John Major’s recipe is Laurent Perrier Rose Champagne frozen and then eaten while Tony Blair’s went for a chocolate sponge

John Major’s ‘slush puppy for the very rich’

Recipes by the famous, the Royals, and the not so famous have been collected into one mouth-watering cookery book, writes Clare Latimer

The City of London Cookbook by Peter Gladwin is published by Accent, £12.99. order this book

PRIME ministers and cooking prove to be a recipe for disaster in Peter Gladwin’s entertaining new cookery book – but more of that later.
Peter is without doubt the best choice to compile this delicious ramble through the City of London, weaving his way through the tiny back lanes, over the bridges, round all the grand halls and churches garnishing his journey with steak and kidney pies, marzipan bumblebees, eggs Benedict and Eton Mess.
Contributed recipes come from an impressive list of people, including David Cameron, Terence Conran, Josceline Dimbleby, HRH Duke of Kent, Ken Livingstone, Gordon Ramsay, a handful of lords, ladies and canons – and no less than two prime ministers.
Tony Blair has given the only truly boring recipe in the book, which is chocolate sponge cake made from margarine not butter.
It could, frankly, have come out of a Ministry of Food manual on making the most of one’s post-war rations.
Another one for the back burner was from Sir John Major. Quote from the book: “He spent weeks corresponding with us on what his story, anecdote or recipe contribution would be and then at last presented ‘a slush puppy for the very rich’.” It was Laurent Perrier Rose Champagne frozen then eaten. Too good to freeze was Peter’s reaction. Peter started his catering business around 30 years ago. Since then he has cracked the City of London and catered in almost every impressive building in the square mile. He is a totally hands-on chef.
He has written two recipe books, often appears on television, runs master-classes for charity and even makes wine with his own West Sussex-grown grapes.
Peter is very much a new-style chef, as distinct from those who use 100 words were 10 would do and 10 saucepans where three would do. He also cooks with ingredients that you and I can easily get hold of, and steers clear of exclusive nonsense like cocoa butter and Diamalt.
Anton Mosimann is another such chef that I have admired since 1985 when we were both judges for the best restaurant and hotel in Jersey award. Recently dining at his restaurant in West Halkin Street I started with a salmon and crab salad with pickled ginger. The combination of ginger and salmon was second to none and to my delight this is the very recipe he has donated to Peter’s collection.
The book is beautifully presented with simple but classy illustrations, tactile paper and a lovely colour contrast of blue cover with rich plush red to line the inside and very reasonably priced at £12.99.
The size is very handy, the recipes laid out well, but the index can only be described as bizarre. I tested it out on four friends and each one was baffled. Instead of using page numbers it uses chapter numbers and more numbers to identify the recipe. Perhaps that’s the way they do things in the City?
My only other quibble is that the measurements are only given in grams etc with good old pounds and ounces nowhere to be seen. I know this is correct in today’s world but my readers still prefer the choice.
The City of London is not just about money – one of the cogs that keeps the financial wheel turning at meetings and conferences is food and drink.
Certainly, the days of long lunches trailing into port and brandy to keep you going until the pubs opened are gone, but there are still enough big tummys and red faces in City circles to indicate that food and drink still reign supreme.
Peter has tweaked some of the recipes to make them work better. And there are many that I will be cooking, such as the milk-roasted loin of pork with honey and mustard; the rack of venison with red onion marmalade; lavender and honey crème brulee, and cinnamon and Armagnac ice cream.
I’m also strangely tempted by Antony Worrall Thompson’s Spotted Dick – in a manner of speaking.
This is a great book to read in bed, marking pages (I still haven’t got the hang of the index), noting the wine suggestions and reading the quotes with which the recipes are seasoned.
“There is no sincerer love than the love of food,” said George Bernard Shaw. Very true – and this book illustrates it to perfection.
It was published to raise money for The Treloar Trust www.treloar.org.uk which does remarkable work providing opportunities for disabled children.