After that I got to cook with Alistair Little, who worked in a very different style in a very different kitchen. Working backwards in time, Lee also cooked at Alistair Little at 49 Frith Street (now home to Hoppers Sri Lankan restaurant and just a ladle’s throw from Quo Vadis in Dean Street) and at Bibendum in South Kensington for Simon Hopkinson.

Pour enough hot water into the tray to bring the level up to a few centimetres short of the surface of the custard. WINNER OF A FORTNUMS SPECIAL AWARD 2023WINNER OF THE ANDRE SIMON AWARD 2022 FOR BEST FOOD BOOKA beautifully written instant classic that is every bit as exuberant and delicious as the man himself!At this point, great changes began in food, produce and restaurants; books began to appear with more frequency on every kind of cooking imaginable.

It’s also a journey through Lee’s career, from his signature snack of baked salsify, back to a classic pommes anna from his time at the London club Boodles, as well as a tribute to peers, mentors and his food-loving parents, who would think nothing of driving across Scotland for hours to pick up a good lobster.Cooking is a beautiful book with fine illustrations that hark back to another age and great photographs. The influence of these creative surroundings can be felt not just in Lee’s plates of food, but also in the way he designs the whole experience of eating – from a small vase of delicately arranged flowers to the right cutlery and beautiful glasses. Cooking is not an encyclopaedia of the subject but ‘home cooking rediscovered after a lifetime spent in professional cooking’ and all the better for it.

We also highly rated books that broke new ground, that showed originality, great writing and gave fresh insight into food and culture.Simon and Alistair had a huge impact on Jeremy’s cooking and approach to good ingredients, eventually giving him the skills and experience needed to become a head chef. id=GTM-PWMWG4" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden">

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