For a very long time, many have admired Simon Hopkinson for his cookery skills. He loves food and knows how to cook it. This book is called The Good Cook, and rightly so. It is all about simplicity and chasing the right ingredients. The old saying “you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear“ is very true, but I believe Simon would make a delicious dish out of that ear. He follows the classic dishes yet manages to be up to date and modern.

His dishes range from a simple veal chop with ceps, parsley and garlic, to traditional English roast duck with apple sauce, which really does make my mouth water. There are similarities with his food and mine. He has been admired by many chefs for decades and we all have his books, many of which have been featured here before. And his lamb breast, breadcrumbed till crisp with garlic mayonnaise came via Ruth Mott and him to appear on our menus at Cafe.

I adore the recipes here. The photography is clean and simple and it is food I genuinely want to eat. It looks delicious, unfussy and elegant. Standout for me are broad beans, smoked cod roe and ricotta with olive oil, a dish we reinvent with crowdie. The pot roast pork with endives makes me very hungry indeed. I want to eat this food every day. He has had a great career and headed up some of the best kitchens in the UK over the years, Hilaire, Bibendum etc. This guy cooks very well and the book came with a television series. If you love food and love eating in the sort of places I do, then get this book.