Have you ever wished that you could cook like a professional chef? Anyone preparing for a dinner party will know just how hard it is to get the timing right and making sure the food is cooked and served with the minimum of fuss. Well, in Formulas for Flavours, John Campbell shares the secrets of the professional kitchen so that your will be able to confidently prepare dishes that are tasty and visually pleasing right at home.

The book claims to offer the reader "the next best thing to a day in a professional kitchen." So, what does that mean? Well, within the book, John has brought you ten starters, ten main course recipes and, as if you didn't know, ten dessert recipes. Not many recipes compared to some cook books that offer hundreds, it is true. The purpose, though, is that you learning to prepare these recipes in a professional manner. This means each recipe has detailed steps to follow, accompanied with photos to demostrate the different stages and tasks. Also, potential pitfalls are highlighted so you will produce prefect results without making common mistakes.

So, reading this book will give you great detail in preparing and cooking the recipes. That, though, is only one side of the coin, for it is understanding flavour combinations and science behind cooking that will fully bring out the best from the ingredients you cook with. Again, the book will guide you with chapters on the Essentials, covering Bread, Stocks and Nages, Basic Recipes, Science and Methodology and Composing your Own Dishes.

Here is a book that anyone who is serious about developing their cookery skills should buy. John Campbell is very experienced and respected chef that has received four AA Rosettes and a Michelin Star. He brings out the need for attention to detail in preparing, cooking and plating your dishes that will take your food to a new height of professionalism.