Thom Eagle – författare

February produces an abundance of leeks; May inspires blackberry ketchup. June's glut of courgettes demands endless recipes; August's blight strikes the tomatoes. October sees beans soaking in home-made broth, red wine and barley. December's branches 'die back', yet life still stirs under the soil.The Allotment Diaries follows the year Thom joined his father on the allotment. It is a year of growing and pickling, musing on wildness and cultivation, documenting his family's odd yearly rituals, and unknowingly saying a last goodbye. Above all, it is a melodious, nourishing month-by-month portrait of the earth we all have in common.

Fermented food is playing a significant role in the developing discussion around gut health and the microbiome. More than the latest health trend, pickling and fermentation are techniques that have been used by human populations across the globe in food preparation for millennia. And they are part of a region's cultural heritage, passed from generation to generation, whether it's the Korean kimjang - the making and sharing of kimchi - the Japanese preparation of the nukadoko or pickling bed, or the brine-fermented fruits and vegetables of Georgia. Thom Eagle celebrates this fascinating history, explaining the different techniques and offering practical advice for enthusiasts.

NOMINATED FOR THE 2018 ANDRE SIMON FOOD & DRINK BOOK OF THE YEARBBC RADIO 4 FOOD PROGRAMME BEST FOOD BOOKS OF 2018THE TIMES BEST FOOD BOOKS OF 2018FINANCIAL TIMES SUMMER FOOD BOOKS OF 2018"A one-off, the kind of food book that I believed was no longer being published... When I reached the last page, I went back to the beginning." – Bee Wilson, The Times"A book as rich and rewarding as the rabbit stew he spends so many chapters making." – Jenny Linford, Times Literary Supplement"A wonderful taste of fresh air... First, Catch is almost revolutionary... His words are delicious, musical heaven." – William Sitwell‘Thom Eagle’s writing is pure joy – effortless and unaffected. Even such a seemingly banal and simple thing as boiling vegetables is engaging and illuminating in his hands. He is easily one of my favourite writers, and this book deserves to become a classic.” – Olia Hercules, author of Mamushka and Kaukasis"It feels so tantalisingly transgressive to find a book that looks beautiful, feels lovely in the hand and just contains words — gorgeous, thoughtful essays... from a talented chef and writer." - Tim Hayward, Financial Times‘The thing to do is just begin. The question, of course, is where?’So opens Thom Eagle’s hymn to a singular early spring meal. A cookbook without recipes, this is an invitation to journey through the mind of a chef as they work. Stand next to Thom in the kitchen as he muses on the very best way to coax flavour out of an onion (slowly, and with more care than you might expect), or considers the crucial role of salt in the creation of the perfect assembly for early green shoots and leaves.In an era when we are so distracted that we eat almost without realising what we’ve just put in our mouth, this is food and writing to savour, gently steering the cook back towards simplicity, confidence and, above all, taste.