Cooking Without Recipes

by Philip Dundas

This is a useful book for beginners and more experienced cooks who are used to following a recipe, but who would like to be able to cook more instinctively.

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

I was brought up on a farm in Scotland. After being expelled from school, aged 19 I got on a bus to London where I danced with every boy in town and got involved in the music business.

But I have never lost my love for Scotland returning often to follow my lifelong yearning to walk the paths and ways across hills and high lands whenever I can.

But my most steadfast love has always been the escape offered by books

My first book 'Cooking without Recipes' (2011) was inspired by teaching my elderly widowed father to cook his favourite dishes. Following its moderate success, I opened a restaurant in London called PipsDish.

'Daniel, at sea' is my debut novel.

Reviews

[Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good concept that gave me a few ideas and taught me a couple things, but this book probably doesn't go into enough practical detail for the beginner and isn't thorough enough for someone like me who has been cooking for years.

To make this book more useful, I would hope for more information directly comparing and contrasting different cooking methods; some thoughts on how to combine ingredients in terms of flavour, texture, colour, etc.; more information on how to use a knife (e.g. different ways of cutting ingredients that each produce different results); etc.

[Greta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking for a book that would encourage me to not slavishly follow a recipe. The author does do that. However, he spends far too much time talking about how to choose, store and cook every conceivable form of flesh (meat/poultry/game/fish/shellfish/offal etc. etc. etc.) possible. And I aspire to eat more to veg and whole grains. That's why I didn't like this book so much.

[Steve Clark]

Paperback