English Puddings

There can be few kitchens without at least one fruit-stained Mary Norwak book on their shelves and thanks to so many of today's superchefs featuring classic dishes on their signature menus, we are all rediscovering the delights of our native puddings, both sweet and savoury; Steak and Kidney Pudding, Summer Pudding and Bread and Butter Pudding are all now appearing in the smartest restaurants - and rightly so. The culinary pendulum is swinging back to a style of eating consisting of simple, unfussy plates of delicious slow-cooked meats and gently stewed seasonal fruits, many of which virtually cook themselves, and allowing us to eat well without expensive, imported ingredients. As well as a wonderful collection of recipes which spans trifles, syllabubs, fools, fritters, dumplings, pies and tarts, Mary Norwak also gives us a fascinating insight into the history of all these now popular dishes.