The River Cottage Family Cookbook

by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Fizz Carr

'Fizz Carr and I share the view that there are no really good cookbooks for the whole family to use together. It is our immodest intention to write a classic of this genre' Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's well-loved RIVER COTTAGE books have become a phenomenon, inspiring hundreds of thousands of people all over Britain to cook and enjoy good food. His new book THE RIVER COTTAGE FAMILY COOK BOOK, co-written with Fizz Carr, brings the River Cottage philosophy to the whole family. It will give pleasure to toddlers and grandparents, families discovering the fun of cooking together, and everyone who enjoys simple home-cooked food. From how to make butter from a jar of cream to how to make your own sausages, THE RIVER COTTAGE FAMILY COOKBOOK will inspire everyone with the magic and fun of cooking. 'A great way to learn the basics without feeling patronised ...You come away from the experience not just with a tasty supper but with a better knowledge of food ...comfortingly old-fashioned ...will almost certainly go on my shelf of "genuinely useful cook-books", cross-referenced with my folder of "ways to entertain the kids at weekends"' Time Out

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food and Drink, Parenting, British Literature

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a British celebrity chef, smallholder, television presenter, journalist, food writer and "real food" campaigner, known for his back-to-basics philosophy.

A talented writer, broadcaster and campaigner, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is widely known for his uncompromising commitment to seasonal, ethically produced food and has earned a huge following through his River Cottage TV series and books.

His early smallholding experiences were shown in the Channel 4 River Cottage series and led to the publication of The River Cottage Cookbook (2001), which won the Glenfiddich Trophy and the André Simon Food Book of the Year awards.

The success of the show and the books allowed Hugh to establish River Cottage HQ near Bridport in 2004.

In the same year, Hugh published The River Cottage Meat Book to wide acclaim and won a second André Simon Food Book of the Year Award.

He has just finished filming his most recent series, which accompanies his most recent book, River Cottage Every Day.

He continues to write as a journalist, including a weekly column in The Guardian and is Patron of the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association (FARMA).

River Cottage HQ moved in 2006, to a farm near the Dorset/Devon border, where visitors can take a variety of courses. http://www.rivercottage.net

During River Cottage Spring (2008) Hugh helped a group of Bristol families start a smallholding on derelict council land.

The experience was so inspiring he decided to see if it would work nationwide, and Landshare was created to bring keen growers and landowners together. The movement now includes more than 50,000 people.

Son of https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up from a table outside someone's house with a sign that said help yourself. As a basic family cookbook this is really good. Lots of nice photos of children enjoying getting stuck into some serious messy cooking. Lots of fun recipes for children to try, turkish delight, mushroom noodle soup, pizza, raisin bread, lots of different smoothies, icecreams, ice lolly ideas. The flatbread recipe is good. I've tried making my own sourdough starter before and have never succeeded, perhaps this will inspire me to try again.

[Dawn (DeDe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely introductory cookbook for passing on life skills to your children. We use it in our homeschooling and the format fits our family learning style well. For those that do not have a kitchen scale, you will need one for these recipes.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great recipes for all the family to try! Delicious things, with clear instructions and helpful information. Love it.

[Lisa Whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the info throughout and recipes I turn to time and again.

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely written cookbook, lots of info for newbies in cooking no matter age 😊.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suppose I should not have given this 5 stars since I haven't actually cooked anything from it...but I LOVE it anyway! Lovely photos. Lots of scientific and social studies info about food and food history. Lots on Shrove Tuesday and pancakes. And the tone of the writing makes me wish I had written it...it says much of what I would want to say to kids about how to cook, and why to cook, and where food comes from.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully photographed, this is very beginner-foodie friendly. It's great if you're looking for information to share with older kids, who may be curious about where their food comes from. The recipes are pretty simple, comfort-food oriented and very family-friendly. At least half this book is information about food, rather than recipes, so it's more of a general reference than just a cookbook.

A good choice for families; a little preachy in places but interesting to check out.

[Dayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow did I luck out!! Found this for $6 at a local discount store. This is a delightful family cook book. Full of all kinds of kitchen projects as well as the hows and whys of kitchen science. The organization of the book is smart. I will be sure to have this one for years to come. We will certainly be making more butter, homemade sausage, and jellies.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Family friendly food is food that's not too complicated and everyone wants to eat. I checked this one out because I need to be inspired to make some regular, everyday meals. It has good recipes, I just need someone else to cook 'em for me :( I actually think this would be a good cookbook for teens to experiment with.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I passed on this book the first five times I perused it. Now that the garden is coming in, I'm more inspired by it. Definitely a good basic book to have around for straight forward bread and pizza dough recipes. There are also some fun things I can't wait to try with the kids, like the mint candy and make your own salt.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little book - has all the basics! Good for a busy family looking for simple dinners, snacks or sweet treats. Nothing too fancy or difficult but excellent instructions and illustrations. It has good background to each section and its ingredients which the kids love! The chocolate chip cookies are a dream! Definitely a family essential in my house!

[Althea Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. I bought it to share the love of cooking with my children and it has taught them so much. My daughter (then aged 9) baked her first loaf of bread completely independently using this book. It explains the recipes very clearly and with great detail which is great for young or inexperienced cooks. The book now automatically opens on the drop scone page.... Need I say more :-)

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

good one with lots and lots of info, but i only got a few recipes from it. one though is a keeper - a simple tomato salad with onions and balsamic vinegar. It went perfect with our steaks on Sunday night.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this cookbook. The recipes are very simple, using local and seasonal ingredients. The kids really enjoyed the lentil soup and bread. They weren't as thrilled by the corn/spinach fritters, but I liked 'em!

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you crossed Macaulay's "The Way things Work" with a simple but fun cookbook--that is the sort of book this is. I think this would be a great book for families with younger kids (6-12) that enjoy learning and being creative.

[Jaq · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - again I'm over the moon with the range of great recipes which are quick to cook, and delicious.

Hugh does not disappoint - and it's one of those cookbooks that have gone onto my to buy list!

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a bit more of a coffee table book than a cookbook. It might be a nice book for beginners to check out of the library, but there isn't really enough useful content for it to be a good investment in money or space.

[Meryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly basic stuff--nothing very fun or earthshaking.

[Jess Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

i recieved this as a birthday gift, and couldn't wait to dig into the recipes. the photographs, illustrations, and anecdotes make this much more than a cookbook.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My go to cookbook - love it!

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for a novice cook, I gave it to my husband and he enjoyed it, but I find it much too basic for my skills.

[Mrs. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice book for beginners, those without an extensive cookbook library, or those ready to make the leap into cooking without an actual recipe.

[Phaedra · Rating 3 out of 5]

lots of great basics here- the whys and why nots.

[les.deux.etoiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love the whole River Cottage collection - well done from photos to full recipes with suggestions. Authentic, nothing overly done or overly tv-food-show-ified!

[Just_me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic cook book. Lots of recipes to try.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good recipes, good pictures, good intro-information in each section. What more can you ask for?

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best cookbook purchase that I have ever made!