In the style-setting tradition that is a Conran trademark, this award-winning cookbook could start a new trend in the way people think about food. Cooking today has become too complex, say the Conrans, and they demonstrate convincingly that the best dishes are in fact perfectly simple—and simple to prepare. With a lavish collection of timeless classics, including such favorites as Soupe a l’Oignon, Steak au Poivre, and Summer Pudding, they stress the principle that the quality of the ingredients comes first, and the secret of preparing each dish to perfection is to concentrate on bringing out those ingredients’ natural flavors. The result is a collection of mouthwatering recipes that cooks will return to again and again.
Sir Terence Conran was educated at Bryanston School, Dorset, and trained as a textile designer at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. Hand in hand with his much-publicized career as an arbiter of good taste for a whole generation goes a career in cookery and restaurant management. Having learned the basic skills in the kitchens of a two-star Parisian establishment, he opened several small restaurants in London.These were later sold to finance his fast-expanding furniture business, from which grew the hugely successful Habitat stores. No-one has had a greater influence on contemporary living style than Conran. From the outset of his career, in the brilliant era of the '60s, he devoted his talents to interpreting the home-making aspirations of the bright, busy people of his generation - and to providing them with an excellence of craftsmanship and design at a price they could afford.