Coming Home : With over 150 Easy to Make Recipes from Return of the Chef

I'd had my first vague thoughts about opening a restaurant in England towards the end of my year's stay in France, while working on French Leave. Living in that unspoilt area of France, enjoying no-fuss dishes made from seasonal local ingredients, had taught me that food didn't have to be fancy to be good. When we left France I wondered if it would be possible to capture what I'd learned and somehow bring it back to England.

Arriving back in the UK on the ferry to Plymouth, I was struck by the natural beauty of the countryside in the general area. Here was a region rich in natural produce: the iron-rich soil and lush pastureland perfect for yielding the best meat and dairy produce, the beautiful orchards of apples and pears, the river estuaries with their wonderful range of fresh and seawater fish and shellfish. There were even vineyards, for heaven's sake! I decided that if I was going to open a restaurant in England, Devon was the county to do it in.

One look at the spectacular setting of The Carved Angel on the River Dart, and I was completely bowled over. Formerly owned by the legendary Joyce Molyneux, to my mind one of the best British chefs ever, I knew that buying this lovely waterfront restaurant was the right thing to do. I feel more privileged than I can say to have been able to buy it and to continue its fine traditions of excellence. Opening the restaurant as The New Angel has been the perfect homecoming.

I'd like to think that this book, and the 8-part primetime television series which accompanies it, is a tribute to the best that England, as a whole, has to offer. Some of the dishes are from The New Angel repertoire, others are personal or family favourites. All of them are easy to make, and I hope there's something here for everyone and that you get as much pleasure from the recipes as I have.

John Burton Race was born in Singapore in 1957, the son of a British diplomat, and he spent his formative years travelling the globe, experiencing a multitude of cuisines. His family settled in Hampshire and his journey to create the most beautiful food began then, and encompassed sous chef at Les Manoir Quat' Saisons, Oxford and head chef and manager of Le Petit Blanc, Oxford. In 1986, John opened a restaurant of his own — L'Ortolan, in Berkshire, gaining and maintaining two Michelin stars from 1986 until 2000. From 2000 until 2003 he ran The Landmark restaurant, in London's Landmark Hotel, and reclaimed not one, but two Michelin stars within the first year of trading.