Is this a cookbook?

Well, it's full of Heston's typically brilliant, delicious and inventive recipes, including green gazpacho, beetroot and pea salad, quinoa with vegetables, Moroccan pasties, hemp panna cotta, banana and parsley smoothie, tomato and coffee muffins, parsnip granola, rice ice cream, sherry vinegar posset, cricket ketchup and thyme and orange kombucha, not forgetting popcorn chicken with real popcorn. Every recipe is simple, straightforward and totally do-able. This is Heston at his most accessible.

But there's so much more. Each of the 70 recipes is accompanied by Heston's thoughts, stories, insights and hacks, turning each cooking session into a journey that'll excite and inspire and reveal a whole world of culinary possibilities and fresh perspectives. Brought to life by the incredible illustrations by Dave McKean, Heston's long-term collaborator and widely acknowledged as one of the greatest illustrators at work today, it's the next best thing to having Heston as your sous-chef.

So why not get in the kitchen and have an adventure?

Back by popular demand, a lower-priced version of the must-have book from the genius behind the Fat Duck, the restaurant named best in the world by "Restaurant "magazine.

The cookbook hailed by the "Los Angeles Times "as a "showstopper" and by Jeffrey Steingarten of "Vogue "as "the most glorious spectacle of the season...like no other book I have seen in the past twenty years" is now available in a reduced-price edition. With a reduced trim size but an identical interior, this lavishly illustrated, stunningly designed, and gorgeously photographed masterpiece takes you inside the head of maverick restaurateur Heston Blumenthal. Separated into three sections (History; Recipes; Science), the book chronicles Blumenthal's improbable rise to fame and, for the first time, offers a mouth-watering and eye-popping selection of recipes from his award-winning restaurant. He also explains the science behind his culinary masterpieces, the technology and implements that make his alchemical dishes come to life. Designed by acclaimed artist Dave McKean--and filled with photographs by Dominic Davies--this artfully rendered celebration of one of the world's most innovative and renowned chefs is a foodie's dream.

One of the world's most renowned chefs, Heston Blumenthal has made his name creating such original - and some might say bizarre - dishes as Snail Porridge and Nitrogen Scrambled Egg & Bacon Ice Cream at his internationally acclaimed restaurant, The Fat Duck. Heston decided, though, that it was time to go back to both his and our roots and to focus his creative talent on reinventing some of our most well-known and abused dishes. In order to do this he travelled around the world in search of 'perfect' versions of eight dishes which represent the essence of our culinary heritage: Roast Chicken & Roast Potatoes Pizza Bangers & Mash Steak Spaghetti Bolognese Fish & Chips Black Forest Gateau Treacle Tart & Ice Cream Everybody's idea of 'perfection' is different, and so Heston, drawing on interviews with experts and cooks as well as using his own culinary and scientific research, sets out to discover what makes these standards so great. He explores the origins of each dish, how to find the best ingredients, and of course the many different ways - and whys - of cooking them to perfection. He reveals priceless culinary tips along the way: everything from how to cut potatoes for flawless frying, to what makes the choicest beef, to the secret ingredients in the perfect spaghetti Bolognese, to capturing the essence of a fish and chip shop in a perfume bottle, to making aerated chocolate bars at home with a vacuum cleaner. In Search of Perfection examines the role of food in our lives and memories and is a completely original, inspiring and fascinating exploration of these kitchen classics.

Here are the feasts that really are fit for a king - or queen. This delightful book explores the history of royal dining from the bustling kitchens of the Middle Ages to the informal dinner parties of today. Susanne Groom, a former curator at Historic Royal Palaces, considers the diets of monarchs from Richard II to Elizabeth II, revealing the exotic beasts served at medieval courts, the 48-day picnic prepared for Henry VIII and Francois I of France at the Field of Cloth of Gold, the romantic suppers made for Charles II and his mistresses, Queen Victoria's love of nursery food, and the gluttonous appetite of Edward VII. We also learn about royal table manners, the earliest cookbooks, the hiring of flamboyant chefs and the intrigues of unscrupulous kitchen staff, the ever-changing health advice given to the sovereign, and the influence of royal diet on the average family fare. Full of lively anecdotes, colourful characters, rarely seen illustrations, and menus from state banquets, weddings, coronations and jubilees, At the King's Table is a treat for all culinary fans.

There is no meal on this planet or any other that Heston Blumenthal can't prepare. In spring 2009, on his British television series "Heston's Feasts," he re-created the impossible "Drink Me" potion from Alice in Wonderland and reinvented Henry VIII 's mythical Cockentrice. In Heston's "Fantastical Feasts," the chef extraordinaire prepares six incredible new feasts inspired by history, literature, and legend, and takes us along for the ride.

In this imaginatively illustrated book, each chapter charts the realization of a feast, with its challenges and ideas, culminating with the final recipes. The book consists of a Willy Wonka Feast, a Fairy Tale Feast, an Edwardian Feast, a Gothic Feast, a '70s Feast, and--of course--a Feast of the Future. Delving deep into the world of each dish, Blumenthal creates poison apples, transforms pumpkins into carriages, and builds Edwardian gingerbread houses with sugar windows. Scouring Italy for rare mushrooms and Switzerland for wild boar, he records the journeys and inspiration behind each meal, laying it all out in grandly illustrated detail. Witness his delectable riffs on Dr. Seuss's "Green Eggs and Ham" and Roald Dahl's "Lickable Wallpaper," and even try the recipe if you dare.

Featuring ornate illustrations by artist Tom Lane and an exuberant interior design, Heston's "Fantastical Feasts " is a mind-boggling and irrepressible new accomplishment from one of the most electric chefs in the world.

As a source of detailed information on the chemistry of food this book is without equal. With a Foreword written by Heston Blumenthal the book investigates food components which are present in large amounts (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and water) and also those that occur in smaller amounts (colours, flavours, vitamins and preservatives). Food borne toxins, allergens, pesticide residues and other undesirables are also given detailed consideration. Attention is drawn to the nutritional and health significance of food components. This classic text has been extensively rewritten for its 5th edition to bring it right up to date and many new topics have been introduced. Features include: "Special Topics" section at the end of each chapter for specialist readers and advanced students An exhaustive index and the structural formulae of over 500 food components Comprehensive listings of recent, relevant review articles and recommended books for further reading Frequent references to wider issues e.g. the evolutionary significance of lactose intolerance, fava bean consumption in relation to malaria and the legislative status of food additives. Food: The Chemistry of its Components will be of particular interest to students and teachers of food science, nutrition and applied chemistry in universities, colleges and schools. Its accessible style ensures that that anyone with an interest in food issues will find it invaluable. Extracts from reviews of previous editions: "very detailed and readable ...the author is to be congratulated" The British Nutrition Foundation, 1985 "a superb book to have by your side when you read your daily newspaper" New Scientist, 1989 "mandatory reading for food scientists, medical students ...and anyone else who has an interest in the food we eat" The Analyst, 1990 "...filled me with delight, curiosity and wonder. All of the chemistry is very clear and thorough. I heartily recommend it." The Chemical Educator, 1997 "...an invaluable source of information on the chemistry of food. It is clearly written and I can heartily recommend it." Chemistry and Industry, 2004 New, greatly enlarged or totally revised topics include: Acrylamide Resistant starch Pectins Gellan gum Glycaemic Index (GI) The elimination of trans fatty acids Fractionation of fats and oils Cocoa butter and chocolate The casein micelle Tea, flavonoids and health Antioxidant vitamins Soya phytoestrogens Legume toxins Pesticide residues Cow's milk and peanut allergies

The chemistry of food and cooking is just one example of the many roles chemistry plays in our everyday lives. This topic provides an exciting context for some familiar chemistry and a way to engage students with the subject. Kitchen Chemistry contains a wide variety of activities, from class practicals and demonstrations to reading comprehension and paper-based exercises. Each activity deals with an aspect of the chemistry of food and/or cooking. The material is suitable for a wide range of ages, from primary to post-16, and helps reinforce the idea that everything is made of chemicals and that there is no difference between 'man-made' and 'natural' chemicals.

In this beautiful, smaller format edition of the award-winning Big Fat Duck Cookbook, we hear the full story of the meteoric rise of Heston Blumenthal and The Fat Duck, birthplace of snail porridge and bacon-and-egg ice cream, and encounter the passion, perfection and weird science behind the man and the restaurant. Heston Blumenthal is widely acknowledged to be a genius, and The Fat Duck has twice been voted the Best Restaurant in the World by a peer group of top chefs. But he is entirely self-taught, and the story of his restaurant has broken every rule in the book. His success has been borne out of his pure obsession, endless invention and a childish curiosity into how things work - whether it's how smell affects taste, what different flavours mean to us on a biological level, or how temperature is distributed in the centre of a souffle. In the first section of The Fat Duck Cookbook, we learn the history of the restaurant, from its humble beginnings to its third Michelin star (the day Heston received the news of this he had been wondering how exactly he would be able to pay his staff that month). Next we meet 50 of his signature recipes - sardine on toast sorbet, salmon poached with liquorice, hot and iced tea, chocolate wine - which, while challenging for anyone not equipped with ice baths, dehydrators, vacuum pumps and nitrogen on tap, will inspire home cooks and chefs alike. Finally, we hear from the experts whose scientific know-how has contributed to Heston's topsy-turvy world. With an introduction by Harold McGee, incredible colour photographs throughout and illustrations by Dave McKean, The Fat Duck Cookbook is not only the nearest thing to an autobiography from the world's most fascinating chef, but also a stunning, colourful and joyous work of art.