Eating for England: The Delights and Eccentricities of the British at Table [Paperback]

Nigel Slater (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 2008

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Like Slater's joyous descriptions of toast, this book is warm, buttery and just a bit crusty. But his love for these disregarded foods transforms them from throwaway childhood confections into family retainers.' F.T. Magazine

'This is food writing with a masterchef. As ever, Slater is also very funny; why, indeed, do the British puddings syllabub, flummery, blancmange sound like they are being enunciated under water?' The Times

'Slater is one of our most talented cookery writers.’ Daily Telegraph

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

About the Author

Nigel Slater is the author of a collection of bestselling books, including the classics ‘Real Fast Food’ and ‘Real Cooking’, and the award-winning ‘Appetite’. He has written a much-loved column for the ‘Observer’ for over a decade. His autobiography, ‘Toast – the story of a boy's hunger’, won six major awards, including the British Biography of the Year, the Glenfiddich Award and the André Simon Memorial Award. ‘The Kitchen Diaries’ won the Design and Production Award at the 2006 British Book Trade Awards.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (June 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007199473
• ISBN-13: 978-0007199471
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.8 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #404,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read On the Subway, Treadmill, or Any Short Wait! February 26, 2012

By Andrea Broomfield

Format:Paperback

I loved Nigel Slater's Toast, and I very much enjoyed this book of short essays on all matters related to English food. Buried towards the end, I found a lovely essay, "The Cool, Modern Shopper Cook," and I think it best sums up what Slater most wishes for his country's attitudes towards food to become, as well as what he strives for himself as an Englishman, a cook, and an eater.

Some of the essays (paragraphs, really), are funny and droll, for example, "Things Move On," which points out how much easier life was when one simply needed a bowl of hot water and a squeeze of Fairy Liquid to do the dishes, as opposed to nowadays needing a "machine, dishwater tablets, rinse aid, dishwasher salt, a maintance contract and something called a dishwasher cleaner."

The shortness of the essays made this book perfect for moments when I found myself waiting and did not have the ability to devote time to sustained reading. I also found it particularly fun to read while on the treadmill, where my concentration is not at its best, but I am in need of something to take my mind off the fact that my intervals are getting harder and longer! Wanting to continue to read Slater's book helped motivate me to keep moving! I also appreicate the humor of reading about food while working out!

The book's organization is a bit perplexing, and so many short essays seem to belong in a unit, rather than being scattered about, slapped down (it appears) whenever Slater thinks of a topic again, or has more to say on the same topic. Toast, crumpets, high teas, muffins come up a lot, and his thoughts about them are sometimes repetitive. That's really a minor complaint, though, because sometimes I liked being reminded of what I had already read--it gave me more to think about than otherwise, perhaps.

Thanks, Nigel Slater, for your humor, history, and perspective!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Short celebrations of English food December 9, 2012

By S. Smith-Peter

Format:Paperback

This is an interesting but not great book on what Nigel Slater has eaten over the course of his life. The sections are quite short, but there are certain recurring themes. The two that stand out the most are celebrations of obscure British biscuits (read: cookies) and gravy. These are separate themes, as no one, not even Slater, would want to mix them. The ways of making gravy, its components and cultural context and importance are all explored in a series of glistening short pieces.

I'm guessing that this is not Slater's major work, but it's fun to read, especially if you only have a few minutes at a time.

5.0 out of 5 stars Reads like a favourite meal January 21, 2013

By Mike Bloxham

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Like the recollection of a favourite childhood meal, Eating For England brings back the intensely personal and visceral delights of a whole gamut of British foods and related rituals. Acutely observed and written with characteristically dry wit, Slater offers more insight to the national heart and soul than any travel book ever could. For Brits in search of nostalgia or others in search of understanding, Eating For England is nothing short of scrumptious!