Our first lady of food.' The Irish Independent'There's not much this gourmet grande dame doesn't know.' Nigel Slater, Observer Food MonthlyIn this much-needed book, Darina reconnects you with the cooking skills that missed a generation or two. Chapters include 'Dairy', 'Hens and Eggs', 'Bread' and 'Preserving', and forgotten processes such as smoking mackerel, curing bacon and making yogurt and butter are explained in the simplest terms. The delicious recipes show you how to use your homemade produce to its best, and include ideas for using forgotten cuts of meat, baking bread and cakes and even eating food from the wild.

The 'Vegetables and Herbs' chapter is stuffed with growing tips to satisfy even those with the smallest garden plot or window box, and there are plenty of suggestions for using gluts of vegetables. You'll even discover how to keep a few chickens in the garden. With over 700 recipes, this is the definitive modern guide to traditional cookery skills.