OFF DUTY

From their table to yours....Welcome to the home kitchens of the world's finest chefs. In Off Duty, forty-eight of the world's top chefs and food writers abandon the heat of the professional kitchen and share their passion for home cooking. Revealing the favorite menus they love to cook for family and friends, they place the emphasis on delicious, straightforward recipes using ingredients and techniques familiar to the home cook. An interview with each chef offers fascinating insights into everything from their favorite piece of cooking gear to what they feed their children. With 144 recipes -- 48 starters, 48 main courses and 48 desserts -- there is something to suit every mood and every capability level. A sample menu might feature Gary Rhodes's starter of Toasted Tomato Salad with Melting Gorgonzola and Rocket Leaves or Delia Smith's Baked Eggs in Wild Mushroom Tartlet. For a meaty main course there is Nigella Lawson's Shin of Beef Stew with Pasta or Gordon Ramsay's Calves' Liver with Sweet and Sour Mushroom and Rocket Marmalade. At-home desserts include Jamie Oliver's Raspberry and Blackberry Meringue with Hazelnuts, Caramel and Chantilly Cream and Michel Roux's White Peaches Baked with Honey and Lavender. Off Duty has a range of vegetables, fish and meat dishes to tempt every palate and a roll call of chefs to inspire, day after day. Bringing together today's top culinary talents,, this collection is a must-have for the home cook.