Jane Grigson's Fruit Book includes a wealth of recipes, plain and fancy, ranging from apple strudel to watermelon sherbet. Jane Grigson is at her literate and entertaining best in this fascinating compendium of recipes for forty-six different fruits. Some, like pears, will probably seem homely and familiar until you've tried them á la chinoise. Others, such as the carambola, described by the author as looking "like a small banana gone mad," will no doubt be happy discoveries.
You will find new ways to use all manner of fruits, alone or in combination with other foods, including meats, fish, and fowl, in all phases of cooking from appetizers to desserts. And, as always, in her brief introductions Grigson will both educate and amuse you with her pithy comments on the histories and varieties of all the included fruits.
All ingredients are given in American as well as metric measures, and this edition includes an extensive glossary, compiled by Judith Hill, which not only translates unfamiliar terminology but also suggests American equivalents for British and Continental varieties where appropriate.
Jane Grigson (1928-90) was brought up in the northeast of England, where there is a strong tradition of good eating. In 1968 she began writing cookery articles for the Observer Colour Magazine; the Bison Books edition of Good Things is a collection from this highly successful series. Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book is also available in a Bison Books edition. Grigson posthumously received the 2009 James Beard Foundation Cookbook Hall of Fame Book Award for her entire body of work.
Sara Dickerman worked for years as a professional cook and freelance writer and is now the food and dining editor at Seattle Magazine.
