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A Taste of the Sun
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.
115 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2011
8 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth David
114 books103 followersBorn Elizabeth Gwynne, she was of mixed English and Irish ancestry, and came from a rather grand background, growing up in the 17th-century Sussex manor house, Wootton Manor. Her parents were Rupert Gwynne, Conservative MP for Eastbourne, and the Hon. Stella Ridley, who came from a distinguished Northumberland family. They had three other daughters.
She studied Literature and History at the Sorbonne, living with a French family for two years, which led to her love of France and of food. At the age of 19, she was given her first cookery book, The Gentle Art of Cookery by Hilda Leyel, who wrote of her love with the food of the East. "If I had been given a standard Mrs Beeton instead of Mrs Leyel's wonderful recipes," she said, "I would probably never have learned to cook."
Gwynne had an adventurous early life, leaving home to become an actress. She left England in 1939, when she was twenty-five, and bought a boat with her married lover Charles Gibson-Cowan intending to travel around the Mediterranean. The onset of World War II interrupted this plan, and they had to flee the German occupation of France. They left Antibes for Corsica and then on to Italy where the boat was impounded; they arrived on the day Italy declared war on Britain. Eventually deported to Greece, living on the Greek island of Syros for a period, Gwynne learnt about Greek food and spent time with high bohemians such as the writer Lawrence Durrell. When the Germans invaded Greece they fled to Crete where they were rescued by the British and evacuated to Egypt, where she lived firstly in Alexandria and later in Cairo. There Gwynne started work for the Ministry of Information, split from Gibson-Cowan, and eventually took on a marriage of convenience, more or less as her aunt, Violet Gordon-Woodhouse, had done. This gave her a measure of respectability but Lieutenant-Colonel Tony David was a man whom she did not ultimately respect, and their relationship ended soon after an eight month posting in India. She had many lovers in ensuing years.
On her return to London in 1946, David began to write articles on cooking, and in 1949 the publisher John Lehmann offered her a £100 advance for Book of Mediterranean Food, the start of a dazzling writing career. David spent eight months researching Italian food in Venice, Tuscany and Capri. This resulted in Italian Food in 1954, with illustrations by Renato Guttuso, which was famously described by Evelyn Waugh in The Sunday Times as one of the two books which had given him the most pleasure that year.
Many of the ingredients were unknown in England when the books were first published, as shortages and rationing continued for many years after the end of the war, and David had to suggest looking for olive oil in pharmacies where it was sold for treating earache. Within a decade, ingredients such as aubergines, saffron and pasta began to appear in shops, thanks in no small part to David's books. David gained fame, respect and high status and advised many chefs and companies. In November 1965, she opened her own shop devoted to cookery in Pimlico, London. She wrote articles for Vogue magazine, one of the first in the genre of food-travel.
In 1963, when she was 49, she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, possibly related to her heavy drinking. Although she recovered, it affected her sense of taste and her libido.
She studied Literature and History at the Sorbonne, living with a French family for two years, which led to her love of France and of food. At the age of 19, she was given her first cookery book, The Gentle Art of Cookery by Hilda Leyel, who wrote of her love with the food of the East. "If I had been given a standard Mrs Beeton instead of Mrs Leyel's wonderful recipes," she said, "I would probably never have learned to cook."
Gwynne had an adventurous early life, leaving home to become an actress. She left England in 1939, when she was twenty-five, and bought a boat with her married lover Charles Gibson-Cowan intending to travel around the Mediterranean. The onset of World War II interrupted this plan, and they had to flee the German occupation of France. They left Antibes for Corsica and then on to Italy where the boat was impounded; they arrived on the day Italy declared war on Britain. Eventually deported to Greece, living on the Greek island of Syros for a period, Gwynne learnt about Greek food and spent time with high bohemians such as the writer Lawrence Durrell. When the Germans invaded Greece they fled to Crete where they were rescued by the British and evacuated to Egypt, where she lived firstly in Alexandria and later in Cairo. There Gwynne started work for the Ministry of Information, split from Gibson-Cowan, and eventually took on a marriage of convenience, more or less as her aunt, Violet Gordon-Woodhouse, had done. This gave her a measure of respectability but Lieutenant-Colonel Tony David was a man whom she did not ultimately respect, and their relationship ended soon after an eight month posting in India. She had many lovers in ensuing years.
On her return to London in 1946, David began to write articles on cooking, and in 1949 the publisher John Lehmann offered her a £100 advance for Book of Mediterranean Food, the start of a dazzling writing career. David spent eight months researching Italian food in Venice, Tuscany and Capri. This resulted in Italian Food in 1954, with illustrations by Renato Guttuso, which was famously described by Evelyn Waugh in The Sunday Times as one of the two books which had given him the most pleasure that year.
Many of the ingredients were unknown in England when the books were first published, as shortages and rationing continued for many years after the end of the war, and David had to suggest looking for olive oil in pharmacies where it was sold for treating earache. Within a decade, ingredients such as aubergines, saffron and pasta began to appear in shops, thanks in no small part to David's books. David gained fame, respect and high status and advised many chefs and companies. In November 1965, she opened her own shop devoted to cookery in Pimlico, London. She wrote articles for Vogue magazine, one of the first in the genre of food-travel.
In 1963, when she was 49, she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, possibly related to her heavy drinking. Although she recovered, it affected her sense of taste and her libido.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 3, 2021
What a delight. In this enchanting cooking book David offers a mix of geography, history, memoir, and recipes. David writes with much love and care, showing an experienced mastery of her craft as well as a commendable ability to both convey her enthusiasm to the reader and teach in a simple straightforward manner. I felt transported to the italian coast, the south of France and postwar England, the transitions easy and exciting. I was left hungry, and motivated to try everything in the book (and to have a little house with a little garden where I can grow my own veggies and herbs!).
November 7, 2018
it is very annoying when a book isn't clear that it is all a bunch of excerpts, and the editing decision to not ID where each excerpt is from and where they start/finish is odd.
Enjoyable vacation reading.
Enjoyable vacation reading.
December 18, 2016
Obviously edited bits out of other books, but this is still a charming read and a good short introduction to David, one of the iconic British writers. While mainly focusing on her love of Mediterranean food, there are some great chapters on British food including a wonderfully written chapter on Toast. Yes, a whole chapter about toast.
While some of the advice in the book may be a little dated (especially the section on what you should buy when it comes to tools for your kitchen) the recipes are still great and easy to make. Of course now that the English speaking world is familiar (some might say over-familiar) with Mediterranean cooking some of her comments might seem quaint, but David's combination of enthusiasm and a no-nonsense approach is still fun.
While some of the advice in the book may be a little dated (especially the section on what you should buy when it comes to tools for your kitchen) the recipes are still great and easy to make. Of course now that the English speaking world is familiar (some might say over-familiar) with Mediterranean cooking some of her comments might seem quaint, but David's combination of enthusiasm and a no-nonsense approach is still fun.
April 1, 2015
A Taste of the Sun by Elizabeth David is one of the Penguin Books’ Great Food releases, which I received for Christmas and have been enjoying reading off and on. This is a top quality foodie read packed with history and interesting recipes from a writer who brought French and Italian influences to British cooking. The recipes are easy to follow and still relevant today such as recipes for Ragu, Bolognese and Tian. The sections are varied and make for interesting reading as one finds chapters devoted to picnics, wine in the kitchen, potted meats and fish and even toast. A great read for those interested in food writing and food history.
May 20, 2014
A wonderful book for foodies, packed full of history and authentic period recipes, this book even more so in the great food series.
Full of practical advice for anyone, of any class to and pretty easy to follow recipes with modern touches.
I really enjoyed this for the historical and social aspect.
Easily sub divided into sections, potted meat, fish, salads, desserts, Italian and French dishes, I think this would appeal to a lot of people as some of the recipes are not so outlandish that they can even be followed by a modern cook using up to date methods.
Well worth reading on many levels.
Full of practical advice for anyone, of any class to and pretty easy to follow recipes with modern touches.
I really enjoyed this for the historical and social aspect.
Easily sub divided into sections, potted meat, fish, salads, desserts, Italian and French dishes, I think this would appeal to a lot of people as some of the recipes are not so outlandish that they can even be followed by a modern cook using up to date methods.
Well worth reading on many levels.
August 8, 2014
A short book that gives us the flavor of Elizabeth David, one of the early English culinary writers and historians. She deplored the state of English cooking and had a mission of educating home cooks on creating dishes more like the French and Italian. Fascinating to learn about the origins and evolution of a few Italian, French and English dishes.
August 19, 2013
I love Elizabeth David's food essays and this short book is a great introduction. Written mostly in the 50s, they detail Britain's food reawakening after the deprivations of the recent war. Quick and satisfying.
January 17, 2016
This book contains bits of seven other of David's books. Annoying is that the bits aren't identified. I couldn't find some parts in books I have that seemed logical.
David's writing is always inspiring.
David's writing is always inspiring.
August 13, 2019
I needed something I could carry in my pocket... the interesting thing about this is how much lard, liver, salt and booze went into ordinary recipes just a few short decades ago!
April 28, 2017
Another one in the Penguin Great Food series, and so another little excerpt book. With some of these I've found that the excerpts are more than enough, but with Elizabeth David I wouldn't have minded if this had been a bit longer. I like her way of writing and explaining the background of and details of the various dishes. And there's something in here I'm going to try as well - always the sign of a good food book if it inspires me to try cooking something new.
They've put four sections in this little book, and plucked out a few titbits from David's wrting. There's kind of a general advice/kitchen gear/menus etc bit that wasn't the most exciting, then Italian, French and English dishes. There were bits with meat recipes which I skipped as I don't eat red meat. And I didn't think anyone could write quite that much about toast, but I stand corrected. Horah for toast! And as for me, I'm going to have a go at these French tians at some point.
They've put four sections in this little book, and plucked out a few titbits from David's wrting. There's kind of a general advice/kitchen gear/menus etc bit that wasn't the most exciting, then Italian, French and English dishes. There were bits with meat recipes which I skipped as I don't eat red meat. And I didn't think anyone could write quite that much about toast, but I stand corrected. Horah for toast! And as for me, I'm going to have a go at these French tians at some point.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews