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Review of 'Essence - recipes from le champignon sauvage'
by David Everitt-Matthias
To
order a copy of Essence <click
here>
Review written by
Hub-UK
 You
know that this book has to be something special for
Gordon Ramsay to have written the Foreword . . . or
perhaps it puts you off, making you think the publishers
are using his name to sell a book that does not have
the qualities needed to succeed on its own merits!
Well,
you can rest assured that this book does not let Gordon
Ramsay or its author, David Everitt-Matthias, down.
It is an excellent and very good book, in fact amongst
all the food, recipe and cooking books that are published
every year this stands out as one of the gems.
In
his Foreword Gordon Ramsay says, "It is a genuine
pleasure to have been asked to write the foreword to
David Everitt-Matthias' insightful book, Essence."
I have to say it was a genuine pleasure for me just
to read through this book from cover to cover . . .
mind you I did get so hungry that I had to stop for
an early lunch.
Essence
confirmed my worst fears . . . another missed opportunity.
I lived in Cheltenham for several years, in fact I moved
there the year le champignon sauvage was awarded
its first Michelin Star, but somehow or another I never
got the time or the opportunity to eat there. Having
read the book I now know what I missed!
Is
this just another Michelin star chef cashing in on his
prestigious awards or is it something more? You could
be forgiven for thinking so, having randomly opened
the book and seen a recipe for 'Cannelloni of veal
breast and burdock with celeriac cream, horseradish
froth and wood sorrel'. Frightening, and you might
even be thinking this book is for professional chefs
only. However, you would be wrong!
 This
has to be one of the most exciting and interesting books
about food and cooking I have read in a long time. David
Everitt-Matthias is no celebrity chef writing a book
to fulfil his media commitments or to cash in on TV
fame. This is a delightful introduction to the cooking
of a great chef and in such a way that you or me can
understand the recipes . . . and cook them! None of
the recipes are included for show, they are all working
recipes included with the intention that anyone should
feel capable of cooking them with success.
All
right, if you have trouble cooking an egg then perhaps
this book is not for you. But if you enjoy your food
and you enjoy cooking then this book is very much one
to add to your collection. There are some truly wonderful
recipes throughout, but the book is a great read in
itself. It explains so much about the food and what
is involved in the preparation and cooking of each dish.
Essence
opens with a brief Introduction followed by advice entitled
'storecupboard', described as:
". . . some of the standbys we use in the restaurant
kitchen. It certainly makes life easier to have them
on hand and you'll find they appear in a lot of the
recipes in this book."
This
is followed by 'foundations':
"Good
cooking depends on good foundation recipes - for stocks,
pasta dough, pastry and so on."
Armed
with your basics the main section of the book is recipes
from le champignon sauvage - starters, mains
and desserts.
This
is one chef who knows how to write a recipe so that
his readers can understand it and, because each one
is broken down into its individual components, is not
at all daunting. Each recipe has its own introduction
which explains the dish and how its flavours work together
and at the same time provides alternatives to those
often difficult to find ingredients. The recipes are
then broken down, both for ingredients and method, into
the component parts of the dish making the whole thing
easy to follow. To really understand how simplified
the author has made the recipes you need to have a look
at one or two.
Something
David Everitt-Matthias is very keen to use in his cooking
when the opportunity presents itself is wild ingredients
- wild garlic, nettles, ground elder and many more -
and the book closes with a wild food glossary, plus
photographs, which describes many of the plants and
mushrooms used, finishing with a beautiful photograph
of David with his two Boxer dogs and one of his chefs
foraging in the woodland. (I was bound to like that
photograph having three Boxers of my own!)
Would
I recommend the book? Definitely. There are some amazing
recipes - you cannot fail to learn something new and
benefit from this book whether you are a relative beginner
or an experienced hand in the kitchen.
Cook
with style and flair, but at the same time enjoy great
flavours - get a copy of Essence. Essential reading
for any amateur or professional looking for inspiration
and ideas <click
here>
Example
recipes:
Braised blade
of beef with nettle risotto and spring onions
Rice
pudding with meadowsweet and compote of cherries
To
order a copy of Essence <click
here>
About
le champignon sauvage
If
you would like to know more about le champignon sauvage,
the restaurant, then visit the web site <click
here>
Published
03 November 2006
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