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Is This A Cookbook?: Adventures in the Kitchen
NAMED A BON APPETIT, THE DAILY HIVE, AND EAT YOUR BOOKS BEST COOKBOOK OF THE YEAR
A culinary adventure from three-time James Beard Award-winning, Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal―but is it a cookbook?
Well, it’s full of Heston’s typically marvelous recipes like pea and ham soup-in-a-sandwich and bacon and egg porridge, popcorn popcorn chicken and (r)ice cream. But in Heston’s kitchen, to cook is to embark on a journey of quantum gastronomy: exploring the palate, feeding the inner child, and plunging headfirst through the plate and into the soul.
Each of the 70 simple, straightforward recipes is accompanied by Heston’s stories, insights, and hacks, turning each cooking session into a journey―and revealing a whole world of culinary possibilities and fresh perspectives. Brought to life by the incredible illustrations by Dave McKean, Heston's long-term collaborator and one of the greatest illustrators at work today, Is This A Cookbook? is the next best thing to having Heston as your sous-chef.
Why not take him along as your adventure partner, too?
A culinary adventure from three-time James Beard Award-winning, Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal―but is it a cookbook?
Well, it’s full of Heston’s typically marvelous recipes like pea and ham soup-in-a-sandwich and bacon and egg porridge, popcorn popcorn chicken and (r)ice cream. But in Heston’s kitchen, to cook is to embark on a journey of quantum gastronomy: exploring the palate, feeding the inner child, and plunging headfirst through the plate and into the soul.
Each of the 70 simple, straightforward recipes is accompanied by Heston’s stories, insights, and hacks, turning each cooking session into a journey―and revealing a whole world of culinary possibilities and fresh perspectives. Brought to life by the incredible illustrations by Dave McKean, Heston's long-term collaborator and one of the greatest illustrators at work today, Is This A Cookbook? is the next best thing to having Heston as your sous-chef.
Why not take him along as your adventure partner, too?
368 pages, Hardcover
Published November 29, 2022
19 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
Heston Blumenthal
36 books48 followersHeston Blumenthal is chef-patron of The Fat Duck in Bray, a three Michelin-starred restaurant known for its whimsical, scientific and creative style of cookery and famed for being named World’s Best Restaurant more than once.
At the age of 16, Heston travelled to France with his family for the first time and became fascinated with the world of food. He spent the next decade learning the basics of French cuisine from books and working as everything from a photocopier salesman to a debt collector to fund annual research trips to France. One of the books that most influenced him was On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee, which questioned the fundamental rules of the kitchen and explored the science of cooking.
Heston opened The Fat Duck in 1995 with no financial backing. On the second day of opening the oven exploded, and Heston spent the rest of service with a bag of frozen peas on his head. Gradually, the restaurant eventually moved from serving simple French bistro food to the innovative, rule-breaking, multi-sensory tasting menu it serves today. Perhaps what is most extraordinary about the success of The Fat Duck is that Heston is entirely self-taught, save for three weeks spent in a few professional kitchens.
At the age of 16, Heston travelled to France with his family for the first time and became fascinated with the world of food. He spent the next decade learning the basics of French cuisine from books and working as everything from a photocopier salesman to a debt collector to fund annual research trips to France. One of the books that most influenced him was On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee, which questioned the fundamental rules of the kitchen and explored the science of cooking.
Heston opened The Fat Duck in 1995 with no financial backing. On the second day of opening the oven exploded, and Heston spent the rest of service with a bag of frozen peas on his head. Gradually, the restaurant eventually moved from serving simple French bistro food to the innovative, rule-breaking, multi-sensory tasting menu it serves today. Perhaps what is most extraordinary about the success of The Fat Duck is that Heston is entirely self-taught, save for three weeks spent in a few professional kitchens.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 22, 2022
>Ok, first up, I have to say that the font used for Heston Blumenthal's ruminations on food and eating in Is This a Cookbook? is extremely annoying. I don't know what it is, maybe Informal Roman, but it's a version of Italic which as we all know is tiresome to read if there's a lot of it. So, if your eyesight is not great, you are not the designer's demographic...
Rightio, that's got that out of the way...
Heston Blumenthal is well-known to viewers of Masterchef where he is venerated like a god and subject to fangirl/boy ecstasy whenever he makes a grand entrance. Whether this is because these apparently everyday contestants have actually eaten in his astronomically-priced restaurant, or because they aspire to his molecular gastronomy (or just the fame), I do not know. However, I find him entertaining, because unlike Marco Pierre-White and his pompous posturing, though Heston is A Serious Chef in his restaurants, he does not take himself too seriously on the show. I enjoyed the challenge when I attempted one of his recipes from Historic Heston (2014, see my review), but I do not take him seriously as a guide in the domestic kitchen. I'm an experienced cook and I like to be adventurous with recipes, but I'm not a chef and I don't aspire to be.
Is This a Cookbook? brings Heston back down to earth. A bit. Opening his book at random I find his 'Gut-Friendly Beetroot Soup' involves nearly a whole page of ingredients and two pages of instructions for the pickled beetroot, the stock, the beetroot barley, the pan-roasted root vegetables, the kefir horseradish and the garnish. Plus there's nearly a page (in the annoying Italics) about digestion and the microbiome, and next to each page of the actual recipe, there's another page of tips and explanations (in the annoying Italics.) So, including the full colour page photo of the soup, this one recipe takes six pages. 'Exhilarating Geen Gazpacho' soup takes four. So does the 'Kimcheese Toastie' and the 'Bacon Buttie' preceded by five pages about sandwiches (yes, Italics for all of it) and photos of Heston eating 'A Mindful Sandwich'. You do the maths, not counting the index there are 340 pages, give or take 23 pages of the yada-yada at the beginning of the book, so there's not a lot of recipes...
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/11/19/i...
Rightio, that's got that out of the way...
Heston Blumenthal is well-known to viewers of Masterchef where he is venerated like a god and subject to fangirl/boy ecstasy whenever he makes a grand entrance. Whether this is because these apparently everyday contestants have actually eaten in his astronomically-priced restaurant, or because they aspire to his molecular gastronomy (or just the fame), I do not know. However, I find him entertaining, because unlike Marco Pierre-White and his pompous posturing, though Heston is A Serious Chef in his restaurants, he does not take himself too seriously on the show. I enjoyed the challenge when I attempted one of his recipes from Historic Heston (2014, see my review), but I do not take him seriously as a guide in the domestic kitchen. I'm an experienced cook and I like to be adventurous with recipes, but I'm not a chef and I don't aspire to be.
Is This a Cookbook? brings Heston back down to earth. A bit. Opening his book at random I find his 'Gut-Friendly Beetroot Soup' involves nearly a whole page of ingredients and two pages of instructions for the pickled beetroot, the stock, the beetroot barley, the pan-roasted root vegetables, the kefir horseradish and the garnish. Plus there's nearly a page (in the annoying Italics) about digestion and the microbiome, and next to each page of the actual recipe, there's another page of tips and explanations (in the annoying Italics.) So, including the full colour page photo of the soup, this one recipe takes six pages. 'Exhilarating Geen Gazpacho' soup takes four. So does the 'Kimcheese Toastie' and the 'Bacon Buttie' preceded by five pages about sandwiches (yes, Italics for all of it) and photos of Heston eating 'A Mindful Sandwich'. You do the maths, not counting the index there are 340 pages, give or take 23 pages of the yada-yada at the beginning of the book, so there's not a lot of recipes...
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/11/19/i...
October 30, 2022
What a delight this book is! I have enjoyed watching Heston’s food extravaganzas on TV in the past and this book offered the same level of engagement and enjoyment. Is it a cookbook? Well, yes, there are recipes in it, themed into chapters and easy to follow. But it’s also a book about food and eating with mindfulness, focusing on the enjoyment of what you are eating and taking the time to ‘listen to your gut’ when deciding what to eat.
‘What we’re exploring here is not what we eat but how we eat it.’
The book has a combination of stunning photos and quirky illustrations throughout. It’s a visual feast for your eyes. The recipes are clear to follow with the added bonus of notes from Heston inserted to guide and offer advice. The thing I love most about this book is the tips about food preparation, such as eggs and the way in which the yolk cooks at a different rate to the white and how to balance this depending on what you’re doing with your eggs. And he has a whole section on different salad dressings which are so easy to make from your pantry and so adaptable for a variety of dishes.
‘How we react to food and how we experience its flavours depends on so much more than just what’s going on in our mouth and nose. It’s about an emotional response – what memories, what associations are triggered – which is very personal. We can talk about taste receptors and the like but, in the end, there’s nothing objective about food and flavour. I love tonka beans for their almost rubbery flavour, which reminds me of beach shoes I wore as a kid when on holiday. A friend of mine hates them for much the same reason: rubber reminds her of the anaesthetic mask at the dentist. No two people perceive and experience a flavour the same way.’
I actually sat down and read this cookbook as a book, from cover to cover, delighting in all of it. So, if you want to find out what quantum gastronomy is, then Is This a Cookbook is the book for you. You may also discover something new to make and a whole new way to eat it.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
‘What we’re exploring here is not what we eat but how we eat it.’
The book has a combination of stunning photos and quirky illustrations throughout. It’s a visual feast for your eyes. The recipes are clear to follow with the added bonus of notes from Heston inserted to guide and offer advice. The thing I love most about this book is the tips about food preparation, such as eggs and the way in which the yolk cooks at a different rate to the white and how to balance this depending on what you’re doing with your eggs. And he has a whole section on different salad dressings which are so easy to make from your pantry and so adaptable for a variety of dishes.
‘How we react to food and how we experience its flavours depends on so much more than just what’s going on in our mouth and nose. It’s about an emotional response – what memories, what associations are triggered – which is very personal. We can talk about taste receptors and the like but, in the end, there’s nothing objective about food and flavour. I love tonka beans for their almost rubbery flavour, which reminds me of beach shoes I wore as a kid when on holiday. A friend of mine hates them for much the same reason: rubber reminds her of the anaesthetic mask at the dentist. No two people perceive and experience a flavour the same way.’
I actually sat down and read this cookbook as a book, from cover to cover, delighting in all of it. So, if you want to find out what quantum gastronomy is, then Is This a Cookbook is the book for you. You may also discover something new to make and a whole new way to eat it.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
February 5, 2023
Part cookbook, part theory on cooking. Like Salt, Fat,Acid,Heat. Most things in here will be for times when I can dedicate a day or so. But meanwhile have made the steak butter and it is fabulous
December 23, 2022
Heston Blumenthal has a cool name. He is a Michelin-starred chef based in Europe. Today we discuss his book titled Is This A Cookbook? with a question mark at the end. I hate dealing with the punctuation in book titles that contain question marks and so on.
I haven’t heard of this man before. I chose this book solely on the title. The book is a fusion of genres. On the one hand, it is a cookbook, so the answer to the question is yes. On the other hand, the author spends some time talking about mindfulness while eating and so on.
The recipes look delicious, and there is a bit of commentary on some of the steps and ingredients. However, I wouldn’t call the book perfect. The art printed on some of the pages is distracting. I think it might be my ADHD acting up. The book uses metric units for the recipes, but I accept that metric makes more sense. I mean, he’s from Europe. I don’t use it because all my equipment is in imperial units. I digress, though.
Finally, since the author is British, and I am an American, some sandwich names sound unusual. For example, Egg and Rocket is one such sandwich. Is it an Egg Salad Sandwich? Is it similar to that? Another is the Pan Bagnat.
I recommend the book. It was both evocative and fascinating. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
I haven’t heard of this man before. I chose this book solely on the title. The book is a fusion of genres. On the one hand, it is a cookbook, so the answer to the question is yes. On the other hand, the author spends some time talking about mindfulness while eating and so on.
The recipes look delicious, and there is a bit of commentary on some of the steps and ingredients. However, I wouldn’t call the book perfect. The art printed on some of the pages is distracting. I think it might be my ADHD acting up. The book uses metric units for the recipes, but I accept that metric makes more sense. I mean, he’s from Europe. I don’t use it because all my equipment is in imperial units. I digress, though.
Finally, since the author is British, and I am an American, some sandwich names sound unusual. For example, Egg and Rocket is one such sandwich. Is it an Egg Salad Sandwich? Is it similar to that? Another is the Pan Bagnat.
I recommend the book. It was both evocative and fascinating. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
April 17, 2023
Naast boekenwurm ben ik een echte foodie. Van culinaire programma’s op televisie kan ik echt genieten, zoals het Australische ‘My kitchen rules’. Hierin worden jaarlijks kandidaten uitgedaagd om een gerecht na te maken van niemand minder dan Heston Blumenthal. Het is telkens enorm zwoegen voor hen en weinigen slagen in deze opdracht want Heston is niet van de minste. Zijn restaurant ‘The Fat Duck’ heeft drie sterren en is in het verleden uitgeroepen geweest tot het beste restaurant ter wereld. De chef is gekend voor zijn moleculaire gerechten waarbij hij vloeibare stikstof gebruikt om deze te bereiden. Naast zijn keuken heeft hij dan ook een heus laboratorium waar hij naar alle lust kan experimenteren. Is dit een kookboek? gaat over dingen uitproberen in de keuken, experimenteren met ingrediënten en niet zomaar recepten van a tot z volgen, maar je eigen twist eraan geven. Hierbij hoef je niet bang te zijn als een keer iets mislukt.
Zoals de titel al verraad is dit geen conventioneel kookboek. Heston zal zijn lezers en kookfans uitdagen om in de keuken zelf dingen uit te testen. Naast de vele recepten bevat het boek heel wat kooktips en leuke, vaak grappige anekdotes die Heston zelf beleefde in de keuken, zoals bijvoorbeeld het scheetjesverhaal of de anekdote over Michel Roux Senior.
Is dit een kookboek? bevat heel wat gerechten die typerend zijn voor de auteur. Zo zijn er enkele nostalgische gerechten, die hem terugbrengen naar zijn kinder-en jeugdjaren. Hij zal bijvoorbeeld de tomatensoep uit blik, die we allemaal wel kennen (en stiekem ook lekker vinden) zelf maken. Zijn lievelingsgerecht, tomaat-garnaal, zal hij maken met een kleine twist en hij zal jou leren hoe je jouw mac & cheese zelf kan oppimpen. Bij klassieke gerechten zoals gebraden kip met yorkshirepudding gaat hij op zoek naar de oorsprong van het gerecht net zoals hij doet in zijn restaurant Dinner, waar enkel historische Britse gerechten op de menukaart staan.
Er staan ook een aantal kwantumgerechten in het boek, die verrassend leuk zijn. Kwantum koken haalt Heston uit de fysica wetenschappen, hierbij probeert hij recepten te creëren waarbij je de ene keer het ene zult proeven en de andere keer iets anders. Zo zal je bij zijn zomerse tomaat-aardbeien soep, de ene hap tomaten proeven, en de andere aardbeien.
Naast de klassiekers en zijn meer experimentele keuken wijdt Heston ook een deel aan de internationale keuken zoals de Indische en Mexicaanse. Er is ook een korter hoofdstuk waarin hij gebruikt maakt van nieuwe ecologische ingrediënten zoals inuline en insecten.
Tussen twee recepten staan telkens heel wat tips en anekdotes. De tips vond ik zeer waardevol en leerrijk en deze gingen van hoe je kan zien wanneer een banaan rijp genoeg is voor een milkshake, tot hoe je op een perfecte manier jouw pasta kan koken. Maar ook hoe je kan zien hoe vers eieren zijn, zal hij uit de doeken doen. Bij elk recept staat een foto en bij de anekdotes tekeningen van Dave McKane die zeker ook het vermelden waard zijn en het boek naar een nog hoger niveau tillen.
Bijzonder vond ik hoe Heston linken zal leggen tussen de verschillende gerechten. Meermaals zal Heston aangeven welke gerechten bij elkaar passen. Zo is er een recept voor tomatencompote en die kan je dan doorheen het ganse boek gebruiken als basis van andere bereidingen.
De gerechten zijn niet altijd even eenvoudig, maar ze worden gedetailleerd uitgelegd, zodat het boek zeker ook toegankelijk is voor de minder ervaren keukenprinsesjes en -prinsen. De vermelde hoeveelheden bij de ingrediënten zijn zeer nauwkeurig en de auteur zal zelf aangeven als je er van zou kunnen afwijken of niet. De ingrediënten zelf zijn vaak makkelijk te vinden, meestal in de groothandel, heel af en toe eens in de speciaalzaak. Maar de nieuwere producten zoals inuline en krekels zijn moeilijker te vinden. Ik had graag de recepten met het krekelpoeder uitgeprobeerd, maar de Nederlandstalige versie van het boek verscheen net wanneer krekels en krekelpoeder gelegaliseerd werden als voeding. Ik heb overal gezocht… tevergeefs en online bestellen vanuit Groot-Brittannië is momenteel redelijk prijzig. Heston houdt ook niet van verspilling en zal alles gebruiken, bijvoorbeeld van een bloemkool zal hij ook de groene bladeren verwerken, van tomaten zal hij de pitjes ook niet weggooien.
Voor de meeste recepten zal je ook je tijd moeten nemen, zoals bijvoorbeeld bij de Indische curry’s. Maar ook voor de eenvoudigere gerechten zoals de tomatensoep zal je je tijd moeten nemen. Hij gebruikt technieken die minder gebruikelijk zijn. Hiervan pas ik de meeste nu ook dagelijks toe in de keuken.
Ik heb al heel wat uit dit boek klaargemaakt de afgelopen weken. Voor deze recensie maakte ik onder andere de aardbeien-tomatensoep, Indische curry met naan, mac & cheese, raiziki, tomatensoep, bananenmilkshake, tomaat-garnaal en het quinoa slaatje. Alles was even overheerlijk en zal ik zeker nog maken.
k was al fan van deze grote kok en dit is alleen nog maar versterkt! Respect! Hij wordt dan ook volledig terecht de beste kok van de wereld genoemd. Ik blijf maar receptjes en tips proberen uit dit boek. Het krijgt dan ook een ereplaatsje in mijn keuken en ik ben volop op zoek om zijn voorgaande boeken ook nog aan te schaffen. Deze drie sterren chef krijgt van mij 5 sublieme boekensterren toegekend!
Zoals de titel al verraad is dit geen conventioneel kookboek. Heston zal zijn lezers en kookfans uitdagen om in de keuken zelf dingen uit te testen. Naast de vele recepten bevat het boek heel wat kooktips en leuke, vaak grappige anekdotes die Heston zelf beleefde in de keuken, zoals bijvoorbeeld het scheetjesverhaal of de anekdote over Michel Roux Senior.
Is dit een kookboek? bevat heel wat gerechten die typerend zijn voor de auteur. Zo zijn er enkele nostalgische gerechten, die hem terugbrengen naar zijn kinder-en jeugdjaren. Hij zal bijvoorbeeld de tomatensoep uit blik, die we allemaal wel kennen (en stiekem ook lekker vinden) zelf maken. Zijn lievelingsgerecht, tomaat-garnaal, zal hij maken met een kleine twist en hij zal jou leren hoe je jouw mac & cheese zelf kan oppimpen. Bij klassieke gerechten zoals gebraden kip met yorkshirepudding gaat hij op zoek naar de oorsprong van het gerecht net zoals hij doet in zijn restaurant Dinner, waar enkel historische Britse gerechten op de menukaart staan.
Er staan ook een aantal kwantumgerechten in het boek, die verrassend leuk zijn. Kwantum koken haalt Heston uit de fysica wetenschappen, hierbij probeert hij recepten te creëren waarbij je de ene keer het ene zult proeven en de andere keer iets anders. Zo zal je bij zijn zomerse tomaat-aardbeien soep, de ene hap tomaten proeven, en de andere aardbeien.
Naast de klassiekers en zijn meer experimentele keuken wijdt Heston ook een deel aan de internationale keuken zoals de Indische en Mexicaanse. Er is ook een korter hoofdstuk waarin hij gebruikt maakt van nieuwe ecologische ingrediënten zoals inuline en insecten.
Tussen twee recepten staan telkens heel wat tips en anekdotes. De tips vond ik zeer waardevol en leerrijk en deze gingen van hoe je kan zien wanneer een banaan rijp genoeg is voor een milkshake, tot hoe je op een perfecte manier jouw pasta kan koken. Maar ook hoe je kan zien hoe vers eieren zijn, zal hij uit de doeken doen. Bij elk recept staat een foto en bij de anekdotes tekeningen van Dave McKane die zeker ook het vermelden waard zijn en het boek naar een nog hoger niveau tillen.
Bijzonder vond ik hoe Heston linken zal leggen tussen de verschillende gerechten. Meermaals zal Heston aangeven welke gerechten bij elkaar passen. Zo is er een recept voor tomatencompote en die kan je dan doorheen het ganse boek gebruiken als basis van andere bereidingen.
De gerechten zijn niet altijd even eenvoudig, maar ze worden gedetailleerd uitgelegd, zodat het boek zeker ook toegankelijk is voor de minder ervaren keukenprinsesjes en -prinsen. De vermelde hoeveelheden bij de ingrediënten zijn zeer nauwkeurig en de auteur zal zelf aangeven als je er van zou kunnen afwijken of niet. De ingrediënten zelf zijn vaak makkelijk te vinden, meestal in de groothandel, heel af en toe eens in de speciaalzaak. Maar de nieuwere producten zoals inuline en krekels zijn moeilijker te vinden. Ik had graag de recepten met het krekelpoeder uitgeprobeerd, maar de Nederlandstalige versie van het boek verscheen net wanneer krekels en krekelpoeder gelegaliseerd werden als voeding. Ik heb overal gezocht… tevergeefs en online bestellen vanuit Groot-Brittannië is momenteel redelijk prijzig. Heston houdt ook niet van verspilling en zal alles gebruiken, bijvoorbeeld van een bloemkool zal hij ook de groene bladeren verwerken, van tomaten zal hij de pitjes ook niet weggooien.
Voor de meeste recepten zal je ook je tijd moeten nemen, zoals bijvoorbeeld bij de Indische curry’s. Maar ook voor de eenvoudigere gerechten zoals de tomatensoep zal je je tijd moeten nemen. Hij gebruikt technieken die minder gebruikelijk zijn. Hiervan pas ik de meeste nu ook dagelijks toe in de keuken.
Ik heb al heel wat uit dit boek klaargemaakt de afgelopen weken. Voor deze recensie maakte ik onder andere de aardbeien-tomatensoep, Indische curry met naan, mac & cheese, raiziki, tomatensoep, bananenmilkshake, tomaat-garnaal en het quinoa slaatje. Alles was even overheerlijk en zal ik zeker nog maken.
k was al fan van deze grote kok en dit is alleen nog maar versterkt! Respect! Hij wordt dan ook volledig terecht de beste kok van de wereld genoemd. Ik blijf maar receptjes en tips proberen uit dit boek. Het krijgt dan ook een ereplaatsje in mijn keuken en ik ben volop op zoek om zijn voorgaande boeken ook nog aan te schaffen. Deze drie sterren chef krijgt van mij 5 sublieme boekensterren toegekend!
April 14, 2023
Famous award-winning British chef, restaurateur, and television star, Heston Blumenthal’s fun cookbook, Is This A Cookbook?: Adventures in the Kitchen has been named Cookbook of the Year by several entities, including Bon Appetit, and for good reason: this cookbook is hilarious and the includes recipes (or almost recipes) that real people will want to prepare and eat.
The recipes are written in the traditional straightforward manner with the ingredients listed first followed by succinct instructions. The recipes are easy-to-follow and whether the cook is beginning or advanced, the dishes will turn out picture-perfect. Most of the recipes have a decidedly British slant, so those who have spent time in Great Britain or love the English culture will love this book. There is an excellent chapter on preparing eggs any style, as well as some unique breakfast dishes, including a delicious version of Green Eggs and Ham. Anyone who loves salads will be impresses and want to make one of many innovative recipes. Main dishes are amazing, and include such things as Popcorn Popcorn Chicken actually made with popcorn, some very unconventional tacos, and curries including Chicken Tikka Kabob. There is also a good recipe for traditional fish and chips which, of course should be included in any British cookbook, as well as the components of good Sunday lunches. For those who are a bit more adventurous, there is an entire chapter on foods made with powdered crickets, as well as hemp.
Incidentally, the cookbook is filled with colorful, delightful, illustrations, as well as beautiful, professional photographs of most of the dishes, making it difficult to decide which yummy dish to make next.
Everyone will love the notes preceding each recipe which have hints, history, and information. Blumenthal has a sharp, British sense of humor and this cookbook is one that everyone will want to curl up with to just read cover to cover. However, there are so many fun recipes, no one will be able to resist cooking from it often.
Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.
The recipes are written in the traditional straightforward manner with the ingredients listed first followed by succinct instructions. The recipes are easy-to-follow and whether the cook is beginning or advanced, the dishes will turn out picture-perfect. Most of the recipes have a decidedly British slant, so those who have spent time in Great Britain or love the English culture will love this book. There is an excellent chapter on preparing eggs any style, as well as some unique breakfast dishes, including a delicious version of Green Eggs and Ham. Anyone who loves salads will be impresses and want to make one of many innovative recipes. Main dishes are amazing, and include such things as Popcorn Popcorn Chicken actually made with popcorn, some very unconventional tacos, and curries including Chicken Tikka Kabob. There is also a good recipe for traditional fish and chips which, of course should be included in any British cookbook, as well as the components of good Sunday lunches. For those who are a bit more adventurous, there is an entire chapter on foods made with powdered crickets, as well as hemp.
Incidentally, the cookbook is filled with colorful, delightful, illustrations, as well as beautiful, professional photographs of most of the dishes, making it difficult to decide which yummy dish to make next.
Everyone will love the notes preceding each recipe which have hints, history, and information. Blumenthal has a sharp, British sense of humor and this cookbook is one that everyone will want to curl up with to just read cover to cover. However, there are so many fun recipes, no one will be able to resist cooking from it often.
Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.
March 26, 2023
(I should preface this by saying I am a fan of Heston's work. As a chemist I love how, not only has he made chemistry playful and sexy, but he actually collaborates with chemistry researchers. He is an honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and totally deserves this very prestigious position.)
The title of this book poses an interesting question, and my answer would be "Not really". While the recipes here form a coherent collection, in my mind they act merely as examples of the breadth and depth of Heston's mind, particularly his insatiable curiosity about our senses and how they take part in the creation of memories. Here, this curiosity about sensory experiences takes on a mindfulness dimension, as he encourages us to take our time to really experience each recipe - the various tastes and textures - and also to observe and compare these experiences systematically. All of these mean that this book is more a "book of mindful experimentation" rather than a cookbook.
The amazing awesomeness of this five star rating is shared equally by Dave McKean and Heston Blumenthal - I first came across McKean's work through Neil Gaiman, and didn't know he has been working more recently with Heston, and what a synergistic partnership this is. McKean's detailed, spiky, frenetic art matches Heston's thought processes and adds so much richness and humour to this book. This book demands to be read slowly, cover to cover, so that you can savour all the details.
The title of this book poses an interesting question, and my answer would be "Not really". While the recipes here form a coherent collection, in my mind they act merely as examples of the breadth and depth of Heston's mind, particularly his insatiable curiosity about our senses and how they take part in the creation of memories. Here, this curiosity about sensory experiences takes on a mindfulness dimension, as he encourages us to take our time to really experience each recipe - the various tastes and textures - and also to observe and compare these experiences systematically. All of these mean that this book is more a "book of mindful experimentation" rather than a cookbook.
The amazing awesomeness of this five star rating is shared equally by Dave McKean and Heston Blumenthal - I first came across McKean's work through Neil Gaiman, and didn't know he has been working more recently with Heston, and what a synergistic partnership this is. McKean's detailed, spiky, frenetic art matches Heston's thought processes and adds so much richness and humour to this book. This book demands to be read slowly, cover to cover, so that you can savour all the details.
October 22, 2023
Is this a cookbook? Probably. It has a lot of things in it that resemble recipes with ingredients and instructions. The ingredients are mostly easily obtained (translating from UK English to USA English is however necessary and being comfortable with metric measures is crucial). The techniques largely seem approachable and manageable by a skilled home chef. Though many are refinements of what may seem familiar techniques - depicted here however with a deep attention to details and the rationale behind changes from how many people likely have been taught.
But at least half of the book probably more isn’t, precisely, recipes. It is amazing gorgeous illustrations and an explanation of both the unusual techniques and why they have been chosen. This is among the most beautiful cookbooks I now own (and I own a lot of cookbooks). I’ll probably even try a few of the recipes and techniques. Likely with my own adjustments for my own personal taste.
Which, I think, is very in keeping with the quantum theory of this book - about cooking - but also about life and really a philosophy of it. Where food and water and approach matter. But aren’t and yet are as well everything.
Highly recommended - and definitely as a physical object where the amazing illustrations and the overall design of the book as an object can be appreciated.
But at least half of the book probably more isn’t, precisely, recipes. It is amazing gorgeous illustrations and an explanation of both the unusual techniques and why they have been chosen. This is among the most beautiful cookbooks I now own (and I own a lot of cookbooks). I’ll probably even try a few of the recipes and techniques. Likely with my own adjustments for my own personal taste.
Which, I think, is very in keeping with the quantum theory of this book - about cooking - but also about life and really a philosophy of it. Where food and water and approach matter. But aren’t and yet are as well everything.
Highly recommended - and definitely as a physical object where the amazing illustrations and the overall design of the book as an object can be appreciated.
November 29, 2022
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
😁Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!😁
I usually want a beautiful glossy photo to accompany every recipe in a cookbook, but this isn't a cookbook--or is it? Instead, this hefty volume includes quirky, messy, and loveable illustrations on almost every page. This element creates a fun and approachable vibe around cooking, versus the strict and stressful nature of some recipe collections. I loved the twists on classics, but chapters on fermentation and alternative edibles were my favorite.
Come chat with me about books here, too:
Blog | Instagram
😁Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!😁
I usually want a beautiful glossy photo to accompany every recipe in a cookbook, but this isn't a cookbook--or is it? Instead, this hefty volume includes quirky, messy, and loveable illustrations on almost every page. This element creates a fun and approachable vibe around cooking, versus the strict and stressful nature of some recipe collections. I loved the twists on classics, but chapters on fermentation and alternative edibles were my favorite.
Come chat with me about books here, too:
Blog | Instagram
November 3, 2022
Is this a cookbook? Maybe. This book is so damn interesting, get it for that reason first and get it for the recipes that will really make you think as the second. Every chapter is well though out and full of surprises. Banana and Parsley smoothie anyone? Turns out, very tasty. It took me a minute to get used to the notes for the recipes not being on the same page in the e-book, but they are very interesting notes. If you don't know how to cook eggs yet, there is a great primer in here. I'm really looking forward to making the comforting braised beef soup when it finally gets cool here. The soda bread recipe as part of sunshine in a bowl really is one of the easiest breads to make. The photography of the recipes is beautiful and the cartoons of the author talking are fun. I should mention the recipes are in metric grams, but it's easy to convert if you are from part of the world that doesn't do the metric system. 4 stars for recipes, 5 stars for being such an interesting book
October 9, 2022
This is a quirky, fun cookbook with lots of great recipes, illustrations and interesting flavour combinations. I learned about Heston Blumenthal, The Fat Duck restaurant and molecular gastronomy several years ago and I have always enjoyed his clever and unique way with food and flavours. Unlike some of the complicated techniques in molecular gastronomy, this book is definitely achievable for the home cook and most recipes are easy to make.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book.
January 17, 2023
It’s isn’t often you read a cookbook with a sense of humor. A chef known for not recognizing boundaries when it comes to recipes. He is brilliant, infectious, inventive. The dishes are pictured to guide and keep the glands salivating. You can get lost in this book. If you are a cook , you will not be left on your own. If you are a chef, it will be a welcome addition. It you are like me it will have a pride of place on your shelf.
March 23, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Heston Blumenthal for this copy of Is This A Cookbook. Yes, it is a cookbook but not your usual one. It was kind of Heston to simplify his recipes so that I can actually make them.
June 3, 2025
Very interesting read - creative recipes (that don't really sound very good to me, but definitely grabbed my interest and asked some very interesting questions).
The narcissistic illustrations did end up annoying me, though.
The narcissistic illustrations did end up annoying me, though.
November 29, 2022
So, is it a cookbook?
Doesn't matter. Its clever, irreverent, and utterly Heston.
It contains only 70 recipes, but with that comes a whole lot of other quirky kaboodle.
Recommend.
Doesn't matter. Its clever, irreverent, and utterly Heston.
It contains only 70 recipes, but with that comes a whole lot of other quirky kaboodle.
Recommend.
January 9, 2023
A beautiful, visual stunning cookbook that makes you really think and consider the traditional paradigms we hold about food. Will try a couple of the recipes.
October 18, 2023
He lost me at cricket stock
March 29, 2023
Is this book a bit much - Yes - but what else would you expect?
You are taken on a journey from page one - not into the future (although kind of!) but into the past - a sort of comfort mission (if you will) to re-discover your relationship with food.
I expected the over-indulgent recipes - I expect the references to molecular gastronomy - even the authority to quantum cooking (after all, this is Heston), but what I didn't expect was to have a conversation about how food makes me feel, not in a complete or spicy sense, but what emotion does it invoke, what do we remember when cooking something we have had in the past. How does this shape how we see the kitchen and the kind of cook we become?
This is more of a memoir of food than a cookbook. But it is also an excellent cookbook - the question posed by Heston of 'is this a cookbook' is one with no answer, a rather clever way to reinvent (if not draw from the past) a way of writing that has personal resonance to all of us!
A must-read for the fevered foodie!
You are taken on a journey from page one - not into the future (although kind of!) but into the past - a sort of comfort mission (if you will) to re-discover your relationship with food.
I expected the over-indulgent recipes - I expect the references to molecular gastronomy - even the authority to quantum cooking (after all, this is Heston), but what I didn't expect was to have a conversation about how food makes me feel, not in a complete or spicy sense, but what emotion does it invoke, what do we remember when cooking something we have had in the past. How does this shape how we see the kitchen and the kind of cook we become?
This is more of a memoir of food than a cookbook. But it is also an excellent cookbook - the question posed by Heston of 'is this a cookbook' is one with no answer, a rather clever way to reinvent (if not draw from the past) a way of writing that has personal resonance to all of us!
A must-read for the fevered foodie!
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