What do you think?
Rate this book
Three Good Things
First published as Hugh's Three Good Things in 2012. How often have you wished there was a magic formula to make cooking easier? Well, there is. Put just three good things together on a plate and, somehow, the whole is always greater and more delicious than the sum of its parts. Looking back over nearly two decades of professional cookery, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has worked out the winning combinations. Salty, sweet, crunchy. Sharp, rich, crumbly. Hot, bland, crisp. Think scones with jam and cream, fish and chips with mushy peas, or porridge with golden syrup and cream. Hugh has used this simple formula to create more than 175 inspiring recipes, both well-loved classics and brand new ideas, based on trios like squash, ricotta and ham; aubergine, tomatoes and chickpeas; clams, tomatoes and garlic; chicken, tomatoes and tarragon; pork, potatoes and apples; pasta, courgettes and mozzarella; strawberries, cream and shortbread; and chocolate, ginger and digestives ... The list goes on. With sumptuous photography from Simon Wheeler, this book will unlock a whole new world of fantastic food. Easy cooking with three delicious ingredients. It really is that simple.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2012
33 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
81 books186 followersHugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a British celebrity chef, smallholder, television presenter, journalist, food writer and "real food" campaigner, known for his back-to-basics philosophy.
A talented writer, broadcaster and campaigner, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is widely known for his uncompromising commitment to seasonal, ethically produced food and has earned a huge following through his River Cottage TV series and books.
His early smallholding experiences were shown in the Channel 4 River Cottage series and led to the publication of The River Cottage Cookbook (2001), which won the Glenfiddich Trophy and the André Simon Food Book of the Year awards.
The success of the show and the books allowed Hugh to establish River Cottage HQ near Bridport in 2004.
In the same year, Hugh published The River Cottage Meat Book to wide acclaim and won a second André Simon Food Book of the Year Award.
He has just finished filming his most recent series, which accompanies his most recent book, River Cottage Every Day.
He continues to write as a journalist, including a weekly column in The Guardian and is Patron of the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association (FARMA).
River Cottage HQ moved in 2006, to a farm near the Dorset/Devon border, where visitors can take a variety of courses. http://www.rivercottage.net
During River Cottage Spring (2008) Hugh helped a group of Bristol families start a smallholding on derelict council land.
The experience was so inspiring he decided to see if it would work nationwide, and Landshare was created to bring keen growers and landowners together. The movement now includes more than 50,000 people.
Son of https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
A talented writer, broadcaster and campaigner, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is widely known for his uncompromising commitment to seasonal, ethically produced food and has earned a huge following through his River Cottage TV series and books.
His early smallholding experiences were shown in the Channel 4 River Cottage series and led to the publication of The River Cottage Cookbook (2001), which won the Glenfiddich Trophy and the André Simon Food Book of the Year awards.
The success of the show and the books allowed Hugh to establish River Cottage HQ near Bridport in 2004.
In the same year, Hugh published The River Cottage Meat Book to wide acclaim and won a second André Simon Food Book of the Year Award.
He has just finished filming his most recent series, which accompanies his most recent book, River Cottage Every Day.
He continues to write as a journalist, including a weekly column in The Guardian and is Patron of the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association (FARMA).
River Cottage HQ moved in 2006, to a farm near the Dorset/Devon border, where visitors can take a variety of courses. http://www.rivercottage.net
During River Cottage Spring (2008) Hugh helped a group of Bristol families start a smallholding on derelict council land.
The experience was so inspiring he decided to see if it would work nationwide, and Landshare was created to bring keen growers and landowners together. The movement now includes more than 50,000 people.
Son of https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 13, 2013
This is a gorgeous book, and the 3-ingredient pairings are often innovative and inspiring. Since I'm American and bought the book in England, I have to do more grams-to-cups conversions than I'd prefer, but that's not a big deal. I had high hopes for the first recipe we tried, Hugh's "Parsnips, garlic, blue cheese" soup. While the flavor pairings were delicious (never considered blue cheese with parsnips, but they're perfect together!), even after adding extra broth we could not turn it into a soup. As a pureed side-dish it would work well, but as a soup? No chance. I'm taking this experience into account as I try other recipes from the book.
October 21, 2024
I'm having a mini clearout and re-discovered Hugh's book, bit battered and clearly used! Hugh takes 3 ingredients which go well with each other and then makes a quite tasty meal. I can see some corners were turned down so tackling my cupboards and the corner shop, am unwell at the moment, I re-cooked a few of them. Red lentils, onion and bacon, very simply, fry onions and bacon, add red lentils and water, sprig thyme and a bay leaf, boil until lentils cooked and then puree if you like obviously removig the bay leaf and thyme. The bacon was smoked and it was quick and easy to make and tasted very nice! I am a great soup maker so mine was soupy!
In the spirit of 3 ingredients, I re-cooked 3 meals, this is the second! Chunks of butternut quash, coconut and chilli, 400ml tin of coconut milk and how ever many chillies you like sliced, deseeded and added to the mix. He gives you the 3 main ingredients but there are other sidelined ones as well, so in this dish it was a sliced onion, garlic clove and the ubiquitous seasoning. You can put some chopped coriander leaves on top for serving. Another one which the children liked, good job!
And the last one I chose was chicken, plums and soy sauce. Put chicken thighs on roasting tray, season, oil, and cook for say 30mins. Then turn the chicken over and add one of the added things like chillies as many as you like chopped and deseeed, garlic and ginger, roast for another 10mins or so and tuck the de-stoned plums, 2 per person halved, under the chicken and lastly trickle over the soy sauce. Serve with rice or whatever you like. Was very nice this one! That's the end of my cookery lessons! It is a hardcover book, quite chunky and heavy but still good to cook from. If you wanted to buy it I would try your local library first as they have tons of cookbooks in there!
In the spirit of 3 ingredients, I re-cooked 3 meals, this is the second! Chunks of butternut quash, coconut and chilli, 400ml tin of coconut milk and how ever many chillies you like sliced, deseeded and added to the mix. He gives you the 3 main ingredients but there are other sidelined ones as well, so in this dish it was a sliced onion, garlic clove and the ubiquitous seasoning. You can put some chopped coriander leaves on top for serving. Another one which the children liked, good job!
And the last one I chose was chicken, plums and soy sauce. Put chicken thighs on roasting tray, season, oil, and cook for say 30mins. Then turn the chicken over and add one of the added things like chillies as many as you like chopped and deseeed, garlic and ginger, roast for another 10mins or so and tuck the de-stoned plums, 2 per person halved, under the chicken and lastly trickle over the soy sauce. Serve with rice or whatever you like. Was very nice this one! That's the end of my cookery lessons! It is a hardcover book, quite chunky and heavy but still good to cook from. If you wanted to buy it I would try your local library first as they have tons of cookbooks in there!
February 1, 2026
Based on the number of recipes I've written out from this, plus the more general notes about things to combine, I'd say this is a bit of a winner. I do enjoy the recipes the F-W does as they are generally down to earth ones that don't require a load of ingredients that you'll never use again. And I'm in the process of trying to get myself cooking a little bit more often, or at least component prepping so I'm not going for the junk food/takeaway options all the time and most of the recipes in this book are quick to do and can be adjusted so some are done with just the finishing steps needed of an evening, so ideal for what I'm looking for. Not tried any recipes yet but today will be the bacon, radicchio, and shallots combo...actually now that I think about it, I'm getting peckish.
August 23, 2020
One of the best cook books I have ever read, opens up an entirely new perspective on food that I hadn't really thought of before, really simple but engaging. A plant based version of this book would be even better.
May 23, 2017
I'm big fan of the River Cottage and when I got Three Good Things last year, I read the book in one day. It's quite amazing that dishes with so few ingredients can be that yummy.
October 21, 2017
Manchmal wird geschummelt aber oft sind es wirklich nur drei Zutaten, nette Ideen manchmal recht ungewöhnlich. Jetzt nur noch ausprobieren😊
April 14, 2023
Most of this book is filled with approachable, enticing food. I’ve tried about 4 or 5 of the recipes already (simple and delicious!) and I’ve saved heaps more.
The last couple of chapters are full of decadent and (to me) complicated desserts with many steps. Maybe one day I’ll try some of those too, but for now, that section of the book just left me a little overwhelmed. But I so want this book! An actual real hard copy to put up on a shelf in my kitchen, and go back to again and again.
The last couple of chapters are full of decadent and (to me) complicated desserts with many steps. Maybe one day I’ll try some of those too, but for now, that section of the book just left me a little overwhelmed. But I so want this book! An actual real hard copy to put up on a shelf in my kitchen, and go back to again and again.
January 4, 2017
I was told about this book by a librarian and feel glad of the recommendation as I'd not heard of it, or the TV series. Trio-ing (is that a word, for one more than pairing?) three ingredients and adding not too many others seems to be a winning combination.
A low point of the book for me was the detailed instructions for killing your crab which seemed difficult to execute quickly, requiring two different and very precise actions on different parts of the crab... and I don't understand why the crab shouldn't be rendered unconscious in the same way the lobster on the next page is. Not that I'd ever be attempting to follow either set of instructions.
I did come across a reassuring implicit explanation of why I seem to be so rubbish at poaching eggs - the cheffier types simply cut away the more wayward bits of white!
But overall it was an enjoyable read, well-balanced in inspiration and practicality.
A low point of the book for me was the detailed instructions for killing your crab which seemed difficult to execute quickly, requiring two different and very precise actions on different parts of the crab... and I don't understand why the crab shouldn't be rendered unconscious in the same way the lobster on the next page is. Not that I'd ever be attempting to follow either set of instructions.
I did come across a reassuring implicit explanation of why I seem to be so rubbish at poaching eggs - the cheffier types simply cut away the more wayward bits of white!
But overall it was an enjoyable read, well-balanced in inspiration and practicality.
December 28, 2013
This could easily become one of my favourite cookbooks. Three Good Things features an array of simple-to-prepare recipes, from the everyday (love the rhubarb recipes) to the flasher impress-your-guests examples. Each recipe is clearly explained, illustrated with the final result and many can be prepared from readily-available ingredients.
Because of the scope and simplicity of the recipes, I can picture myself returning to this cookbook on my iPad regularly. However, its Kindle version could be improved with an index, to allow ready-access to favourite recipes.
Because of the scope and simplicity of the recipes, I can picture myself returning to this cookbook on my iPad regularly. However, its Kindle version could be improved with an index, to allow ready-access to favourite recipes.
February 21, 2013
This is an inspired cookbook for those who do not want recipes requiring numerous ingredients and lots of time to prepare.
I find the combinations delightful and worthy of work-week use. I don't usually take enough time for dinner preparation after work, sadly, so this cookbook really appeals to me! I highly recommend it.
I find the combinations delightful and worthy of work-week use. I don't usually take enough time for dinner preparation after work, sadly, so this cookbook really appeals to me! I highly recommend it.
March 5, 2014
I really like Hugh and his works (River Cottage forever!:) and I found some very good and interesting recipes I definitely want to make, but I needed to give 1 star les -there's sometimes too much ingredients in a very interesting recipe I need to pass, because they aren't available in our local stores.
(Hugh, I know,this is not your fault!:))
(Hugh, I know,this is not your fault!:))
July 20, 2014
Another delicious cook book from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. This one propounds the idea that a really tasty dish should compromise only 3 major ingredients.
I got a number of excellent ideas from this book which I will be putting into practice as soon as I can.
Highly recommended to all lovers of good food and cook books.
I got a number of excellent ideas from this book which I will be putting into practice as soon as I can.
Highly recommended to all lovers of good food and cook books.
August 29, 2014
Dit boek heeft me de zin in koken teruggegeven. Dat klinkt hysterisch, maar het is toch zo. :-)
Heel fijn dat de recepten zo lekker simpel zijn. Zo klaar dus, en daardoor eet je voor je gevoel gevarieerder dan als je weer al je vertrouwde groentes in een prutje gooit.
Heel fijn dat de recepten zo lekker simpel zijn. Zo klaar dus, en daardoor eet je voor je gevoel gevarieerder dan als je weer al je vertrouwde groentes in een prutje gooit.
September 2, 2016
Loved this book. I have to say I'm a big fan of Hugh and River Cottage, and this book continues in a similar vein to the previous books. There are very many 'oh I'd love to try that' recipes, with many unusual pairings of ingredients. Keep it up Hugh, looking forward to the next installment!
September 9, 2012
Some good simple recipes here but he doesn't stick strictly to three things!!!
September 16, 2013
Lots of good, simple recipes. Sometimes more than three ingredients. Recipes are clear and easy to follow.
April 24, 2015
Simple and favourful recipes. All those tried so far have been a hit. I will be using it quite a lot.
November 2, 2015
Who thought vegetables could taste so good. Recipes use only necessary ingredients to bring out the best flavours. Every recipe I have used came out perfect and the instructions are simple to follow.
October 7, 2015
Pretty, but not too many things I'm actually going to cook. Copied out Parsnip, garlic, and blue cheese soup recipe.
May 22, 2016
Beautiful photography and a lot of recipes based on highlighting 3 good things. The only problem? Didn't quite match up to my palate preferences.
August 24, 2016
Prove that good food can be simple and easy. Kaine's meal from act one of execution is everything is lifted directly from this great book. Recommended.
June 5, 2013
On ya Hugh! Thanks for the recipes!
April 29, 2013
Meat and 2 veg
May 14, 2015
Amazing recipes. Tried the apple, fennel & goat's cheese salad & it was awesome!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews