"The Galloping Gourmet Cookbook" by Graham Kerr--a beloved cookbook celebrating the classic dishes and witty humor that were signature to TV chef Graham Kerr’s The Galloping Gourmet

The Galloping Gourmet Cookbook

With his hallmark joyous abandon, British-born chef Graham Kerr was a pioneer of food television, hosting the popular series The Galloping Gourmet from 1969 to 1971. Kerr presented approachable, step-by-step instructions for recipes packed with personality and flavor. A bible for generations of fans, this classic cookbook is now reissued, with new commentary from Kerr and an introduction by the Lee brothers.

Kerr’s knowing and fun-loving approach to home cooking was ahead of its time, and has more in common with Mario Batali’s or Jamie Oliver’s outlook than with his 1960s contemporaries. Like Batali, Kerr was a passionate cook who was also not afraid to have fun in the kitchen. The encyclopedic variety of recipes—ranging from the basics of brewing coffee and deep excursions into egg cookery, to more sophisticated preparations of fish and poultry—combined with Kerr’s devotion to technique, ingredients, and presentation open up a world of lost classics for today’s home cook. Featuring step-by-step illustrations alongside new commentary updating the recipes for contemporary tastes, this edition gives today’s home chefs the best of cooking from the exuberant postwar era.

 

Reviews 

 

"A snapshot of a culinary culture in flux, written with great charm by an outsize personality. . . These recipes are a snapshot of a North American culinary culture in flux, stuck between our deep-rooted immigrant past and the brave new world of Chez Panisse and its spawn. But though they may be outdated, Mr. Kerr evolved, pursued his passions and devoted his life to helping others. Happily, this cookbook reflects that man. Graham Kerr is always welcome in my kitchen, even though both of us have moved well past our culinary beginnings."
— Christopher Kimball, Wall Street Journal 

"Graham Kerr was the original culinary showman, and The Galloping Gourmet was his stage.  Flamboyant, passionate, handsome, and hilarious, Kerr's endless curiosity for foods of the world brought him legions of fans. This new edition of his cookbook is refreshingly robust, unashamed, and delicious, and reflects meticulous research. I can’t wait to dig into the recipes, and melt back into an age of culinary innocence."
—Edward Lee, chef and author of Buttermilk Graffiti

"Hurrah! The Graham Kerr Cookbook is back in print after more than half a century—now with his handwritten comments.  Incisive recipes, a judicious mix of the familiar and the exotic, and pioneering photos helping the reader from one stage to the next mean that it’s aged remarkably well. Clearly it was Kerr’s expertise as much as his exuberance that made The Galloping Gourmet such a hit on television."
— Rachel Laudan, author of Cuisine and Empire: Cooking in World History

 

About Graham Kerr

Graham has been a 'food man' since his fifteenth birthday, or sixty-seven years from post World War Two to the present day. Raised in the European Hotel business and following his national service in the British Army he was the General Manager of the Royal Ascot Hotel at age 27. He moved to New Zealand as the Chief Catering Advisor to their Air Force and, in 1959/60 began his public life in broadcasting and television, between Peyton Place and the Avengers!

His wife Treena began to produce the shows behind the scenes until, in 1968, following a successful TV series on prime time in Australia, she took over as the formal producer, for which she earned two Emmy nominations as daytime 'Producer of the Year'. Their Galloping Gourmet show was shown worldwide and was credited for creating 'culinary entertainment' as we know it today.
In 1970 they suffered a major traffic accident during a production tour that abruptly ended the series. Graham and his family set out to 'regain resilience' by sailing 24,000miles in a two year period in their own sailboat.

The Kerr's made over 1,800 TV shows and segments, several thousand radio shows and written 30 books, selling over 14 million copies worldwide.
In 1974/75 they made news in their public announcement of their faith in Jesus Christ and from that time on devoted themselves to the general idea that 'habits that harm can become resources that heal'. Starting in 2009, Graham 'discovered' a deep and ongoing interest in ecology. This interest began in the backyard of his small local church. "It was there that I began to gain my interest in resilience and mankind's urgent need to do what he can do to do less harm to this amazingly creative environment"

"Above all let us try to do less harm and learn how we might live beyond our immediate self-interest". 

Sadly, Treena Kerr passed away in 2015.

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