Why This Book Still Matters
This week’s book I’ve pulled down from the shelf is In Search of Perfection by Heston Blumenthal, published by Bloomsbury.
This one isn’t a “stick it on the shelf and forget it” kind of book. It’s a solid dive. Eight recipes in total — but when I say recipes, don’t think quick dinners. Each one is pulled apart until you see how far you can push a dish. History, culture, memory, method. Nothing left untouched.
That’s what makes it special: the way Heston dissects food, showing you that what we take for granted on the plate has a whole story and a thousand details behind it.
Spaghetti Bolognese — Or Is It?
The recipe that’s always stuck with me is what we like to call spaghetti bolognese.
Except here’s the kicker: bolognese as a sauce doesn’t even exist. It’s another one of those made-up British names that took root. Go to Bologna, and you’ll find ragù — slow, rich, deep — and it’s nothing like the stuff we grew up calling “spag bol.”
“Bolognese as a sauce doesn’t even exist. What you find in Bologna is ragù — and it’s a whole different approach.”
Heston does what he does best: pulls it apart, layer by layer. He rebuilds the dish from the ground up, chasing depth of flavour, looking at technique, even questioning the ingredients we think belong there.
It’s not about speed. It’s not about convenience. It’s about obsession. A chef refusing to accept the default version of anything.
Chef’s Tip from the Book
💡 Sweat onions with a whole star anise.
It gives a richer, meatier umami hit. Works in any onion dish — a small move that changes everything.
What It Teaches You
That’s why this book has never left my shelf.
Every dish inside is a lesson: how to push further, how to respect detail, how to never stop asking “what if?” Eight recipes, yes — but each one is a masterclass in going beyond the ordinary.
Pick it up, and you’ll never look at something as simple as shepherd’s pie, roast chicken, or bolognese the same way again.
Royal Nyborg Smokehouse 