National Trust Complete Country Cookbook

This delightful collection of country cookery prizes the relationship between the bucolic landscapes of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and the food its land produces and sustains. Chock-full of family and regional recipes that utilize seasonal produce and farm-raised animals, this collection of recipes shows how rural life influenced country meals and led to slow-cooked hearty stews and rituals of bread baking, cakes, and pies. While this type of living may conjure up images of heavy, stick-to-your-ribs recipes, they are by no means the only offerings. Spinach soup , asparagus tartlets, deviled chicken, and summer green vegetable stew highlight the lighter offerings, while port pie, lamb meatballs, ragout of oxtail, and chicken, ham, and leek pie will satisfy and nourish on even the coldest days. Vegetable side dishes are simply superb, especially peas with cream, puréed sprouts, and stewed red cabbage. Cakes reign supreme, however, as Caraway Cake and Walsingham Honey Cake certainly prove. Glorious full-color photos enhance this outstanding collection. The most substantial section centers on main courses and is conveniently subdivided into pork, lamb, beef, chicken and poultry, game, and fish/shellfish categories. Additional sections on puddings, jams and preserves, and sauces pastry and stuffings round out an inviting and useful compilation that every home cook will want to own. (Dec.)