Just like Richard's award-winning cookery courses at the Bertinet Kitchen, the aim of this cookbook is to make techniques and recipes simpler and easier to understand, so that you have the confidence to make dishes on your own and without following recipes blindly. Taking 50 classic recipes, Richard uses them to illustrate useful techniques - such as how to thicken a soup or how to brown meat properly - so that you gain a deeper understanding. With a helpful DVD included it's like being in the kitchen with Richard, as he answers all those little questions that crop up when you're following a recipe. What should the dish look like? How do I know my sauce has reduced enough? What potatoes should I use? Nothing is taken for granted. From pesto to a simple chicken hotpot, filleting mackerel to making impressive individual apple tarts, this is an invaluable cookbook that brings back the fun in cooking by way of understanding and confidence-building.