Blumenthal book

With his obsessive drive to find new ways to prepare and serve food, Heston Blumenthal is an important figure in contemporary cookery.

His television programmes in which he sought ways to cook perfect versions of well known dishes were brilliant, though its unlikely any of us would create a deep, brick-lined pit in our back gardens to cook chicken tikka masala.

I wonder, though, abut his latest venture - a heavy, lavishly produced cookery book that sells for a hundred quid.

It's a sad fact that the vast majority of recipe books are never used. They simply adorn shelves or coffee tables.