The People’s Cookbook – a celebration of our lives through food
The People’s Cookbook premieres from 3rd September at 9pm on UKTV Food
Back for an eagerly anticipates second series The People’s Cookbook tells the story of people’s lives through their love affair with food and presents a snapshot of contemporary food culture in Britain. From toad in the hole, to Mexican tortilla’s, trifle to samosas and mouthwatering beef kebabs, the series serves up a mix of regional ingredients, multicultural flavours, and culinary heirlooms that have shaped the taste buds of the nation in the 21st Century.
Fronted by top chefs Antony Worrall Thompson and Paul Rankin, the landmark series features recipes supplied and selected by the Great British public. Starting with 60 tantalising recipes, these are whittled down to 30 as Antony and Paul go head to head in a ‘cook off’ in front of a live studio audience. The winning recipe is then guaranteed a place in the book, The People’s Cookbook, which will be published to accompany the television series in September.
After series one earlier this year, over 1500 people submitted their recipes and the stories behind their dish. All the winning recipes from the television series will be available in a fabulous book – The People’s Cookbook. The book is packed with the top 100 fantastic recipes from series one and two - all created by the British public.
The recipes have been handed down by grandmothers, passed on by friends or created by viewers and it’s the emotive stories behind the mouth watering dishes that highlight the real stars of the campaign. Meet Yufrita Skyner, who lives in Scotland but was born in Indonesia and had gone back for her sister’s wedding the day the tsunami hit. Against all the odds she heroically managed to save both her sons from the flood water. Yufrita’s recipe is Gado Gado vegetable salad served with a peanut sauce dressing, a traditional dish which she and her nine siblings used to help her mother make sitting under the mango tree in the garden. The recipe is so special to Yufrita as her house and garden we destroyed in the tsunami and it reminds her of happier times.
Then there’s Paul Evans who sings with the famous Rhosllanerchrugog Male Voice Choir. His recipe of Great Granny’s Sunday Tea Cake has been handed down the generations from his great Grandmother who was born in 1848. Paul was very close to his own granny who managed to prepare amazing food despite having no running water, gas or electricity. She used to make one version of the cake for weekdays but added a special twist for Sundays. This dish goes down very well when Paul takes the cake along to his weekly choir rehearsals!
The People’s Cookbook will travel the length and the breadth of the UK exploring the stories behind and the provenance of some of our favourite dishes suggested and voted for by the public. Surprise ingredients, regional variations, age old recipes and global flavours are blended into a unique culinary romp through the story of contemporary food in the UK today.
