Customer Reviews
Does what it says on the cover - By: Chris, 19 Nov 2008 
I like this book, far more than my wife, as its good wholesome food generally with a slight twist.
None of the recipes particularly blow your mind, but they are all quite easy to make & taste good.
Simple, but not lacking in flavour - By: Mr. A. Gifford, 02 Jul 2008 
I believein simplicity.In my business, at the gym &in the food I eat.This is a godsend. Simple doesn't always mean easy, butin this case it's easy to use & produce delicious food, with a minimum of fuss.Any chef worth their salt will tell you food is at it's best when it's kept simple.Using this as your guide, you can create fantastic meals without slavishly following recipies, as Gary gives you lots of tips & ideas to vary the dishes to suit you.
Typically Gary Rhodes - 'keeping it simple' - By: Amazon Reviewer, 04 May 2007 A cookery book where `the basics' such as simply roasting pork, or lamb or beef & making their natural partners such as Yorkshire Pudding or Horseradish Sauce or `Simply the Best' Potatoes meet the more ambitious sounding:-
'Halloumi with Cucumber Pappardelle & Avocado' & 'Leek, Ham & Brie Slice'!
`This is the book I've wanted to write for so many years, one that isn't dictated or overly influenced by my 30 yearsin professional kitchens.
Yes, there are bits & pieces of that here, but generally, I'm just sharing with you the foods & dishes I like to cook at home....
Good cooking doesn't have to consist of lots of expensive ingredients, 'the simpler the better' couldn't be more accurate.
It's important to remember, however, that `quality' ingredients are the essence of good food. These hold so much flavour which means they don't have to rely on overcomplicated cooking.
Quite a variety of ingredients featurein these pages; most are cheap & easy to find, but none of the recipes are setin stone. Follow your own instincts & use this book as a guide from which to discover & create your own favourites, treating the recipes as a sort of 'pick 'n' mix', swapping & changing ingredients where it suits....
I want you to enjoy cooking & eating from this collection as much as I do...'
415 high quality shiny pages split over 10 main chapters:-
keeping fish simple
keeping seafood simple
keeping poultry simple
keeping pork simple
keeping lamb simple
keeping beef simple
keeping vegetables simple
keeping pasta & rice simple
keeping eggs & cheese simple
keeping desserts simple
sandwiched between an introduction, `my kitchen' & a concise index.
Each chapter opens with relevant narrative & notes e.g. selection & cooking of the specific ingredients.
Simple or basic recipes precede the main ones.
Each recipe is clearly laid out with number of servings, ingredients & method. Most have opening notes & all finish with `and more' hints, which is additional information - to `enhance' or `tweak`.
A majority of the main dishes are accompanied by mouth-watering, full page photographs.
A taste of the recipes within (and there are so many, it really is hard to choose a small selection!):-
Dover sole with hot lemon butter
Turbot t-bone with a béarnaise sauce
Prawn bisque
Chicken with wholegrain mustard asparagus
Roasted duck with red wine blackberries
Pork chops with an apple tart topping
White pork & wild mushroom stew
West Country squab pie
Café de Paris butter
Steak au poivre burger
Asparagus vichyssoise
Ragù
Ratatouille omelette
Clapshot
Pasta tartare
Sloe gin & stilton bites
Chocolate brownie mousse
Steamed Simnel pudding
Cracked raspberry meringue
Another Gary Rhodes book I couldn't live without - By: O. Doyle, 05 Mar 2007 When I moved to the Middle East several years ago I enjoyed great new tastes but after a while I hankered for good old home cooking like Mum used to do but which I never quite mastered. My sister-in-law suggested Gary Rhodes New British Classics & it's a book that is dog-eared from use. I'm the first one to admit that my culinary skills are limited to say the least but Gary's New British Classics recipes are easier than you would expect from a man who does complicated for a living.
When I saw Gary Rhodes bring out a book called `Keeping it Simple'....well it just looked made for those of us who like tasty recipes but who are challengedin the kitchen arena. Keeping it Simple didn't disappoint. The dishes are arranged by section with all the fish recipes together, poultry together & so on. At the beginning of every section Gary details how you identify a good piece of chicken/fish/beef & lists some simple methods of cooking them & some easy complimentary sauces. And all that is before you even see the recipes! The recipes are easy, no-fuss recipes with few ingredients but which are big on taste. The accompanying pictures make your mouth water & although my finished results don't look quite as impressive as Gary's pictures each recipe has been a great success. A definite book for those who want to be able to cook nice food without pulling their hair out!
One of My Top Five - By: A. Panes, 22 Feb 2007 I have been cooking for 20 years & to be honest not a fan of watching gary rhodes but this book is fantastic. All recipes have a handful of ingredients & he proves this is all you need to make a fantastic meal. I have a craving for thick end of pork belly since this book you have to try the recipe, what an underated meat. Every recipe has been fantastic.
