The River Cottage Cookbook

There are two reasons why you may want to buy this book say's the author Hugh Whittingstall. The first is more or less selfish, because the main aim here is simply to help you enjoy your life more - your life with food that is. One of the most satisfying things about my life at River Cottage is that I've hardly ever had a bad meal here. Of course i've burned things and messed up once in a while. But I rarely have that experience that used to seem all too common, where i find myself thinking "why am I eating this rubbish"?


The second reason is more political. This book is written with a strong awareness that our current food production system leaves a great deal to be desired. Most of the meat we eat comes from industrially farmed animals who lead miserable lives and are fed on inappropriate diets. It is neither as tasty nor as healthy as it should be. Much of the fruit and vegetables we eat is the product of intensive agriculture that pollutes the land we live on and leaves unnecessary residues on and in the produce. I don't like that, and I know more and more people who feel the same way.


How much of this book you incorporate into your life is up to you. But if all you do is grow a few herbs in a window box, make nettle soup once a year, and try a free range goose for Christmas instead of a frozen turkey, you will already, I hope, be enjoying your life more.


With over one hundred recipes, and Simon Wheeler's acclaimed photography, The River Cottage Cookbook is a very original book that will appeal to all downshifters and to all those who prefer their food to be full-blooded and wholesome.