There are some ingredients that are so adaptable they appear in dishes all over the world. This book looks at the seven most important - the culinary wonders: rice, salt, honey, pork, tomato, chili and cacao. These are the ones ones that have played a long and valuable role in human life, and this book traces their epic journeys, as they have been transported around the globe to feature in cuisines far away from their countries of origin. As well as telling their diverse culinary and cultural stories, there are 63 traditional and innovative recipes - with one of the ingredients in the starring role - for readers to try. This is the fascinating history of the world's seven most important ingredients and an enchanting exploration of world cuisine.

A celebration of mushrooms and fungi - from folklore to foraging. Plus a collection of more than 65 deeply delicious recipes where fabulous fungi take centre stage. Mushrooms - part of the fungi kingdom - come in an array of sizes, shapes and colours, making them a fascinating ingredient to cook with. From regular humble cultivated button and oyster mushrooms, to wild mushrooms such as chanterelles and porcini, and not forgetting the VIP of the ingredient world, the truffle, this book covers them all. So much more than a tasty side for a fried breakfast, there are many things that make mushrooms a wonder-ingredient. Many mushrooms - such as the Shiitake, beloved in China, or Enoki, enjoyed in Japan - are carriers for the savoury umami fifth-taste. They are wonderfully diverse to cook with - natural allies with butter, herbs and garlic but also able to work well with all manner of spices. They can be eaten raw in carpaccio, plump in a fragrant bowl of noodles, or bound in buttery, flaky pastry. Their distinct yet delicate earthy flavour goes perfectly with luxurious foods like steak and cheese, but also bring body, bite and satisfaction to light plant-based meals, making them popular among vegetarians and vegans. Most varieties of mushrooms are inexpensive, low in calories and contain valuable vitamins and nutrients. Food writer Jenny Linford's mouth-watering selection of recipes include: Small Bites and Sharing Plates such as such as Pesto Ricotta Stuffed Mushrooms, Shiitake Dumplings and Truffle Mushroom Crostini. Satisfying Soups and Stews, like Thai Mushroom Soup or Pumpkin and Lentil Stew. Hearty and delicious meat and fish dishes like Beef Porcini Ragu with Pappardelle and White Fish Fillet with Wild Mushrooms. Light Salads and Vegetable Dishes include Fennel, Mushroom and Crab Salad and Wild Mushroom Carpaccio. To conclude, Eggs and Cheese incorporates decadent dishes such as White Pizza with Funghi, Parma Ham and Truffle Oil. Woven into the recipe chapters are seven informative essays, with topics that range from how to grow mushrooms to mushroom folklore.

The Kew Gardens Christmas Book is a beautifully illustrated celebration of the plants and animals central to Christmas. Jenny Linford, author of the highly successful The Kew Gardens Cookbook weaves together history, folklore, botany and stories about Kew, as well as a selection of delicious plant and fungi-based Christmas recipes. From the history of the Christmas tree to the intriguing story of frankincense, the book is filled with fascinating festive facts. In short, it’s the perfect Christmas present.

Food is a unifying cultural force, but food security (feeding the world) is one of the greatest challenges we now face. By 2050, with 2 billion more people on the planet, we'll need to find ways to feed everyone sustainably. There are 50,000 different plant species that are edible but 90% of our food energy intake currently comes from just 15 crop plants. Organised in six sections, covering leaves, roots and squashes, grains and pulses, fungi, herbs and spices, and fruit and nuts. The book features over 60 delicious and unusual vegetarian recipes from celebrity contributors .

"A thoughtful food writer who deserves to be better known." Review for The Missing Ingredient, The Sunday Times Culture magazine. Discover the best potato recipes the world has to offer in 65 delicious recipes from soups to samosas; croquettes to chowders; curries to quesadillas; and pies to pierogi. Potatoes are an inexpensive, versatile and much-loved food. A staple in cuisines worldwide, the number of dishes that feature them is infinite. They are lower in calories than bread or rice yet satisfying to eat, are gluten-free in an increasingly wheat-intolerant society and an excellent source of fibre, vitamins and minerals.  This celebration of the humble potato traces its journey from cultivation 2,000 years ago in Peru to its introduction by the Spanish to the rest of Europe and its eventual spread to the colonies, including India. From the cult of the chip to the recipes of Mrs Beeton, from the modern-day Jersey farmer to the Irish potato famine, the potato has its place in both our history and our hearts. Offering 65 recipes featuring potatoes – from the classics to modern twists – this book presents a dish to suit every taste and occasion.  

All chefs love and cherish cookbooks, and increasingly, cookbooks have become treasured manuals of the trade, as well as beautiful art objects. The Chef's Library is the world's first attempt to bring together in a single volume a comprehensive collection of cookbooks that are highly rated and actually used by more than 70 renowned chefs around the world. Readers will discover the books that have galvanised acclaimed and brilliant culinary talents such as Daniel Humm, Jamie Oliver, Sean Brock, Michael Anthony, Tom Kerridge and many others. Also featured are influential restaurant cookbooks, essential books on global cuisines, and historic favourites that have stood the test of time. Part reference, part culinary exploration, this book is a must-have for any cookbook collector or passionate foodie.

'Brilliant and original ... From slow feasts to fast food, Linford shows that, no matter what we are cooking, time is of the essence' - Bee Wilson, Sunday Times The Missing Ingredient is about what makes good food, and the first book to consider the intrinsic yet often forgotten role of time in creating the flavours and textures we love. Written through a series of encounters with ingredients, producers, cooks, shopkeepers and chefs, exploring everything from the brief period in which sugar caramelises, or the days required in the crucial process of fermentation, to the months of slow ripening and close attention that make a great cheddar, or the years needed for certain wines to reach their peak, Jenny Linford shows how, time and again, time itself is the invisible ingredient. From the patience and dedication of many food producers in fields and storehouses around the world to the rapid reactions required of any home cook at the hob, this book allows us to better understand our culinary lives.