James Steen is an award winning writer and author, working with the likes of talented Marco Pierre White and Raymond Blanc.  James has just released  a masterpiece, The Kitchen Magpie, a beautifully, witty and informal look at everything to do with food and drink. A handbag size companion, that you are easily able to dip in and out of. I find reading fiction quite frankly impossible and a little boring as my attention seems to deviate like a small child looking for the biscuit barrel, however I adore reading anything at all related to food, snippets of information that I am easily able to absorb and digest.

With a large collection of cookery books and food related books to my name, this curious carrot in colour book is certainly one of my favourites. A must read. The Kitchen Magpie has you wanting to know more, interesting facts and information with some wonderful quotes from very well known chef like Marco Pierre White, Paul Hollywood, Dhruv Baker, Adam Byatt and Antonio Carluccio to ‘Minding your manners’ with Matthew Fort. I am finding that I’m now starting to spurt out interesting fact, like ‘Did you know Mrs Beeton was the eldest child of 21’………, well now you know…

I am an Italian cookery writer, tutor and demonstrator. I love and adore everything that encapsulates and is Italian Cookery. The Kitchen Magpie catered to my every whim. I now know how to cook a pizza using the back of a hot frying pan (even though I have a pizza oven) and if I break a bone I’m heading off first class to Parma to soak my broken limb in a basin of whey. If you like me adore eating and drinking then this nugget of a book will be your best companion. Grazie James for the best read I’ve had in a long time (my copy needs signing) and just so you know I’m now eagerly anticipating The Kitchen Magpie 2 , Pronto Please!!

James Steen
The Kitchen Magpie

Carmela’s Kitchen