DAVID HERBERT REVIEWS:Sue Lawrence's A Cook's Tour Of Scotland - From Barra To Brora In 120 Recipes

Thoughts on the book
Sue Lawrence's books are the first pages I turn to when looking for authentic Scottish food. Her newest sensation, A Cook's Tour of Scotland, combines the cookbook genre with ingenious storytelling to create a unique blend of humour, wit, passion and excitement fit for any appetite.

Sue offers more than just the ingredients and instructions involved in the making of Scotland's finest delicacies; she leads readers on her journey through the regions of Scotland, its people, ingredients and the varied tastes they have on offer.

In her introduction to each chapter she serves up a blend of thoughtful, humorous, and often extremely exciting stories about her experiences of cooking - from her childhood to present day, alongside anecdotes on subjects such as the history of bacon, her view of which lobster, langoustines and crab are best enjoyed, and the sheep dog named Del who rounds up the lamb.

Sue's ingenuity, acclaimed writing style and taste for good food clearly exhibits her love of Scotland and the food which it inspires, and she incites the same passion and delight in her readers.

Trying out a recipe
I have made the simple (but inspired) Smoked haddock with black pudding and bacon twice... with great success. This recipe is divine. It is the type of dish that you want to linger over, glass of red wine in hand, preferably looking out over a loch or the sea, while thanking your lucky stars for such fabulous Scottish produce (the red wine is the obvious, but nevertheless welcome, intruder into this Arcadian scene).