In-depth cookery book reviews.
Recently released Dumplings and Noodles by Pippa Middlehurst has been the subject of some controversy since it was published, and I can’t give a comprehensive review without touching on reasons for that. At its heart, this remains a review of the cookery book from a reader, cook and greedy person’s perspective. Contents What’s the Controversy? ... Read more »
I bought this delightful little yellow book on an impulse, drawn to it by the simple illustration of cheese on its cover, and its erudite title, The Philosophy of Cheese. After all, cheese is a serious business (as well as a personal addiction). In about 100 pages, McGuigan leads us through the history of cheese. ... Read more »
Roasting Pan Suppers is a new cookbook written by food writer and chef Rosie Sykes. Published by the National Trust Books, it joins a collection of publications including recipe books covering a range of categories, from bread and puddings to roasts and slow cooking. The cover image speaks comfort food. Wholesome, nourishing comfort food. A ... Read more »
I first met Edd Kimber shortly after he won the first ever series of Great British Bake Off in 2010 (which I loved), and have really enjoyed seeing his career in food writing, food photography and recipe development grow and grow and grow. By any measure, he’s established a hugely successful career during the last ... Read more »
Condiments is an intriguing and unusual concept for a book, bombarded as we are on every supermarket and deli shelf with condiments of seemingly endless variety. In her single page introduction, Caroline Dafgard Widnersson explains that making condiments is her own personal hobby, likening it to raising children, and her mission in bringing the hobby ... Read more »
Harumi Kurihara has published over 140 books and is a household name in Japan with an ever-expanding following in the West. Harumi’s Japanese Kitchen is her latest title, written specifically for non-Japanese cooks. The book, released in August 2020, promises to take readers back to the basics of Japanese cooking, a cuisine I love and ... Read more »
Marianna Leivatitaki, author of Aegean: Recipes from the Mountains to the Sea, spent her childhood steeped in the atmosphere of her family’s seafood taverna in Crete, immersed in ingredients, and the simplicity and purity of recipes she gathered in her notebook scribbles from the women cooking in Chania’s seafront restaurants. Her heritage is fresh fish from ... Read more »
It won’t come as any surprise that I have a strong affinity for cookery books that combine cuisine, culture and personal narrative. I love books that not only teach me how to make delicious food, but also learn more about the culture and cuisine of a place, as well as the author’s own story. Coconut ... Read more »
Bitter Honey, released in April 2020, shares recipes and stories from the island of Sardinia. Author Letitia Clark has a background working in the restaurant industry, and splits her time between London and rural Sardinia. Knowing little about Sardinian food (within the broader Italian cuisine we encounter in the UK), I am keen to learn ... Read more »
There’s a real disconnect between how complex many Brits perceive Japanese cooking to be, and how difficult it actually is. In reality, the majority of every day Japanese food is straightforward to make, especially if you have a clear, easy-to-follow recipe. That’s where Aya Nishimura’s Japanese Food Made Easy comes in, a cookbook to help ... Read more »
The Place of Onions, in old Lille. After last night’s rainstorm the intense sticky heat has broken and today is cool, breezy, fresh… I love it! A drop of… [more]
We went to Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire at The Void this morning, an amazing VR experience where we got to be Rebel Alliance members going undercover as… [more]