Eating for England: The Delights and Eccentricities of the British at Table |
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Nigel Slater
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Pages: (Audio CD)
ISBN: 0007265670
Pub: Fourth Estate
Pub date: 2007-10-01
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 305204
Editorial Review:
How long does it take before somebody becomes a national treasure? It's certainly happened to Nigel Slater, and Eating for England is a highly enjoyable reminder of just why we esteem the estimable Mr Slater. Subtitled The Delights & Eccentricities of the British at Table, this is wonderfully entertaining stuff, explaining such matters as how some of our most cherished foods are the result of frugality (bread and butter pudding, for instance, is the direct result of utilising a few slices of leftover bread and a pat of butter, rather than culinary aspiration). As Slater points out, the British have a relationship with food which is quite unlike that of any other nation -- for many years, we were reluctant to discuss food matters (leaving culinary discussion to, for instance, the French), but we now appear to be in the grip of a national food obsession, with program after program on television and -- inevitably -- a host of books on the subject. But few are written as entertainingly as Nigel Slater's. It isn't just the discussion of food itself (from haute cuisine to the humblest of comfort foods) that's so diverting here, but other sociological (and tongue-in-cheek) related matters, such as `A Teenager at the Table' (`The shoulders droop, the head hangs sulkily down, eyes glaring intently at an invisible spot on their lap. Their whole body seems to say `I'm not eating this'). And Nigel Slater is perfectly happy to address subjects not found in any other food books (such as the modest chocolate bar -- different varieties are entertainingly compared and contrasted).
This is a personal portrait of the British and their food, filled with love of the eccentricities and peculiarities that encapsulate the national character. And it's great fun. --Barry Forshaw
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 -> Food Writers -> Nigel Slater
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
Books -> Refinements -> Age (feature_two_browse-bin)
Books -> Refinements -> Format (binding_browse-bin) -> Audio CD