Ahead of World Book Day this year, we asked Quicke's staff to share their favourite reads about cooking, farming, food, drink and beyond. We've shared them below with links so you can add them to your reading list for 2020.
COOKING
Eat Green by Melissa Hemsley
Jan 2020
We all want to eat in a way that is delicious, nourishing, exciting and good for the planet while saving us time and money. Eat Green is about getting you cooking confidently to do just that whether you’re an omnivore, vegetarian or something in between. Featuring more than 100 flavour-packed recipes that use UK-grown, easy-to-buy ingredients, that will help you cut food waste and save you time and money. Eat Green is about celebrating amazing vegetables, using the very best of the seasons with simple swaps so that meat and fish can be added in or taken away, so everyone can enjoy a delicious meal.
From The Oven To The Table by Diana Henry
Sept 2019
From quick after-work suppers to feasts for friends, Diana Henry's dishes are vibrant and modern and focus on grains, pulses and vegetables as much as meat and fish. With recipes such as Chicken Thighs with Miso, Sweet Potatoes and Spring Onions, Roast Indian-spiced Vegetables with Lime-Coriander Butter and Roast Stone Fruit with Almond and Orange Flower Crumbs, Diana shows how the oven is the most useful bit of kit you have in your kitchen.
Completely Perfect - 120 Essential Recipes for Every Cook by Felicity Cloake
Nov 2018
What's the secret of perfect pastry? Could a glass of milk turn a good bolognese into a great one? Felicity Cloake has rigorously tried and tested recipes from all the greats - from Nigella Lawson and Delia Smith to Nigel Slater and Heston Blumenthal - to create the perfect version of hundreds of classic dishes.
The Modern Cook’s Year by Anna Jones
Oct 2017
Smoky mushroom and roast kale lasagne, Sri Lankan squash dhal, beetroot tops tart, and chocolate and blood orange freezer cake are among the flavour-packed, easy dishes that celebrate the seasons in Anna Jones’s kitchen. With a year’s worth of one-pot meals, healthy breakfasts and the quickest suppers, The Modern Cook’s Year will become your go-to book time and time again whether in deepest winter, the first warm days of spring or the height of summer.
Slow: Food Worth Taking Time Over by Gizzi Erskine
Oct 2018
In a world where we have less and less time, Gizzi Erskine breathes new life into the idea of slow. Embrace technique, understand the stories behind your ingredients and learn to savour the art of cooking again. The result of a life-long affair with food, Slow shows you how to braise, bake, poach and roast to truly make the most of every flavour.
Gail's Artisan Bakery Cookbook by Roy Levy, Gail Mejia
2014
Since opening the first GAIL’s in 2005, our zero-waste partner, the team behind London’s most inviting artisan bakery, has been on a mission to bring high-quality, handmade bread and delicious vibrant food to local communities. In this, their first, stunning cookbook, GAIL’s take us through the day with inventive, fresh recipes.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat
Apr 2017
While cooking at Chez Panisse at the start of her career, Samin Nosrat noticed that amid the chaos of the kitchen there were four key principles that her fellow chefs would always fall back on to make their food better: Salt, Fat, Acid and Heat.
By mastering these four variables, Samin found the confidence to trust her instincts in the kitchen and cook delicious meals with any ingredients. And with her simple but revolutionary method, she has taught masterclasses to give both professionals and amateurs the skills to cook instinctively.
The Noma Guide to Fermentation by Rene Redzepi
Oct 2018
At noma (four times named the world's best restaurant) every dish includes some form of fermentation, whether it's a bright hit of vinegar, a deeply savoury miso, an electrifying drop of garum, or the sweet intensity of black garlic. Fermentation is one of the foundations behind noma's extraordinary flavour profiles. Now René Redzepi, chef and co-owner of noma, and David Zilber, the chef who runs the restaurant's acclaimed fermentation lab, share never-before-revealed techniques to creating noma's extensive pantry of ferments.
CHEESE
Cheese Boards to Share: How to build a stunning cheese board for any occasion by Thalassa Skinner
Sept 2019
Cheese boards are the ideal fuss-free, yet delicious and visually impressive meal option. Though traditionally thought of as just a festive treat, impressive modern incarnations have recently taken social media by storm, as people discover that they can be a show-stopping option for entertaining at any time of year. The 25 themed boards in this book offer the perfect cheese board for any occasion, from lively boards themed around wine, beer and cocktail pairings, to a wholesome kids’ board and a picnic board. Featuring Quicke’s Mature Clothbound Cheddar.
A Cheesemonger's History of the British Isles by Ned Palmer
Oct 2019
Every cheese tells a story. Whether it's a fresh young goat's cheese or a big, beefy eighteen-month-old Cheddar, each variety holds the history of the people who first made it, from the builders of Stonehenge to medieval monks, from the Stilton-makers of the eighteenth-century to the factory cheesemakers of the Second World War. Cheesemonger Ned Palmer takes us on a delicious journey across Britain and Ireland and through time to uncover the histories of beloved old favourites like Cheddar and Wensleydale and fresh innovations like the Irish Cashel Blue or the rambunctious Renegade Monk.
A Year in Cheese, A Seasonal Cheese Cookbook by Alex & Leo Guarneri
Sept 2015
Celebrate different cheeses for every season with this beautifully illustrated cookbook from the acclaimed team behind famous artisan cheese shop Androuet, which was established in Paris in 1909 and opened in Spitalfields in London in 2009.
Cheese & Dairy: River Cottage Handbook No.16 by Steven Lamb
Mar 2018
The River Cottage ethos is all about knowing the whole story behind what you put on the table; and as Steven Lamb explains in this thorough, accessible guide, the key ingredient is milk. He shows you exactly what to do to take it from its liquid form to a wide range of dairy products, from clotted cream to a washed-rind cheese. There are also plenty of gorgeous recipes that make the most of cheese and other dairy goods - as you'd hope, they involve such pleasures as dunking carbs into a pot of melty cheese; biting down on a delicate cheese wafer, or whipping up the best ever cheesecake.
Reinventing the Wheel - Milk, Microbes and the Fight for Real Cheese by Bronwen Percival, Francis Percival
Mar 2020
In little more than a century, industrial practices have altered every aspect of the cheesemaking process, from the bodies of the animals that provide the milk to the microbial strains that ferment it. Reinventing the Wheel explores what has been lost as raw-milk, single-farm cheeses have given way to the juggernaut of factory production. In the process, distinctiveness and healthy rural landscapes have been exchanged for higher yields and monoculture. However, Bronwen and Francis Percival find reason for optimism. Around the world, in France, the United States, England, and Australia, enterprising cheesemakers are exploring the techniques of their great-grandparents.
The Modern Cheesemaker: Making and cooking with cheeses at home by Morgan McGlynn
Mar 2019
Author Morgan is the owner of Cheeses of Muswell Hill, resident food expert on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch, cheese consultant and World Cheese Awards judge, so we were pleased when Mary Quicke was featured in the book as her long-standing inspiration, alongside a few tasty recipes using Quicke's.
The Modern Cheesemaker shows you how to make 18 cheeses, from the rich and gooey, to the wonderfully stinky, and all the cheeseboard favourites – it includes simple, fresh cheeses such as mozzarella and ricotta, working up to salty and versatile halloumi, feta and paneer, perfect, melting Swiss cheese, through to aged Cheddar and Brie.
FOOD
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Jan 2011
What shall we have for dinner? Such a simple question has grown to have a very complicated answer. We can eat almost anything nature has to offer, but deciding what we should eat stirs anxiety. Should we choose the organic apple or the conventional? If organic, local or imported? Wild fish or farmed? Low-carb or low-cal? As the American culture of fast food and unlimited choice invades the world, Pollan follows his next meal from land to table, tracing the origin of everything consumed and the implications for ourselves and our planet. His astonishing findings will shock all who care about what they put on their plate.
The Ethical Carnivore by Louise Gray
Jul 2017
We should all know exactly where our meat comes from. But what if you took this modern-day maxim to its logical conclusion and only ate animals you killed yourself? Louise Gray decides to be an ethical carnivore and learn to stalk, shoot and fish. Starting small, Louise shucks oysters and catches a trout. As she begins to reconnect with nature, she befriends countrymen and women who can teach her to shoot pigeons, rabbits and red deer.
The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food by Dan Barber
Sept 2014
Based on ten years of surveying farming communities around the world, top New York chef Dan Barber's The Third Plate offers a radical new way of thinking about food that will heal the land and taste incredible. The 'first plate' was a classic meal centred on a large cut of meat with few vegetables. On the 'second plate', championed by the farm-to-table movement, meat is free-range and vegetables are locally sourced.
FARMING
The New Farmers Almanac by Greenhorns
Feb 2019
In the fourth volume of this loved publication, dedicated to the Greater ‘We’, ninety contributing writers and artists explore the social, techno, and ecological processes of diversification. The New Farmer’s Almanac, Vol IV features essays and stories and poems from farmers, ranchers, ecologists, educators, food bank managers, grocers, gardeners, researchers, and advocates bound by their care for the land, the food system, and the survival of the natural world.
The One-Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka
Aug 2009
Masanobu Fukuoka's book about growing food has been changing the lives of readers since it was first published in 1978. It is a call to arms, a manifesto, and a radical rethinking of the global systems we rely on to feed us all. It is also the memoir of a man whose spiritual beliefs underpin and inform every aspect of his innovative farming system. Equal parts farmer and philosopher, Fukuoka is recognized as one of the founding thinkers of the permaculture movement and developed a revolutionary method of sustainable agriculture called no-till cultivation.
The Running Hare: The Secret Life of Farmland by Lewis-Stempel
May 2016
Traditional ploughland is disappearing. Seven cornfield flowers have become extinct in the last twenty years. Once abundant, the corn bunting and the lapwing are on the Red List. The corncrake is all but extinct in England. And the hare is running for its life. Written in exquisite prose, The Running Hare tells the story of the wild animals and plants that live in and under our ploughland, from the labouring microbes to the patrolling kestrel above the corn, from the linnet pecking at seeds to the seven-spot ladybird that eats the aphids that eat the crop.
The Soil Will Save Us: How Scientists, Farmers, and Foodies Are Healing the Soil to Save the Planet by Kristin Ohlson
Jul 2014
Thousands of years of poor farming and ranching practices and, especially, modern industrial agriculture have led to the loss of up to 80 percent of carbon from the world's soils. That carbon is now floating in the atmosphere, and even if we stopped using fossil fuels today, it would continue warming the planet. In The Soil Will Save Us!, journalist and bestselling author Kristin Ohlson makes an elegantly argued, passionate case for our great green hope a way in which we can not only heal the land but also turn atmospheric carbon into beneficial soil carbon and potentially reverse global warming.
Wilding: The return of nature to a British farm by Isabella Tree
May 2018
In Wilding, Isabella Tree tells the story of the ‘Knepp experiment’, a pioneering rewilding project in West Sussex, using free-roaming grazing animals to create new habitats for wildlife. Part gripping memoir, part fascinating account of the ecology of our countryside, Wilding is, above all, an inspiring story of hope.
A Precautionary Tale: How One Small Town Banned Pesticides, Preserved Its Food Heritage and Inspired a Movement by Philip Ackerman-Leist
Nov 2017
Mals, Italy, has long been known as the breadbasket of the Tyrol. But recently the tiny town became known for something else entirely. A Precautionary Tale tells us why, introducing readers to an unlikely group of activists and a forward-thinking mayor who came together to ban pesticides in Mals by a referendum vote--making it the first place on Earth to accomplish such a feat, and a model for other towns and regions to follow.
This Land, Journal One by Quicke’s
July 2018
Our journal 'This Land' tracks the passing of a year on Home Farm, through the fields, the cows, the grass and the cheese. As we launch this first edition, we’ve explored that connection to the land; through art, history, cooking, science and geology. With contributions from friends and experts on everything from wood-fired cooking, cider making and seasonal feasts to fermentation, foraging and farming through the seasons, this is part one of our journey to educate and explore the things that we hold close to our hearts here at Quicke's.
DRINK
How to Drink Without Drinking: Celebratory Alcohol-free Drinks for Any Time of the Day Fiona Beckett
Jan 2020
Created by Fiona Beckett, one of the country's leading wine writers, you can be assured that every recipe in this book has earned its place as a tasty and exciting alternative to alcohol. Whether you wish to mix a pitcher of Strawberry Punch for a summer party, sample a Kaffir Lime Mojito on a Friday night or fill your drinks cabinet with Wild Cherry and Star Anise Shrub, this book is packed with creative ideas and gorgeous flavours.
Fever Tree: The Art of Mixing
Sept 2017
Rather than starting with the spirits, this book focuses on key mixers - including tonic, lemonade, ginger ale, ginger beer and cola. Leading bartenders have created 125 classic and contemporary cocktail recipes that make the most of the botanical partnerships.
Wine Folly: A Visual Guide to the World of Wine by Justin Hammack & Madeline Puckette
Nov 2015
Red or white? Cabernet or Merlot? Medium or full-bodied? Drinking great wine isn't hard, but finding a great wine is much easier when you understand the fundamentals. Using visual infographics, charts and maps, the expert founders of Winefolly.com have created the ultimate wine resource packed with facts and information. From tips on which glasses to use, and easy-to-grasp flavour wheels for each wine type, to simple tasting and food-pairing notes, Wine Folly is a fascinating modern and colourful guide.
ALLOTMENT
The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency by John Seymour
Apr 2003
Make the break, realise the dream and start living "The Good Life!" Packed with comprehensive information on all the practicals, from ploughing fields to milking cows, as well as new information on how to create an urban organic garden and harness natural energy. This new and revised full-colour edition of the illustrated classic is an engrossing read and a wonderful handbook for realists and dreamers alike.
The Edible Garden: How to Have Your Garden and Eat It by Alys Flower
Mar 2010
In this timely book, Gardeners' World's thrifty and resourceful Alys Fowler shows that there is a way to take the good life and re-fashion it to fit in with life in the city. Abandoning the limitations of traditional gardening methods, she has created a beautifully productive garden where tomatoes sit happily next to roses, carrots are woven between the lavenders and potatoes grow in pots on the patio. And all of this is produced in a way that mimics natural systems, producing delicious homegrown food for her table. And she shares her favourite recipes for the hearty dishes, pickles and jams she makes to use up her bountiful harvest, proving that no-one need go hungry on her grow-your-own regime.
Wild Food: A Complete Guide for Foragers
Apr 2014
Wild food is all around us, growing in our hedgerows and fields, along river banks and seashores, even on inhospitable moorland. In Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix's Wild Food, hundreds of these plants are clearly identified, with colour photography and a detailed description. This definitive guide also gives us fascinating information on how our ancestors would have used the plant as well as including over 100 more modern recipes for delicious food and drinks. From berries, herbs and mushrooms to wild vegetables, salad leaves, seaweed and even bark, this book will inspire you to start cooking with nature's free bounty.
