Have you ever dreamt of changing careers to become a chef, winning national acclaim? That is just what sixty-year old MasterChef winner Peter Bayless has done, and this book marks the start of his career in food writing. 'My Father Could Only Boil Cornflakes' charts his life through food and gives a behind the scenes glance at what it is like to take part it the fearsome competition.

The reader is taken on a journey through Peter's life as he explains his culinary influences and how he learnt to cook, culminating in his triumph in the BBC MasterChef kitchens. His story is interjected with favourite recipes, which in themselves tell a story of the changing food fashions of Britain. We move from a childhood in war-torn London documented by recipes such as steak and kidney pudding, boiled beef and carrots, and bread and butter pudding to an increasing sophistication of cooking in his later years.

Peter writes about each stage of the MasterChef contest, as contestants undertake challenges from cooking in the Ritz to cooking in the Arctic Circle for marines. Each chapter is illustrated with dishes that he mastered which reveal the breadth of his culinary knowledge. Throughout these chapters we are given a fascinating insight into the production processes involved in making a televised competition and the workings of the programme makers. Peter writes candidly about his competitors, his onscreen portrayal and how the editing team may have contributed to his win being publicly lambasted by some.

The book concludes with the stunning three course meal that earned Peter the title BBC MasterChef 2006. With clear skill and passion, Peter relays the recipes for his winning Braised Fillet of Turbot with Fresh Leaves and Tomato Butter, Two Kinds of Duck with l'Agliot, Potato Galette, Creamed Savoy Cabbage and Red Wine Sauce with Mushrooms and his Mini Gateau Paris-Brest.