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Like Jacques Pépin, Simon Hopkinson has returned with a topnotch encore performance. Second Helpings of Roast Chicken is the super-sequel to his super-selling Roast Chicken and Other Stories. If you missed the first helping, Hopkinson is a much-admired chef who cooks in wonderfully posh London restaurants. He's also a fabulous food writer with all the charm and style of the great Elizabeth David, whom he so admires. Written in the same format as Chicken One (aka his first book), Chicken Two has 47 entries, in alphabetic order, from "Almonds" to "Vinegar." Each one begins with a chatty explication of the ingredient in question, followed by at least three determinedly non-trendy recipes from Hopkinson's repertoire that show it off to perfection. The common cucumber ("Never underestimate the beguiling nuance of cucumber within a dish"), for example, takes a bow in chilled soup with prawns, lemon sole cooked in packets and spiced salad. And so it goes, with delightful stops for pears, peas, pepper and more, all seasoned with the love of food and the joy of cooking.