Rick Stein

This was actually part of my 60th birthday treat back in October.

We stayed for a few days in Mollymook (about 150km further down the south coast of NSW) where the English author and TV cook has a restaurant called Bannisters.

The idea was to eat at the restaurant and ask the chef to sign the book. Well, the dinner was fantastic (and I mean extraordinarily, deliciously, fantastically fantastic!) but Mr Stein was overseas at the time.

So we left the book behind with a self-addressed envelope and show more the restaurant staff said they’d organise it when he returned.

The signed book arrived a few days ago (great timing, just finished the David Foster Wallace tome), which is pretty cool when you consider the bushfires and all, and – as I now know – he just had a birthday, as well.

I’m already halfway through – it’s really easy to read, very well written and explains a lot about his approach to cooking (and his love of Australia, going back to his late teens when he worked as a fettler on the Ghan).

If you like Rick Stein’s TV series or cookbooks, this is a great read – almost impossible not to hear it in your head in his somewhat toffy accent and particularly self-deprecatory turns of phrase.

It’s not without sadness, such as when talking about his father’s bipolar condition and suicide, but it’s also laugh-out-loud funny and very evocative of Britain in the middle of the 20th century. show less

A really detailed, comprehensive guide, which covers material from courses at the Padstow Seafood School. Lots of colour photographs of preparation techniques as well as finished dishes. I got it as reviews suggested that if you were only getting one Rick Stein fish book, this should be it, and I've not been disappointed.

Love this book it has become such a "go to" recipe book fantastic recipes that are easy enough to follow and create a great result.
Great to impress family & friends with great dishes!! If you try one dish from this book that has become our family favourite try the Shepherds Pie!!

Interesting memoir of Rick Stein's life