The Kitchen Magpie (Paperback)

Curiosities, Stories and Expert Tips from the Culinary World

James Steen

Join award-winning writer James Steen for a feast of facts, stories, recipes and tips about food and drink.

Delving into forgotten corners of gastronomic history, Steen reveals what Parmesan has to do with broken bones, why John Wayne kept a cow in a hotel and how our attitudes to horsemeat have changed. Laying bare the secrets of the kitchen, he concocts the ultimate hangover cure and explains how to cook perfect rib of beef with the oven off.

With much-loved cooks including Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood sharing their passion and know-how, this mouth-watering miscellany will sate the appetite of every kitchen dweller, from the masterful expert to the earnest apprentice.

James Steen is an award-winning journalist, food writer, author and ghostwriter. He has a deep fascination for both the cook and cooking, and collaborates with great chefs. He ghosted the autobiographies of Marco Pierre White (The Devil in the Kitchen), Raymond Blanc (A Taste of My Life) and Keith Floyd (Stirred But Not Shaken). His other books include Marco Made Easy and Kitchen Secrets. He is a consultant to small-but-pioneering food companies, and contributes to a wide variety of publications. James lives in London with his wife Louise and their children, Charlie, Billy and Daisy.