Notes from a Small Kitchen Island

by Debora Robertson

Recipes and stories that celebrate the joys and quirks of domestic life, written with candid warmth and humor

"I am so greedily impatient for this book. I want to read it. I want to cook from it." Nigella Lawson

In Notes from a Small Kitchen Island , food writer Debora Robertson presents a charming miscellany of recipes that celebrate the joys of home and the memories we make in it, collected over the years as she cooked her way through the various kitchens that came in and out of her life.

From nostalgic recipes remembered from childhood, to accidentally Turkish suppers created with ingredients from her local Hackney high street; from feasts improvised in her French holiday cottage to food cooked for the best of friends, Debora's recipes encapsulate the comforts and adventures to be found in the everyday. You'll also learn how to throw a party without losing your mind and what food writers really eat for lunch (mostly toast!).

A chronicle of domestic life, this book comprises decades of fieldwork in the author's natural her kitchen.

Includes metric measures.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking, Food, Food and Drink

288 pages, Hardcover

Published May 23, 2023

Reviews

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. I've been a fan of Debora's on Twitter and in various magazines and newspapers for years and this is just more of that. Her principle that cooking is useful because it can let you look occupied while you are doing very little is one that I live by. Also, the eggs benedict strata recipe looks divine.

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this. It's the perfect blend of anecdote/memoir and recipes. Robertson is engaging and wise as a writer. She makes you believe that you too, can create effortlessly delicious dishes and entertain people without losing your mind. There are some really solid recipes here and you can picture yourself actually making them to eat from day to day rather than set showpieces for dinner parties and celebrations, although there are recipes like that too. There are even recipes for dog biscuits. It made me hungry and it made me feel capable.

[Aileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved reading this book - the voice, the cookbook chapters grouped by life chapters, the voice of each chapter’s introduction, the banter of each recipe’s headnote. It was a friendly, and casually but effectively inspiring, joy of a cookbook. I am so thankful that it made its way to Kodiak Island.

[Maree Giles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous! Debora is by turns funny and fiercely intelligent. Her recipes real and unpretentious. She might write for a Tory rag but her heart is in her kitchen. Love her descriptions of her corner of London. Highly recommend.

[Giordana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the writing, which was evocative and rich. However I will not be cooking much from this book as my palate is not sophisticated enough for oysters and rabbit! Still, it's a beautiful book to own.

[Soph · Rating 5 out of 5]

More autobiography than cookbook, although I want to cook and eat every single recipe. This is a story of a rich and unusual life, told through food. I loved it.

[Christinac16 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book which is part recipes and part short essays from the author’s life. Easy and enjoyable.

[Janet Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, interesting book with recipes, some writing about her early introduction to cooking. Also includes some suggestions for menus for different occasions.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading it, but maybe in the wrong mood? Rare to go through a whole cookbook without having loads of recipes I wish to try.