The author has had a lifelong interest in food which she pursued professionally beginning in 1974. She has worked in a variety of establishments and prefers country house cooking to a la carte. This is a compilation of her personal recipe file which she built up during her time in the industry. Although the recipes are intended for volume catering she has included scaled-down versions for the family table. For a full understanding of her repertoire and expertise read 'The Curious Cook's Book' by the same author, available from Lulu and Amazon.