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xmooncat's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
zellreads's review
5.0
The only cookbook that has made me cry. Deeply relatable, heartwarming, and reassuring. As someone who has attempted suicide, someone who lost a life partner too soon (it's always too soon), and someone who loves cooking, this book truly spoke to me. The recipes were vibrant, and the writing style is like being wrapped in a warm blanket. I loved this book.
dovesfalling's review
4.0
Not only are the recipes bursting with unpretentious deliciousness (swirls of butter, gobs of roasted tomatoes, steaming garlicky soups, dropped scones with butterscotch, alllll the goat's cheese), but the surrounding prose is as delicate and as raw as one could ever imagine. With grief, and with recovery, and with love.
The only cookbook to ever make me cry during the Acknowledgements.
A true gem.
The only cookbook to ever make me cry during the Acknowledgements.
A true gem.
robotswithpersonality's review against another edition
As a vegan reviewing a cookbook where the first recipe and the title are a chicken dish, I feel confident in saying, this book is for more people than it might first appear. My relationship status with food these days is 'it's complicated', but there's something about the simple joy in cooking and eating - no dietary recommendations, no shame about indulgence, this book hit the right tone for me. I wouldn't go so far as to describe it as a food memoir primarily, because it is mostly recipes. But the interstitials are talking about the author's life, their struggles, their loves, and above all the comfort that food can bring. Sprinkled in a few book recommendations as well. However you choose to describe it, I recommend reading food memoirs and cookbooks only while snacking (on something book friendly) or having just finished a meal, because inevitably something will make you hungry. I love the decision to illustrate the book rather than provide photos of the dishes, it just adds some thing to the warm, handcrafted mood.
As with so many things, it'a also a matter of personal taste: the author clearly favours umami tang and mentions fennel on multiple occasions. Neither are really my bag. I can go for salty and creamy as tastes and there's a lot of room for that here, though the salt and cream is regularly Parmesan. Butter and eggs are large proponents as well. So yeah, vegans will have a better time if they go in for the pleasure of sharing joy over food, than necessarily looking for recipes to convert.
⚠️attempted suicide, mental health concerns
As with so many things, it'a also a matter of personal taste: the author clearly favours umami tang and mentions fennel on multiple occasions. Neither are really my bag. I can go for salty and creamy as tastes and there's a lot of room for that here, though the salt and cream is regularly Parmesan. Butter and eggs are large proponents as well. So yeah, vegans will have a better time if they go in for the pleasure of sharing joy over food, than necessarily looking for recipes to convert.
⚠️attempted suicide, mental health concerns
umbranrealness's review
3.0
I didn't totally gel with this book, but it has a lot of good parts, some very warming descriptions of the stories behind some of the dishes and lots of recipes I'll be trying.
I do enjoy cookery books that are a little bougie and aspirational, but I expected this book to be more personal and ultimately relatable than it ended up being for me. The references to Enid Blyton books, the author's aga in her childhood home and referring to her partner as The Tall Man made it hard for me to connect.
I do enjoy cookery books that are a little bougie and aspirational, but I expected this book to be more personal and ultimately relatable than it ended up being for me. The references to Enid Blyton books, the author's aga in her childhood home and referring to her partner as The Tall Man made it hard for me to connect.