TV chef and food journalist Glynn Christian has been making cooks and chefs say Gosh! for over 40 years as he shared how ingredients work, demonstrated better techniques and revealed culinary secrets.

This handbook collects over 300 of Glynn’s gosh-factor hacks, explaining how best to handle garlic, why dull pasta is better, how to judge a Pavlova, how to make the frilly crusts on Portuguese egg tarts and why it should be ‘thumbs-up’ on kitchen knives. There’s a better way to roast nuts, a simpler way to bone small fish, a more reliable way to wok and a ban on foil tents. Plus frozen olives to keep a straight-up martini ice-cold.

This book is the eleventh in Grub Street’s best-selling The Basic Basics series, previous titles include The Basic Basics Combination and Microwave Handbook, The Basic Basics Home Freezing Handbook, The Basic Basics How to Cook from A-Z, and The Basic Basics Jams, Preserves and Chutneys Handbook.