Relish or Curry

Relish: The Extraordinary Life of Alexis Soyer, Victorian Celebrity Chef

Author: Ruth Cowen

Rarely has a man defined the spirit of an age as well as Alexis Soyer. A celebrity chef, bestselling author, entrepreneur, inventor, and Crimean war hero, Soyer built the world famous kitchens of London's Reform Club and filled them with such ingenious inventions as the gas stove and steam lifts. In the 1840s he established soup kitchens during the Irish potato famine—a revolutionary concept at the time—and in the following decade risked his life by traveling to the Russian peninsula to reform army catering for the troops, saving thousands of soldiers from the effects of malnutrition. But Soyer—in the spirit of his age—was also a secret womanizer, near bankrupt, and an alcoholic. Despite the fame of his lifetime, Soyer dropped completely from the public eye after his untimely death. His friend Florence Nightingale, never one to praise lightly, wrote that his passing was "a great disaster for the nation." Despite making several fortunes Soyer died penniless. His personal papers were destroyed, his funeral a hushed-up affair, and today his grave lies neglected and rotting. This is the story of one of the Victorian age’s most favored—and soon forgotten—shining stars.

New interesting textbook: The Messy Gourmet Cookbook or Chef Manager

Curry: The Story of the Nation's Favourite Dish

Author: Shrabani Basu

Britain has become a nation of curryholics - there are more than 8000 curry restaurants in Britain, visited by two million people each week. Each year #2bn is spent in Indian restaurants - about #70 per second - while Marks and Spencers sells 18 tonnes of chicken tikka masala weekly. But how did Britain come to take curry so much to its heart? Where did the word "curry" originate? When did the first curry restaurants come to Britain? And when were the first recipes produced for those who wanted to concoct the flavoursome dishes in their home? This book traces the story of curry in Britain. The first recipe for curry powder recorded by the English was from Mrs Turnbull, who wrote down her recipes in manuscript in the mid-18th century at her home in Hyde Park, after returning from India; she also recorded how to make chutney, pilau and ginger candy. British ships went to India to find spices, and when the British returned from colonial India in the 18th century, they brought with them new tastes. Today, curry is one of the most widely available meals in Britain, produced at pubs nationwide, in supermarkets and in a plethora of restaurants to suit all purses and palates.