Gelf Alderson has worked his way up from being a senior sous chef to Culinary Director at the River Cottage. The food at River Cottage is focussed on simple, seasonal eating, and his two cookbooks are no different. Great Roasts, his latest cookbook, shows that roasting is about more than just big pieces of meat. It features recipes for roasted fruit, creamy beans or smoked haddock and even kedgeree – all made in the oven.