Pies : recipes, history, snippets

This delightful book tells you everything you ever wanted to know about pies - from their surprising beginning in Ancient Egypt, through their adoption by the Romans to their journey to becoming a popular British classic. Did you know that originally the pastry on pies wasn't eaten? Or that what we call pies were once termed 'coffyns' or 'coffers'? Pies reveals these curious facts and is packed with snippets and trivia that will inform and amuse anyone from the avid cook to the culinary novice. Some of our most famous and well-loved dishes are pies - from mince pies at Christmas, to regional specialities which have become national favourites like the Melton Mowbray pork pie and the Cornish pasty.

Jane Struthers takes a look at the origins of these classics and includes easy and accessible recipes for you to try in your own kitchen. From mouthwatering recipes to surprising facts, Pies is packed full of material as appealing as a sumptuous Bakewell Tart or a hearty Steak and Ale pie.