Neil’s cookbook of the week: Island Harvest by Nick Nairn

This book takes me back to my past as if it was yesterday. ‘Island Harvest’ by Nick Nairn is a lovely book, with many dishes I know well. I worked with Nick a few times and we got on very well. I took over at his restaurant in Aberfoyle called Braeval and cooked some of my best food there, then went on to be head chef at Nairns in Glasgow. This was not yesterday, it was almost 30 years ago, and the book was made into a series for television too.

The food in this book still stands the test of time, with some great dishes. Rosti with spinach, poached farm eggs and mustard hollandaise (a very me dish) and Scottish ale-braised oxtail with butterbeans, to griddled trout with herb beurre blanc and warm butter cake. Really good, simple cookery and food I want to eat.

He is still cooking brilliantly at his cookery school in Stirlingshire, do go and support him. He is a great guy, lots of experience and just wants people to eat good food, and I second that. A shout out to the photographs in this book by Jean Cazals, nice, simple and sharp. All in all, a great book. Well done Nick.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: Floyd on France by Keith Floyd

There are classic novels, books by Shakespeare and stories by Jane Austen, but when it comes to cookery books there are a few that are true classics, such as 'Floyd on France'. It is by Keith Floyd, a mountain of a man on television in the 1980s and 90s. He was so popular and wrote many books alongside his programmes, but this book will always remind me of him and his ability to entice you into the kitchen, put a pan on the hob and cook some food.

Now we all know he liked a glass of wine, and quite rightly so, he was having fun. The wine loosened him up a bit and yes, it became his trademark. Whenever or whatever they were filming or cooking, he always made time for a cheeky glass of something. It was always slightly chaotic, and a reminder not to take what we do too seriously all the time.

This book is jam packed full of classics: fish stews, Provençal beef stew, Basque chicken and foie gras. One dish stands out to me, calf’s ears in kidney sauce, sounds interesting. If you are a keen cook and wanted to open a French restaurant, buy this book and do not be tempted to veer off his path, the dishes work.

It is simple, the recipes are wonderful, and I want to eat them all now as I read it again. The Swiss chard in white sauce looks amazing. I am off to make it this week. This is proper food, none of that fancy nonsense here.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: Neil’s cookbook of the week: Le Repertoire de la Cuisine by Louis Saulnier

It is something very rigid and proper this week, and one that most chefs my age will have stashed away somewhere. It isn’t glossy or cool or in any way trendy. It is 'Le Répertoire de la Cuisine', a pocket-sized book by Louis Saulnier.

This is basically a reference book containing the dishes of the great chef Escoffier, with over 6,000 dishes here with recipes. As they say in the book, the work is never complete as there is always a new thing, technique, dish or sauce created somewhere.

This book has been invaluable for many chefs past, present and future. It may not be the sort of book you would pick up and read but certainly go to to check the name, spelling and list of ingredients of a dish.

For example, there are up to 100 ways to serve quails. One I like is Quail Nelson: dress in caul, surround with cocks’ combs tossed in butter, that’s it, that’s all they tell you. Go to sole and fillets in the sole section and there are hundreds of ideas, all very simply described. And I lost count of how many potato dishes there are.

This is a bible for chefs and one that will never grow old, there is always something relevant in it for today’s food served in restaurants. Interestingly this was translated into English from French by the chef to the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe, a certain Edouard Brunet. Fascinating stuff.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: Ginger Pig Meat Book by Tim Wilson and Fran Warde

This week I bring you a lovely book, 'Ginger Pig Meat Book', and it is just great. There is so much information here, the book reminds me of River Cottage, and Tim Wilson and Fran Warde have done an incredible job putting this together.

This book is packed full of ideas, recipes and instructions on how to bone out various animals. It is very good indeed and I would recommend any keen cook to have this book on their shelf. The recipes are great and there are some very tasty ones which I will cook and eat.

The best part about this is how informative it is. The reason we surely buy a book is to learn something. I struggle to put this down as, on page after page, there is something I am soaking up. Recipes from classic roast partridge, mutton shepherd’s pie, olive stuffed chicken leg and boiled collar of ham with parsley sauce, one of my very favourites.

I will always remember the sausage roll I ate from these guys at Borough Market when I used to demonstrate there a few years back. I would buy quite a few items from them and their display was always superb. Every town needs a Ginger Pig.

I also love how this book tells you what’s happening down on the farm each month. This is truly a very good book indeed. I picked it up for £1 from a car boot sale, fools didn’t know what they had. The bread sauce recipe looks lovely to be fair too.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: Cookery for Northern Wives by Margaret B Stout

There are so many books to choose as a ‘best of’, but this one always seems to be up there. 'Cookery For Northern Wives' by Margaret B. Stout is special to me for many reasons. Firstly, I was given a copy by Neil Henderson on Shetland, many moons ago. He had invited me to those incredible islands to cook their astonishing produce at the Shetland Food Festival. He was a huge supporter of Slow Food and this book is so much more than just a recipe book. It is about the culture of the islands, the people of Shetland, the language, the dialect.

I have to admit it, a little, or a large part of me, fell in love with Shetland when I was there. The other reason is the food is just so good, the ingredients they have to hand are incredible. There is a network of small artisans all working together to make good food for people either living or visiting the island, with such a protective feeling of their culture, which I support.

So much so, one year at Terra Madre, a global meeting of food communities in Turin, we took a load of Shetland black cabbage, black potatoes and Native Shetland lamb, mutton and North Ronaldsay mutton out for everyone to taste.

Then my copy was lent to a dear friend and marvellous cook, who you will all know, I won’t name her, she still has my copy, so I bought another copy and smiled when I did. I love that all books have not just a story inside them, but also how you came to own it.

The recipes here are brilliant, and you should get a copy and read the recipes out in a Shetland accent. Stap, for example, is 2 haddocks, 2 haddock livers, pepper and salt, basically cook the livers and chop them up and add to the cooked fish. Now another recipe is for Prog, it reads ‘This dish is similar to Stap’. It is all brilliantly written and put together with no real care for what the ‘hoity toity’ think.

Please buy this book and enjoy every single word. I hope it has the same effect on you as it did me, as you make your Blaand or Eggaloorie.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: Cauliflower by Christopher Trotter

I absolutely adore cauliflower. When my dad came back from working in India, he used to make a cauliflower dish. It was so flavoursome; cumin, heady with black mustard seeds and turmeric, goes so well with our old curds of cauliflower. 'Cauliflower' by Christopher Trotter is a fabulous wee cookery book, packed full of delicious, simple, easy-to-follow recipes. This is not a massive book; it is quite small, 40 to 50 recipes perhaps, but it is blooming marvellous.

I was a good friend of Christopher and sadly he passed away recently. He was such a champion of good, local and Scottish produce. He wasn’t into the chef TV thing too much but cared immensely about the food we eat and what we feed our children.

He and I cooked together in various places off and on, and we shared one thing together. It is called care. He cared so much about what we eat and his ability to write a whole book about a vegetable that usually sits in the bottom of the fridge and ends up in some cheese sauce is astonishing. A hugely important man who cooked food I like to eat. His books, of which he wrote a few, are all excellent, and the photography is just right. You will use this book if you find it. Bravo Mr Trotter, you will always be remembered and an inspiration to many.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: The Miller Howe Cookbook by John Tovey

I have long been fascinated by this book. I can’t quite recall when I first stumbled upon John Tovey and The Miller Howe Cookbook, but it has been a place I have admired for many years. It was well respected and almost shrouded in mystery for some reason. Since opening its doors on the banks of Lake Windermere in 1971, it has always had a name for quality, professionalism, and good things.

I am sure it is now a private home, but mid- to late-1980s onwards, this was on the list of places that I sent my CV and cover letter to work at. It was opulent and elegant, had stunning views across the lake to the hills of the Lake District. And the food, well, this was why folk went. John Tovey was a well-known cook, if self-taught, but knew what he was doing. What came out of the kitchen was revolutionary in a backwater like The Lakes. This was London food served in a country house and was frequented by stars and journalists.

On a visit to the lakes a few years ago, I drove past it, and it felt good to see that the brass plaque was still there. This book is good, with lots of basic recipes to follow, but some more elaborate dishes to try too. It is a blast from my past, and such fun to flick through. No tweezers in sight, no 4-page recipes to try to follow, just simple and elegant cooking. I would devour the baby poussin in dark ale or the Barnsley chop, and the fillet of beef cooked in consommé, a dish I recall making years ago. Some of you may have this book, if you do, get it off the bookshelf and go through it again. I bet something will jump out at you.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: Norteña by Karla Zazueta

My first love is the food I cook at Cafe, with its rich heritage, but I have an interest in other cuisines. My book this week is ‘Norteña’ by Karla Zazueta, authentic family recipes from the north of Mexico. This is a great book to dip into, very simple to follow and with all the familiar classics and much more. It is a hotchpotch of flavours, yet simple in many dishes. The classic asada tacos are steak with onion, avocado, pinto beans and coriander, all everyday items but put together well. The fish taco dish looks incredible, and the simple use of ingredients again is wonderful to see. Spicy salsa, cooling iceberg lettuce, crispy cod, all enveloped in a corn tortilla. You will learn so much from this book and read of a different world. This will make you reconsider chile con carne night at home. Give this a chance and remember, this should be fun.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: Tried Favourites by Mrs E.W. Kirk

I have a corker for you this week. It is an oldie and a goodie from 1929: 'Tried Favourites Cookery Book with Household Hints and Other Useful Information' by Mrs E.W. Kirk. It is a fabulous book, there are so many different recipes and tips. This is an Edinburgh book so very familiar to me and I love its history. I find the adverts fascinating. All of these will have been there to pay for the publication, with OXO advertised as the mighty atom, and Bovril, Ovaltine and Bisto the big names of the day. The first page of the book is an advert for Lunans Indian Curry Powder, made up for you at the chemist of all places, with a simple recipe recommended by gentlemen resident in India for over 30 years.

I am becoming fascinated with the paper cuttings found in old recipe books. Some are odd, some are for Christmas cake, some cuttings from newspapers and many are frugal recipes like mock this and meatless that, I guess from the wartime era. It is fascinating reading the names of old puddings here. Crystal Palace Pudding, a kind of gloopy milk thickened with cornflour and decorated with cherries, or Swiss Jumble which seems to be an odd mix of flour, lard, sugar, baking powder and sweet milk. I am going to try this. Snowdon Pudding looks like a rice pudding and Rothesay Pudding is like a Queen of Puddings. My top one so far is Hygienic Pudding, made with coconut and chestnut flour, walnuts and hazelnuts, not sure what makes it hygienic. But the one I have just come across which speaks for itself is Half Pay Pudding. Times must have been hard. What a beautiful book, put together so well and a real slice of Edinburgh food history.

Neil’s cookbook of the week: Zao Fan: Breakfast of China by Michael Zee

‘Zao Fan: Breakfast of China’ is a fascinating book to flick through and to try something different. I adore this type of food, which is deeply cultural. I like food with stories and tradition. The flavours are wonderful, with some very unusual ingredients peppered through the recipes in this unusual book. Every page I turn shows another dish I want to eat.

It focuses on breakfast, but let’s be honest, most of us skip it. I used to be a red Marlboro and strong coffee kind of guy; now I have a pint of water and a banana before coffee, after a dog walk. The flavours are astonishing, with tastes that make you want to eat again and again. Cooking Chinese breakfast at home is a joy, and this book is authentic and well worth the read.