Eating for England: The Delights and Eccentricities of the British at Table: Amazon.co.uk: Nigel Slater: Books

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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

Review

'[Nigel Slater] is a national treasure.' Bee Wilson, Sunday Times

‘A joyously tongue–in–cheek nostalgic mix…yum, yum.' Jenny Uglow, Sunday Telegraph

'Nigel Slater understands as well as anybody how to turn ingredients into a meal, but his big thing is his grasp of how a meal can turn into a new confection in the mind. For Slater, a meal isn't just nourishment, it's memory, nostalgia, excitements and heartache…A wonderfully comforting book.' William Leith, Evening Standard

'From mashed swede, home made gingerbread, funeral teas and dinner parties to washing up, tipping and Heinz ketchup, Nigel Slater celebrates the eccentricity and diversity of the British attitude to food, cooking and eating.' Woman and Home

'Slater's fans will be sure to snap this one up.' Harpers Bazaar

'At last, I have found a little remedy for my food–overdose moments…My antidote is Nigel Slater's latest, highly addictive, extremely funny and thought–provoking book on British eating habits. I love it – one of my favourite food books this season and it doesn't even feature a recipe.' Easy Living

‘Warm, funny and soulful writing. Grab a copy, lock yourself away and enjoy.' Sainsbury's magazine

‘Packed with his never–bettered brand of veneration for all things quirkily British.’ Kate Colquhoun, in the Daily Telegraph ‘Books of the Year’

Praise for ‘Toast’:

'Everyone who loves good food warms to Nigel Slater's rich descriptive writing, but this touching memoir proves he's more than a cookery writer. Its emotional impact will strike a chord with many.' The Sunday Mirror

'Proves he can write mouth-wateringly about families and life, too: I gobbled it up.' Daily Telegraph Books of the Year

'It should come as no surprise that Slater's autobiography connects emotions, memory and taste buds. The genius of his food writing comes from an obvious belief that food and happiness share the same organ in the brain.' Lynne Truss, Sunday Times

'Toast is England's answer to Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential.' Daily Telegraph

'[A] coming-of-appetite story.' Time Out

'Proves that Slater can write well about anything.' Joanna Blythman, Scottish Sunday Herald

'Food was the boy, is the man…It is his very ordinariness, the commonness of [his] story, that makes this wonderful, precise autobiographical journey so extraordinary.' Matthew Fort, Observer

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101 of 111 people found the following review helpful

A Book of Delights 7 Oct 2007

By Sarah Durston TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This book isn't quite what I was expecting. Rather than a narrative, it is written as a series of musings and snapshots of typically British foods, ways of eating, British eccentricities and Slater's own memories of certain foods.

It includes all the foods you'd expect (Marmite, Coleman's mustard, Abbey Crunch Biscuits et al) but also some more unusual but very English things such as the appeal of Fray Bentos pies; Churches at Harvest Festival and the lovely clunking noise that Quality Street toffees make when they hit the roof of your mouth.

What is lovely about this book, apart from the quality of the writing, is the complete absence of food snobbery. Slater seems to get as much joy from Dairylea triangles as he does from aged Parmesan. I also love the way he admits to sneaking a look inside other people's trolleys at the supermarket and his thoughts about 'food fascists'. Here is an example from his piece on treacle tart:

'Those irritating harridans on television who persist in telling us how to dress, think and of course eat would no doubt rather die than tuck into a slice of this golden sugary pie. Which is why they are no fun. Leave them to their mung beans. That way there will be more treacle tart left for us.'

Hear, hear!

It strikes me that Nigel Slater would be the perfect dinner guest and this book is the perfect read whilst you're waiting for your egg to boil.

Enjoy!

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30 of 33 people found the following review helpful

Liked it for what it is 2 May 2008

By Randy F.

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 within the novel (not anything you're going to want to make, by the way). The way that author pokes fun at cookbooks and their "makers" is very funny, and if you've read enough of these, you'll see what I mean.

My only real complaint with the book is that if you're under thirty, you might not remember or warm to some of the recipes and rembrances that are in this wonderful read. Other than that, have at it.

One thing is for certain, Nigel Slater is passionate about food--and England--and this makes for a very entertaining read. If you're English, you'll understand ninety percent of this book. If you're not, you'll get an education. Either way, the fodder inside is as tasty as the cover looks. I would also recommend any of Delia's books, or FRUGAL FOOD for those looking to save a bit or two.

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34 of 38 people found the following review helpful

A poor editing job prevents this from being a classic. 24 Oct 2007

By Hanglemez Pallaccini

Is there a finer modern writer on food than Nigel Slater? I doubt it. The language, imagery and nostalgic remembrance of food he utilises in his writing creates a blend that will often leave you smiling in recognition, and like all good food, leaving you wanting more.

But whilst this book has all the elements of a great food writer at his best, it suffers (in my opinion anyway) from being really badly edited. There are countless short vignettes and reflections on British food and eating culture that unfortunately suffer from being split up from each other and dotted about the book, resulting in a lot of repetition. Thus we have Slater again and again repeating the same comments made earlier in the book as if he has forgotten that he had already mentioned them, or variations on the same theme. This book could have been so much more substantial if the various common themes (e.g farmers markets vs. supermarkets; the history of different puddings and cakes; chocolates and sweets) had been grouped together into longer essays rather than the shorter segments that they are.

One suspects this was done as a Christmas gift book to be placed in the loo. Which is a shame. Not only does it result in repeated comments, it also results in Slater contradicting himself: take for example his comment on the Rich Tea biscuit, "What sort of person chooses a pale, dry Rich Tea when there are so many other more interesting biscuits to choose from?", but later on, "I get agitated when people put its straightforward character down." Small pedantic errors also jar...in a section devoted to "The Glorious British Chocolate Bar", he refers to Maltesers, Black Magic and Rolos - none of them in my definition chocolate bars. Maybe it's just laziness...but the book could have been so much better had it been better edited.

Despite that, one should not take away from the basic fact that Nigel Slater is simply a brilliant writer. His forensic analysis on how and what we eat (the process of eating a custard from Marks made me shiver in identification with him!!) is awesome. And no-one but no-one can make the eating of toast as sexy as he does.