Comments on: An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, Elizabeth David | 2009 | UK

By: Lucy

Lucy — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:47:50 +0000

Kathryn: I completely agree – David’s so erudite, so entertaining and I’m thrilled that I’ve braved her this year. She’s a delight. It’s easy to forget in a climate as temperate as the Australian one in which I grew up that food can be scarce and of poor quality. I like the notion that her food is ‘outstanding’. It certainly is.

Daniel: Thanks! Southwind Through The Kitchen has just been added to my wishlist, thank you. My favourite passage in the book was lifted from that very essay. Looking forward to its eventual arrival.

By: Daniel Chan

Daniel Chan — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:18:49 +0000

It’s a great book to read, and anyone from people learning how to cook to the most hardened professional will get something out of it.

Personally, I prefer “South Wind Through The Kitchen”, but maybe that’s only because that was the first Elizabeth David book I read.

Anyway, that was a teriffic review.

By: kathryn

kathryn — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:20:03 +0000

I adore Elizabeth David. Hers is the first serious writing *about* food I ever read, where I knowingly sat down to read a volume of work. I read David *before* I realised some people found her off-putting and scary – so I’ve never quite been able to understand that attitude.

Coming from the UK, her work is also a piece of my history and cultural heritage. Much like Nigel Slater’s writing about his childhood, I can remember some of these times. The dire, sheer blandness of the food. The ecstatic enthusiasm for all things packaged and “scientific”. I can remember being guilty of it meself. Thinking my mum boring and old-fashioned for continuing to produce home-cooked meals.

I have this volume and I have to say the tians she talks about are a genius dish. So subtle and simple, yet outstandingly good food.