The Complete Aga Cookbook

Book excerpt: Whether you are an AGA aficionado or have never cooked on an AGA before, Mary Berry and Lucy Young's new AGA cookbook is just what you need by your side. It is 30 years since AGA first got in touch with Mary Berry about producing the AGA handbook and 15 since she followed it up with Mary Berry's New Aga Cookbook - now she has combined, improved, updated and revamped those books with Lucy's help to produce The Complete Aga Cookbook, which deserves its place on all 21st-century kitchen shelves. There have been many new trends in cooking in the intervening years, and a plethora of new ingredients, and Mary explores them in new recipes, adapting many ideas to the Aga way of cooking. As Mary herself says, an Aga rapidly becomes the centre attraction of the kitchen, acting as a warm focus for family, friends and animals. And cooking on an Aga is a joy: its spacious ovens produce perfectly cooked dishes, time after time. But we haven't forgotten those who cook on conventional cookers and instructions are supplied on each recipe. Complete with all the AGA user information, Mary and Lucy help you get the most out of your AGA as they guide the reader through time- and energy-saving tips - from melting chocolate on the back shelf, to frying drop scones on the Boiling Plate and slow roasting overnight in your Simmering Oven. A few recipes will be familiar (adapted old favourites, which she just couldn't bear to leave out) but, whether new or old, all have been cooked to perfection in the Aga, showing how versatile it really is.