Love and Hunger (Charlotte Wood, A&U)

Is this a memoir, a collection of erudite essays punctuated by good recipes or a literary cookbook?  Whatever section you decide to shelve this in, this is a book to love and which makes one very hungry. Author (The Children, Animal People) and food blogger Charlotte Wood has assembled a lovely collection of contemporary and comfort recipes woven together with elegant observations on the importance of what we eat and cook in defining and sustaining ourselves—sans photos. Some will find this cross-genre book too small a serve—it is difficult to balance a book that pulls in several directions. Nevertheless this is a book worthy of most kitchen shelves. The recipes are not complex but their effect on your table and friends will be significant. This is food to bring friends and families together; thoughtful food to discuss and reflect upon. Observations on slow food, growing and making one’s own food, the place of food in the community of friends and family are all gently laid out, leaving this reviewer nodding in agreement throughout. This book will appeal to cooks/readers who are devotees of Elizabeth David, Maggie Beer, Stephanie Alexander, Nigel Slater, Michael Pollan and Gay Bilson, and more recently Yotam Ottolenghi and Nigel Slater. Lovers of ‘food porn’ and celebrity chefs will be disappointed.

Tim White is the co-owner of Books for Cooks, a specialty food and wine bookstore in Melbourne

Tags: foodnonfiction

Category: Reviews