The Kitchen Magpie: A delicious melange of culinary curiosities, fascinating facts, amazing anecdotes and expert tips for the food-lover - Hardcover

'The Kitchen Magpie is a very funny, richly rewarding, happy celebration of food. What a joyful companion!' -- Raymond Blanc OBE 'James Steen has made a comedy of gastronomy - I love this book!' -- Marco Pierre White 'Deliciously entertaining ... highly recommended.' * Piers Morgan * 'A lovely, little, bonkers book. Every loo deserves one.' -- William Sitwell * Editor, Waitrose Kitchen * 'The most amusing book about food I've ever read.' -- Adam Byatt * chef-patron, Trinity * 'I LOVE it! It is like tucking into a delicious dish' * Ken Hom * 'If you are keen to rediscover the fun and sheer Bacchanalian pleasure of food in a slightly bonkers format you will thoroughly enjoy this.' * Spear's * 'A delightful treasure trove of food facts, anecdotes and recipes to dip in and out. From medieval customs to food for astronauts, this lively little compendium never fails to entertain. Perfect for foodies ...' * Waterstones.com * 'Witty and such fun' -- Bee Wilson 'The cookbook-buying trend can become wearing ... This little book is a delightful antidote.' * The Field *

Join award-winning writer James Steen for a feast of food and drink facts and culinary curiosities. Delving into forgotten corners of gastronomic history, Steen reveals what Parmesan has to do with broken bones and why John Wayne kept a cow in a hotel. 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 passion and know-how, this mouth-watering miscellany will sate the appetite of every kitchen dweller, from the masterful expert to the earnest apprentice.