Sophie Conran's Pies
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Who ate all the pies? Well not Sophie Conran, if the cover of her Pies book is anything to go by. It's hard to believe that a suet-crust pie has ever passed the lips of this glamorous cook, and the juxtaposition of svelte figure crossed with pastry, plays some part in explaining how Sophie Conran is revolutionising the image of the humble pie.
Once derided as a fatty snack-food associated with half-time on the terraces or a cheap comestible incubating behind chip-shop glass cabinets, the pie has gone through something of a renaissance in recent years. Today you'd be hard pushed to find it omitted from any Gastropub menu in the land, and here's where Sophie Conran steps in, with her comprehensive compendium of pies.
Sophie believes pies can be a nutritious additive-free food, and extolling the virtues of their make-ahead quality, they are perfect for people feeding families with little or no time to spare - helpfully she includes just how far each recipe will stretch when serving adults or children. The beginning of the book starts with a potted history of the pie. Did you know that as you tuck into your favourite chicken and mushroom you have the Egyptians to thank for inventing the pie's very humble origins?
Next, Sophie includes an invaluable reference to pastry types, choosing the right pie dish and more importantly, how to make your pastry casing. However saying that, this book is not just about recipes with pastry - Sophie's pies come topped with mash, polenta or sweet potato, have layers of pasta or are wrapped in banana leaves, and some of them could even be called quiches or cakes. So there are the staple Shepherd's, Fish and Sausage Pies, alongside more daring fillings like Smoked Trout and Almond, Osso Bucco and Italian Cottechino with Lentils.
As most pies are just made for sharing, Sophie is not afraid to include recipes from the rest of the Conran clan, there's her mother's Steak and Kidney next to brother Jasper's version, Uncle Antonio Carluccio's Calzone, and even her children's stepmother's Coconut and Chicken creation. Sophie's constant references to how her children have inspired her cooking is touching. At this time of year, as winter closes in, reading this book will give you a feeling inside just as warm as the centre of a freshly cooked pie.
Nora Ryan
Once derided as a fatty snack-food associated with half-time on the terraces or a cheap comestible incubating behind chip-shop glass cabinets, the pie has gone through something of a renaissance in recent years. Today you'd be hard pushed to find it omitted from any Gastropub menu in the land, and here's where Sophie Conran steps in, with her comprehensive compendium of pies.
Sophie believes pies can be a nutritious additive-free food, and extolling the virtues of their make-ahead quality, they are perfect for people feeding families with little or no time to spare - helpfully she includes just how far each recipe will stretch when serving adults or children. The beginning of the book starts with a potted history of the pie. Did you know that as you tuck into your favourite chicken and mushroom you have the Egyptians to thank for inventing the pie's very humble origins?
Next, Sophie includes an invaluable reference to pastry types, choosing the right pie dish and more importantly, how to make your pastry casing. However saying that, this book is not just about recipes with pastry - Sophie's pies come topped with mash, polenta or sweet potato, have layers of pasta or are wrapped in banana leaves, and some of them could even be called quiches or cakes. So there are the staple Shepherd's, Fish and Sausage Pies, alongside more daring fillings like Smoked Trout and Almond, Osso Bucco and Italian Cottechino with Lentils.
As most pies are just made for sharing, Sophie is not afraid to include recipes from the rest of the Conran clan, there's her mother's Steak and Kidney next to brother Jasper's version, Uncle Antonio Carluccio's Calzone, and even her children's stepmother's Coconut and Chicken creation. Sophie's constant references to how her children have inspired her cooking is touching. At this time of year, as winter closes in, reading this book will give you a feeling inside just as warm as the centre of a freshly cooked pie.
Nora Ryan
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i went out for supper and ate chicken wrapped with puff pastry and filled with prawns, and a yellow sauce, do u have the recipe. thanks janet