Virgin to Veteran
It’s a combination of a tasty recipe repertoire and a graphically creative cookery masterclass. I wanted to put the knowledge I’ve picked up over the past five years into the one book. And I’ve tried to balance the recipes so they appeal to the first timer as well as the veteran. The book starts off with advice about setting up a basic kitchen, using space, basic equipment, getting to know your oven, freezer, how to stack your fridge etc. Then divides into 10 ingredients based chapters - Vegetables & Salads, Chicken, Beef, Pork, Lamb, Fish & Shellfish, Eggs & Dairy, Pasta, noodles & grains, Bread & Cakes, Puddings. Every chapter starts with 2 or 3 pages of basic information about that ingredient, like how to buy it, store it, prep it, what to do with the different bits of it, tricks, secrets, flavour combinations, nutritional value. The team at Quadrille did a grand job designing this section so it would back up and enhance the content. It looks a bit different and so it draws you in. And Chris Terry took some mouth-watering photographs. It’s important to me that the food looks as it does when you cook it at home. I was there helping to style and cook in the studio. I learned loads. I t ried to make the recipes themselves as clear and concise as possible taking the new reader carefully through each stage but trying to avoid patronising the more seasoned cook. I imagined I was talking people through each one. Recipes vary in complexity across the chapter– there’s simple stuff like a Fried Egg Banjo Sandwich through to Perfect Poached Eggs and Pancetta with Hollandaise on Potato Cakes in Eggs. In beef, Fast and simple Harrisa-Style Beef Fajitas takes you through to Boeuf Bourguignon with lots of different toppings to vary it. Work through it all and you’ll get all the skills you need to get confident in the kitchen plus a lovely recipe repertoire to set you up. I'll be adding loads more recipes through my blog
2. You published your first cook book while you were still studying for your GCSEs, so how did you get the balance between cooking and school work?
Most of the writing happened on holidays, weekends and when I had time out. School work was always a priority so it was just about finding that balance. It mostly worked. Theactual cooking (and eating) was happening pretty much every day so in a way I was working all the time. But loving it…
Because they will need to! Every one gets to a stage in their life when they have to rely on themselves to put dinner on the table. I want to help people do this to avoid the costs of ready meals/ takeaways everyday (in financial and in fitness terms) and enable them to produce something delicious every time. It doesn't have to be complicated, It can be speedy and cheap but people should always have the skills to make the choice. It’s such a great thing to be able to do. And it’s social – everyone loves to get around the table and talk and eat.
4. Your book is said to be the cookbook with a difference, so what is the difference?
It empowers the reader to get involved on a number of levels. Not only are they learning new skills or improving techniques they are developing their palate. Most of the recipes include the dips, sauces, breads, salads and vegetable extras that go with the basic dish. I love to put lots of flavours and textures on a plate. So I’ve builtthat element into everything. The other big difference is the variation element. The majority of recipes have ‘Change it Up’ or ‘Bonus Bite’ options which are mini-recipes and suggestions for using the ingredient slightly different or transforming the dish entirely. The designmakes it different too.
I like a bit of change from food related stuff. I love learning about how the world works so the degree is really interesting to me.
My mum did. I cooked with her (I was the youngest) and then with the family (two vegetarians, a vegan, and a meat lover for siblings). I read loads of cookbooks and watched TV chefs.
Yeah he still does enjoy it but he makes me do the cooking when he is around. I think I won!
Finish my last year at uni then see what happens. Hopefully some tv stuff, more books, extending the website, a restaurant, cookery school, who knows!
The triple chocolate tart is a winner. I always get a chocolate tart if it's on the menu at any restaurant and I think this one beats them all. Just watch the timing in the oven – it needs to be just right – still a bit moussey.
Click here to buy Virgin to Veteran: How to get cooking with confidence by Sam Stern
Female First Lucy Walton