Friday 30 January 2015

TAPAS a TASTE of SPAIN in IRELAND

This is a wonderful book, a story of food. It is about how food moves around, from country to country, settles and uproots itself again. it is a story of how food is more than just for eating, its pages speak of a shared tradition of food, of like-minded people doing like-minded things, a cultural phenomenon that can bring us closer together, make us share.

Food is essential to life and this book shows real 'Food Empathy', that is, the deeper understanding of food, where it comes from, how it is produced, and the time and effort required. This is evident based on topics in the book such as 'Vegetables', 'Foraging', 'Wild Game', the dependency on managing our resources and the importance of relationships with 'The Farmer', 'The Fishmonger' and 'The butcher'. This ethos is also present with the subjects of 'Nose to Tail' and 'Cook It Raw'.

With large Companies control of food production, limiting food choice and food misguidance through marketing and advertising, people have lost their way!

Wednesday 7 January 2015

GROW COOK EAT


This book is a delight, a little confused but in a really good way, an identity crisis, unsure whether to be a gardening book or a cookbook. Greatfully it is both of these things. From sinking a seed into the soil through to sitting down to enjoy a meal made with vegetables and fruits harvested right outside your back door. 

The best way to get fresh, tasty ingredients is to grow your own. This book shows a real passion for food and is filled with practical, useful information for both novices and seasoned gardeners alike. What to grow, when, where and how each month of the year, including growing in containers, composting and more. It also provides advice on how all the resulting delicious produce should be best prepared, cooked, stored or preserved. 

The book provides excellent seasonal recipes to turn your produce in to delicious home-grown meals, from over 35 of the biggest names in food. The recipes are easy to follow and they inspire you to want to grow stuff yourself (rather than simply buy it) just to then eat it.