Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and Me: A chefs stories and recipes from the land

(Paperback)

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Description

Denis Cotter's acclaimed collection of superb vegetarian recipes and evocative tales is now available in paperback.

Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and Me cajoles, informs and questions our relationship to the land and the vegetables we eat. We go on a personal journey with Denis as he shares his passion for his favourite foods.

Denis drags us into muddy fields and introduces us to the growers of the best produce imaginable. Through heart-felt and charming text, he informs and amuses. The excitement of a robust blackberry jam becomes a passionate argument for us to go out into the countryside, the dazzling sight of high-trailing borlotti beans ignites a discussion on the future of artisan growing.

Whether creating a restaurant masterpiece or foraging in hedgerows and woods, Denis searches for a new connection between food, people and land oh, and he also teaches you how to search for mushrooms, wild greens and sloes, how to cook asparagus and take on an artichoke with attitude.

Divided into four themed chapters, 'It's a Green Thing', 'Wild Pickings', 'A Passionate Pursuit' and 'Growing in the Dark', each including information and anecdotes about the vegetables that feature as well as many delicious recipes. There are simple salads and soups as well as more challenging main meals and mouth-watering desserts.

Recipes include:

Fresh Pasta with Abyssinian Cabbage, Pine Nuts & Sheep's Dressing;

Courgette Flower, Pea and Chive Risotto;

Samphire Tempura with Coriander Yoghurt;

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Potato Pancakes and Tarragon Cream;

Cabbage Timbale of Celeriac and Chestnuts with Porcini and Oyster Mushroom Sauce

Stunning images of the landscape, the food and the finished recipes complete this delightful read and unique recipe book.

Reviews

It is a book you can actually read, that tells you in a pleasantly discursive way a lot about your greens - from the familiar to the more esoteric - Book of the Month, Telegraph Magazine

No other book on vegetables in my library is so beautifully written or so thought-provoking. The recipes are intriguing and original but even if you never cook a single thing out of this book (which would be a crying shame), its worth buying for Deniss beautiful prose - youll never think of vegetables in the same way again. Darina Allen in the Irish Examiner, 17th November 2007

Not only the most gorgeous book title of the year, but also the most stylishly produced volume, and its a cracking read too. The Irish Times

A cookbook to lust after. Image Magazine

Vegetarian cookery with delicious style. BBC Good Food Magazine, January 08

Whether you get a veg box every week or shop at your local supermarket, you can't fail to have noticed that the variety of veg on offer has increased markedly over the last couple of years. This is exactly the kind of book you need to make the most of them. Denis Cotter, owner of Caf Paradiso in Cork, Eire, has a way with veg, and his passion for them really comes through. Celeriac fritters with caper and rosemary aioli were earthy and sweet and the aubergine and cime di rape (turnip tops) with chillies, feta, citrus and pomegranate is packed with flavour, with none of the gloom associated with salad in winter. We guarantee you won't even notice the lack of meat. Book of the Month, Olive Magazine

Author Bio

Denis Cotter is the owner and chef of the celebrated Cafe Paradiso in Cork, Ireland, where his unique take on vegetarian cooking is heavily influenced by local vegetable and cheese producers. He is the author of two previous books, The Cafe Paradiso Cookbook, published in 1999, and Paradiso Seasons, 2003. The latter won Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the World at The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.