Great British food

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS ‘GREAT BRITISH FOOD’?

Unlike the French, who will spend hours reducing a stock to a delicate jus, the British have never been known as a nation of cooks – despite the best efforts of Jamie Oliver, et al. But the authors of Canteen: Great British Food would certainly have us believe that British cooking extends beyond boiled cabbage, stodgy puddings and brussel sprouts.

The three authors, restaurateurs in London, opened the doors of Canteen in 2005 to serve unpretentious, unapologetic British food. Following the roaring success of the restaurant, Cass Titcombe, Dominic Lake and Patrick Clayton-Malone released this cookbook that, like the restaurant, is wonderfully nostalgic when it comes to British cooking, paying homage to traditional, ‘proper’ English food.

Canteen: Great British Food is a quirky book – as the unfussy, almost-bland cover reveals. And it’s plain and simple – like the recipes. It doesn’t try too hard to be clever with gourmet recipes or overly artistic photography. Instead, retro photography transports one back to the 1970s and recipes are simple and hearty. Eggs Benedict, beef stew and dumplings, steak and kidney pie and even piccalilli are some of the classic, comforting British staples featured. Who would have thought that British fare could fill an entire book?

For anyone who has ever enjoyed a true English roast, this book will conjure up wonderful childhood memories.

Order Canteen on leading book websites such as www.kalahari.net for roughly R257.