Simon Hopkinson, as founder chef at Bibendum, knows all about good cooking in a restaurant. Simon Hopkinson, as food columnist for The Independent, knows all about good cooking at home. Gammon & Spinach sees him very much in domestic mode but the natural authority of his professional skills still splendidly permeates this book. Hopkinson has been writing his food columns since December 1994 and his must be the most ripped-out part of the paper. Reading these recipes collected together, it is remarkable how coherent is his philosophy of food considering it is usually delivered in weekly bite-size portions. His "screeches about pretentiousness" and endless reiteration of "the need to cook for pleasure rather than slavishness towards fashion", boldly shine through. His soups--something of a speciality--are velvetly tempting; the fish dishes strong flavoured, and the meat section robust in its enthusiasm for game and offal. This is a book to use and use regularly in a working kitchen. Even if only a single recipe takes your fancy says Hopkinson: "better that than the book sits on a coffee table gathering dust rather than in the splashes of a busy kitchen". One recipe? Who's he kidding? Anyone who doesn't get this book utterly greasy and stained just isn't trying. --Nick Wroe
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
Not a Celebrity chef, thank heavens. I first came across Simon Hopkinson via the Independent newspaper's weekend food article during the 1980s, and was attracted to the way he describes both the "how" and the "why" of recipes. For example anyone reading his instructions for making a risotto are left in no doubt that this is a dish requiring attention at all times, and the reasons why that attention is required. Also he attributes his own learning generously, pointing his readers in the direction of other good cooks. Quite apart from all this,... more info
Charm and foodie flair creates another Hopkinson winner I'm a big fan of Simon Hopkinson. Unlike the ubiquitous Nigel Slater and Nigella Lawson, his writing credentials are backed up by his tremendous professional success at Bibendum, one of London's most distinguished restaurants.
Hopkinson's writing, however, rarely focuses on restaurant style food. The recipes given in Gammon and Spinach are culled from his regular column in the Independent on Sunday. They are designed to tempt the domestic chef into producing one of these eclectic but usually deceptively... more info
Marvellous! I thought this book was great, and I have had a huge amount of pleasure out of it already. Simon Hopkinson's no-nonsense approach to food, especially in relation to fads and fashions, is a breath of fresh air, and his anecdotal style is highly entertaining. This book will be particularly appealing to those who expect more than just a straight list of recipes from their cookbooks. I love reading about how recipes have evolved.
The Flamiche works a treat and the asparagus risotto is scrummy. Also, try the... more info
Very Disappointed. I thought that Simon Hopkinsons' first book was wonderful and have used it time and time again. As a result, I ordered Gammon $ Spinach almost as soon as it was out - what a let down. This is one of the very few cookery books that has not been able to tempt me into trying even one dish from it. Take a good look before you buy!
