Introduction

This is the book I’ve wanted to write for so many years, one that isn’t dictated or overly influenced by my thirty years in professional kitchens. Yes, there are bits and pieces of that here, but generally I’m just sharing with you the foods and dishes I like to cook at home.

Good cooking doesn’t have to consist of lots of expensive ingredients; ‘the simpler the better’ couldn’t be more accurate. It’s important to remember, however, that quality ingredients are the essence of good food. These hold so much flavour, which means they don’t have to rely on overcomplicated cooking. Quite a variety of ingredients feature in these pages; most are cheap and easy to find, but none of the recipes are set in stone. Follow your own instincts and use this book as a guide from which to discover and create your own favourites, treating the recipes as a sort of pick ‘n’ mix, swapping and changing ingredients where it suits.