Book review: MasterChef: The Masters at Home

MasterChef: The Masters at Home

By various authors

Absolute Press, £25

With this novel recipe book, you get a sneaky peek at what the likes of Gordon Ramsay, Ferran Adrià and Tetsuya Wakuda cook for the family when they are not pushing their culinary boundaries.

Some 32 world-acclaimed chefs are featured in The Masters at Home

Other eye-openers include a simple recipe for herring with Swedish sauce and potato salad from Tom Kitchin - or, more accurately, from his wife's Swedish grandfather, Sven.

Less surprising, perhaps, is Ruth Rogers' vignole of braised artichokes, peas and broad beans with prosciutto. This seasonal dish chimes with the simplicity and flavours of Rogers' renowned River Café.

What many readers will love are the stories that introduce each chef and their recipes. You discover that Gleneagles' Andrew Fairlie used to be a judo expert. Then there is Graham Elliot's love of bananas and Pierre Koffmann, who says he came to the UK in 1970 to watch a France v England rugby game and never went back.

The acclaimed chefs also pass on their favourite food haunts. Mitch Tonks, for instance, shares the address of the "old-school butcher" he uses, while Gordon Ramsay suggests the Farmers' Market in Los Angeles - handy if you are passing through, I guess.

Altogether, this is a book that will engross chefs, restaurateurs and anyone who loves food. It's an interesting read with lots of tips and anecdotes compiled by an army of editors. But don't be tricked into thinking these recipes are just for amateur cooks - the guava snow egg recipe from Peter Gilmore of Quay in Sydney, Australia, quickly put me in my place.

By Rosalind Mullen

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