Gordon Ramsay has recently released a great cookery book called Gordon Ramsay makes it easy, published by Quadrille, at £19.99

This book features dishes which have all the hallmarks of Gordon's cooking - the best ingredients, great taste combinations, superb culinary skill - but the overall feel is more informal and the emphasis is on ease of preparation and simple techniques. Arranged around actual meals - Breakfast & Brunch, Great Fast Food, Family Lunches and Posh Dinners, Summer Bar-B-Qs and Cooking for Crowds, Bellinis & Blinis and Romantic Dinners for Two, High Teas and Midnight Feasts - each chapter contains 6-10 recipes either arranged as a selection or as menus. In addition, each chapter features a classic dish - such as an omelette, risotto, souffle, sauce or style of pastry - which Gordon demonstrates in close-up step-by-step photographic detail.

In my opinion the book is really good and Gordon extols many of the virtues in which we believe, see quotes below. We were delighted to be credited in the book, along with a picture of our stock bull Fergal.

Richard Barker, Fowlescombe

Quotes from the book, by kind permission of the publishers

“The flavour of Aberdeen Angus beef organically raised on good grazing pastures is amazing. How an animal lives, eats and is slaughtered is as important as the breed of the animal to the taste of the meat. Fergal, the handsome bull pictured above, lives on a farm in Devon” (picture to come)

“Eating together as a family is important to me. My mother always made us sit down together to eat and I have fond memories of the food, as well as the laughter. Sunday is our family day and we often have a roast, but I also like to cook meals that are easy to prepare and serve. We never quite know how many of us there will be, so meals need to be flexible. My fish pie is a favourite, but the children also enjoy braised beef or a chicken casserole. Desserts are a must and we never tire of steamed pudding or trifle.”

“Look for traditionally cured bacon produced from a suitable pig, such as a saddleback or Sussex Black. Mass-produced bacon contains chemicals and water, shrinks to nothing and is quite tasteless”

“I am delighted to see the revival of rare breed pigs raised in natural surroundings … there is no doubt that you can taste the difference”

“There is really no excuse for serving inferior sausages when there are so many excellent quality butcher’s sausages around now”

“All kids love burgers. They are so simple and quick to make that I fail to understand why parents ever buy processed patties packed with additives and preservatives”

“Rump or chump of lamb is an ideal cut when you are cooking for two. If possible, buy West Country lamb, which yields good-sized rumps. These lambs are weaned naturally and then fed on grass so the flavour of the meat is superb. Lamb should be hung for 2-3 weeks to maximise the flavour. Look for meat that’s dark red in colour with a matt appearance”