Title:	The London Cookbook
	Author:	Aleksandra Crapanzano
	Published:	2016, Ten Speed Press
	No. of Pages:	320
	Cover Price:	$35.00 Hardcover, $18.99

---

Anyone who has walked the streets of London knows that there are hundreds of restaurants ranging from fancy, to famous, to hole-in-the walls. No matter which section of the city you happen to be in, there are dozens of choices; diversity reigns here – there is traditional English, Indian, Thai and Vietnamese, pubs, and fast food to name a few. Although some of the restaurants are chains (like MacDonald’s), most are not, which makes dining in London exciting. If you’ve heard those old rumors that English food isn’t good, think again. Some of the best food is to be had in the city, and some of the restaurants have become world famous.

Award winning author, Aleksandra Crapanzano has researched, and tasted her way through the city, and her cookbook, The London Cookbook contains recipes from dozens of the eating establishments, such as the fish and chips (undisputedly the national dish) from Tom’s Kitchen, Pork Shoulder, Black Pepper, and Mascarpone Ragù from Trullo, and a decadent, moist Chocolate Marmalade Pudding from J. Sheekey.

Crapanzano has included traditional recipes, such as an excellent Bakewell Tart (found in every grocery store and bakery in the city), as well as Spanish soups and fish dishes, and Middle Eastern and Indian specialties which are served all over the city. While it’s really nice to sample the food at the actual London restaurants, one can’t stay in London forever (it’s not cheap), and making the recipes at home will be a nice change from the same-old, same-old that most of us serve on any given day.

The recipes are concise and easy to understand. They call for simple ingredients, and there are great explanations and vignettes on the restaurants and dishes. The pictures are beautiful, although some of the dishes aren’t pictured, which is probably the only negative about the book. Every dish I have prepared from the book so far has turned out picture-perfect, and there are several in the queue that I can’t wait to try.

The London Cookbook is highly recommended – not only to cook from, but also for an entertaining and relaxing read.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying an advance review copy of this cookbook.

This book may be purchased at Amazon:
The London Cookbook: Recipes from the Restaurants, Cafes, and Hole-in-the-Wall Gems of a Modern City, Hardcover
The London Cookbook: Recipes from the Restaurants, Cafes, and Hole-in-the-Wall Gems of a Modern City, Kindle