says, "a compilation of courses and recipes, which will hopefully encourage more of us to be drawn back to this great, social eating place". Back, one assumes, from the TV dinner and the take-away eaten on the hoof. Admirable motive; and a very generous selection of recipes, over 140 divided between Appetizers, Soups, Fish, Mains (with Vegetable annex), Desserts and Savouries. Even the dust-jacket bodes well, showing Rhodes actually sitting at a table. Essentially the purpose of the book is encourage the re-introduction of a la carte dining, where the individual courses--from one or two to as many as six--complement each other and form a harmonious whole. As this might suggest, this is restaurant food for the home, portioned, plated and self-consciously presented; and requiring on the whole a fair amount of work.As complete courses in themselves, most of the dishes carry a garnish: the "Chicken Liver Pate" appetiser comes with "Bramley Apple Jelly"; "Steamed and Roasted Salt Cod" arrives with "Baby Fennel and Lemon-garlic Potatoes" (there is a lot of fennel in this book: fennel, someone said recently, is the new beetroot); "Roast Loin of Lamb" sits on "Leek Greens" and is accompanied by a "Lamb-kidney Sausage"; while the "Frozen White Chocolate Mousse" is sandwiched between "Honey Wafers", topped with "Port-wine Figs" and encircled by trails of "Spicy Red-wine Sauce". Formidable and attractive stuff, more challenging than the plainer British roots cooking of Rhodes' previous productions and perhaps more representative of his own restaurant style. The strange not-quite-English kitchen argot is as recognisable as ever, and the production and photography are of the highest standard, although the frothy sauces partially enveloping many dishes do rather look as though the Blob has arrived from outer space. --Robin Davidson
may be new to some readers, that foods tend to be seasonal and, by and large, are at their best in that season. Rhubarb, flounder, lamb and asparagus in spring; beetroot, broad beans and soft fruit in summer. Rhodes is first and foremost a restaurant chef, which, as he says, means that he is accustomed to an unlimited supply of fresh food from around the world all through the year: returning to the real world seems to have been a bit of a revelation. It must also be his professional background that inclines him to present his recipes as complete servings--main dish and accompaniments. Grilled beef comes with baby turnips, marinated mushrooms and a beetroot dressing. Soaked lemon semolina wedge (a cake) with warm blueberries. Baked cheese puffs with fresh beetroot sauce. This is generous, but at the same time oddly limiting: it's hard to imagine many cooks taking these recipes into their repertoires and playing freely with them. One hesitantly comes to the conclusion that Gary Rhodes inhabits a dimension not altogether congruent with the one occupied by the rest of us. There is, on the one hand, the fluent strangeness of his prose, in which verbs slip effortlessly from transitive to intransitive (main dish A "eats well" with garnish B, we keep being told). And the recipes themselves, on the other, invariably well-constructed and thought-provoking as they are, seem often to have arrived fully-formed from some mysterious other universe free of gastronomic tradition and history. What general principles can a cook extract from Roast Gurnard with Beetroot, White Bean and Orange Salad or Braised Beef Brisket with Tarragon Carrots and Cauliflower Champ? Readers will be able to judge for themselves how liberating these combinations are. At any rate, it's a relief to find Rhodes largely eschewing his baffling enthusiasm for school dinners (no Gypsy Tart recipes here). --Robin Davidson
may be new to some readers, that foods tend to be seasonal and, by and large, are at their best in that season. Rhubarb, flounder, lamb and asparagus in spring; beetroot, broad beans and soft fruit in summer. Rhodes is first and foremost a restaurant chef, which, as he says, means that he is accustomed to an unlimited supply of fresh food from around the world all through the year: returning to the real world seems to have been a bit of a revelation. It must also be his professional background that inclines him to present his recipes as complete servings--main dish and accompaniments. Grilled beef comes with baby turnips, marinated mushrooms and a beetroot dressing. Soaked lemon semolina wedge (a cake) with warm blueberries. Baked cheese puffs with fresh beetroot sauce. This is generous, but at the same time oddly limiting: it's hard to imagine many cooks taking these recipes into their repertoires and playing freely with them. One hesitantly comes to the conclusion that Gary Rhodes inhabits a dimension not altogether congruent with the one occupied by the rest of us. There is, on the one hand, the fluent strangeness of his prose, in which verbs slip effortlessly from transitive to intransitive (main dish A "eats well" with garnish B, we keep being told). And the recipes themselves, on the other, invariably well-constructed and thought-provoking as they are, seem often to have arrived fully-formed from some mysterious other universe free of gastronomic tradition and history. What general principles can a cook extract from Roast Gurnard with Beetroot, White Bean and Orange Salad or Braised Beef Brisket with Tarragon Carrots and Cauliflower Champ? Readers will be able to judge for themselves how liberating these combinations are. At any rate, it's a relief to find Rhodes largely eschewing his baffling enthusiasm for school dinners (no Gypsy Tart recipes here). --Robin Davidson
Gary Rhodes at the Table
What has the spiky-haired one in store for us this time? Gary Rhodes at the Table is, he
... more
says, "a compilation of courses and recipes, which will hopefully encourage more of us to be drawn back to this great, social eating place". Back, one assumes, from the TV dinner and the take-away eaten on the hoof. Admirable motive; and a very generous selection of recipes, over 140 divided between Appetizers, Soups, Fish, Mains (with Vegetable annex), Desserts and Savouries. Even the dust-jacket bodes well, showing Rhodes actually sitting at a table. Essentially the purpose of the book is encourage the re-introduction of a la carte dining, where the individual courses--from one or two to as many as six--complement each other and form a harmonious whole. As this might suggest, this is restaurant food for the home, portioned, plated and self-consciously presented; and requiring on the whole a fair amount of work.As complete courses in themselves, most of the dishes carry a garnish: the "Chicken Liver Pate" appetiser comes with "Bramley Apple Jelly"; "Steamed and Roasted Salt Cod" arrives with "Baby Fennel and Lemon-garlic Potatoes" (there is a lot of fennel in this book: fennel, someone said recently, is the new beetroot); "Roast Loin of Lamb" sits on "Leek Greens" and is accompanied by a "Lamb-kidney Sausage"; while the "Frozen White Chocolate Mousse" is sandwiched between "Honey Wafers", topped with "Port-wine Figs" and encircled by trails of "Spicy Red-wine Sauce". Formidable and attractive stuff, more challenging than the plainer British roots cooking of Rhodes' previous productions and perhaps more representative of his own restaurant style. The strange not-quite-English kitchen argot is as recognisable as ever, and the production and photography are of the highest standard, although the frothy sauces partially enveloping many dishes do rather look as though the Blob has arrived from outer space. --Robin Davidson
Advantages: Really easy to follow Disadvantages: Gary wasn't there to cook for me!
...My husband bought this book for me, after we had watched the accompanying television series. I think he paid about £15 for it in Sussex Bookshops.
The first thing that struck me about this book is the beautiful photography. Without exception, the dishes that Gary features look absolutely mouthwatering - even the recipes that I don't like the sound of (like soft herring roes on toast) look tempting. But there again, GaryRhodes is a perfectionist when it comes to presentation, so what else could we expect?
Most of the recipes are apparently designed for a dinner party, so there are no 'every day' receipes in this book. However, there are some real stunners for that special occasion.
The Grilled Asparagus with Champ Potato Sauce and Tarragon Oil makes a beautiful starter. It's simple to make, too, as the recipe is so easy...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: We know him and love him Disadvantages: none!
...success in reviving the flagging British food industry.
His first television appearance, in 1987, was a ten-minute slot. He became an overnight success and there followed five different programmes. Best known for his spiky hair and sense of humour, millions of people watched his shows. Still he found time to write numerous cookery books. This one was written to accompany his television show, GaryRhodes fabulous foods.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The first page “notes on recipes” is too long for this review, but gives handy tips on measuring ingredients, how to use a gas gun to glaze puddings and one word that I had never come across before. “Mirepoix”, which is a mixture of chopped carrots, onions, celery and leeks.
Next, the three-page introduction, by Gary, is a delightful insight into the man...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
...As the title suggests i had watched the TV programme before getting this book. i bought it, some time ago, from BOL.com at 50% discount so its wasnt bad value at £10 (rrp £20)as it is quite a large cookbook, although i am not sure i would have paid the full price for it. In this book GaryRhodes tries to give a new take on traditional british recipes.
Chapters include; soups,sauces and dressings,cheese and eggs,vegetables and salads,the great british breakfast and so on, you get the picture. There are some very nice recipes in this book and also some very nice photographs of how some of the recipes should look like to tempt you into getting into the kitchen. The ingredients are clearly listed, the recipes i have tried were easy enough to follow and Gary's enthusiasm for food comes through in the comments included with some...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
16.10.2004
21.05.2004
17.08.2001
