Recipes from The Carved Angel

The joy of cooking, and what makes it an endlessly absorbing occupation, is the pleasure it gives to other people, and the satisfaction of having created something. I still remember the excitement of my first attempt at making puff pastry. I went through all that rolling and folding again and again. And at long last, the moment came when I opened the door of the oven to see the trays of beautifully risen, golden brown mille feuilles. Sheer magic – it had worked. Even now I get that thrill out of cooking, deriving a great personal pride, whether it is something I’ve made a hundred and one times before or something that is quite new.