RaveiNews (UK)... a book about food that’s acutely not prescriptive nor reductive. There’s a starring role for Greggs Steak Bakes and Creme Eggs, but also pulses and tinned tomatoes. All edible life is here, even (eek) the question of why we don’t eat our dead pets. The author was, she mentions, a student of philosophy ... Tandoh takes the reader on an optimistic, witty, inclusive ride through our relationship with food, aiming potshots at some surprising targets – Nigel, Nigella, Tom Kerridge – and some unsurprising ones ... Tandoh is at her best when she is giddy with the joy of cooking, or reading the great Nora Ephron, or watching Big Night. The admission that she has never read Elizabeth David, but quotes Towie’s Gemma on the joy of a cuppa, is inclusiveness itself ... There are clear-eyed views about eating disorders and the danger of exclusion diets. It is good to be reminded of how the pursuit of purity and restraint can become unhealthy and a risk to one’s mental health ... Anyone familiar with Tandoh’s Twitter feed will expect – and get – a healthy serving of righteous indignation. Class gets a kicking, as do the appropriation of world cuisines and judging others by what’s in their shopping basket ... But if I have a criticism of this warm, reassuring book, it’s when the author protests too much. Sure, enjoy a McDonald’s now and then, and white bread, and a Galaxy, and cheap ice cream; Tandoh does. But is a curry made with tinned potatoes and carrots really easier, cheaper or \'better\' than one made with raw ingredients? ... makes for a defiantly upbeat read, with a few easy, delicious recipes thrown in.
