Join award-winning writer James Steen for a feast of facts, stories, recipes and tips about food and drink.

Delving into forgotten corners of gastronomic history, Steen reveals what Parmesan has to do with broken bones, why John Wayne kept a cow in a hotel and how our attitudes to food have changed over the centuries. Laying bare the secrets of the kitchen, he concocts the ultimate hangover cure and explains how to cook perfect rib of beef with the oven off.

With much-loved cooks including Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood sharing their passion and know-how, this mouth-watering miscellany will sate the appetite of every kitchen dweller, from the masterful expert to the earnest apprentice.