Bought, Borrowed & Stolen: Recipes and Knives from a Travelling Chef - Tapa dura

It doesn't matter where you are in the world, to any chef worth their salt, knives and ingredients are the most important things. Bought, Borrowed & Stolen brings them together, as they should be, for the first time. This book is an authentic glimpse into food and cultures, and is filled with Allegra's favourite dishes eaten over 20 years of travelling, tasting and scribbling.As a chef Allegra had developed a healthy admiration for the tools of her trade, and searching for a knife that reflected the country she was currently eating in became her quest. Allegra tells the stories of her travels through the knives she has collected on the way, from aesthetically-crafted filleting knives from Scandinavia to simple, effective and impressive African tools, and includes several recipes inspired by each country. From Spanish pea and ham croquetas and Malawian pumpkin curry to Brazilian breakfast juice and Cuban banana daiquiri's - these are straightforward and interesting recipes you will have never cooked before but will want to eat again and again.

Allegra McEvedy has been cooking professionally for 20 years, working her way through a clutch of London's best restaurants before becoming more known for her work as a cookery writer for the Guardian as G2's Chef in Residence. In 2003, Allegra co-founded LEON, the award-winning, healthy, fast-food restaurant group, which currently has 11 restaurants serving over 70,000 people a week.In the summer of 2009, Allegra co-presented Economy Gastronomy, a six-part BBC prime-time series about spending less and using ingredients wisely. She is a Fellow of the RSA, a Spokesperson for The Fairtrade Foundation, and has written four bestselling books: The Good Cook (2000), Allegra McEvedy's Colour Cookbook (2006), LEON: Ingredients & Recipes (2008) and Economy Gastronomy (2009). In 2008 she was awarded an MBE for services to the hospitality industry.