BEEF: THE UNTOLD STORY OF HOW MILK, MEAT AND MUSCLE SHAPED THE WORLD

As you may have noticed, things have been a bit quiet on the blog lately.

HP, who has been performing sterling work eating for the two of us, has started a new job and I, as those of you have been following along will know, am in Spain finishing work on my book.

I am back next week and already have a selection of places to visit as I try and catch up. So, watch this space.

In the meantime, apropos of HP’s exemplary short series on STEAK, I thought I would recommend the splendid book above to you all.

I first became aware of BEEF when the publishers got in touch and asked me to provide a cover blurb for it. They whizzed a copy across continents and it plopped through my door a few weeks ago as I was enjoying a chilled manzanilla on the balcony.

Although I had plenty of other things on my mind, one glance and I was hooked by Andrew Rimas and Evan Fraser's enjoyable writing style and finished the book in a couple of sessions.

It brings together genuine enthusiasm for all things bovine, from the steakhouses of the USA to Japanese Kobe beef and is supported by superb research and lots of anecdotal history from Spanish bullrings to rural Africa with which you can bore your foodie friends

A terrific read and well worth picking up a copy when it is published later this year by William Morrow.

As I said in my blurb, above all, it just makes you want to go out and eat a huge steak and there can be no higher compliment than that as I am sure HP would agree.