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River Cottage Every Day

River Cottage Every Day

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Putting food on the table for the family quickly and economically doesn't mean you have to compromise on quality. This book shows how Hugh's approach to food can be adapted to suit any growing, working family, or busy young singles and couples for that matter. Breakfast, baking, lunchboxes, quick suppers, healthy snacks, eating on the move and weekend cooking for the week ahead – all these, and more, will be covered in River Cottage Every Day.

As Hugh says:

'I make no prior assumptions about where you shop, what you may or may not know about growing vegetables or keeping livestock, whether you can tell the difference between a swede and turnip, or know what to do with a belly of pork and a breast of lamb. Instead, I'll show you easy and confidence-inspiring ways with cuts of meat, types of fish and other ingredients you may not have tried before. And I'll offer you new approaches that I hope will breath new life to familiar staples, like rice, spuds, beans, and your daily bread.

Above all, I intend to tempt you irresistibly towards a better life with food, with a whole raft of recipes that I think you will love. I hope some of them will become your absolute favourites, and the favourites of your dear friends and beloved family. I hope that the dishes you like best will infiltrate and influence your cooking, giving you increased confidence and fresh ideas. In short, I hope that before long, cooking simple and delicious food from the best seasonal ingredients becomes second nature and first priority for you, not just once in a while, but every day.'

416 pages, Hardcover

First published October 5, 2009

100 people are currently reading
1475 people want to read

About the author

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

81 books186 followers
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a British celebrity chef, smallholder, television presenter, journalist, food writer and "real food" campaigner, known for his back-to-basics philosophy.

A talented writer, broadcaster and campaigner, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is widely known for his uncompromising commitment to seasonal, ethically produced food and has earned a huge following through his River Cottage TV series and books.

His early smallholding experiences were shown in the Channel 4 River Cottage series and led to the publication of The River Cottage Cookbook (2001), which won the Glenfiddich Trophy and the André Simon Food Book of the Year awards.

The success of the show and the books allowed Hugh to establish River Cottage HQ near Bridport in 2004.

In the same year, Hugh published The River Cottage Meat Book to wide acclaim and won a second André Simon Food Book of the Year Award.

He has just finished filming his most recent series, which accompanies his most recent book, River Cottage Every Day.

He continues to write as a journalist, including a weekly column in The Guardian and is Patron of the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association (FARMA).

River Cottage HQ moved in 2006, to a farm near the Dorset/Devon border, where visitors can take a variety of courses. http://www.rivercottage.net

During River Cottage Spring (2008) Hugh helped a group of Bristol families start a smallholding on derelict council land.

The experience was so inspiring he decided to see if it would work nationwide, and Landshare was created to bring keen growers and landowners together. The movement now includes more than 50,000 people.

Son of https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

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5 stars
895 (42%)
4 stars
765 (36%)
3 stars
343 (16%)
2 stars
64 (3%)
1 star
35 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
Profile Image for Jules.
1,078 reviews234 followers
December 13, 2016
I'm having a cookbook clear-out, and have decided to leave reviews for some of the cookbooks before I donate them to charity.

I'm currently on the fence with this one, as not sure whether to keep it or give it to charity. Might have another read through it one evening and see how many recipes I'm likely to use in the future. I do love Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipes.
Profile Image for Dean Jones.
355 reviews29 followers
June 3, 2018
I love everything by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and this work is no exception. Great illustrations and and lovely recipes and other directional writings this book is a treasure. I will purchase this for my cookbook collection. Makes a great gift.
Profile Image for Anne Brockhoff.
20 reviews1 follower
June 27, 2014
Hugh walks you through the day, from breakfast to sweets, in his encouraging voice. You'll notice from the photos that not all British ingredients look the same as American (his pork chops have a thicker rind) and others simply aren't as readily available (game birds and venison are widely available in British grocery & butcher stores). Still, an entertaining read packed with recipes you might actually make. Buy or borrow? I'm borrowing it now, but will likely buy in the future.
Profile Image for Belinda.
558 reviews20 followers
April 24, 2015
These River Cottage books are such good, reliable cook books filled with the kind of recipes it's both possible and practical to make at home. The best chapters are the ones on bread and vegetables. Highly recommended (although Veg Everyday is still my River Cottage favourite).
Profile Image for Rachel.
1,223 reviews
May 31, 2025
A book which mostly focuses on different cooking techniques. Handy, especially for newer cooks.

Highly recommend: Tabula kisir - tabbouleh with bells on! Winner dinner
A labour of love to chop, but worth it. Very glad I have a good mini processor attachment with stick blender.
Mr suggested swapping peppers for jarred roasted peppers, which I think I a good idea for flavour.
Made 6 generous portions

I’ll probably make the Baked Chicken Curry, Chicken with Mushrooms & Cider and Chicken and Couscous Salad sometime
Profile Image for Rhodri Jones.
29 reviews
November 9, 2018
Nigel Slater produces easy to prepare, easy to impress, food, with relatively common ingredients. I was particularly impressed with the simplicity of the recipes. My particular favourite was the recipe for sourdough bread, shortening the actual time of preparation and giving a modest crumb, (Chad Robertson's "Tartine" is now the Holy Writ on this matter!).
A valuable resource of how to make good-looking, tasty, easy to prepare food.
Profile Image for Joanna.
45 reviews5 followers
February 15, 2019
A great, fresh cookbook that I have genuine excitement to try some of the recipies from, each chapter is accompanied by an interesting introduction by Hugh to how he prepares his own breakfasts, dinners etc. An excellent cook book with great images throughout.
Profile Image for Anna.
1,010 reviews10 followers
June 28, 2025
Five star

Nice easy home cooking with an eye towards cooking in season with a decidedly British twist. A few pictures to support the recipes and plenty of variations within to use up or change around.
49 reviews21 followers
February 9, 2019
One of my absolutely favourite cookbooks. Predated Ottolenghi and, while I enjoy the superior styling of his books, this remains a favourite go-to source.
1,921 reviews
April 24, 2024
Great book. Very earth oriented, you can almost envision the garden. Creative, accessible recipes. Yumm!
Profile Image for Karen.
23 reviews
May 5, 2012
I checked this out from the library and have enjoyed the voice of the intros and recipes. I've made the chorizo twice and that's been lovely - very tasty and lasts all week. The lunch box ideas are great, too. I'm having the mustardy beef lentil salad for lunch today and looking forward to my third serving this week. Yum! The meat chapter is a little weird, though. There are plenty of cuts that I'm just not going to get her in America at the supermarket or butcher. And there's an entire lengthy chapter on fish, but I've resolved to eat less fish and only at restaurants lately because of the environmental issues. He does present options for low-impact fish and seafood, and the recipes sound really tasty if you want to do fish at home. The salads are staller, love the desserts, and the photography is delicious and quirky with little drawings and handwriting. I got this as a wedding present for my brother and fiance who enjoy eating locally and sustainably are getting married on the farm where they get their CSA, so I hope they'll enjoy the ideas and attitude of the book.
Profile Image for Tim.
396 reviews9 followers
August 11, 2015
I've been a fan of HF-W from his very first days and have nearly, if not all, his cookbooks plus many of the Pocket Series.
Although I've given this 4 * 's its not the type of cookbook I like.
Themed books on a particular food type or country make sense, this type, which is neither doesn't.
Do people really bother to sift through a large book like this to see if there's anything they fancy making?
This is the second copy I've bought, the first to add to my collection, the second to give as a present. Both bought in mint, untouched condition from charity shops at £2-00 and £2-50 against a list price of £25.
I suppose the plus side is that with so many available cheaply that those who need an economic way of cooking for a family and can't afford £25 will be able to afford £2-00 !

There are many who will buy it because of the author, there are many who receive it as a gift and can't be bothered to do the sifting so give to a worthy cause.
One copy was given by a daughter to her father and in her little note inscribed inside, ended with the word ' Enjoy ' obviously he didn't !
Profile Image for Barbara Barna.
28 reviews6 followers
September 30, 2011
Although a British chef/author, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall seems like he - and his family - could easily fit in my Brooklyn neighborhood. This cookbook is spot on in terms of flavor, instruction, ease & realistic preparation for a busy person/family who wants delicious unpretentious food everyday. It's my new go-to and so far I have loved everything I have made. Special mention goes to Paul McCloskey at the Carroll Gardens branch of BPL who pulled this for me, saying I would love it. He was right.
Profile Image for Emily.
111 reviews
June 11, 2012
This is one of those cookbooks that inspires me each time I pull it from the shelf. I was looking for ideas for packed lunches yesterday. After a quick flip through I ended up with some chilled beet soup (with spiced yogurt) and a fritatta to pack all week! Also reminded myself how much I love Hugh's version of an energy bar, baked with peanut butter, seeds, dried fruit, and honey.

Not only is this book great, but it made me aware of all of the other River Cottage cookbooks. All exceptional!
Profile Image for Dominica.
37 reviews2 followers
October 12, 2012
This delightful cookbook is another reminder of just how inventive British cooks can be with classic recipes, and the classic produce of British kitchen gardens. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall takes us through the day with recipes ranging from breakfast, snacks, lunchboxes, to high tea and suppers. There are also some dinner party choices, including desserts and puddings. Look for innovative takes such as Beet and Walnut Hummus, Stewed Venison with Juniper and Bay, Raspberry and Strawberry Eton Mess, and be sure to invite your friends to the party!
7 reviews
November 20, 2011
I own quite a few cook books, tend to cook the odd thing from most of them. This is certainly not the case with this book. Not only is it a pleasure to either read or flick through, it is rather lovely to cook from too. There are things to cook and make that I'd never really considered and quite a lot of it can be fairly budget friendly. All in a lovely book that wouldn't be out of place on your coffee table, but far better in your kitchen.
Profile Image for emily.
108 reviews26 followers
June 29, 2013
the best. the chocolate chip cookies are the best thing i've ever tasted, everyone in my family loves them. i tried a few recipes from different sections and they all turned out deliciously (a lamb chop one in particular). sadly i only borrowed my copy from the library, but i will definitely be purchasing my own copy. especially as berries are now in season here, i can't wait to try the smoothies and so many of the fruit recipes! hugh is a really inspirational cook.
Profile Image for Tara.
Author 9 books19 followers
July 1, 2011
I love the voice of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingsall. I used to watch him on TV in England, and his philosophy of enjoying sustainable food, of sustaining oneself and other people, and of not taking things too seriously comes through in this book of easy recipes and lovely photos with doodles drawn over them.
Profile Image for Kashi.
27 reviews2 followers
August 21, 2011
I love cookbooks. I read them often and not just skim through them, but literally read them. The intro, the chapters, the actual recipes. This book had something that looked delightful on each page. And more than that, it offered practical advice on making lunches during the week, how to use leftovers, etc. Things that people really want to know when cooking a big meal.
Profile Image for زاهي رستم.
Author 16 books206 followers
November 29, 2013
I learned making bread from Hugh, till now I make River Cottage bread in my kitchen. After that I learned his way in using bread crumbles... and then I try to read his books and watch his video. For me he is the best in cooking... and his ways are suitable for me and for my life style.


Thanks Hugh, keep going...
Profile Image for Kyla.
1,009 reviews16 followers
November 9, 2011
I enjoyed it in principle but suffers from the British cookbook syndrome - not his fault! - of highlighting quince, forced early spring rhubarb, custards and so much lamb. Thus, not entirely useful to me.
Profile Image for Jaq.
2,222 reviews2 followers
July 3, 2013
This is another awesome River Cottage cookbook to add to my collection. I love the simplicity and also the real food that this book represents. It is a great addition to my cookbook collection, and an ideal accompaniment to my vegetable garden!
Profile Image for Emily.
1,662 reviews7 followers
November 19, 2013
God these books are gorgeous! I want to eat nearly everything in them as well! If you've never had the pleasure of skimming one of these beauties I highly recommend anything coming out of River Cottage or generally Fearnley-Whittingstall's mind!
Profile Image for Lime.
165 reviews
September 9, 2022
This is my favourite of the River Cottage books. Many of these recipes were featured in the seasons episodes of the tv program. Lots of veg recipes and some of the best desserts; the easy rich chocolate cake is a winner.
Profile Image for julie.
261 reviews1 follower
December 28, 2010
just got this from amazon and have already made two things from it! it's gonna be a keeper.
Profile Image for James.
121 reviews1 follower
July 29, 2010
I'm new to cooking and this book is fantastic. Good simple dishes that appeal to me, well illustrated and explained. Very pleased with it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews

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