Introduction

Most cookery books are about a specific kind of food: food from a particular country, rich food for dinner parties, healthy country food for family life, cheap food, food you can make in a moment after a day at the office, food for people who live in one room or food for people who live in palaces, vegetarian food, seasonal food, regional food, very English food. I even have a book of food to be made entirely from flowers. There must be almost everything. So when I began to write this book I was asked what my theme was. All I can say is that it is a collection of my own ideas which I have made using flavours and consistencies which I like, and which I think taste delicious. The recipes range from spicy oriental dishes to nostalgic English nursery food, from family lunch food and teatime cakes to more unusual dishes for dinner parties.