Eating for England: The Delights and Eccentricities of the British at Table |
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Nigel Slater
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Pages: 304 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 0007199465
Pub: Fourth Estate
Pub date: 2007-10-01
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 3930
Editorial Review:
20% OFF! Whilst Stocks Last! Written in a style similar to that of Nigel Slater's multi-award-winning food memoir 'Toast', this is a celebration of the glory, humour, eccentricities and embarrassments that are The British at Table. The British have a relationship with their food that is unlike that of any other country. Once something that was never discussed in polite company, it is now something with which the nation is obsessed. But are we at last developing a food culture or are we just going through the motions? 'Eating for England' is an entertaining, detailed and somewhat tongue-in-cheek observation of the British and their food, their cooking, their eating and how they behave in restaurants, with chapters on -- amongst other things -- dinner parties, funeral teas, Indian restaurants, dieting and eating whilst under the influence. Written in Nigel Slater's trademark readable style, 'Eating for England' highlights our idiosyncratic attitude towards the fine art of dining. From the author of the multi award winning food memoir Toast, this is a celebration of the glory, humour, eccentricities and embarrassments that are The British at Table.
Reader Reviews:
Pontefract Cakes, Cadbury's and other British Heroes (5/5 people found this helpful)
My only gripe with this book is, as others have mentioned, the repetition. Whether this was purposeful on Nigel Slater's part, or something overlooked in a swift editing process, I don't know - nor do I care, very much, because the repetition didn't stop me loving "Eating For England".
Like "Toast", reading this often felt much like sitting down with Nigel over a cup of tea and discussing foodie memories that, despite our age gap, we both shared.
You can rave about organic roast beef and coeliac-friendly fish and chips all you like - in "Eating for England", Nigel paints an honest picture of the majority of Britain's tastes. To sum that up, I think there is no better way to put it than in Nigel's own words:
" ... while the French almost called a national strike over any suggestion of using pasteurised milk in their cheese, the Spanish all but went to war to protect their fishing, and Italy gave its Parmesan cheese internationally protected status, we British only truly went into meltdown over the repackaging of the KitKat ... "
I feel I've read it all before (3/21 people found this helpful)
Nigel Slater is my favourite cookery writer, but this was a disappointment. I loved Toast but this book seems to be made up of its leftovers. There doesn't seem to be anything new in it - I feel I've read it all before. Toast was a much more personal reminiscence and was both funny and sad in places, but I really can't be bothered to finish this one. And I really do love Nigel Slater.
British food repeating on you... (2/17 people found this helpful)
I thoroughly enjoyed "Toast" and expected similar wit & eloquence in "Eating for England",describing everyday foodstuffs,with a touch of nostalgia thrown in for good measure. Which is what I got to a degree, but in a much more unstructured & disjointed manner. Is it just me, or do many of the randomly assorted musings crop up more than once? How many times did, for example, Nigel describe scones, crumpets, farmers markets and "over sweet" chocolate? In exactly the same way as he had referred to them in the last few entries.
Some interesting observations, but a book to dip in and out of. Which could have done with a lot more editing than it received!
A Lovely Book (19/22 people found this helpful)
This is not a recipe book. This is not a novel. This is a book of short entries concerning the loves and hates of the English and their food. I have all of Slater's books and avidly await the publication of a new one. The only disappointment to me was that it was too short. It has however, given me something wonderful to read on every day of the Christmas holidays and when I finished the last page today I was very sad. Slater writes with enthusiasm and passion about food. The thing that delights my heart about this and his other books is that despite his clear love and understanding of what makes food good, he is not a food snob. Here you will find entries about Branston Pickle, Ginger Nuts, the dunkability of biscuits and the joys of eating chips as much as the delights of the farmer's market. Slater writes with a wry understanding of the habits of this country, his own particular food weaknesses and a sly sense of fun at some of our culinary pretensions. A lovely book. Hurry up and write some more.
Bit fed up of the lecturing Nige.... (4/18 people found this helpful)
I asked for this book for Christmas because I've got all the others apart from Thirst and can't wait to get into the pages. His writing imbues me with a desire to cook and shop and eat properly and with passion and pleasure.
This book starts well but I got sick to the back teeth of being lectured to about shopping in a supermarket, shopping online or not patronising my local butcher (believe me, you do NOT want to buy 'fresh' meat from him) or not eating apple hats and lardy cake. All I'd say to Nigel is, you try being married or the nearest equivalent, being a mum and working full-time at a fairly senior level, albeit not senior enough to afford a full time chef. Online shopping has saved my family from junk food, wasted impulse buys and cheap, nasty bread from the all hallowed (in Nigel's view) corner shop. Occasionally I do use our local stores when I have the time on a Saturday or a rare day off when these bloody shops are actually open. We don't all live in bloody London you know!
I did enjoy the reflections on golden oldies like mint cracknels (I thought everyone else had forgotten these!!) but also found the constant repetitions, poor editing and frequent references to pink wafers annoying - a little attention to detail would have made this a much finer book worthy of Nigel Slater's excellent writing skills and wit.
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Categories
Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> Food & Drink -> General
Books -> Subjects -> Food & Drink -> Food Writers -> Nigel Slater
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
Books -> Refinements -> Age (feature_two_browse-bin)
Books -> Refinements -> Format (binding_browse-bin) -> Hardcover