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Editorial Review:
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.
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
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
Liked it for what it is Most of you, if you're cookbook collectors, know by now that you rarely get a straight-through cookbook. Rather, it's usually a melange of "where this recipe came from" coupled with some history and/or the author's comments. Such, even more so, is the case with EATING FOR ENGLAND. This is really not so much a cookbook as a reminiscence and "thoughts" about cooking and England. I was immediately reminded of the novel "Barring Some Unforeseen Accident" in that the author incorporates an actual cookbook... more info
Pontefract Cakes, Cadbury's and other British Heroes 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... more info
I feel I've read it all before 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... 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... more info
