South Wind Through the Kitchen: The Best of Elizabeth David

There is a warning in amongst the contributions to this lovely read, from Jackie Mallorca; “I find it is a great mistake to pick up any of Elizabeth David’s books unless you have an hour or so at your disposal, a comfortable chair and a pot of tea at your elbow. Her prose is seductive…”. For once I was sensible enough to leave this book – partially read – at home when we left on a recent vacation, as I knew that “seductive prose” would mean trouble, with strident complaints about having my ‘nose buried in a book even on our cruise’! As it was I finished a grand ‘life’ of Alec Guinness and an equally thrilling read on the dangers of the fishing. But I picked up this, my sixth work by this great chef and author as show more soon as we arrived home.

Each chapter of recipes, so tempting to cook from, is preceded by an essay in David’s delectable ‘voice’, authoritive, reasoned and witty.

If you have any interest in food and cooking, in her very early crusade for fresh, local and organic eating, in the selection of produce (and in her choice and advice on her “stores”) and have read any of her other great books, you probably already own this book. If not, get your hands on a copy for some stylish food-pornography with a strong and sensible message!

And what does it say about our modern culture that such such a hoard of wonderful recipes, a treasure of a book, is marked in my copy by the Poinciana Library System as DISCARDED? show less

South Wind Through the Kitchen is a collection of Elizabeth David's best everything - best recipes, best essays, best foot forward (as the cover photograph implies) compiled by friends and family. It is a multi-personality publication, part cookbook, part leisure reading, part reference. Any one person can pick it up for a multitude of reasons, whether to graze lightly through its pages or gorge on them entirely. It's a great sampling of Elizabeth David's writing throughout her career.

Polenta, p.233, teaching a Southerner to make yellow grits.