Elizabeth David – författare

Jane Grigson wrote of Italian Food ‘Basil was no more than the name of bachelor uncles, courgette was printed in italics as an alien word, and few of us knew how to eat spaghetti or pick a globe artichoke to pieces. ... Then came Elizabeth David like sunshine, writing with brief elegance about good food, that is, about food well contrived, well cooked. She made us understand that we could do better with what we had.’Published in 1954 the importance of this book, which required a full year's research in Italy, can only be appreciated when you realise that she was working in a post-rationing England which regarded Italian cuisine as nothing more than variations on pasta and veal. What she discovered was an enormous wealth of regional diversity in ingredients, methods, and even language, where the same pasta shape can be called three or four names in different parts of the country. She understood that all Italian cooking is regional; there is no 'national' cuisine and so there are eight recipes for aubergines, fourteen for artichokes, five for fennel and seven for lentils, all from different regions. But if such descriptions seem to today’s reader overly thorough it is because many of her 1950's audience would have never heard of risotto, gorgonzola, prosciutto or even olive oil, let alone been able to purchase them.This is a critical and analytical look at Italian food – her personality and point of view come out on almost every page – organised by type of dish rather than by region and is full of details of kitchens and cooking by painters from the 14th, 15th and 18th centuries. The book is filled with asides and quotes from Italian writers and thinkers and as confirmation that this is more a work of scholarship than a simple book on cookery, there are appendices of bibliographies and notes on wine. If you want to explore the authentic regional roots of the Italian kitchen, Elizabeth David's masterpiece is the place to start. And the joy and relevance of this book today is that recipes that could only be read 60 years ago can now be cooked and savoured.Elizabeth David’s acclaimed writings are often cited as an inspiration by many of today’s leading chefs, as well as home cooks, and are essential to any serious cookery book collection.

French Provincial Cooking is Elizabeth David's classic work on French regional cuisine. Providing simple recipes like omelettes, soufflés, soups and salads, it also offers more complex fare such as pâtés, cassoulets, roasts and puddings.First published in 1960, it is readable, inspiring and entertainingly informative. French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David is the perfect place to go for anyone wanting to bring a little France into their home.'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on Sunday'Britain's most inspirational food writer' Independent 'When you read Elizabeth David, you get perfect pitch. There is an understanding and evocation of flavours, colours, scents and places that lights up the page' Guardian'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on SundayElizabeth David (1913-1992) is the woman who changed the face of British cooking. Having travelled widely during the Second World War, she introduced post-war Britain to the sun-drenched delights of the Mediterranean and her recipes brought new flavours and aromas into kitchens across Britain. After her classic first book Mediterranean Food followed more bestsellers, including French Country Cooking, Summer Cooking, French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, Elizabeth David's Christmas and At Elizabeth David's Table.

In Italian Food, Elizabeth David was the first to help us understand the real country cooking of Italy.Italian Food was an inspiration to British cooks when it was first published in 1954 - and it remains so to this day. Embracing the variety, richness and vibrancy of Italian cooking, with particularly reference to regional variation, Elizabeth David provides a magnificent and inspiring collection of favourite dishes as well as those more rarelyencountered.With straightforward recipes for meals such as Piedmontese cheese fondue, fettuccine with fresh tomato sauce and chicken breasts with ham and cheese, Elizabeth David brings us the authentic taste of Italian food.'Elizabeth David's clear and unpretentious directions for the enjoyment of good food have never been surpassed' Daily Mail 'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on Sunday'Britain's most inspirational food writer' Independent 'When you read Elizabeth David, you get perfect pitch. There is an understanding and evocation of flavours, colours, scents and places that lights up the page' Guardian'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on SundayElizabeth David (1913-1992) is the woman who changed the face of British cooking. Having travelled widely during the Second World War, she introduced post-war Britain to the sun-drenched delights of the Mediterranean and her recipes brought new flavours and aromas into kitchens across Britain. After her classic first book Mediterranean Food followed more bestsellers, including French Country Cooking, Summer Cooking, French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, Elizabeth David's Christmas and At Elizabeth David's Table.

Discover the enticing and mouth-watering flavours of Mediterranean cooking with Elizabeth David's classic cookbook'Britain's most inspirational food writer' INDEPENDENT_______Having lived in France, Italy, the Greek islands and Egypt, Elizabeth David has perfected the art of Mediterranean cooking.In her classic cookbook she gives us hearty pasta dishes from Italy; aromatic and tangy salads from Turkey and Greece; and tasty seafood and saffron dishes from Spain.With delicious dishes including . . .- Tomato and Shellfish Soup- Greek Spinach Pie- Toulouse-Style Cassoulet- Valencian Paella- Turkish Salad Dressing- Syrian Fish Sauce. . . You will be taken on a tasting tour of the Mediterranean from your own kitchen.Whether it is the simplicity of hummus or the delicious blending of flavours found in plates of ratatouille or paella, Elizabeth David's wonderful recipes in A Book of Mediterranean Food are imbued with all the delights of the sunny south._______'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on Sunday'When you read Elizabeth David, you get perfect pitch. There is an understanding and evocation of flavours, colours, scents and places that lights up the page' Guardian

In this universally acclaimed book Elizabeth David deals with all aspects of flour-milling, yeast, bread ovens and the different types of bread and flour available. The recipes cover yeast cookery of all kinds, and the many lovely, old-fashioned spiced breads, buns, pancakes and muffins, among others, are all described with her typical elegance and unrivalled knowledge.

French Country Cooking - first published in 1951 - is filled with Elizabeth David's authentic recipes drawn from across the regions of France.'Her books are stunningly well written ... full of history and anecdote' ObserverShowing how each area has a particular and unique flavour for its foods, derived as they are from local ingredients, Elizabeth David explores the astonishing diversity of French cuisine. Her recipes range from the primitive pheasant soup of the Basque country to the refined Burgundian dish of hare with cream sauce and chestnut puree. French Country Cooking is Elizabeth David's rich and enticing cookbook that will delight and inspire cooks everywhere.Elizabeth David (1913-1992) is the woman who changed the face of British cooking. Having travelled widely during the Second World War, she introduced post-war Britain to the sun-drenched delights of the Mediterranean and her recipes brought new flavours and aromas into kitchens across Britain. After her classic first book Mediterranean Food followed more bestsellers, including French Country Cooking, Summer Cooking, French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, Elizabeth David's Christmas and At Elizabeth David's Table.

Legendary cook and writer Elizabeth David changed the way Britain ate, introducing a postwar nation to the sun-drenched delights of the Mediterranean, and bringing new flavours and aromas such as garlic, wine and olive oil into its kitchens. This mouthwatering selection of her writings and recipes embraces the richness of French and Italian cuisine, from earthy cassoulets to the simplest spaghetti, as well as evoking the smell of buttered toast, the colours of foreign markets and the pleasures of picnics. Rich with anecdote, David's writing is defined by a passion for good, authentic, well-balanced food that still inspires chefs today.

Summer Cooking - first published in 1955 - is Elizabeth David's wonderful selection of dishes, for table, buffet and picnic, that are light, easy to prepare and based on seasonal ingredients.Elizabeth David shows how an imaginative use of herbs can enhance even the simplest meals, whether egg, fish or meat, while her recipes range from a simple salade niçoise to strawberry soufflé. Finally, Summer Cooking has chapters on hors d'oeuvres, summer soups, vegetables, sauces and sweets that are full of ideas for fresh, cool food all summer long.'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on Sunday'Britain's most inspirational food writer' Independent 'When you read Elizabeth David, you get perfect pitch. There is an understanding and evocation of flavours, colours, scents and places that lights up the page' Guardian'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on SundayElizabeth David (1913-1992) is the woman who changed the face of British cooking. Having travelled widely during the Second World War, she introduced post-war Britain to the sun-drenched delights of the Mediterranean and her recipes brought new flavours and aromas into kitchens across Britain. After her classic first book Mediterranean Food followed more bestsellers, including French Country Cooking, Summer Cooking, French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, Elizabeth David's Christmas and At Elizabeth David's Table.

'A splendid tale of human ingenuity in the service of taste, sedulously researched and told with great flair.' Loyd Grossman Sunday TimesAuthor of such cookery classics as Italian Food and French Provincial Cooking, Elizabeth David (1913-1992) found that the literature of cookery, as well as the practical side, was of absorbing interest, and she studied it throughout her life. Spices, Salt and Aromatics in the English Kitchen was published in 1970, followed by English Bread and Yeast Cookery, for which she won the Glenfiddich Writer of the Year award, in 1977. At the time of her death in 1992 she was working on this equally epic study of the use of ice, the ice-trade and the early days of refrigeration, which was published posthumously in 1994 as Harvest of the Cold Months.'An awe-inspiring feat of detective scholarship, the literally marvellous story of how human beings came to ingest lumps of flavoured frozen matter for pleasure ... There is much, much more - about the making and breaking of reputations, the founding of Parisian café culture, the great and rivalrous confectioners of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century London, about Russian ice-cream (surprisingly superior) and Persian sherbets ... sumptuous.' Independent on Sunday'This survey of the use of ice in cookery takes us on a fascinating journey from 1581, where in Florence they put snow in the wine glasses, to that modern phenomenon, the growth of the ice-cream business. A scholarly social history, which makes a fitting finale to the work of the greatest of our writers on foods and its contexts.' Harpers & Queen

At Elizabeth David's Table is the very best from the woman who who changed the face of British cooking. Elizabeth David introduced a dreary post-war Britain to the sun-drenched culinary delights of the Mediterranean; to foods like olive oil and pasta, artichokes and fresh herbs - foods that have become the staples of our diets today. Her recipes brought colour and life into kitchens everywhere, yet her books never contained any photographs. Now, published for the first time, is this beautiful new collection of her most inspiring, everyday recipes with full-colour photography throughout.Published to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Elizabeth's first book, At Elizabeth David's Table has twelve chapters guiding the reader from tasty soups and starters, through to meat, fish and desserts. Sections on successful bread making, as well as more extravagant dishes, ensure that this will become the cookery bible that you will turn to, time and time again. Interspersed throughout At Elizabeth David's Table are some of Elizabeth's short essays - from how to cook 'fast and fresh' using store cupboard ingredients, to evocative portraits of French and Italian markets.'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on Sunday'Britain's most inspirational food writer' Independent 'When you read Elizabeth David, you get perfect pitch. There is an understanding and evocation of flavours, colours, scents and places that lights up the page' Guardian'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on SundayElizabeth David (1913-1992) is the woman who changed the face of British cooking. Having travelled widely during the Second World War, she introduced post-war Britain to the sun-drenched delights of the Mediterranean and her recipes brought new flavours and aromas into kitchens across Britain. After her classic first book Mediterranean Food followed more bestsellers, including French Country Cooking, Summer Cooking, French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, Elizabeth David's Christmas and At Elizabeth David's Table.

A beautiful and timeless new edition of the ultimate festive food book, from the most loved and respected British cookery writer of the 20th centuryElizabeth David's Christmas is a celebration of every traditional recipe and favourite indulgence that we savour during the festive season. Containing over 150 classic recipes, together with a selection of wonderful articles, notes and observations from the Elizabeth David archive, this timeless book will inspire an elegant and memorable Christmas while taking the strain out of cooking for a crowd.All the classics are here: mince pies, stuffings, sauces and, of course, the perfect turkey, as well as simple first courses, party dishes and a range of desserts that make Elizabeth David's Christmas irresistible seasonal fare and a unique festive resource to treasure, hand down and return to year after year.

Summer Cooking - first published in 1955 - is Elizabeth David's wonderful selection of dishes, for table, buffet and picnic, that are light, easy to prepare and based on seasonal ingredients.Elizabeth David shows how an imaginative use of herbs can enhance even the simplest meals, whether egg, fish or meat, while her recipes range from a simple salade niçoise to strawberry soufflé. Finally, Summer Cooking has chapters on hors d'oeuvres, summer soups, vegetables, sauces and sweets that are full of ideas for fresh, cool food all summer long.'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on Sunday'Britain's most inspirational food writer' Independent 'When you read Elizabeth David, you get perfect pitch. There is an understanding and evocation of flavours, colours, scents and places that lights up the page' Guardian'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on SundayElizabeth David (1913-1992) is the woman who changed the face of British cooking. Having travelled widely during the Second World War, she introduced post-war Britain to the sun-drenched delights of the Mediterranean and her recipes brought new flavours and aromas into kitchens across Britain. After her classic first book Mediterranean Food followed more bestsellers, including French Country Cooking, Summer Cooking, French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, Elizabeth David's Christmas and At Elizabeth David's Table.

French Country Cooking - first published in 1951 - is filled with Elizabeth David's authentic recipes drawn from across the regions of France.'Her books are stunningly well written ... full of history and anecdote' ObserverShowing how each area has a particular and unique flavour for its foods, derived as they are from local ingredients, Elizabeth David explores the astonishing diversity of French cuisine. Her recipes range from the primitive pheasant soup of the Basque country to the refined Burgundian dish of hare with cream sauce and chestnut puree. French Country Cooking is Elizabeth David's rich and enticing cookbook that will delight and inspire cooks everywhere.Elizabeth David (1913-1992) is the woman who changed the face of British cooking. Having travelled widely during the Second World War, she introduced post-war Britain to the sun-drenched delights of the Mediterranean and her recipes brought new flavours and aromas into kitchens across Britain. After her classic first book Mediterranean Food followed more bestsellers, including French Country Cooking, Summer Cooking, French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, Elizabeth David's Christmas and At Elizabeth David's Table.

Discover the enticing and mouth-watering flavours of Mediterranean cooking with Elizabeth David's classic cookbook'Britain's most inspirational food writer' INDEPENDENT_______Having lived in France, Italy, the Greek islands and Egypt, Elizabeth David has perfected the art of Mediterranean cooking.In her classic cookbook she gives us hearty pasta dishes from Italy; aromatic and tangy salads from Turkey and Greece; and tasty seafood and saffron dishes from Spain.With delicious dishes including . . .- Tomato and Shellfish Soup- Greek Spinach Pie- Toulouse-Style Cassoulet- Valencian Paella- Turkish Salad Dressing- Syrian Fish Sauce. . . You will be taken on a tasting tour of the Mediterranean from your own kitchen.Whether it is the simplicity of hummus or the delicious blending of flavours found in plates of ratatouille or paella, Elizabeth David's wonderful recipes in A Book of Mediterranean Food are imbued with all the delights of the sunny south._______'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on Sunday'When you read Elizabeth David, you get perfect pitch. There is an understanding and evocation of flavours, colours, scents and places that lights up the page' Guardian

In Italian Food, Elizabeth David was the first to help us understand the real country cooking of Italy.Italian Food was an inspiration to British cooks when it was first published in 1954 - and it remains so to this day. Embracing the variety, richness and vibrancy of Italian cooking, with particularly reference to regional variation, Elizabeth David provides a magnificent and inspiring collection of favourite dishes as well as those more rarelyencountered.With straightforward recipes for meals such as Piedmontese cheese fondue, fettuccine with fresh tomato sauce and chicken breasts with ham and cheese, Elizabeth David brings us the authentic taste of Italian food.'Elizabeth David's clear and unpretentious directions for the enjoyment of good food have never been surpassed' Daily Mail 'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on Sunday'Britain's most inspirational food writer' Independent 'When you read Elizabeth David, you get perfect pitch. There is an understanding and evocation of flavours, colours, scents and places that lights up the page' Guardian'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on SundayElizabeth David (1913-1992) is the woman who changed the face of British cooking. Having travelled widely during the Second World War, she introduced post-war Britain to the sun-drenched delights of the Mediterranean and her recipes brought new flavours and aromas into kitchens across Britain. After her classic first book Mediterranean Food followed more bestsellers, including French Country Cooking, Summer Cooking, French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, Elizabeth David's Christmas and At Elizabeth David's Table.

'Brilliant reading, enthralling and exciting, as well as great cookery. The ultimate book in every way' Gary Rhodes, The Times French Provincial Cooking - first published in 1960 - is the classic work on French regional cuisine. Providing simple recipes like omelettes, soufflés, soups and salads, it also offers more complex fare such as pâtés, cassoulets, roasts and puddings.Readable, inspiring and entertainingly informative, French Provincial Cooking is the perfect place to go for anyone wanting to bring a little France into their home.'A joy to read. David's descriptions of France are so wonderful you can almost smell the garlic' Jilly Cooper, Sunday Express Elizabeth David is the woman who changed the face of British cooking. She introduced post-war Britain to the sun-drenched delights of the Mediterranean and her recipes brought new flavours and aromas into kitchens across Britain.

A classic in its genre, An Omelette and a Glass of Wine compiles Elizabeth David's short pieces on food and wine.A bestseller when it was first published in 1984, much of David's finest writing featured in magazines and newspapers such as the Spectator, the Sunday Times and Harper's, and these pieces contain tantalizing glimpses of her very private life.An Omelette and a Glass of Wine is an exquisite collection that demonstrates the talent that made Elizabeth David the most celebrated food writer of her time.'She has the intelligence, subtlety, sensuality, courage and creative force of the true artist' - Wine and FoodElizabeth David rejuvenated the British attitude towards home cookery and is still considered to be one of the greatest food writers ever. She wrote extensively on food and wine and her enthusiasm for European cooking encouraged a revolution of the British culinary scene. Her books have remained influential since her death in 1992. This final compilation has been put together by her literary executor, Jill Norman.

At Elizabeth David's Table is the very best from the woman who who changed the face of British cooking. Elizabeth David introduced a dreary post-war Britain to the sun-drenched culinary delights of the Mediterranean; to foods like olive oil and pasta, artichokes and fresh herbs - foods that have become the staples of our diets today. Her recipes brought colour and life into kitchens everywhere, yet her books never contained any photographs. Now, published for the first time, is this beautiful new collection of her most inspiring, everyday recipes with full-colour photography throughout.Published to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Elizabeth's first book, At Elizabeth David's Table has twelve chapters guiding the reader from tasty soups and starters, through to meat, fish and desserts. Sections on successful bread making, as well as more extravagant dishes, ensure that this will become the cookery bible that you will turn to, time and time again. Interspersed throughout At Elizabeth David's Table are some of Elizabeth's short essays - from how to cook 'fast and fresh' using store cupboard ingredients, to evocative portraits of French and Italian markets.'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on Sunday'Britain's most inspirational food writer' Independent 'When you read Elizabeth David, you get perfect pitch. There is an understanding and evocation of flavours, colours, scents and places that lights up the page' Guardian'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on SundayElizabeth David (1913-1992) is the woman who changed the face of British cooking. Having travelled widely during the Second World War, she introduced post-war Britain to the sun-drenched delights of the Mediterranean and her recipes brought new flavours and aromas into kitchens across Britain. After her classic first book Mediterranean Food followed more bestsellers, including French Country Cooking, Summer Cooking, French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, Elizabeth David's Christmas and At Elizabeth David's Table.

"Everyone who loves good food will welcome this reprint in one volume, hardback and durable, of the three classics of the kitchen which first made us familiar with the name Elizabeth David. They have been necessary to my generation, they will be necessary to our children and grand children." These are the opening lines from Jane Grigson's Preface to the original edition of Elizabeth David Classics published by Jill Norman in 1980 and her words are as relevant today as they were nearly twenty years ago.

In this most elusive of her books, Elizabeth David presents English recipes notable for their use of spices, salt and aromatics. As is usual in her writing she mixes instruction with information, explaining the origins and uses of ingredients such as nutmeg, cardamom and juniper. She stresses the influence of centuries of oriental trade on the English kitchen, where spices and Indian curries, kebabs and yoghurt are now perfectly at home, along with dishes such as risotto and paella.

Elizabeth David's books belong in the libraries of everyone who loves to read and prepare food and this one is generally regarded as her best; her passion and knowledge comes through on every page She was one of the foremost writers on food in the latter half of the 20th century and this book has her most celebrated writing. French Provincial Cooking should be approached and read as a series of short stories, as well written and evocative as the best literature. The voice is highly personal and opinionated, sometimes sharp but always true and always entertaining. Here is a long essay on French cuisine, offering background stories and sketches of recipes more than the slavishly didactic type of recipes that most modern readers might be used to today. For many Elizabeth David was the first to introduce us to the French notion of la cuisine terroir, sometimes interpreted as `what grows together goes together'. For David, this is the heart of regional cooking, and the thing which most distinguishes it from cooking in haute cuisine restaurants where diners arrive at any time or any season and expect to be able to order any well known French speciality. One of the passages which best characterizes David's approach to a lot of cooking is her opening statement on the perfect omelette: `As everybody knows, there is only one infallible recipe for the perfect omelette: your own.' The book starts with a short essay on each of the major culinary regions of France, starting perhaps not surprisingly with Provence which is blessed with an abundance of produce. The largest portion of the book consists of chapters on cuisine by type of dish: Sauces, Hors-D'oeuvres and Salads, Soups, Eggs and Cheese, Pates and Terrines, Vegetables, Fish, Shellfish, Meat, Composite Meat Dishes, Poultry and Game and Sweet dishes. The book is all the more valuable in that it paints a picture of a cooking style which existed before modern equipment such as the food processor. Most importantly, the recipes work if your aim is to produce the most excellent food imaginable. What initially may seem to be annoying details (e.g., for omelettes, eggs ‘should not really be beaten at all, but stirred,’ whereas for scrambled eggs, they should be ’very well beaten’) are actually secrets to be treasured, that elevate a good dish to a superb one. The lesson is that good food should be done simply, but it takes care, attention to detail, and frequently, time. A hardback edition of French Provincial Cooking has been unavailable for many years and Grub Street is re-issuing it because of overwhelming demand. It should become as popular an edition as the best-selling Elizabeth David Classics.

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, offers 62 articles originally written by Elizabeth David between 1955 and 1984 for numerous publications including The Spectator, Gourmet magazine, Vogue, and The Sunday Times. This revered classic volume contains delightful explorations of food and cooking, among which are the collection's namesake essay and other such gems as Syllabubs and Fruit Fools, Sweet Vegetables, Soft Wine, Pleasing Cheeses, and Whisky in the Kitchen. Her subjects range from the story of how her own cookery writing began to accounts of some restaurants in provincial France, of white truffles in Piedmont, wild risottos on the islands of the Venetian lagoon and odd happenings during rain-drenched seaside holidays in the British Isles. Here we can share her appreciation of books, people who influenced her, places she loved and the delicious meals she enjoyed. Some of the best essays are those about others who wrote about food such as Norman Douglas and Mrs Beeton. She writes so vividly that we can see, taste and even smell the dishes she describes. Many of these pieces, such as I'll Be with You in the Squeezing of a Lemon, from 1969 - about cooking with lemons - barely show their age. But even if they did, you wouldn't care, because of the rich store of information that David shares and the literary grace with which she imparts it. Some articles include recipes, but for the most part this is a volume nicely sized to curl up with or to take on a trip. Articles, book reviews and travel pieces, they will be new to many of her readers and a delight to all for their highly personal flavour. Jane Grigson praised it for including all the dishes most closely associated with her, Spiced Beef, Salted Welsh Duck and Syllabub. Her many admirers will cherish this new hardback edition for its 320 high quality pages casually interspersed with charming black and white illustrations and some photographs. It is a book sure to appeal to the 'Elizabeth David' book collector and readers coming to know Ms. David for the first time will marvel at her wisdom and grace.

First published in 1977, and winning its author the coveted Glenfiddich Writer of the Year Award, this universally acclaimed book is regarded by many as simply the best book ever written about the making of bread. It covers all aspects of flour-milling, yeast, bread ovens and the different types of bread and flour available. It contains an exhaustive collection of recipes, everything from plain brown wholemeal or saffron cake to drop scones and croissants; all described with her typical elegance and unrivalled knowledge. Even how to make your own yeast and keep it. But more than just a list of recipes, it is an insight into an interesting and informative home-baker. Enquire within on any point connected with baking and Miss David has the answer. Nor does it omit the history of bread making from the Exodus onwards, the iniquities of sliced bread and uncovers the dubious practices of some flour millers and bread manufacturers in the UK and elsewhere with amusing anecdotes and personal observations throughout. The writing style of this book has aged well and adds greatly to its charm. This is a book that should be included in every food lovers collection. Not just for those who love to cook but those who enjoy reading about food and its history, and of course it is an absolute must for keen bakers.

Before Elizabeth David died in 1992 she and her editor, Jill Norman, had begun work on a volume of The Best of but then her health deteriorated and the project was shelved. The idea was revived in 1996 when chefs and writers and Elizabeths many friends, were invited to select their favourite articles and recipes. Some sent notes explaining their choice, others provided an anecdote or a recollection about her, others sent lists of recipes they had been using for years. This book is the fruit of that harvest of recommendations and the names of the contributors, who number among them some of our finest food writers such as Simon Hopkinson, Alice Waters, Sally Clarke, Richard Olney, Paul Levy and Anne Willan, appear after the pieces they had chosen along with their notes. The extracts and recipes which make up South Wind Through the Kitchen are drawn from all Elizabeth Davids books, namely A Book of Mediterranean Food, French Country Cooking, Italian Food, Sumer Cooking, French Provincial Cooking, Spices, Salt and Aromatics in the English Kitchen, English Bread and Yeast Cookery, An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, and Harvest of the Cold Months. There are over 200 recipes in the book organised around courses and ingredients such as eggs and cheese, fish and shellfish, meat, poultry and game, vegetables, pasta, pulses and grains, sauces, sweet dishes and cakes, preserves, and bread, all interspersed with extracts and articles making it a delightful compendium to dip into as well as cook from.

For Elizabeth David, summer fare meant fresh, seasonal food—recipes that could be prepared quickly and savoured slowly, from Gnocchi alla Genovese (‘simply an excuse for eating pesto’) to La Poule au Pot to Gooseberry Fool. Her 1955 classic work, now reissued in a handsome, attractively priced hardback edition, includes an overview of herbs as well as chapters on impromptu cooking for holidays and picnics. Divided into chapters on Soups, Salads, Eggs, Fish, Meat, Poultry and Game, Vegetables, and Sweets, it contains recipes from all over the world. Summer Cooking is a witty, precise companion for feasting in the warmer months — every bit as unexpected and enchanting to read today as it was 50 years ago. But the purest thrill of Summer Cooking, as in all of her books, is the pleasure her food delivers and the graceful way her prose captures the reader’s delight.