Product Description

Keith Floyd's exuberant personality, as much as his cooking skills, has made him a favourite both as bestselling author and as television presenter. But here, for the first time, he tells his own story -- and it is full of surprises. The stories from his childhood in Somerset are vivid and moving: his grandfather with his tin leg, his mother at the mills, and his uncle, the ferret keeper, and the black sheep of the family for 'carrying on' with married women. Keith Floyd spent a short spell on a local newspaper, and then, in a hilarious episode, joined the army. After he and the Ministry of Defence decided that they did not suit each other, he took his first cooking job as an assistant vegetable cook in a Bristol hotel. The great period of bistros and cafes had dawned and Keith Floyd was in the forefront, cooking in an open kitchen, with Pink Floyd blaring from the speakers. What is wonderful about this book is the vividness of the scenes he paints and the deftness with which he draws the characters -- including his several wives. Those who have admired Keith Floyd's way with a whisk will now be impressed to discover and enjoy his remarkable skill with words.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #889444 in Books
• Published on: 2001-12-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From Amazon.co.uk
When The Naked Chef was crawling around in his birthday suit, Keith Floyd was the undisputed king of cookery programmes. But his culinary career hasn't always flowed as smoothly as the wine he was famous for downing. Hence the title of his autobiography: Out Of The Frying Pan. In the early 80s, following the collapse of another restaurant, Floyd found himself yet again up Jacob's Creek without a glass. "I was 40 years old, virtually bankrupt, a middle-aged man with a brilliant future behind me." Then out of the blue Floyd received a call from a BBC producer asking if he wanted to make a programme about cooking fish. Floyd's first TV series was such a surprising success that his producer told him: "I've created a monster and it's time to load the gun with silver bullets." In hindsight, after 16 TV series, 18 books, three marriages, one receivership and countless kiss-and-tell stories later, Floyd suggests that he may well have fired the gun himself. "If I knew than what I know now, I might have never have made 'Floyd on Fish'." With his programmes still being shown regularly around the world, his many thousands of fans will be pleased that he did. Now the ex-restaurateur has proved himself to be a formidable raconteur. Out Of The Frying Pan gives a frank and colourful account of a turbulent life lived to the full and recalls a career as chequered as a pair of chef's trousers. Engaging and evocative, this life story will leave readers hungry for more. --Christopher Kelly

About the Author
Apart from a few brief excursions into the army and the antiques and wine trades, Keith Floyd has devoted his life to cooking. He has presented 13 highly successful television cookery and travel series and is the author of 15 bestselling books. When he is not hurtling around the world, he spends his time fishing and sailing with his wife Tess in Andalucia, Spain, where he lives.