The Hand & Flowers Cookbook

Tom kerridge states anyone can cook these recipes ...yeh anyone who has a thermomix , vacuum packer machine, water bath, access to elite ingredients... so not really everyone after all eh Tom? And no alternative cooking methods given ... a book for professionals with fully equipped kitchen I think

In awarding one star I am sticking my neck out, but that is all this superb book is worth to me, an enthusiastic but very amateur home cook. I have 3 of TK's earlier books, and thought this would be a summation of his work, but I don't have a blast chiller, a Pacojet, a Thermomix, a waterbath, nor do I have access to meat glue or a string of other professional ingredients; nor, I imagine do many others - nor do I have a band of souschefs etc.So this one star is intended as a warning to the ordinary man or woman in a domestic kitchen this book is not for us.To the aspiring chef dreaming of a Michelin star, this book of recipes will be a fivestar bible, a superb reference manual and an inspiration for years to come; to any such it is a must; sadly just not to me.

I am a very keen cook not adverse to trying new techniques such as Sous Vide etc. The recipes in this book look great which I expected they are very complex (also expected) but there are very specialist ingredients and equipment. I think the problem is that no alternative methods /ingredients are suggested.

Normally cook books by celebrity chefs revealing their recipes cost a fortune, Heston etc, some at a £100. This big beauty on the other hand is a great book and great value for money. Eaten at Kerridge's place and also at his great pub in Marlow. This man really knows how to mix flavours without using 20+ ingredients (some obscure) aka Nigella. For anyone who loves cooking this a treasure trove of lovely recipes, beautifully photographed and it just makes you want to have a go at them. How nice to emulate some of these from the comfort of your own home. Practice during lockdown, then go to the real thing when we can. You could use the excuse that you're doing a comparison.

This is, to my mind, one of the very best restaurant cook books written. It traces Tom and wife Beth's journey setting up the pub and building the business they have today. It is a warm and motivating story. As you would expect it also has detailed recipes of the dishes cooked at the Hand and Flowers, both now and in the past.Tom Kerridge has already produced a number of very good cook books, with recipes that work really well and are absolutely achievable by keen home cooks.Whilst the food at The Hand and Flowers may be described as "simple", you need to remember it is still a two Michelin star establishment. That means three things - some fancy equipment may be required, some specialist ingredients are used, and whilst the recipes are achievable in terms of skills, they all involved multiple stages (Michelin kitchens tend to have lots of speedy, skilled people).It's worth remembering that you can still cook just one part of a recipe to keep matters simpler. There are also lots of tips throughout, such as how to grt crisp shards of chicken skin for garnish. Any keen cook will want to get to the kitchen after reading this book, even if not to make a replica of a whole dish.There are dishes that a keen cook could do without resort to a Pacojet (food processor x ice cream maker) or a sous vide set up, but I would set aside a good amount of time to make them.With that warning in mind though, I would really recommend this book. The story is great and the food looks fabulous, without the ponciness of most other Michelin restaurant cook books.