We stumbled upon Kitchen Confidential, Insider’s Edition: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
Leon is not just another cookbook. The first 139 pages (with a minor foray into the history and philosophy of the restaurant) are devoted to ingredients. The focus is on British and European seasonal foods, but there’s enough info inside to keep the content relevant to most. The layouts are fun and fresh, some of the best I’ve ever seen in a cookbook. They use the layouts to creatively highlight sections on fruits, herbs, veg, dairy, fish and shellfish, meat and poultry, seeds, pastas, etc. They’ve also included seasonality charts for the foods discussed. My personal favorite is a two-page pull out map on the most popular cheeses of Europe.
The last half of the book is devoted to Leon’s seasonal cuisine. There are favorite recipes from their London locations and some recipes they haven’t been able to serve yet. Can’t wait to try their recipes for Sweet Potato Falafels, Roasted Garlic and Pumpkin Humus, and Love Me Tender Ribs.
The pictures, design, and writing style in this book are truly amazing and I find myself picking the book up for inspiration or to just read random articles almost daily. Definitely worth picking up if you have any interest at all in fresh, seasonal ingredients, good design/food photography, or are looking to pick up some healthier “fast food” recipes.
Paul
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2 comments
Oli says:
Mar 16, 2009
Looks like an awesome book, aesthetics alone is very cool. Real keen on checking on what they say about individual ingredients and hope to get inspired in my own cooking by it!
caroline says:
Mar 17, 2009
Leon is healthy fast food. I was so excited when I discovered it in London. You can be in and out with a ‘super food salad’ quicker than you can say ‘supersize me’. The cookbook is a must for all those looking for healthy recipes…as I have found that Singapore is DESPERATLY lacking in healthy food.