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A History of English Food
In this major new history of English food, Clarissa Dickson Wright takes the reader on a journey from the time of the Second Crusade and the feasts of medieval kings to the cuisine - both good and bad - of the present day. She looks at the shifting influences on the national diet as new ideas and ingredients have arrived, and as immigrant communities have made their contribution to the life of the country. She evokes lost worlds of open fires and ice houses, of constant pickling and preserving, and of manchet loaves and curly-coated pigs. And she tells the stories of the chefs, cookery book writers, gourmets and gluttons who have shaped public taste, from the salad-loving Catherine of Aragon to the foodies of today. Above all, she gives a vivid sense of what it was like to sit down to the meals of previous ages, whether an eighteenth-century labourer's breakfast or a twelve-course Victorian banquet or a lunch out during the Second World War. Insightful and entertaining by turns, this i
512 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2011
70 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
Clarissa Dickson Wright
27 books31 followersClarissa Theresa Philomena Aileen Mary Josephine Agnes Elsie Trilby Louise Esmerelda Dickson Wright is an English celebrity chef and food historian who is best known as one half, along with Jennifer Paterson, of the Two Fat Ladies. Having trained as a lawyer, at the age of 21, Dickson Wright passed her exams and became the country's youngest barrister. She is also one of only two women in England to become a guild butcher.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 18, 2019
There is a lot of erudition in this book, it really is an excellent history of English food, which didn't apparently get bad until the Victorians started to boil the life out of vegetables. Before that, the aristocracy feasted in cold halls, the rich ate too much and screwed around, the middle classes had a sufficiency of good food and went to church, and the poor made do with raising a pig in the back garden and regularly getting drunk to forget their lowly circumstances. All very bucolic and the stuff of Henry VIII and all that. But is the author to be trusted?
According to her she grew up in a very wealthy home with an eminent surgeon for a father who was a vicious alcoholic, beat and abused her (not sexually), became the youngest woman ever to be called to the bar and had to give up law due to the disrepute her own alcoholism and spendthrift ways brought on her. She lived the high life, blowing her way through millions of pounds inheritance that she had from her mother and after this, bankrupt, she went into service as a cook. And, much credit to her, a cookbook shop owner. She also apparently screwed a guy actually in Parliament, but never even had a proper relationship, let alone married and had children.
Eventually she achieved major fame with Jennifer Patterson as Two Fat Ladies, a long-running cookery show in Britain where these two anarchic party-going posh women drove around in a motorbike and sidecar and cooked fat-laden food which possibly contributed to their early deaths.
Her sister tells another story. How this great big aggressive bully of a woman, much younger than her siblings absolutely dominated her mother and hit and punched her father who as a surgeon certainly wasn't a drunkard or abusive, forcing him to leave. Her mother's original Will destroyed she inherited all the money and declined to share it with her siblings. True story or sour grapes?
This tells me that although this is a 5-star book, a clever, well-researched, detailed history of English food and how it changed through the ages, including interesting recipes from the past, but it's not half so interesting as the outrageous, exhibitionist and cruel author. I don't want to read her autobiography, I would think it would reflect only what the perennially money-hungry and attention-seeking CDW thought would make an impact. I want to read a biography of her (with recipes).
According to her she grew up in a very wealthy home with an eminent surgeon for a father who was a vicious alcoholic, beat and abused her (not sexually), became the youngest woman ever to be called to the bar and had to give up law due to the disrepute her own alcoholism and spendthrift ways brought on her. She lived the high life, blowing her way through millions of pounds inheritance that she had from her mother and after this, bankrupt, she went into service as a cook. And, much credit to her, a cookbook shop owner. She also apparently screwed a guy actually in Parliament, but never even had a proper relationship, let alone married and had children.
Eventually she achieved major fame with Jennifer Patterson as Two Fat Ladies, a long-running cookery show in Britain where these two anarchic party-going posh women drove around in a motorbike and sidecar and cooked fat-laden food which possibly contributed to their early deaths.
Her sister tells another story. How this great big aggressive bully of a woman, much younger than her siblings absolutely dominated her mother and hit and punched her father who as a surgeon certainly wasn't a drunkard or abusive, forcing him to leave. Her mother's original Will destroyed she inherited all the money and declined to share it with her siblings. True story or sour grapes?
This tells me that although this is a 5-star book, a clever, well-researched, detailed history of English food and how it changed through the ages, including interesting recipes from the past, but it's not half so interesting as the outrageous, exhibitionist and cruel author. I don't want to read her autobiography, I would think it would reflect only what the perennially money-hungry and attention-seeking CDW thought would make an impact. I want to read a biography of her (with recipes).
November 3, 2020
For about the past year (from late October 2019 to this Sunday) I have been reading bits and pieces of Clarissa Dickson Wright’s A History of British Food in small but regular increments, in easily to digest (and with a bit of a pun definitely intended) bits and pieces, and yes indeed, mostly because approaching A History of British Food slowly, steadily and with as many perusal breaks as possible seems to be the best if not even the only way for me to successfully tackle and handle Clarissa Dickson Wright’s much too rambling and often also quite arrogantly full of herself writing style. Because the multitude of generally very much interesting and enlightening English food history details, they are in my humble opinion generally rather majorly hidden under the layers of author Clarissa Dickson Wright’s more than a bit annoying and often boastfully pedantic personality (and I very quickly realised that if I wanted to both finish reading A History of British Food and even remotely enjoying Dickson Wright’s presented text, I would need to consider the latter in small doses, as too much of Clarissa Dickson Wright at once really does massive annoy and frustrate me, but smaller and spaced out chunks have definitely made my perusal of A History of British Food interesting and the author’s at times incessant boasting and rambling tirades sufficiently tolerable).
But while reading A History of British Food over the course of a year has definitely made Clarissa Dickson Wright’s style of written expression acceptable, it certainly has not made my reading experience something to consider with more than three stars at best (because if I truly found A History of British Food spectacular and wonderful, it would of course not have taken me more than a year to finish). And after realising and also verifying with a bit of supplemental research that Clarissa Dickson Wright also seems to have at times copied whole passages verbatim from some of the tomes listed in her bibliography and without the required quotation marks and source notes (in other words, that there are occasional instances of direct plagiarism found in A History of British Food), I really cannot and will not consider more than two stars maximum (and actually also consider this to still be rather generous, since the only reason I have not rated A History of British Food with only one star is that the most overt plagiarism does seem to occur rather infrequently and thus might in fact be not something deliberate but rather an oversight).
But while reading A History of British Food over the course of a year has definitely made Clarissa Dickson Wright’s style of written expression acceptable, it certainly has not made my reading experience something to consider with more than three stars at best (because if I truly found A History of British Food spectacular and wonderful, it would of course not have taken me more than a year to finish). And after realising and also verifying with a bit of supplemental research that Clarissa Dickson Wright also seems to have at times copied whole passages verbatim from some of the tomes listed in her bibliography and without the required quotation marks and source notes (in other words, that there are occasional instances of direct plagiarism found in A History of British Food), I really cannot and will not consider more than two stars maximum (and actually also consider this to still be rather generous, since the only reason I have not rated A History of British Food with only one star is that the most overt plagiarism does seem to occur rather infrequently and thus might in fact be not something deliberate but rather an oversight).
July 8, 2015
I really enjoy Clarissa Dickson Wright's take on history seen through the focus of food. There's just the right amount of Wright's personality included because she will occasionally break in and comment about ancient recipes she's tried or her thoughts on a particular practice. It is sprinkled with original texts from the past and it is interesting seeing what people liked enough to take the trouble to pass on to others. Definitely recommended to anyone with an interest in food and English history.
The quotes I added to GoodReads from the book give a bit of the flavour!
The quotes I added to GoodReads from the book give a bit of the flavour!
August 12, 2019
I might have mentioned this before, but I’m harnessing my current momentum/desire to read books about or inspired by the history of the UK to make a dent in my TBR list and A History of English Food was one of these books. (I have this very bad habit where I’ll put a book on my TBR list and then when I see it a second time, think “oh this still looks great but I’m not in the mood for it”)
As the title mentions, A History of English Food is about the history of British food starting from the medieval period and going all the way to modern Britain. The book provides a general overview of what the British people, both rich and poor, ate and how their diets were changed by various influences. It’s packed with information and a lot of theories (the author will state when it’s just a pet theory, which makes it easier to discern fact and hypothesis), but interesting things I learnt included:
- People used to rub their bodies with goose grease and sew themselves into their long johns to endure the winter cold
- Medieval England really enjoyed spices, something which seems to have been influenced by the Crusades
- Medieval England also really enjoyed sweet and sour dishes
- Eels and rabbits would also have been part of the medieval larder and were even intentionally farmed for their meat.
- Overboiling vegetables is a pretty recent thing.
There’s a lot more, but probably the main takeaway I got is that what we think of British food not only has changed greatly through the centuries but has also been greatly influenced by countries in Europe, the Middle East, and even Far East (tea, anyone?). It’s a good reminder that the world has always been globalised and the influence of cultures on each other actually helps to enrich a country’s own identity.
The tone of the book is very chatty and informal, as though the author is talking to you directly. And even though each chapter is pretty long, they didn’t feel as though they were very long. The chatty nature of the book also helps the author’s own reminiscences (particularly as the book heads towards modern British cuisine) and opinions about the foods that she’s tried feel like a natural part of the book.
Scattered throughout the book (and then collected into an appendix) are recipes from the various periods of English history. I appreciated all the passages from contemporary sources that she quoted and it definitely helped me visualise the type of foods they ate. If you’re into recipes and want to try your hand at something new, you could consider a few of these – some of them sound pretty good.
Overall, this was a fun read about the history of English food. If you’re completely unfamiliar with the topic, I think this would be right up your alley. And even if you’re not a foodie, you should read this if you’re planning to read more historical novels and nonfiction books – it’s definitely going to help me appreciate the finer details when I come across them.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
As the title mentions, A History of English Food is about the history of British food starting from the medieval period and going all the way to modern Britain. The book provides a general overview of what the British people, both rich and poor, ate and how their diets were changed by various influences. It’s packed with information and a lot of theories (the author will state when it’s just a pet theory, which makes it easier to discern fact and hypothesis), but interesting things I learnt included:
- People used to rub their bodies with goose grease and sew themselves into their long johns to endure the winter cold
- Medieval England really enjoyed spices, something which seems to have been influenced by the Crusades
- Medieval England also really enjoyed sweet and sour dishes
- Eels and rabbits would also have been part of the medieval larder and were even intentionally farmed for their meat.
- Overboiling vegetables is a pretty recent thing.
There’s a lot more, but probably the main takeaway I got is that what we think of British food not only has changed greatly through the centuries but has also been greatly influenced by countries in Europe, the Middle East, and even Far East (tea, anyone?). It’s a good reminder that the world has always been globalised and the influence of cultures on each other actually helps to enrich a country’s own identity.
The tone of the book is very chatty and informal, as though the author is talking to you directly. And even though each chapter is pretty long, they didn’t feel as though they were very long. The chatty nature of the book also helps the author’s own reminiscences (particularly as the book heads towards modern British cuisine) and opinions about the foods that she’s tried feel like a natural part of the book.
Scattered throughout the book (and then collected into an appendix) are recipes from the various periods of English history. I appreciated all the passages from contemporary sources that she quoted and it definitely helped me visualise the type of foods they ate. If you’re into recipes and want to try your hand at something new, you could consider a few of these – some of them sound pretty good.
Overall, this was a fun read about the history of English food. If you’re completely unfamiliar with the topic, I think this would be right up your alley. And even if you’re not a foodie, you should read this if you’re planning to read more historical novels and nonfiction books – it’s definitely going to help me appreciate the finer details when I come across them.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
May 21, 2018
A fun romp through English food.
March 25, 2020
One of the easiest five stars to award I've run across since joining Goodreads. A friend listened to this as an audio version, coming away less impressed, which I could see happening. For one thing, there are quotes from historical texts, as well as descriptions of recipes, that I was able to skim through to get the idea, whereas I certainly would not have wanted to listen to those lengthy passages.
One feature which struck me as particularly impressive had to do with the balance that Clarissa pulled off in presenting a historical overview. Quite often in these situations the more recent material gets more attention, but here there's a fairly even distribution. Moreover, she has actually tried recreating some of the centuries-old recipes, so that the reader finds them relevant rather than just more historical data points. I suppose if one doesn't like her sense of humor, then the book isn't going to work out well, but I found her asides, shall we say, rather entertaining and meaningful in terms of keeping this nonfiction book from being in any way dry.
She mentioned at the outset that this is a project that she had always meant to do, so it was rather touching that it went to press about a year before her death. I read a library copy, but would find it easily worth the cost to purchase one if necessary to read again. Highly recommended!
One feature which struck me as particularly impressive had to do with the balance that Clarissa pulled off in presenting a historical overview. Quite often in these situations the more recent material gets more attention, but here there's a fairly even distribution. Moreover, she has actually tried recreating some of the centuries-old recipes, so that the reader finds them relevant rather than just more historical data points. I suppose if one doesn't like her sense of humor, then the book isn't going to work out well, but I found her asides, shall we say, rather entertaining and meaningful in terms of keeping this nonfiction book from being in any way dry.
She mentioned at the outset that this is a project that she had always meant to do, so it was rather touching that it went to press about a year before her death. I read a library copy, but would find it easily worth the cost to purchase one if necessary to read again. Highly recommended!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2013
'A History of English Food' is a well-written and interesting look at the development of English food from the medieval period to the present day. Aimed at the general reader, it provides fun little historical facts, recipes and menus from a variety of eras, combined with the memories and recollections of the author.
In some ways, it is a book of two halves. The first half is very much historically focussed. The second half, dealing with the world wars onwards, contains far more personal recollections and first hand experiences.
In some ways, it is a book of two halves. The first half is very much historically focussed. The second half, dealing with the world wars onwards, contains far more personal recollections and first hand experiences.
October 22, 2011
My Mum bought this book for me -- it's really a fascinating read, even if you're not a cooking maniac. I like the author (from seeing her on various TV shows) and she has a great voice when writing. The book's very engaging - she links history and social things excellently with the food history and makes connections I'd never thought of. Also I could see this being an interesting resource for anyone wanting to add some historical flavour (and pun intended) to a historical or fantasy novel.
July 25, 2015
Mildly boring, but some learning and enjoyment did occur.
July 9, 2015
I love social history, and the history of food in our country really is an interesting one.
I listened to Clarissa narrating her own book, and while she's a personable enough reader, the material does get somewhat dry at times. Maybe reading on paper would be a better way of connecting with and taking in everything she has to impart.
Some really fascinating insights - I found the Middle Age/Tudor, Victorian and the 20th Century sections the most, there is a lot there I never knew before - the history of potatoes through to fish and chips, the truth about Walter Raleigh, the health (or otherwise) of peasants through the ages, when certain foods came to our country.
Not one for everyone, but if you are interested in viewing our history through what we've eaten over the centuries, you may really enjoy this.
I listened to Clarissa narrating her own book, and while she's a personable enough reader, the material does get somewhat dry at times. Maybe reading on paper would be a better way of connecting with and taking in everything she has to impart.
Some really fascinating insights - I found the Middle Age/Tudor, Victorian and the 20th Century sections the most, there is a lot there I never knew before - the history of potatoes through to fish and chips, the truth about Walter Raleigh, the health (or otherwise) of peasants through the ages, when certain foods came to our country.
Not one for everyone, but if you are interested in viewing our history through what we've eaten over the centuries, you may really enjoy this.
February 15, 2023
I have this old Kindle that used to belong to my great aunt, and it's been sitting dormant for a while until I finally decided to have a look at what's on it. This was one of the books I found, and since it's not my usual fare I thought I'd have a go, not really expecting to finish it honestly.
I really enjoyed it! It was very interesting to see how food has progressed (and often regressed) since the Medieval times. It's written with obvious passion for food, and is fun and engaging with little slightly off-topic rambling from time to time. I thought it was really charming and I heartily enjoyed reading it.
I think next I need to try some of the old recipes in the appendix!
I really enjoyed it! It was very interesting to see how food has progressed (and often regressed) since the Medieval times. It's written with obvious passion for food, and is fun and engaging with little slightly off-topic rambling from time to time. I thought it was really charming and I heartily enjoyed reading it.
I think next I need to try some of the old recipes in the appendix!
September 5, 2015
Reading this book is kind of like hanging out with one of your favourite cantankerous great-aunts sneaking cigarettes in the garden and making snarky comments about the goings-on of a large family gathering. It's a breezy read, which doesn't cover any new ground if you have read any other popular histories of common foods. Which is fine. If you like food and think CDW is an occasionally problematic national treasure, you'll enjoy skimming this book.
November 12, 2016
I listened to the audiobook read by the author - rather a dull style of narration, but I was sufficiently interested in the subject to stick with it to the end. I wouldn't recommend this book to a vegetarian, its very very flesh-focussed! But a fascinating and informative history of influences on the British diet since medieval times.
February 18, 2019
Incredibly entertaining and a vision of a world and class that, at least for this American, seems like stuff from British children’s books. Just like British children’s books, however, there are moments where any reasonably non-colonialist person will suddenly start in horror and go “hang on a minute...” Like when she tells a droll story about her aunt murdering a slave boy.
March 3, 2014
Difficult to keep attention..
March 11, 2020
Interesting subject, but not as well realized as it could be. Even with my visual disability, this book is not recommended for audiobook format.
August 27, 2020
If you recall watching Two Fat Ladies on the BBC or PBS years ago, you are familiar with the author and her way of cooking. If not, you've missed out on a treat even with some of the items cooked the English Way. Personally, not a fan of half of what is considered traditional English meal ingredients - eels come to the forefront - but that doesn't mean that over the centuries, the people of England didn't utilize what was available to them. When the choice was eel or starvation, I'd have eaten it too.
Anyway, she starts with the medieval larder in the mid-twelfth century with deer parks, fish stews (ponds), rabbit warrens, pigeon lofts being some of the ways they kept their larder fresh and available. There was little chance of the meat rotting since it was still running - or flying or swimming - shortly before it was slaughtered.
As time moved forward, the marriage of English royalty with members of other royal households in Europe brought spices, wine, other fish and fowl as well as changes in presentation. Over the centuries, meal times changed. The increase of ale and beer consumption - far healthier than water. The import of turkeys and sweet oranges. Subtleties of marzipan and spun glass and pastry coffins. Curry imported to appease those soldiers who served time in India and had developed a taste for the native food.
Admittedly, as the author closes in on more recent history, she seems to focus more on the authors and the collections of recipes along with books on table setting, servants, dining etiquette, table displays - that went from a la francais (lots of dishes symmetrically displayed like today's buffet eating) to a la russe (the courses or removes that are prevalent today). How storage capacity increased with the additions of 'tinned' or canned food. The acceptance of the potato after nearly 200 years accessibility. Fish and chips. Tea - the drink and the meal. And they're still not sure about the tomato. . . .
Some of the amusing tidbits she added -
During Elizabethan times, the cure for a child bed-wetting was to feed them a roasted mouse. Doesn't say if it was applied before or after the incident. If food was scarce, maybe a whole mouse might be a tasty snack.
Timothy Telford build the Pontcysyllte aqueduct over the River Dee in 1805 and the ironwork joints were seated with Welsh flannel dipped in boiled sugar, sealed with lead - later replaced with tar. And it's still glued together after 200 years. People can actually canoe or kayak the the stream and walk along the towpath as long as they aren't afraid of heights.
She does collect several of the recipes listed within the body of the book near the end so that the reader doesn't need to go searching through the chapters for them.
Exceedingly informative and Wright does sprinkle her own experiences with an ingredient throughout the book. Not only a view of the development of food and prevalent ingredients of a society as they come in and out of style but how dining choices can be influenced over the decades and centuries.
2020-167
Anyway, she starts with the medieval larder in the mid-twelfth century with deer parks, fish stews (ponds), rabbit warrens, pigeon lofts being some of the ways they kept their larder fresh and available. There was little chance of the meat rotting since it was still running - or flying or swimming - shortly before it was slaughtered.
As time moved forward, the marriage of English royalty with members of other royal households in Europe brought spices, wine, other fish and fowl as well as changes in presentation. Over the centuries, meal times changed. The increase of ale and beer consumption - far healthier than water. The import of turkeys and sweet oranges. Subtleties of marzipan and spun glass and pastry coffins. Curry imported to appease those soldiers who served time in India and had developed a taste for the native food.
Admittedly, as the author closes in on more recent history, she seems to focus more on the authors and the collections of recipes along with books on table setting, servants, dining etiquette, table displays - that went from a la francais (lots of dishes symmetrically displayed like today's buffet eating) to a la russe (the courses or removes that are prevalent today). How storage capacity increased with the additions of 'tinned' or canned food. The acceptance of the potato after nearly 200 years accessibility. Fish and chips. Tea - the drink and the meal. And they're still not sure about the tomato. . . .
Some of the amusing tidbits she added -
During Elizabethan times, the cure for a child bed-wetting was to feed them a roasted mouse. Doesn't say if it was applied before or after the incident. If food was scarce, maybe a whole mouse might be a tasty snack.
Timothy Telford build the Pontcysyllte aqueduct over the River Dee in 1805 and the ironwork joints were seated with Welsh flannel dipped in boiled sugar, sealed with lead - later replaced with tar. And it's still glued together after 200 years. People can actually canoe or kayak the the stream and walk along the towpath as long as they aren't afraid of heights.
She does collect several of the recipes listed within the body of the book near the end so that the reader doesn't need to go searching through the chapters for them.
Exceedingly informative and Wright does sprinkle her own experiences with an ingredient throughout the book. Not only a view of the development of food and prevalent ingredients of a society as they come in and out of style but how dining choices can be influenced over the decades and centuries.
2020-167
April 1, 2016
This didn't really take me 2.5 months to read.
Well, it did, but only because I put it down for 2.25 months in the middle.
I started reading it (and read about half of it) in hard copy, from a copy borrowed from my parents. Then, when I realised I didn't really want to carry it around with me, I put the ebook on the hold list at the library, and waited. And waited. And waited. And when it finally arrived, I devoured the second half in about a day.
And now for the book itself.
It's DELIGHTFUL. It reads like Clarissa sounded on the Two Fat Ladies (which I miss dreadfully). Chatty, snarky, opinionated, and knowledgeable. She looks at history through a foodie lens, and at food through a historian's lens.
If you like food, like history, like both, or like me, love both, you need to read this. It's not perfect, but it is a rollicking good read.
Well, it did, but only because I put it down for 2.25 months in the middle.
I started reading it (and read about half of it) in hard copy, from a copy borrowed from my parents. Then, when I realised I didn't really want to carry it around with me, I put the ebook on the hold list at the library, and waited. And waited. And waited. And when it finally arrived, I devoured the second half in about a day.
And now for the book itself.
It's DELIGHTFUL. It reads like Clarissa sounded on the Two Fat Ladies (which I miss dreadfully). Chatty, snarky, opinionated, and knowledgeable. She looks at history through a foodie lens, and at food through a historian's lens.
If you like food, like history, like both, or like me, love both, you need to read this. It's not perfect, but it is a rollicking good read.
December 15, 2016
I'm not often a food reader, so a lot of what Clarissa had to say was new. I enjoyed her feisty opinions and the holistic nature of the information presented; she spoke about the rulers of the day, and how their tastes and nationalities affected food consumption, and also the writers of influential cook books through the ages. To me, this is more of a reference work than something to read straight through, though I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it all within a week or so. I've ordered the hard copy to keep. Be prepared to be inspired to cook your own food from scratch, and have a lot of meat cravings :)
December 25, 2017
Clarissa’s chatty, anecdotal style is used to full effect in this journey through English food history. The book is strong on medieval and Georgian food culture with the narrative picking up speed noticeably during the Victorian age so that the twentieth century is dealt with at a gallop. The historical nature of the book changes with this pace so that the later part of the book is less history and more summarised autobiography. Happily the frank style of the author lets her get away with it (just). Most enjoyable and genuinely amusing in places.
May 18, 2013
I really enjoyed this one. It was easy to read with a delightfully conversational turn of phrase. While the chronology meanders a bit, the writing is well paced and the progression through history is still roughly linear and reasonably well organised. Dotted throughout are literary references and excerpts, as well as scraps of recipes from various periods.
Four stars. Go read it, and don't forget to check out the appendix of historical recipes at the end of the book.
Four stars. Go read it, and don't forget to check out the appendix of historical recipes at the end of the book.
October 29, 2016
If you like food and history then this is the book for you.
The late great Clarissa Dickson-wright was a consummate and knowledgeable cook and this book just confirms that. She wrights about the history and development of British cooking in an engaging way but there's no dumbing down. A go-to history of food and cooking. Excellent.
The late great Clarissa Dickson-wright was a consummate and knowledgeable cook and this book just confirms that. She wrights about the history and development of British cooking in an engaging way but there's no dumbing down. A go-to history of food and cooking. Excellent.
January 6, 2014
A thoroughly enjoyable book, with her characteristic wit and enthusiasm . . . and despite her disdain for Victorian food. Her erudition is impressive--how many Agricultural Revolution heroes to you have? She has three! And can name their adaptations of the plow.
October 12, 2015
This has been a most interesting read which tempts me to read more about the subject of food through history. Next to that cooking becomes more fun after reading CDWs work, which is a big plus. Can't wait to start watch "Two fat ladies" as well. Ah, the enjoyment of good food!
July 10, 2015
This is a wonderful book. Any fan of Two Fat Ladies will immediately recognize Clarissa's distinct voice in the prose. It's like she standing in your kitchen chatting away as you both stuff the Cornish hens.
Delightful!
Delightful!
June 16, 2012
Clarissa is such a gifted writer. She has a lot of personal anecdotes to add as well as a great wealth of knowledge. I love reading her books.
February 21, 2014
Fascinating. I'll never look at a pie the same way again.
October 23, 2018
Very interesting and well written book on the history of our food from medieval times to the present day. My only complaint is that Clarissa should have put more recipes in at the back of the book.
July 30, 2019
The author is such a fascinating character that her version of food history is very vivid. Learned a lot from this one - we are what we eat, after all.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews