident- for she picked up a copy of this extremely helpful book and set about organising celebrations herself! I am pleased to say that we had an absolutely cracking party that year! The book covers anything and everything, including party games and how to make scary costumes (which Doreen had never previously been known to wear- aside from her négligée, that is!). There are also some very wise recipes for healthier alternatives to sweets and chocolate. Indeed, when trick or treaters came to the door, they were greeted by a cackling, gap-toothed old witch (kitted out in a werewolf costume) who was extremely generous about handing out some nutritious (yet tasty!) home-made treacle flapjacks. How surprising it was to see Doreen getting into the swing of things with quite such verve! It was only later on that I was to discover an empty bottle of high-strength laxative solution in the kitchen bin- and I'm afraid it was already well beyond the hour when I could feasibly have done anything about it. Some of the kids who called by had been clad in extremely high-quality costumes. If they had been hired from a fancy dress shop, they almost certainly would have had to leave a sum of money that would be retained in the event of damage. Yes, let's just hope that any 'deposits' that were left on the costumes were not terribly substantial!

PS. While Doreen must take full responsibility for her unconscionable actions, I can't help but feel that a fair chunk of blame lies at my own two feet. A few days after the pig's head came crashing into my home, I found out that (far from being a childish trick) it was actually a reminder from Mickey 'Gold Fillings' O'Flanagan regarding the considerable debts that I had incurred on the greyhound track- but, of course, I wasn't very well going to inform Doreen of that!

Contradictions aplenty, 09 Jan 2008
Every chapter contradicts the last. It seems to be a mess of platitudes, no new ideas and, I'm sorry to say, a waste of time reading.

Unaccustomed as I am ..., 02 Nov 2002
An excellent book. My dad would be first to admit he isn't a naturally gifted public speaker and he gets a bit nervous at times. But after reading this book, he a fantastic job for me on my Big Day! He was so relaxed and he got the balance between humour and seriousness spot on. I can't recommend this book too highly ... it's brilliant!

This book is a must for every 'father of the bride', 02 Nov 2002
An excellent book. My dad would be first to admit that he isn't a naturally gifted public speaker and he's a bit nervous at times. But after reading this book he did a brilliant job for me on my Big Day! He was so relaxed and he got the balance between humour and seriousness spot on. I can't recommend this book too highly ... it's brilliant!

A must for every Dad about to give away his daughter!, 23 Oct 2000
As a bride-to-be, I want to be sure that my big day goes as smoothly as possible. I can try to control most things, but the speeches are out of my hands. I have bought this book to help my Dad not to embarrass himself or me, well, not too much! Making the Father of the Bride's Speech is easy to read and full of practical advice. The author writes clearly about the different stages of the speech and includes helpful ideas as well as examples of jokes, quotes and how to be sensitive without being sloppy. This book is a must for any Dad about to give away his daughter, especially if he's not used to public speaking, or just totally overwhelmed about the do's and don't's of making a wedding speech.

Everyone should have this book!, 01 Sep 2008
What a wonderful cookbook. Great recipes, wonderfully chosen,
charmingly illustrated.
Great comfort stuff, takes you back to childhood. I've sent
many copies to all my expat Scottish friends and family. My
own copy keeps on being borrowed so I'm buying myself another
one for Christmas!
Dinnae miss it!

Maw Broon's Cookbook, 19 Aug 2008
Thanks! I found Maw Broon's Cookbook recipes very amazing and oldest recipes i ever read! I will going to try them out as I am chef for six years. Reckon it will bring customers old memories back from years ago of foods they never thought will eat them again! Thanks a million!

A Braw Book, 16 Aug 2008
I was given this book as for a joke but I must admit its a cracking cookbook to boot, real stick to yer ribs food with all the extras you'd expect from the Broons (Scotland's premier cartoon family)

A great book for all whether you are familiar with the Broons antics in the Sunday Post or not, its packed with traditional Scottish fare just like granny used to make.

Can't wait for the But n Ben cookbook full of holiday fare!!



favourite recipes, 06 Aug 2008
This book is the perfect cook book to have beside any cooker/Aga/Rayburn. It was recommended to me by a professional chef. Maw Broon's recipes certainly work for our household - plain simple recipes that have stood the test of time and that can be prepared with minimum fuss and bother. But there is more to this book than the recipes - the format is simply brilliant - If like me you have collected hundreds of scraps of paper with recipes from family and friends together with a mounting pile of magazine and paper cuttings in the hope of using them 'someday' then you will think you have gone to heaven. As I turned each page I was soon reminiscing...this led me to realise that our elders are usually able to rustle up a meal in an instant for anyone who happens to drop in and without first of all needing to resort to a supermarket trolley dash. If you have someone who is moving away from home buy them this book you can then rest easy that they will be able to feed themselves without too much damage to their finances. I had never heard of the Broons before I read this book but the little cartoons and comments brought many a smile to my face. This book is rated 5 stars but deserves 6

Absolutely Fabulous, 04 Jul 2008
This is one great book you can either get one for yourself or it makes a really unusual gift. Even if you never use it as a cookbook, it is a wonderful talking point.

Disappointed, 24 Sep 2008
I bought this book because it's Gordon Ramsay and it was on special on Amazon. I found the book badly laid out and the pages too busy looking. The recipes are good but I've hardly used it because I don't like the look (or feel!) of the book.

Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food, 12 Aug 2008
Don't buy this book uness you're sure you like Gordon's style. As with most fast food stuff, it doesn't present a realistic timescale which can cover everything you need to put into a meal. I don't usually eat my carbo stuff separately from the rest, but find eg spuds are presented as a separate recipe. Most of the recipes need contstant attention to the main ingredients to get quick timing. Unless you're going for size 0 this is normal length cookery.

Great Tasting fast food, 28 May 2008
This is the book to turn to after a long day at work, but you want something tasty for dinner.Put away the takeaway menus, almost all the dishes in this book are quicker and tastier.Not to mention a whole lot better for you.Stock up with a few essentials, follow the recipies, and you can have great food on the table, and still have time to "play".
Excellent

Great book, 04 May 2008
I bought this book and received the Silverspoon as a gift.
I ended up making more from this one and sold the Silverspoon.
It's a great book. I tried many recipes and they are really tasty, easy to make (no exotic ingredients difficult to find as in others book) and overall quick. Believe me, I am italian and food must be tasty for me.

I went from starters to pudding and all was up to expectations. I recommend this book to anyone and will buy more from Gordon. He's is the n.1 in UK.

Buon appettito!

Fast Food, 02 Feb 2008
This is a great book with loads of recipes as featured in 'The F Word'. They are all easy to make and can be prepared and cooked in under 30 minutes, and the selected menu ideas can be put together in about 45 minutes. The recipes are easy to follow and are very clear, i've tried other book and got lost at times, but you get none of that with this book. The photography is great and really shows the food well. You occasionally get pictures of the food in it's pre and post cooked state so that you can see how it should look before and after and acts as a great guide. I've used this book (as well as Jamie Oliver's latest) to help me try some new recipes and to add some new ideas to my usual selection of meals I make on a routine basis. This is perfect for that goal, as each recipe is perfectly timed to get it prepared and cooked when i've got in from a busy day at work. The food tastes great as well, what more can you ask for? Well worth a try to expand your cooking skills and recipe knowledge.


Easy recipes for every occasion, 14 Aug 2008
As always with Rachel's books, the recipes are easy to follow and turn out the way you expect them to - so you get great results with a minimum of fuss. There is something for every occasion in this book, as the chapter titles show: "Food for the Soul", "Childhood Favourites", "Making Memories", "Something to Celebrate", "The Lazy Sunday", "An Elegant Afternoon", Pleasure Without the Guilt", "Food for Romance", "For the Love of Chocolate" and "Classic Dishes". I tried the "White Chocolate Buns" and they were dead easy to make, I even managed to whip them up before going to work, something I normally wouldn't be able to do, since I'm not exactly a member of the rise and shine party. They tasted great (funnily like macaroons - very yummy and a bit sticky) and disappeared really quickly once my colleagues tasted them. I can only recommend this book, especially if you're looking for something to make the whole family happy. Since it is beautifully laid out (with an added pink ribbon to mark your page) it also makes a nice present.

Reliable, 11 Mar 2008
I now own two of Rachel Allen's books and have tried many of the recipes from each (Food for Living & Food for Friends), they have worked every time and are very reliable and easy to make. At last a 'proper' cookbook and Rachel seems to be a very likeable person - well done.

absolutely invaluable!, 23 Feb 2008
this is such a fab recipe book! i got it for xmas and i use it alot. so far have made the spanish chorizo (used veggie sausage instead) and chickpea soup, blue cheese potato and leek soup (which is so gorgeous), heart shaped toast with egg and the cheesy soda bread, and some of the smoothies! they all turned out really well. i can't wait to make so many different things and next on my list is the chocolate and banana bread and butter pud! the book is written in such a simple and lovely way and is not pretencious atall. it also has great illustrations and feels very good quality. i particularly like the different sections such as food for the soul and the lazy sundays section, as there is something for any occasion. i would DEFINITELY recommend this!

Personable and practical, 23 Oct 2007
Rachel Allen presents a lot of these recipes on Saturday mornings on BBC1 and extremely good they are too - varied, easy to follow and in possession of an ambience from a time gone by yet somehow modern at the same time - witness her seeds and honey bread recipe. Elements of the traditional and modern combine perfectly. Allen's prawn pate is delicious (believe me!) as are her white chocolate buns and her tips on ways to embellish a simple roast chicken dish are useful (not ground-breaking in any way, but tempting to try with the minimum of fuss or expense). Her lasagne is, as she admits herself a basic enough dish, but she adds just a few things to it in pureed onion, carrot and celery that make it absolutely delicious. I did it last weekend and it was truly wonderful. Her flapjacks are tantalising, as is her pork and mushroom pie. As for the chicken Kiev - best I have ever tasted !

Rachel Allen has an easy-going style devoid of pretension and posturing, yet simultaneously exuding class and culture, not an easy thing to do.

A Beautiful Book full of Real Food, 21 Sep 2007
I was so excited to see Rachel Allen has published another cookbook!
It's a beautiful book, full of lovely colourful photos and most of the recipes are things I will actually use.

She's always great on Saturday Kitchen so I made sure to watch her new show and I love it - she's very easy to watch and her accent is lovely to listen to. It's refreshing that there are no pointless self-obsessed innuendos like Nigella or tired cliches like Gordon and Jamie. I get the impression she's just a real woman with a real family and real clothes who likes really good food!


A comprehensive guide with some excellent recipes, 25 Sep 2008
Halloween tends to be an exceedingly interesting time of year in the Redhart household. Personally I am always ready to get into the party mood, although in the past there has rarely been so much as a 'ghost' of a chance that my wife might join in. Indeed, Doreen has always demonstrated a rather pronounced level of disdain for youngsters- the roots of which could probably be traced back to the birth of our daughter Dawn. Sadly the careless 'mistakes' that have since led to the arrivals of both Horace and Crispin did little to change her mind about the merits of children. Anyhow, although Doreen would never participate, I have had some wonderful celebrations in the past. Sadly, however, in 2006 Doreen decided to ban Halloween altogether, much to the fury of the trick or treaters who were turned away from our door...

Well, you should have seen the mess our house was in that night! There was rude graffiti daubed across the garage wall, an assortment of rubbish strewn all over the lawn (including a couple of used contraceptives!), and a trail of human excrement smeared along the lounge windows. Indeed, with the house already in such a terrible state, I wouldn't have thought that a few old Halloween pranks could very well have made things any worse. How wrong I was! Much as I would like to think that we are a part of a highly respectable neighbourhood, I wouldn't deny that there are a few unsavoury kids in the community. However, the last thing I would have expected to receive through my window was a severed head tied to a brick! Doreen was absolutely furious! While she can be grumpy at the best of times, she was sorely unimpressed at having a pig's head invade the privacy of our bedroom at 2 am (although eventually she calmed down enough to see that the cloud had a silver lining- sure enough, the very next day we had the basis for a very lovely pot of stew).

Still, last Halloween, Doreen seemed to have learned her lesson from this incident- for she picked up a copy of this extremely helpful book and set about organising celebrations herself! I am pleased to say that we had an absolutely cracking party that year! The book covers anything and everything, including party games and how to make scary costumes (which Doreen had never previously been known to wear- aside from her négligée, that is!). There are also some very wise recipes for healthier alternatives to sweets and chocolate. Indeed, when trick or treaters came to the door, they were greeted by a cackling, gap-toothed old witch (kitted out in a werewolf costume) who was extremely generous about handing out some nutritious (yet tasty!) home-made treacle flapjacks. How surprising it was to see Doreen getting into the swing of things with quite such verve! It was only later on that I was to discover an empty bottle of high-strength laxative solution in the kitchen bin- and I'm afraid it was already well beyond the hour when I could feasibly have done anything about it. Some of the kids who called by had been clad in extremely high-quality costumes. If they had been hired from a fancy dress shop, they almost certainly would have had to leave a sum of money that would be retained in the event of damage. Yes, let's just hope that any 'deposits' that were left on the costumes were not terribly substantial!

PS. While Doreen must take full responsibility for her unconscionable actions, I can't help but feel that a fair chunk of blame lies at my own two feet. A few days after the pig's head came crashing into my home, I found out that (far from being a childish trick) it was actually a reminder from Mickey 'Gold Fillings' O'Flanagan regarding the considerable debts that I had incurred on the greyhound track- but, of course, I wasn't very well going to inform Doreen of that!

Contradictions aplenty, 09 Jan 2008
Every chapter contradicts the last. It seems to be a mess of platitudes, no new ideas and, I'm sorry to say, a waste of time reading.

Unaccustomed as I am ..., 02 Nov 2002
An excellent book. My dad would be first to admit he isn't a naturally gifted public speaker and he gets a bit nervous at times. But after reading this book, he a fantastic job for me on my Big Day! He was so relaxed and he got the balance between humour and seriousness spot on. I can't recommend this book too highly ... it's brilliant!

This book is a must for every 'father of the bride', 02 Nov 2002
An excellent book. My dad would be first to admit that he isn't a naturally gifted public speaker and he's a bit nervous at times. But after reading this book he did a brilliant job for me on my Big Day! He was so relaxed and he got the balance between humour and seriousness spot on. I can't recommend this book too highly ... it's brilliant!

A must for every Dad about to give away his daughter!, 23 Oct 2000
As a bride-to-be, I want to be sure that my big day goes as smoothly as possible. I can try to control most things, but the speeches are out of my hands. I have bought this book to help my Dad not to embarrass himself or me, well, not too much! Making the Father of the Bride's Speech is easy to read and full of practical advice. The author writes clearly about the different stages of the speech and includes helpful ideas as well as examples of jokes, quotes and how to be sensitive without being sloppy. This book is a must for any Dad about to give away his daughter, especially if he's not used to public speaking, or just totally overwhelmed about the do's and don't's of making a wedding speech.

A great Potters export-thumbs up for Anthea!, 11 Aug 2008
I often wish I had 36 hours rather than 24 in a day. The firt time I tuned into Antheas show I was expecting something like bootcamp however found it quite pleasant to watch.
I quickly ordered her 'manual' as soon as it become available and I must say I am very very impressed with the book.
I, like many busy people have a chest freezer which although seems to be full a full meal could never be cooked from its contents. Anthea has clear guidelines on what you can freeze and how to freeze it (e.g. you can freeze a cake-for simplicity just cut it beforehand). Since reading the kitchen chapter I have made some changes in my routine. My mum also makes shopping lists now and we often do our shopping at less busier times (to avoid queuing times).
Cleaning is now less of a chore-10 minutes spent in the bathroom cleaning the sink which you wait for the toilet cleaner to work its magic is nothing in the grand theme of things. It will save you time down the line (the less dirt, the easier it is to clean).
I'm even giving meal planning a shot!

A book I can recommend to any of the following:

men living alone (or in a big group)
students-male and female
anyone who has recently moved out of their parents home
newly weds moving in together (will save a lot of tears at cleaning time)
new mummies who have no time to do anything
work from home people who find it hard to find time to do daily chores
new stay at home mums/wives/husbands
...plus anyone else who is struggling to grasp the functions of their vacuum, duster and mop and bucket.

A great manual which will make a great housewarming present.

I have just purchased Antheas entertaining in style book and shall post a review soon.

Hail Queen Anthea!, 16 Jun 2008
My friends all laugh at me and say I have OCD cleaning issues, but Antheas book informed me that I am running a tidy household! Her tips are great, especially her spring cleaning list, which I am working through just now even though it is summer. The tips for cleaning out your wardrobes have inspired me to get a babysitter this week and devote a day to tackle my wardrobe problems. I found the book quite positive and inspirational in parts. I have read a lot of it previously in a 1950's book I found about home management and just wonder how much Anthea got from historical cleaning routines that have been written about. Nevertheless, this is a good book and tends itself well for the new housekeeper, it can be daunting if you are not quite as precise as Anthea and may leave you feeling you are 'not quite' meeting standards expected, but it gives you something to aim for, I loved Antheas TV series and bought the dvd to actually watch the tips in action, again, as another reviewer stated, it would have been nice to have some demonstration pics in the book. I have changed my opinion of Anthea, I did honestly think (sorry Anthea!) that she was a bit of a nobody, but my opinions have definately changed and I hope she does another series. I really do think that a lot more woman would like to devote more time to their households but the pace and way of life these days means woman are split in so many directions, I am just thankful my life allows me the freedom to work and also keep an orderly home.
4 stars Anthea!

Please don't buy this TV cash-in, 26 Dec 2007
Surely having a happy home is vastly more important than feeling inadequate because the never-seen-or-used upward facing sill of your doorframes are dusty. I agree very strongly with all the points made in the review by flingthecow in June 2007.

If you are thinking about buying this book, please consider that Anthea Turner makes her living from her public image and in this case by the humiliation of the "students" on this show. She is one of today's "celebrities" who appear on reality shows, sell photo rights of their wedding day to gossip magazines. I understand that the premise of the book and the tv series is that Anthea maintains the enormous mansion shown on TV to her exacting standards with no help, and that this "perfect housewife" image has been very helpful to Anthea in terms of combatting some of the less flattering media coverage. To me it seems somewhat implausible that she isn't employing someone, if only to allow her enough time for her media appearances etc. There has been a lot of public concern over other TV misrepresentaions of the truth recently and I wonder if the more subtle ones may be also be quite damaging.

Preachy rant over, I am very sorry to say that I am now about to buy a copy of this book and DVD for my sister-outlaw. Perhaps my bitterness is because she has rejected the present which we spent hours searching for and fixing up. So, faced with the prospect of moodiness at family get-togethers, and my partner getting to see his delightful nieces even less often than he already does, my ideological objections to this cheap TV cash-in have been banished in favour of express delivery.

sigh....


Inspiration & Motivation!, 01 Aug 2007
I find that books like this one (ie How Clean Is Your House, 10 Minute Housekeeping, Sink Reflections, etc.) as well as the related shows out there are motivators for me. I enjoy finding out new things about household management, organization, and cleaning just as I enjoy trying out new recipes. You may not use every single tip that's in the book but I'll bet you do find one or two things that you hadn't thought of or tried before! If in the long run it's going help me apply KISS (Keep It Supremely Simple) principles then I'm all for it.

While the book is catagorized very well, I find that I can pick it up and start reading anywhere. The book & show have inspired me and given me that theoretical "kick in the pants". Now I am definitely not going to win Homemaker of the Year but I can honestly say that Anthea & her book have given me food for thought and inspired me to want to do better. I will NEVER have a house as clean as hers but if I can use just a portion of the ideas and routines she presents, then maybe I won't have to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off when it comes time for the holidays, or company coming.

I don't think that a clean, well managed house and warm inviting home are mutually exclusive! It's just nice to know that if I WANT to use some special touches(like when mother-in-law visits) or need some practical information - I have a wonderful resource to guide me.

***** The only thing lacking is the same comment previous reviewers have had and that is I wish there were some detailed diagrams & photos to go along with some of the things she has demonstated on her show.

I am from the US and extremely envious that those of you in Region 2 are able to purchase and at least WATCH Anthea's DVD as well. I don't know if or when I'll see the show again on the BBCA channel.

Who do I need to talk to about getting some of your wonderful shows in the UK on DVDs that we can play here in the US??!!

fantastic read, 29 Jul 2007
If you want a sparkling gleaming house like Antheas this is the book for you after the hard work of decluttering you will find it very easy and sooo much quicker to clean your house as Anthea advises in the book organisation is the key-it may feel like Anthea is teaching you things you allready know but beleive me you don't.If you follow Anthea to the letter I promise you will find your life easier and you will have a lot more time to do other things(like working full-time!!!)

Everyone should have this book!, 01 Sep 2008
What a wonderful cookbook. Great recipes, wonderfully chosen,
charmingly illustrated.
Great comfort stuff, takes you back to childhood. I've sent
many copies to all my expat Scottish friends and family. My
own copy keeps on being borrowed so I'm buying myself another
one for Christmas!
Dinnae miss it!

Maw Broon's Cookbook, 19 Aug 2008
Thanks! I found Maw Broon's Cookbook recipes very amazing and oldest recipes i ever read! I will going to try them out as I am chef for six years. Reckon it will bring customers old memories back from years ago of foods they never thought will eat them again! Thanks a million!

A Braw Book, 16 Aug 2008
I was given this book as for a joke but I must admit its a cracking cookbook to boot, real stick to yer ribs food with all the extras you'd expect from the Broons (Scotland's premier cartoon family)

A great book for all whether you are familiar with the Broons antics in the Sunday Post or not, its packed with traditional Scottish fare just like granny used to make.

Can't wait for the But n Ben cookbook full of holiday fare!!



favourite recipes, 06 Aug 2008
This book is the perfect cook book to have beside any cooker/Aga/Rayburn. It was recommended to me by a professional chef. Maw Broon's recipes certainly work for our household - plain simple recipes that have stood the test of time and that can be prepared with minimum fuss and bother. But there is more to this book than the recipes - the format is simply brilliant - If like me you have collected hundreds of scraps of paper with recipes from family and friends together with a mounting pile of magazine and paper cuttings in the hope of using them 'someday' then you will think you have gone to heaven. As I turned each page I was soon reminiscing...this led me to realise that our elders are usually able to rustle up a meal in an instant for anyone who happens to drop in and without first of all needing to resort to a supermarket trolley dash. If you have someone who is moving away from home buy them this book you can then rest easy that they will be able to feed themselves without too much damage to their finances. I had never heard of the Broons before I read this book but the little cartoons and comments brought many a smile to my face. This book is rated 5 stars but deserves 6

Absolutely Fabulous, 04 Jul 2008
This is one great book you can either get one for yourself or it makes a really unusual gift. Even if you never use it as a cookbook, it is a wonderful talking point.

Disappointed, 24 Sep 2008
I bought this book because it's Gordon Ramsay and it was on special on Amazon. I found the book badly laid out and the pages too busy looking. The recipes are good but I've hardly used it because I don't like the look (or feel!) of the book.

Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food, 12 Aug 2008
Don't buy this book uness you're sure you like Gordon's style. As with most fast food stuff, it doesn't present a realistic timescale which can cover everything you need to put into a meal. I don't usually eat my carbo stuff separately from the rest, but find eg spuds are presented as a separate recipe. Most of the recipes need contstant attention to the main ingredients to get quick timing. Unless you're going for size 0 this is normal length cookery.

Great Tasting fast food, 28 May 2008
This is the book to turn to after a long day at work, but you want something tasty for dinner.Put away the takeaway menus, almost all the dishes in this book are quicker and tastier.Not to mention a whole lot better for you.Stock up with a few essentials, follow the recipies, and you can have great food on the table, and still have time to "play".
Excellent

Great book, 04 May 2008
I bought this book and received the Silverspoon as a gift.
I ended up making more from this one and sold the Silverspoon.
It's a great book. I tried many recipes and they are really tasty, easy to make (no exotic ingredients difficult to find as in others book) and overall quick. Believe me, I am italian and food must be tasty for me.

I went from starters to pudding and all was up to expectations. I recommend this book to anyone and will buy more from Gordon. He's is the n.1 in UK.

Buon appettito!

Fast Food, 02 Feb 2008
This is a great book with loads of recipes as featured in 'The F Word'. They are all easy to make and can be prepared and cooked in under 30 minutes, and the selected menu ideas can be put together in about 45 minutes. The recipes are easy to follow and are very clear, i've tried other book and got lost at times, but you get none of that with this book. The photography is great and really shows the food well. You occasionally get pictures of the food in it's pre and post cooked state so that you can see how it should look before and after and acts as a great guide. I've used this book (as well as Jamie Oliver's latest) to help me try some new recipes and to add some new ideas to my usual selection of meals I make on a routine basis. This is perfect for that goal, as each recipe is perfectly timed to get it prepared and cooked when i've got in from a busy day at work. The food tastes great as well, what more can you ask for? Well worth a try to expand your cooking skills and recipe knowledge.


Easy recipes for every occasion, 14 Aug 2008
As always with Rachel's books, the recipes are easy to follow and turn out the way you expect them to - so you get great results with a minimum of fuss. There is something for every occasion in this book, as the chapter titles show: "Food for the Soul", "Childhood Favourites", "Making Memories", "Something to Celebrate", "The Lazy Sunday", "An Elegant Afternoon", Pleasure Without the Guilt", "Food for Romance", "For the Love of Chocolate" and "Classic Dishes". I tried the "White Chocolate Buns" and they were dead easy to make, I even managed to whip them up before going to work, something I normally wouldn't be able to do, since I'm not exactly a member of the rise and shine party. They tasted great (funnily like macaroons - very yummy and a bit sticky) and disappeared really quickly once my colleagues tasted them. I can only recommend this book, especially if you're looking for something to make the whole family happy. Since it is beautifully laid out (with an added pink ribbon to mark your page) it also makes a nice present.

Reliable, 11 Mar 2008
I now own two of Rachel Allen's books and have tried many of the recipes from each (Food for Living & Food for Friends), they have worked every time and are very reliable and easy to make. At last a 'proper' cookbook and Rachel seems to be a very likeable person - well done.

absolutely invaluable!, 23 Feb 2008
this is such a fab recipe book! i got it for xmas and i use it alot. so far have made the spanish chorizo (used veggie sausage instead) and chickpea soup, blue cheese potato and leek soup (which is so gorgeous), heart shaped toast with egg and the cheesy soda bread, and some of the smoothies! they all turned out really well. i can't wait to make so many different things and next on my list is the chocolate and banana bread and butter pud! the book is written in such a simple and lovely way and is not pretencious atall. it also has great illustrations and feels very good quality. i particularly like the different sections such as food for the soul and the lazy sundays section, as there is something for any occasion. i would DEFINITELY recommend this!

Personable and practical, 23 Oct 2007
Rachel Allen presents a lot of these recipes on Saturday mornings on BBC1 and extremely good they are too - varied, easy to follow and in possession of an ambience from a time gone by yet somehow modern at the same time - witness her seeds and honey bread recipe. Elements of the traditional and modern combine perfectly. Allen's prawn pate is delicious (believe me!) as are her white chocolate buns and her tips on ways to embellish a simple roast chicken dish are useful (not ground-breaking in any way, but tempting to try with the minimum of fuss or expense). Her lasagne is, as she admits herself a basic enough dish, but she adds just a few things to it in pureed onion, carrot and celery that make it absolutely delicious. I did it last weekend and it was truly wonderful. Her flapjacks are tantalising, as is her pork and mushroom pie. As for the chicken Kiev - best I have ever tasted !

Rachel Allen has an easy-going style devoid of pretension and posturing, yet simultaneously exuding class and culture, not an easy thing to do.

A Beautiful Book full of Real Food, 21 Sep 2007
I was so excited to see Rachel Allen has published another cookbook!
It's a beautiful book, full of lovely colourful photos and most of the recipes are things I will actually use.

She's always great on Saturday Kitchen so I made sure to watch her new show and I love it - she's very easy to watch and her accent is lovely to listen to. It's refreshing that there are no pointless self-obsessed innuendos like Nigella or tired cliches like Gordon and Jamie. I get the impression she's just a real woman with a real family and real clothes who likes really good food!


A comprehensive guide with some excellent recipes, 25 Sep 2008
Halloween tends to be an exceedingly interesting time of year in the Redhart household. Personally I am always ready to get into the party mood, although in the past there has rarely been so much as a 'ghost' of a chance that my wife might join in. Indeed, Doreen has always demonstrated a rather pronounced level of disdain for youngsters- the roots of which could probably be traced back to the birth of our daughter Dawn. Sadly the careless 'mistakes' that have since led to the arrivals of both Horace and Crispin did little to change her mind about the merits of children. Anyhow, although Doreen would never participate, I have had some wonderful celebrations in the past. Sadly, however, in 2006 Doreen decided to ban Halloween altogether, much to the fury of the trick or treaters who were turned away from our door...

Well, you should have seen the mess our house was in that night! There was rude graffiti daubed across the garage wall, an assortment of rubbish strewn all over the lawn (including a couple of used contraceptives!), and a trail of human excrement smeared along the lounge windows. Indeed, with the house already in such a terrible state, I wouldn't have thought that a few old Halloween pranks could very well have made things any worse. How wrong I was! Much as I would like to think that we are a part of a highly respectable neighbourhood, I wouldn't deny that there are a few unsavoury kids in the community. However, the last thing I would have expected to receive through my window was a severed head tied to a brick! Doreen was absolutely furious! While she can be grumpy at the best of times, she was sorely unimpressed at having a pig's head invade the privacy of our bedroom at 2 am (although eventually she calmed down enough to see that the cloud had a silver lining- sure enough, the very next day we had the basis for a very lovely pot of stew).

Still, last Halloween, Doreen seemed to have learned her lesson from this incident- for she picked up a copy of this extremely helpful book and set about organising celebrations herself! I am pleased to say that we had an absolutely cracking party that year! The book covers anything and everything, including party games and how to make scary costumes (which Doreen had never previously been known to wear- aside from her négligée, that is!). There are also some very wise recipes for healthier alternatives to sweets and chocolate. Indeed, when trick or treaters came to the door, they were greeted by a cackling, gap-toothed old witch (kitted out in a werewolf costume) who was extremely generous about handing out some nutritious (yet tasty!) home-made treacle flapjacks. How surprising it was to see Doreen getting into the swing of things with quite such verve! It was only later on that I was to discover an empty bottle of high-strength laxative solution in the kitchen bin- and I'm afraid it was already well beyond the hour when I could feasibly have done anything about it. Some of the kids who called by had been clad in extremely high-quality costumes. If they had been hired from a fancy dress shop, they almost certainly would have had to leave a sum of money that would be retained in the event of damage. Yes, let's just hope that any 'deposits' that were left on the costumes were not terribly substantial!

PS. While Doreen must take full responsibility for her unconscionable actions, I can't help but feel that a fair chunk of blame lies at my own two feet. A few days after the pig's head came crashing into my home, I found out that (far from being a childish trick) it was actually a reminder from Mickey 'Gold Fillings' O'Flanagan regarding the considerable debts that I had incurred on the greyhound track- but, of course, I wasn't very well going to inform Doreen of that!

Contradictions aplenty, 09 Jan 2008
Every chapter contradicts the last. It seems to be a mess of platitudes, no new ideas and, I'm sorry to say, a waste of time reading.

Unaccustomed as I am ..., 02 Nov 2002
An excellent book. My dad would be first to admit he isn't a naturally gifted public speaker and he gets a bit nervous at times. But after reading this book, he a fantastic job for me on my Big Day! He was so relaxed and he got the balance between humour and seriousness spot on. I can't recommend this book too highly ... it's brilliant!

This book is a must for every 'father of the bride', 02 Nov 2002
An excellent book. My dad would be first to admit that he isn't a naturally gifted public speaker and he's a bit nervous at times. But after reading this book he did a brilliant job for me on my Big Day! He was so relaxed and he got the balance between humour and seriousness spot on. I can't recommend this book too highly ... it's brilliant!

A must for every Dad about to give away his daughter!, 23 Oct 2000
As a bride-to-be, I want to be sure that my big day goes as smoothly as possible. I can try to control most things, but the speeches are out of my hands. I have bought this book to help my Dad not to embarrass himself or me, well, not too much! Making the Father of the Bride's Speech is easy to read and full of practical advice. The author writes clearly about the different stages of the speech and includes helpful ideas as well as examples of jokes, quotes and how to be sensitive without being sloppy. This book is a must for any Dad about to give away his daughter, especially if he's not used to public speaking, or just totally overwhelmed about the do's and don't's of making a wedding speech.

A great Potters export-thumbs up for Anthea!, 11 Aug 2008
I often wish I had 36 hours rather than 24 in a day. The firt time I tuned into Antheas show I was expecting something like bootcamp however found it quite pleasant to watch.
I quickly ordered her 'manual' as soon as it become available and I must say I am very very impressed with the book.
I, like many busy people have a chest freezer which although seems to be full a full meal could never be cooked from its contents. Anthea has clear guidelines on what you can freeze and how to freeze it (e.g. you can freeze a cake-for simplicity just cut it beforehand). Since reading the kitchen chapter I have made some changes in my routine. My mum also makes shopping lists now and we often do our shopping at less busier times (to avoid queuing times).
Cleaning is now less of a chore-10 minutes spent in the bathroom cleaning the sink which you wait for the toilet cleaner to work its magic is nothing in the grand theme of things. It will save you time down the line (the less dirt, the easier it is to clean).
I'm even giving meal planning a shot!

A book I can recommend to any of the following:

men living alone (or in a big group)
students-male and female
anyone who has recently moved out of their parents home
newly weds moving in together (will save a lot of tears at cleaning time)
new mummies who have no time to do anything
work from home people who find it hard to find time to do daily chores
new stay at home mums/wives/husbands
...plus anyone else who is struggling to grasp the functions of their vacuum, duster and mop and bucket.

A great manual which will make a great housewarming present.

I have just purchased Antheas entertaining in style book and shall post a review soon.

Hail Queen Anthea!, 16 Jun 2008
My friends all laugh at me and say I have OCD cleaning issues, but Antheas book informed me that I am running a tidy household! Her tips are great, especially her spring cleaning list, which I am working through just now even though it is summer. The tips for cleaning out your wardrobes have inspired me to get a babysitter this week and devote a day to tackle my wardrobe problems. I found the book quite positive and inspirational in parts. I have read a lot of it previously in a 1950's book I found about home management and just wonder how much Anthea got from historical cleaning routines that have been written about. Nevertheless, this is a good book and tends itself well for the new housekeeper, it can be daunting if you are not quite as precise as Anthea and may leave you feeling you are 'not quite' meeting standards expected, but it gives you something to aim for, I loved Antheas TV series and bought the dvd to actually watch the tips in action, again, as another reviewer stated, it would have been nice to have some demonstration pics in the book. I have changed my opinion of Anthea, I did honestly think (sorry Anthea!) that she was a bit of a nobody, but my opinions have definately changed and I hope she does another series. I really do think that a lot more woman would like to devote more time to their households but the pace and way of life these days means woman are split in so many directions, I am just thankful my life allows me the freedom to work and also keep an orderly home.
4 stars Anthea!

Please don't buy this TV cash-in, 26 Dec 2007
Surely having a happy home is vastly more important than feeling inadequate because the never-seen-or-used upward facing sill of your doorframes are dusty. I agree very strongly with all the points made in the review by flingthecow in June 2007.

If you are thinking about buying this book, please consider that Anthea Turner makes her living from her public image and in this case by the humiliation of the "students" on this show. She is one of today's "celebrities" who appear on reality shows, sell photo rights of their wedding day to gossip magazines. I understand that the premise of the book and the tv series is that Anthea maintains the enormous mansion shown on TV to her exacting standards with no help, and that this "perfect housewife" image has been very helpful to Anthea in terms of combatting some of the less flattering media coverage. To me it seems somewhat implausible that she isn't employing someone, if only to allow her enough time for her media appearances etc. There has been a lot of public concern over other TV misrepresentaions of the truth recently and I wonder if the more subtle ones may be also be quite damaging.

Preachy rant over, I am very sorry to say that I am now about to buy a copy of this book and DVD for my sister-outlaw. Perhaps my bitterness is because she has rejected the present which we spent hours searching for and fixing up. So, faced with the prospect of moodiness at family get-togethers, and my partner getting to see his delightful nieces even less often than he already does, my ideological objections to this cheap TV cash-in have been banished in favour of express delivery.

sigh....


Inspiration & Motivation!, 01 Aug 2007
I find that books like this one (ie How Clean Is Your House, 10 Minute Housekeeping, Sink Reflections, etc.) as well as the related shows out there are motivators for me. I enjoy finding out new things about household management, organization, and cleaning just as I enjoy trying out new recipes. You may not use every single tip that's in the book but I'll bet you do find one or two things that you hadn't thought of or tried before! If in the long run it's going help me apply KISS (Keep It Supremely Simple) principles then I'm all for it.

While the book is catagorized very well, I find that I can pick it up and start reading anywhere. The book & show have inspired me and given me that theoretical "kick in the pants". Now I am definitely not going to win Homemaker of the Year but I can honestly say that Anthea & her book have given me food for thought and inspired me to want to do better. I will NEVER have a house as clean as hers but if I can use just a portion of the ideas and routines she presents, then maybe I won't have to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off when it comes time for the holidays, or company coming.

I don't think that a clean, well managed house and warm inviting home are mutually exclusive! It's just nice to know that if I WANT to use some special touches(like when mother-in-law visits) or need some practical information - I have a wonderful resource to guide me.

***** The only thing lacking is the same comment previous reviewers have had and that is I wish there were some detailed diagrams & photos to go along with some of the things she has demonstated on her show.

I am from the US and extremely envious that those of you in Region 2 are able to purchase and at least WATCH Anthea's DVD as well. I don't know if or when I'll see the show again on the BBCA channel.

Who do I need to talk to about getting some of your wonderful shows in the UK on DVDs that we can play here in the US??!!

fantastic read, 29 Jul 2007
If you want a sparkling gleaming house like Antheas this is the book for you after the hard work of decluttering you will find it very easy and sooo much quicker to clean your house as Anthea advises in the book organisation is the key-it may feel like Anthea is teaching you things you allready know but beleive me you don't.If you follow Anthea to the letter I promise you will find your life easier and you will have a lot more time to do other things(like working full-time!!!)

OK if you are a vegetarian, 22 Aug 2007
If you like a healthy level of meat in your diet you won't get much inspiration from this book. I have used one recipe from it.