Italian Food

£6.69

Product Description
‘No one has written better or with more love of their subject, about the joy of food, its preparation and the sharing of that joy with one’s fellows’ – Daily Telegraph When ITALIAN FOOD was first published, the sort of ingredients Elizabeth Davidwas writing about were almost unobtainable in England and many of the dishes unknown. Since then the English have undergone a revolution in their eating habits, due in no small part to Mrs David, and this book in particular has been an inspiration to a generation of cooks. In it, Mrs David conveys all the richness, colour and variety of a remarkable cooking tradition with the sparkling erudition and excitement that make her books unforgettable.

About the Author
Elizabeth David’s first book, MEDITERRANEAN FOOD appeared in 1950 and along with her subsequent books changed the face of cookery in England. By 1964 her first five books were in Penguin paperback, accessible to a new generation who no longer had difficulty buying garlic, saffron, basil, olives, aubergines, fresh figs or apricots and who found Elizabeth David’s philosophy of simplicity, authenticity, knowledge and care to their liking. She died in 1992.

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Elizabeth David Classics: “Mediterranean Food”, “French Country Cooking” and “Summer Cooking”

£11.04

Amazon. co. uk Review
Publishers Grub Street are to be congratulated on re-issuing this single volume collection of Elizabeth David’s first three books (A Book of Mediterranean Food, French Country Cooking and Summer Cooking), which have too long been out of print in hardback. The paperbacks are useful but tend to fall to pieces with repeated use. Moreover, even at full price this represents something of a bargain. The charm of the originals, with the evocative drawings by John Minton and Adrian Daintrey, remains intact. Grub Street have discreetly changed page numbers in references and that appears to be about it. The lobster on the cover is as forbidding and jealous of its dignity as Mrs David, famously, was wont to be. (The changing cover illustrations of ED reprints over the years might make an interesting study. The 70s paperback of Mediterranean Food features a spectacularly boring photograph of a corner of a French market-meaningless, until you spot in the foreground a big bunch of garlic, a symbol even then of everything Mediterranean. As for the books, what is there to say? They are what they are. Everybody knows about them. The fumes of historical myth (”grey post-war Britain . . . sudden blaze of southern sunshine”) rises from them like incense. It’s difficult to recapture the effect they must have had in the 50s, and perhaps it’s scarcely worth the effort. One returns to them periodically, wearied of the exertions of the gastro-pornographers, to refresh oneself at the spring of Elizabeth David’s perfect taste. Or so the theory goes. However, it’s important to remember, what seems in danger of being forgotten, that despite the telegraphic concision of some of the recipes, these are practical books, intended to be used over and over in the kitchen. Elizabeth David regarded herself first and foremost not as a writer but as a cook. These little volumes really are indispensable, imperishable classics of the kitchen. –Robin Davidson

Product Description
This volume contains three of Elizabeth David’s most popular cookery books: “Mediterranean Food”, “French Country Cooking” and “Summer Cooking”.

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Basilica Restaurant, Westbourne, Bournemouth

Basilica in Bournemouth is a fantastic eatery in the heart of Westbourne.  As well as being superb for lunchtime and evening meals, it is also open in the morning if you fancy popping in for a coffee and Danish.

The atmosphere in the restaurant is very vibrant – as soon as you walk in there is a chill out area with sofas on the right hand side – it is there that you are greeted by one of the friendly waiters/waitresses.

The wooden floor throughout the venue makes for a very contemporary feel, and together with the stylish wall art, and the general clientele that dine here – you can tell instantly that you are eating at a place where people know their food.

Indeed, have a quick chat to the manager Niall, and you’ll realise how knowledgeable him and his staff are – he’ll pick you out an excellent bottle of wine to accompany your meal – and he will always do it with a friendly face!

I went with my partner, and we shared a bottle of Chardonnay – and started with a plateful of Mussels, some of which were huge.  The taste was incredible, and it was a good dish to get the taste buds tingling.  We also had a plate of olives – I have never been a fan of olives, but on this occasion I thought I would try one because they looked amazing.  I was very surprised, and my girlfriend assured me that they were fantastic – especially due to the nut centre.  My partner also insisted on some extra bread, which we also feasted on throughout our stay.

My main course consisted of penne pasta with bacon strips, mushrooms and chicken – all put together in a fantastically rich sauce – accompanied by some ciabatta bread and olive oil – the perfect duo.  My partner had an amazing Parma ham dish which was on a cheese and tomato pastry tarte.  This was accompanied by a side salad and a number of orange seasoned potato wedges.

As we shared our way through the next hour – there was a sincere taste explosion on the tongue which was delightful to say the least.

During the meal, the staff were very courteous, meeting our every need, and generally making sure that the meal was as good as it could be!

The dishes were deceptively filling, despite at first looking as though we might need extra side dishes to fill us up!  In the end we didn’t actually manage to squeeze in a dessert, or even coffees!

Our total bill came to £40, which is absolutely incredible considering the quality of food that we were eating

We really had an excellent Friday evening in Basilica, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of eating in Westbourne – a buzzing yet relaxing atmosphere, and a really sense of quality dining.