The 365 Charity Cookbook

I think I remember when Mick Fox (owner of Ultrasharp) first banded about the idea of the 365 Charity Cookbook on Twitter. I remember thinking that it would take up a stupid amount of time and effort, but I never had any doubt in Mick or his ability to pull such a feat off. Not only is Mick one determined fellow, he's passionate about food, he cares for the charities he supports and, as knife sharpener to hundreds of kitchens in the north, he has the right contacts.

Over the past few months I've seen lots of chefs tweet pictures of their 365 Cookbook recipes - there's been a real buzz and I can't wait to get my grubby mitts on the final book!

So, you can imagine how pleased I was to find that Mick had decided to release a Tasting Menu of 12 recipes. Retailing at £6 each, the book comes in a downloadable PDF format and all profits are going to be used to fund the printing of the 365 Charity Cookbook. 

I think I'm right in saying that Mick is born and bred Sheffield and therefore it won't surprise anyone that a couple of the city's charities (Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity and St Luke's Hospice) are going to benefit from this amazing project. Also on the list is Scotty's Little Soldiers, a charity supporting the children of men and women killed whist employed by the British Armed Forces.

As if the charities aren't reason enough to buy into the book, here's a list of the recipes available in the Taster...

January	Lee Adams, Head Chef - Rhodes Twenty10, Dubai Confit belly of Pork, seared Atlantic Scallop and roast Butternut tortellonis
February	James Douglas, Head Chef - Damson, Stockport   Pan fried breasts of Partridge with confit leg & Black Pudding croquettes and Mulled wine jus
March	Maclean Fraser, Executive Head Chef - 5* Hotel, The Maldives Tea smoked Beef fillet with Beef cheek tortellini, Truffled pomme puree and preserved Lemon gremolata
April	Alan Paton MCGB, Executive Head Chef - Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Colchester Pork collar Daube, Summer Vegetables and Suffolk Cyder
May	Andrew O'Connor, Head Chef - Juliet's Garden Restaurant, Scilly Isles Pan seared Hake fillet, with Asparagus puree, Asparagus soup and Truffle spears
June	Mike Jennings, Head Chef - Grenache, Walkden, Manchester Buttered Lobster with Fennel civieche and Crab cocktail
July	Hayden Groves, Executive Chef - BaxterStorey, London Rump of Romney Marsh Lamb, Samphire, heritage carrots and beets
August	Karim Maoui, Head Chef - White Swan at Blyth, North Notts Wild Salmon with heritage Tomatoes, Fennel & sea herbs
September	Craig Atchinson, Head Chef - Talbot Hotel, Malton, N Yorks Roasted Wild Duck, confit leg tube, Cepes, Celeriac puree and fermented Turnip
October	Cyrus Todiwala OBE, Chef Patron - Cafe Spice Namaste, London Vindalho de Porco (Pork Vindaloo Curry)
November	Charlie Curran, Chef Patron - Peppercorn, Sheffield Crab stuffed Lemon Sole, textures of Cauliflower and sag aloo
December	Paul Foster, Head Chef - Tuddenham Mill, Suffolk Duck hearts, Quince, Hazelnut, Carrot pickled in Mugwort

My initial, and only, concern with this book was that I wouldn't be able to use the recipes at home, but on first perusal, I think there's a few that I can see myself having a go at. Admittedly I might not be able to try every element of each dish, but some, such as April's Pork Collar Daube and July's Rump of Lamb look doable!

I can only urge you to get a copy of the Tasting Menu for yourself. Even if you don't think you'll get round to cooking any of the dishes, it's worth it for the delicious food photos. Plus, by purchasing the Tasting Menu, you can help make the most important book of 2014 happen!