The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating
by Fergus Henderson
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Book Reviews of The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating
Book Review: Intriguing, Simple, Elegant
Summary: 5 Stars
A delightfully intriguing, simple, and elegant collection of recipes and techniques. Unlike some of the reviewers, I see little or no problems getting the ingredients or reasonable substitutions. Pig's head, tripe, tongue, etc just go to a Mexican or Asian market. I may not be able to get rocket but I know I can get nasturtium leaves and flowers (also peppery greens) from my backyard. Most of the shock seems to come from the ingredients we all used to eat, and may still eat if you have had ground meat products. Honestly where do you think it all comes from? Ninety percent of these recopies can easily be made without any searching for ingredients. Most of the rest need a little bit of searching, pre- planning or pre-orders from a meat or fish market...or even a good counter at your neighborhood grocery store will do special orders with a down payment of some kind. Having been part of a group that does historical medieval reenactments (yes SCA) I can tell you even in this day in age you can get much of this stuff easily. There are no true exotics in here. If you don't have exactly what the recipe says any search of internet cooking sites can give you substitution charts and http://www.foodsubs.com/ is a personal favorite. Live a little. Try something more like what we ate when we had to use ALL the animal, because we couldn't afford to waste anything...and you might find it tastes not only good, but better than the more commonly found fare in your supermarket prepackaged, precut, preped foods and meats section.Book Review: From Nose to Tail...
Summary: 5 Stars
What can I say? Fergus Henderson's hit the pig on the nose (so to speak) with this book. This book examines how wasteful modern culture has become without being in the least bit preachy or condescending. Why should we waste bits of meat, or condemn ourselves to eating tasteless cuts that have been prepared joylessly? Henderson emphasizes throughout the book the value of a 'happy' tomato or a rabbit that's lived a 'joyful' life, stressing the difference in taste.
The recipes do call for things you won't often find in the casual cook's home kitchen - but little of it is impossible to get, and it's easy to find substitutions for quite a bit of it. While the truly squeamish mightn't find his frank and easy discussions of liver, brains and tongues for their liking, the joyful chef will find it inspiring - whether or not you actually eat all the foods mentioned.
So many cookbooks talk about food as if it were somehow divorced from the process of eating. Henderson again and again talks about the food he's enjoyed, dishes which inspired the dishes in this book - right down to how he enjoys to eat his food (such as crab - while many recipes will have the cook extract all the meat before it reaches the table, Henderson frankly admits to liking the bit of work 'at the table', claiming it adds to the dining pleasure for him).
Five stars and a standing ovation from this reviewer - and household of two adults and three cats. Everyone in this house recommends The Whole Beast!
Book Review: A true book for real cooks, or a real cookbook
Summary: 5 Stars
The more I learn about Chef Henderson, the more I admire him. He's a role model for every Chef out there, and this book shows you why. I first heard about Fergus Henderson when Tony Bourdain brought him along for a book signing and conference at the CIA. This was 2004 and I was a student there. I liked what both had to say, and a few days later I ordered the book. I've never read a cookbook so fast, and I still keep it on my bedside table for inspiration.
His recipes may not be suitable for the amateur cook. Not because they're hard to make, but because they take time and the extra effort of finding the ingredients he uses, like tripe, heart, tongue and livers. He reinvented old techniques and uses the cheaper, more flavorful cuts of meat. Of course, selling this food to your family might be a problem. He even says that in the mid nineties it was difficult to sell the idea to the English customers.
However, if you're a serious foodie or a professional chef, then buy this book and read it. For the price it sells, there's just no better value. For me, reading it makes me want to have the same kind of restaurant he does, where the philosophy is about respect of the seasonality of ingredients and the animals slaughtered to put food in the plate. The whole beast is edible, so let's learn to cook it. The best bits are usually the ones we overlook and throw away. Not me, not anymore. Chef Henderson has showed me the real way to cook. I hope he does the same for you.
Book Review: Bringing Back Good Eats
Summary: 4 Stars
We, as a society have depended on supermarket cuts of protein- beef, pork, chicken etc... and we have forgotten some of the pieces of protein that our ancestors relied on to feed their families. This book helps us get back to the cuts of protein that are tasty, full of wonderful fat and exceptional eating. Offal is a word that has lost meaning in our society. This book brings it back to the table and more.
With the economy in the state that it's in, buying offal is another way of feeding the family right and for decent prices.
Tongue, pigs feet, ox tail, pork belly, pigs tail & all the wonderful pieces of protein that have been forgotten.
Fergus Henderson has brought back many recipes that my family used to cook, and living here in Miami, FL, I have access to many parts of the animal that many of the rest of the country does not have.
This is a great book, with excellent antidotes, excellent, easy to follow recipes and it's fun to learn about parts of the animal that you rarely find in the typical supermarket.
Pork belly is a daily food item in my house now that I've learned easy ways to prepare it and I don't have to worry about chemicals going into my family's mouth from cured bacon.
Good book, good read, good eating education. Thumbs up!
Miami, Florida
Book Review: Humble Genius
Summary: 5 Stars
Fergus Henderson is fascinating for a number of reasons. Primarily, of course, he runs an incredibly popular restaurant cooking the offal and off-cuts most chefs don't have the balls to put on their menus. (Henderson would, I'm sure, put balls on his).
Where this book shines is in bringing to light Henderson's apparent love affair with the food he cooks. He honors his ingredients by wasting nothing, animal or vegetable. If it's edible, he'll make it famous.
Henderson's writing style is charmingly eccentric. You, too, will start ascribing whimsical personality traits to food as you read on. Always just thought of curly parsley as an irrelevant garnish? For Henderson it's a key ingredient in his signature dish, roast bone marrow and parsley salad, and reading what he has to say about it has made me reevaluate parsley. He's that good.
The Whole Beast is more than a cook book; it's a manifesto. It's an easy-reading one at that, and I blew through it in one sitting, enraptured by Henderson's humble genius.