Reinventing BritIsh Cuisine

It was only a mere quarter century ago that British food got sneered and ridiculed.Then something amazing happened.Homegrown chefs started to make the cuisine interesting.Gone was the green goop known as mushy peas and oil soaked logs known as fish and chips.Britain introduced the world to farm to table along with a return to artesanal foods made without preservatives and chemicals. This , along with two new British authored cookbooks, was the center of Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite on Wedmesday.She reviewed and recommended two chefs' books.Yottam Ottolenghi just released Plenty More(Ten Speed Publishers) is about English cooking as well as Caribbean ,Indian Japanese and Thai cooking.His recipe for scrambled eggs is an eye opener.It is zinged with cumin and Chiles, along with tomatoes.He also has an exotic and bracing salad of three ingredients not always thrown together.Broccoli shares a bowl with edamame and coconut spiced with curry leaves, mustard and lime.I can see this as a side to roast or barbecue pork or chicken.Another plus about Chef Ottolenghi's cookbooks is that it is vegan(although it's not marketed as such).He has a following, thanks to his other books on Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking.This book is bound to have another set of groupies. The other chef, Diana Henry, has a more traditional cookbook.Hers is A Change Of Appetite (Mitchell Press)which features more down to earth recipes.While Chef Ottolenghi's recipes are for impressing the dinner or brunch crowd. Chef Henry's is more for a cozy Sunday afternoon supper.Hers is more farm to table with fish ,seasonal vegetables along with whole grains.There is a touch of the exotic ,with some of the recipes having Harissa and borage along with dried limes and togarashi peppers.Her recipes celebrate her loves, fresh unprocessed seasonal foods.Ms. Clark enthusiastically tries and loves Chef's Henry's butterflied leg of lamb with Persian mint syrup along with garlic crab and fragrant lentos.Her eggs are spiced, semi hard with a warm runny center.Her cake recipes are made with the healthy spelt flour and juicy cherries.This is a great book for the holidays, the perfect gift for any home chef interested in the farm to table cuisine. British cooking is leading the world in culinary innovation.Thanks to these chefs, Chef Ottolenghi and Chef Henry, kitchens are producing not only exciting fare but healthy too.It's a brand new spin on a cuisine ,once maligned and now loved.

Pimms A Summer English Classic

The English know how to celebrate summer. There are breezy afternoon teas, along with outdoor cocktail parties.Their food and , especially their drinks are classic with a twist of elegance. This applies to that British standard Pimms. Surprisingly enough a new generation of Americans are discovering this warm weather must and they're enjoying it as much as they're enjoying anything British from ColdPlay to Kate Middleton.

The tasty libation was the subject of an article in today's New york Times Dining section. Usually devoted to food, this week's section was almost completely devoted to summer drinking. Pimms is one of those warm weather classic drinks , held beloved on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The piece's writer , Robert Simonson, explores the drinks history and different recipes. Pimms was started in  1823 by Englishman James Pimm, a Kentish farmer who opened an oyster bar in London. It was originally made for aiding in digestion. The recipe included quinine and a variety of different bitter herbs.The Number one is based on gin and has a mild spicy and citrus-y flavor that appeals to everyone.

Pimms usually is usually mixed with lemonade for the summer months. It can also be mixed with ginger ale or Champagne for a lighter but more powerful cocktail. Vegetables such as cucumbers and borage and fruit such as apples, strawberries and orange and lemons are also put into a Pimms cup.A new recipe, introduced by Manhattan bartender,Maks Pazuniak adds pineapple juice to it for a more tropical flavor while the bar The Napoleon House  mixes the drink with lemonade and 7 UP.Pimms can also be blended with watermelon or even cantaloupe juice for a refreshing cocktail, perfect on a warm summer's night.,

The British know how to celebrate summer right with a Pimm's cocktail. Open a bottle, add what you want and celebrate with the same English flair and style. It's a cool and sophisticated way to enjoy the warm weather.