Four Seasons Cookbook

by Margaret Costa, Delia Smith

This volume brings back to the kitchen the cycle of the seasons. It is written for people who care about eating well by using fresh foods in season and about feeding families with good food which is neither elaborate nor time-consuming.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Reference

337 pages, Hardcover

First published July 20, 1972

Reviews

[Maggie]

Years ago, I read Roast Chicken and Other Stories (by Simon Hopkinson) and did a little double take because at one point he talks about a cookbook: "Margaret Costa wrote on oof my all-time favorite recipe books. It is called The Four Seasons Cookery Book." He goes on to say that Margaret and "her husband, Bill Lacy, had a restaurant called Lacy's on Whitfield Street, London." And here's the thing - in 1978, when I was a senior in high school, my mother took me to London for two weeks - and one of the places we ate at was ... Lacy's. I can't remember what we ate - but I do remember that it was a special meal, an exciting meal, a destination meal.

I finally tracked down a copy of The Four Seasons Cookery Book. And while I've not yet made anything from it, I love its pert and forthright style, and I may try the cold avocado soup on one hot night to come.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mum had a copy of this book, and her particular favourite from it was the coffee and almond cake, although beware the measurements which she gets spectacularly wrong sometimes (Margaret C, not my mum). Basically, you need twice the amount of cake mixture she specifies and half the amount of butter icing or you could end up on a sugar/caffeine rush that will last for months. I saw this book again at the Cairo Bookfair of all places, just reprinted with funky new cover, so for nostalgia reasons I got it. Mind you, now everyone's into seasonal cooking, slow cooking, not destroying the environment with too many 'food miles' etc. it's fairly appropriate.

[Judith Page · Rating 2 out of 5]

Instructions were not clear.

The good thing was there are ingredient weights. The bad thing was there wasn’t any indication of how many servings or what size pans to use.

[diana jeuda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had it for years and continue to use it. Full of interesting recipes that make you want to cook. One of the all time greats of English traditional cooking.