Porters English Cookery Bible - Tapa dura

The history of England is its cooking. Successive invaders to English sores, Roman, Viking and Norman, naturally introduced their own culinary traditions to the native cuisine. The returning Crusaders introduced Arab influences too, adding dried fruits and aromatic spices to both sweet and savoury dishes. Other costly, new and luxurious foodstuffs, such as sugar, almonds, and citrus fruits were also imported from exotic lands in vast quantities in the Middle Ages. Such foods became the newly fashionable status symbols of a rich and self-indulgent elite and were used lavishly in the great feasts of the time. Many of these recipes have survived through the centuries, frequently undergoing intervention and adaptation to meet the tastes of a particular era. English cuisine is not static but continues to evolve and develop, incorporating new ingredients, ideas and cooking methods along the way. Porters English Cooking Bible is a unique celebration of the fascinating heritage of English food and cooking. Classic recipes with a contemporary twist are combined with origins, fascinating facts and interesting anecdotes.

Richard, Earl of Bradford is an experienced restaurateur. Porters opened in 1979, and has been putting traditional British dishes back on the menu for thirty years. The restaurant has enjoyed critical acclaim and aims to sustain the values of honest pricing and high-quality food. Lord Bradford is a member of the Guild of Food Writers and is a former President of the Master Chefs of Great Britain.