Formulas for Flavour – John Campbell

29 November 2001 by
Formulas for Flavour – John Campbell
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Glossy cookbooks are everywhere. A five-minute flick is fun; beyond that, the vast majority are useless. In most cases, cookbooks are ego-driven, and to read the "greatest hits" of a chef who may have been around for only a couple of years is usually a pretty superficial experience. John Campbell is the exception to the rule. I met him at the Square, when he came to spend a few days in the kitchen. He was a pleasant man - polite, enthusiastic and intelligent. With hindsight, I wish I had spent more time talking to him, because his cookbook, *Formulas for Flavour*, is in my opinion one of the most inspired I've seen. For my rather conservative palate, there are some quirky combinations. But it it enormously refreshing to read a cookbook written by a chef who not only understands, on a detailed technical and chemical level, what is happening when you cook, but also has a flair for explaining in layman's terms what is going on. The recipes in the book are delicious, the cooking techniques clean, clear and concise. While he does wander off into considerable detail at times, it is only because - and I totally agree with him - he feels that the ability to cook well will only ever come from understanding ingredients well. Cooking robotically from recipes may on occasion yield edible results but it will not increase your culinary knowledge. Campbell is aiming not only to pass on some of his personal recipes, but also to actually educate the keen house cook, too. This is a brilliant book - one that is a must for any adventurous cook. And it is one that needs to be read and properly digested - not flicked through and disposed of. Phillip Howard, chef-proprietor, the Square, London Formulas for Flavour - Conran Octopus £20 ISBN 1-84091-069-0
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