In 1965 Elizabeth David opened a shop in Pimlico, London, where she sold Le Creuset pans and other hard-to-get-hold-of kitchen utensils. The store, with its marvellous window displays, was as influential as her books would eventually be, pioneering a new generation of shops devoted exclusively to kitchenware. Rosi Hanson, who worked in David's shop for two years says, 'She was good fun, and the shop was magical. She rather loved being a shopkeeper, perhaps because it gave her a rest from writing. If someone wanted some very specific piece of equipment, I often heard her say: ;If you could come back, I think I may have one at home. On evenings when we stayed late to do the windows, she would make a picnic for us all to eat: terrine, things in jelly.' While she was still involved with the shop which bore her name, Elizabeth David Ltd, she produced a series of four little booklets: The Baking of an English Loaf, Dried Herbs, Aromatics and Condiments, English Potted Meats and Fish Pastes and Syllabubs and Fruit Fools which were sold exclusively in the shop. They were simple black and white productions which have now become rare, highly sought-after and very expensive collector's items. So Grub Street is delighted to have acquired the rights to these booklets from the David Estate and we are redesigning them as four hardback books in a slip case with specially commissioned beautiful artwork making them the perfect gift item. So for the first time in over 50 years these charming works will be available once again. Elizabeth David's books are all still in print today and they keep selling in quantities to each new generation of cooks who discover her and fall under her spell. And you can see her influence in the cooking of chefs such as Jeremy Lee, Shaun Hill and Rowley Leigh.

"Everyone who loves good food will welcome this reprint in one volume, hardback and durable, of the three classics of the kitchen which first made us familiar with the name Elizabeth David. They have been necessary to my generation, they will be necessary to our children and grand children." These are the opening lines from Jane Grigson's Preface to the original edition of Elizabeth David Classics published by Jill Norman in 1980 and her words are as relevant today as they were nearly twenty years ago.

Elizabeth David's books belong in the libraries of everyone who loves to read and prepare food and this one is generally regarded as her best; her passion and knowledge comes through on every page. She was one of the foremost writers on food in the latter half of the 20th century and this book has her most celebrated writing. "French Provincial Cooking" should be approached and read as a series of short stories, as well written and evocative as the best literature.

The voice is highly personal and opinionated, sometimes sharp but always true and always entertaining. Here is a long essay on French cuisine, offering background stories and sketches of recipes more than the slavishly didactic type of recipes that most modern readers might be used to today. For many Elizabeth David was the first to introduce us to the French notion of la cuisine terroir, sometimes interpreted as 'what grows together goes together'. For David, this is the heart of regional cooking, and the thing which most distinguishes it from cooking in haute cuisine restaurants where diners arrive at any time or any season and expect to be able to order any well known French specialty.

One of the passages which best characterizes David's approach to a lot of cooking is her opening statement on the perfect omelet: 'As everybody knows, there is only one infallible recipe for the perfect omelet: your own.'

The book starts with a short essay on each of the major culinary regions of France, starting perhaps not surprisingly with Provence which is blessed an abundance of produce. The largest portion of the book consists of chapters on cuisine by type of dish: Sauces, Hors-D'oeuvres and Salads, Soups, Eggs and Cheese, Pates and Terrines, Vegetables, Fish, Shellfish, Meat, Composite Meat Dishes, Poultry and Game, and Sweet dishes.

The book is all the more valuable in that it paints a picture of a cooking style which existed before modern equipment such as the food processor. Most importantly, the recipes work if your aim is to produce the most excellent food imaginable. What initially may seem to be annoying details (e.g., for omelets, eggs 'should not really be beaten at all, but stirred, ' whereas for scrambled eggs, they should be 'very well beaten') are actually secrets to be treasured, that elevate a good dish to a superb one. The lesson is that good food should be done simply, but it takes care, attention to detail, and frequently, time.

A hardback edition of "French Provincial Cooking" has been unavailable for many years and Grub Street is re-issuing it because of overwhelming demand. It should become as popular an edition as the best-selling "Elizabeth David Classics."

Before Elizabeth David died in 1992 she and her editor, Jill Norman, had begun work on a volume of The Best of but then her health deteriorated and the project was shelved. The idea was revived in 1996 when chefs and writers and Elizabeths many friends, were invited to select their favourite articles and recipes. Some sent notes explaining their choice, others provided an anecdote or a recollection about her, others sent lists of recipes they had been using for years. This book is the fruit of that harvest of recommendations and the names of the contributors, who number among them some of our finest food writers such as Simon Hopkinson, Alice Waters, Sally Clarke, Richard Olney, Paul Levy and Anne Willan, appear after the pieces they had chosen along with their notes. The extracts and recipes which make up South Wind Through the Kitchen are drawn from all Elizabeth Davids books, namely A Book of Mediterranean Food, French Country Cooking, Italian Food, Sumer Cooking, French Provincial Cooking, Spices, Salt and Aromatics in the English Kitchen, English Bread and Yeast Cookery, An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, and Harvest of the Cold Months. There are over 200 recipes in the book organised around courses and ingredients such as eggs and cheese, fish and shellfish, meat, poultry and game, vegetables, pasta, pulses and grains, sauces, sweet dishes and cakes, preserves, and bread, all interspersed with extracts and articles making it a delightful compendium to dip into as well as cook from.

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, offers 62 articles originally written by Elizabeth David between 1955 and 1984 for numerous publications including The Spectator, Gourmet magazine, Vogue, and The Sunday Times. This revered classic volume contains delightful explorations of food and cooking, among which are the collection's namesake essay and other such gems as Syllabubs and Fruit Fools, Sweet Vegetables, Soft Wine, Pleasing Cheeses, and Whisky in the Kitchen. Her subjects range from the story of how her own cookery writing began to accounts of some restaurants in provincial France, of white truffles in Piedmont, wild risottos on the islands of the Venetian lagoon and odd happenings during rain-drenched seaside holidays in the British Isles. Here we can share her appreciation of books, people who influenced her, places she loved and the delicious meals she enjoyed. Some of the best essays are those about others who wrote about food such as Norman Douglas and Mrs Beeton. She writes so vividly that we can see, taste and even smell the dishes she describes. Many of these pieces, such as 'I'll Be with You in the Squeezing of a Lemon,' from 1969 - about cooking with lemons - barely show their age. But even if they did, you wouldn't care, because of the rich store of information that David shares and the literary grace with which she imparts it. Some articles include recipes, but for the most part this is a volume nicely sized to curl up with or to take on a trip. Articles, book reviews and travel pieces, they will be new to many of her readers and a delight to all for their highly personal flavor. Jane Grigson praised it for including all the dishes most closely associated with her, Spiced Beef, Salted Welsh Duck and Syllabub. Her many admirers will cherish this new hardback edition for its 320 high quality pages casually interspersed with charming black and white illustrations and some photographs. It is a book sure to appeal to the 'Elizabeth David' book collector and readers coming to know Ms. David for the first time will marvel at her wisdom and grace.

This anthology of Elizabeth David's work, originally published in hardback in 2000, is a direct sequel to An Omelette and a Glass of Wine. It again contains a selection of her journalistic and occasional work from four decades. Much of it she had chosen herself for reprinting in this more accessible form. In addition there is a considerable amount of unpublished material found in her own files, or contributed by friends to whom she had given recipes, or to whom she had sent letters, either with notes in answer to queries or giving details of current research.

For Elizabeth David, summer fare meant fresh, seasonal food recipes that could be prepared quickly and savoured slowly, from Gnocchi alla Genovese ('simply an excuse for eating pesto') to La Poule au Pot to Gooseberry Fool. Her 1955 classic work, now reissued in a handsome, attractively priced hardback edition, includes an overview of herbs as well as chapters on impromptu cooking for holidays and picnics. Divided into chapters on Soups, Salads, Eggs, Fish, Meat, Poultry and Game, Vegetables, and Sweets, it contains recipes from all over the world. Summer Cooking is a witty, precise companion for feasting in the warmer months every bit as unexpected and enchanting to read today as it was 50 years ago. But the purest thrill of Summer Cooking, as in all of her books, is the pleasure her food delivers and the graceful way her prose captures the reader's delight.

In this most elusive of her books, Elizabeth David presents English recipes notable for their use of spices, salt and aromatics. As is usual in her writing she mixes instruction with information, explaining the origins and uses of ingredients such as nutmeg, cardamom and juniper. She stresses the influence of centuries of oriental trade on the English kitchen, where spices and Indian curries, kebabs and yoghurt are now perfectly at home, along with dishes such as risotto and paella.

First published sixty years ago while food rationing was still in force, Elizabeth David used this book to introduce to the nations bland palate, ingredients and recipes previously undiscovered in post-war Britain. Many people of that era had never experienced anything other than British cooking meat, two veg and a nice steamed pudding. She starts by setting the record straight: Those who care to look for it will find the justification of Frances culinary reputation in the provinces, at the riverside inns, in unknown cafes...in sea port bistros...and nowadays in cafes routiers, the lorry-drivers restaurants. In such places the most interesting food of France is to be found. For having lived with a French family while studying over there, she was able to bring first-hand knowledge to this short yet concise guide to provincial French cooking. She starts with a chapter on the Batterie de Cuisine. But its the collection of regional recipes that follow that made this book such a treat for 1950s Britain; divided into sections on soups, fish, eggs, luncheon, supper and family dishes, meat, poultry, game, vegetables, salads, sauces and sweets, she gives an entertaining and informative introduction to each. French Country Cooking reveals the immense diversity of the cuisine through recipes that range from a primitive peasant soup of the Basque country to the refined Lyonnaise dish of Poulet a la Creme. To those used to the traditional format of recipe writing the book will come as something of a surprise since Elizabeth David weaves the ingredients into the methods complete with details of the region, tradition and people. Elizabeth Davids acclaimed writings are often cited as an inspiration by many of todays leading chefs, as well as home cooks, and are essential to any serious cookery book collection.

First published in 1977, and winning its author the coveted Glenfiddich Writer of the Year Award, this universally acclaimed book is regarded by many as simply the best book ever written about the making of bread. It covers all aspects of flour-milling, yeast, bread ovens and the different types of bread and flour available. It contains an exhaustive collection of recipes, everything from plain brown wholemeal or saffron cake to drop scones and croissants; all described with her typical elegance and unrivalled knowledge. Even how to make your own yeast and keep it. But more than just a list of recipes, it is an insight into an interesting and informative home-baker. Enquire within on any point connected with baking and Miss David has the answer. Nor does it omit the history of bread making from the Exodus onwards, the iniquities of sliced bread and uncovers the dubious practices of some flour millers and bread manufacturers in the UK and elsewhere with amusing anecdotes and personal observations throughout. The writing style of this book has aged well and adds greatly to its charm. This is a book that should be included in every food lovers collection. Not just for those who love to cook but those who enjoy reading about food and its history, and of course it is an absolute must for keen bakers.

Written by an expert team, the Dictionary of Corruption is a comprehensive resource for students, academics, practitioners and professionals. It establishes a common interpretation of the language and terminology in the field of corruption and anti-corruption studies. From bribery to Watergate, amakudari to zero tolerance and from anti-corruption agencies to whistleblowing, the Dictionary provides explanations of over 250 key terms, events and case studies.

Elizabeth David's classic work on the regional cuisine of France is one of the most evocative, inspiring cookery books ever written. It gives simple recipes for timeless dishes such as omelettes, soufflés and salads as well as for more complex - but equally traditional - pâtés, cassoulets, roasts and puddings. Hugely readable and informative, French Provincial Cooking is a must for anyone wishing to re-create the flavours of France.

Mediterranean Food, Elizabeth David's first book, is based on a collection of recipes she made when she lived in France, Italy, the Greek Islands and Egypt. Here are the satisfying pasta and polenta dishes of Italy, the aromatic and tangy salads of Turkey and Greece and the delicate seafood and saffron dishes of Spain. From the simplicity of taramásalata and hummus to delicious plates of ratatouille or paella, all the tastes of the sunny south lie within these enticing pages.

Full of authentic recipes, this richly evocative book describes some of the splendid regional cookery of France. The food of each area has its own particular flavour, derived naturally from local resources. French Country Cooking shows the immense diversity of the cuisine through recipes that range from the primitive peasant soup of the Basque country to the refined Burgundian dish of hare with a cream sauce and chestnut purée. There is also invaluable advice on suitable cooking utensils and the use of wine in the kitchen.

Corruption takes many different forms and the systems that enable it are complex and challenging. To best understand corruption, one needs to examine how it operates in practice. Understanding Corruption tells the story of how corruption happens in the real world, illustrated through detailed case studies of the many different types of corruption that span the globe. Each case study follows a tried and tested analytical approach that provides key insights into the workings of corruption and the measures best used to tackle it. The case studies examined include examples of corporate bribery, political corruption, facilitation payments, cronyism, state capture, kleptocracy, asset recovery, offshore secrecy, reputation laundering and unexplained wealth, and actors include businesses, governments, politicians, governing bodies and public servants.