You may well wonder why it has taken me so long to review this book, published by Ebury Press at least six months ago.Well, if the truth be known, it is because there has been such an avalanche of cookery books to review, from every corner of the globe, and the snowdrift does not stop there. In the run-up to Christmas 2010 many more cookbooks will hit the shelves before the last lights go out in bookseller land on 24th December. But many of my pasta students have waxed lyrical about Theo Randall, his work when he was a chef at The River Cafe for ten years, and his continuing success now that he runs his own restaurant at The Intercontinental Park Lane. “Tissue paper thin pasta” they said, “fillings that melt in your mouth”, “tagliatelle the colour of canary wings”. In short, enough accolades and gushings to make even the most recalcitrant sceptic pick up this tome and analyse its contents.
I love it. It’s bright, beautiful, intelligent and, above all, personal. There are too many pasta books in the world, there are far too many italian cookery books, we do not need more, I hear Blog readers cry, and yes, you are right. I just finished reviewing “The Geometry of Pasta” by Jacob Kenedy and Caz Hildebrand only five minutes ago, surely? But I will let this book squeeze through the “Buy Me Ticket Barrier”, because I think the author is an engaging, bright and friendly spark in the testosterone-fuelled, ego-centric galaxy that is High Chefdom. In fact, anyone can learn to make pasta from this book, as it celebrates its simplicity above all. Theo gives a short, instructive masterclass on the basics, bricks and mortar of ingredients, equipment and methodologies. Then he goes straight into sauce sections: all seasonal vegetables, fungi, fish, seafood, meat, poultry, game and cheese. He de-mystifies and enthuses, introducing, I think, many more pasta fans to the joys of homemade pasta and sauces, away from the ready meal chiller, and back to the kitchen hearth. Well done Theo, this is a good homecook’s reference point.
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