FROM THE PUBLISHER

London's vibrant Mezzo restaurant, owned by designer and culinary impresario Terence Conran, encompases two restaurants, three bars, a cafe, and a bakery and patisserie, all bound together by the singular vision of its chef, John Torode. Showing the highest regard for the essential flavors of seasonal produce, food at Mezzo has made its mark at the forefront of British cooking. Ingredients, flavors and cooking methods are drawn from sources throughout Europe and Southeast Asia, and this freestyle approach to the global kitchen results in food that is both exciting and distinctly different.

In The Mezzo Cookbook with John Torode, cooking at home takes on a new meaning. Forget the dauntingly complicated approach of yesterday's restaurant cuisine, and allow yourself to be seduced by the simplicity and straightforward flavors of real food. Over 100 accessible and easy-to-follow recipes, organized into chapters from Soups and Noodles to Spice and Sugar, offer fresh interpretations of classic dishes from both East and West, such as Stiri-Fried King Crab with Garlic and Chili, Roast Saddle of Lamb with Mushroom Tortellini, and Steamed Sticky Rice and Banana.

From coconut milk and lemon grass to palm sugar and vanilla, the book offers straightforward advice on buying, preparing and presenting the foods that are set to become the staples of the future. A chapter on essential recipes like Chicken Stock and Chili Jam, clear explanations of preferred techniques, along with atmospheric recipe photography, and illuminating shots of key ingredients, make The Mezzo Cookbook with John Torode the ultimate manual for the modern kitchen.

FROM THE CRITICS

Esquire

. . .some of the most savory and sumptuous food in Europe right now.

Esquire