The Kitchen Bookshelf - Newsletter #4
Taking stock, making manifestos, and what's coming up for June
Hi everyone - So, here we are at Newsletter #4. Which must mean The Kitchen Bookshelf is round about a month old. Happy birthday to it / me / you. It’s been a joy of a month here with 3 events under our belt already, some very interesting discussions across a real breadth of cookbook topics, and a general feeling that this might be something.
Last weekend’s event was the in-conversation with delicious magazine’s former editor, Karen Barnes. We covered a lot of ground! It was a such a terrific way to spend an early hour or so on a Saturday morning, and I hope as good a watch / listen back. The link to watch it is here but the clip I’m posting below is just snipped from the introduction, where without really planning to I set out The Kitchen Bookshelf’s stall. An accidental manifesto, if you will (to use the language I fear we in the UK are not going to escape for a while…).
Below are the first hints at what lies ahead for June’s book(s), events and discussions - happily influenced by ideas and comments from some of you.
Read on for more on that, plus the usual bits of news to catch you up on The Kitchen Bookshelf. And this week’s In Seasoning is about my love of radishes (plus a recipe for Smacked Radishes with Sesame, Sumac & Mint).
We have a long Bank Holiday weekend coming up here in the UK, and I am looking forward to seeing some of you for it on Monday morning with all things Greekish. Wishing you a lovely weekend (long or short) when it comes,
Angela x
ON THE KITCHEN BOOKSHELF FOR JUNE
As the weather in London only teases with sunshine and warmth, I am getting twitchy for travel. Not that I will be travelling anywhere this summer (don’t feel too sad for me - we go away in September). So it will be up to my kitchen bookshelf to transport me to the places and flavours I can for the moment only imagine.
And that’s our theme for June for The Kitchen Bookshelf: cookbooks to travel by.
There will be two strands to this (as might possibly become the regular rhythm):
a single cookbook pick to cook from and discuss in detail;
a broader conversation about books that through the way they feature food have that ability to take us to a different place.
Bear with me on the detail. But I can tell you the dates for the digital meet-ups are going to be: Thursday 13th June, 6.30pm BST and Saturday 22nd June, 8.30am BST (starting the weekend with cookbooks and coffee proved popular!). Free to attend for paid subscribers.
And additionally there will be space on The Kitchen Bookshelf for sharing thoughts with each other.
If you have a burning idea for our single cookbook pick then drop me a note. I am currently torn between two and could definitely be swayed…
SEASONING - HOW TO COOK AND CELEBRATE THE SEASONS
June’s Seasoning book tour events are:
Tomorrow: Saturday 25th May, 1pm at The British Library in London: Part of the British Library Food Season 2024 programme. I’ll be talking with bestselling author Katherine May about food, life, and the connections that come from being led by nature and the changing seasons. Chaired by Leyla Kazim.
Thursday 6th June, 7.30pm at Booka Bookshop in Oswestry, Shropshire: Talk and tastings.
Thursday 27th June, 7pm - at Holtwhites Bakery & Deli, London: My very favourite bakery happens to be at the end of my road. So I am thrilled to have the shortest possible distance to travel to this ‘Midsummer Seasoning Menu’. A 3-course dinner from Seasoning plus cocktail. (just a few tickets left, I think)
Friday 28th June, 7pm - Seasoning x Sitopia Farm Midsummer Soirée: I am so looking forward to this event with a tour of the beautiful urban farm, guided by the Sitopia Farm team who will share highlights of their organic farming practices and the journey from soil to plate; a talk from me about seasonal eating and cooking, plus drinks and canapés from Seasoning.
More here too for the rest of summer.
KITCHEN BOOKSHELF ODDS & ENDS
Odd scraps of news etc that don’t really fit elsewhere
This weekend is the British Library Food Season Big Weekend. If you are in London (or might like to be!) we have a terrific set of events planned. From the story of rice around the world, to farmhouse cheeses, how cocktails are influenced by popular culture (think of Jon Hamm sipping his old-fashioneds in Mad Men) and much more. Please do say ‘hi’ if you see me.
I will be closing soon the offer for members of the old Borough Market Cookbook Club to try out being a paid subscriber here for free for 3 months. Closing it to new people taking it up, I mean. So this is almost last-call for anyone who might want to do that:
It ends
In the space of merely 3 newsletters it seems to have become semi-traditional for me to leave you with a photo of me doing something lovely with some lovely cookbook people in the week just passed. I don’t have one of those of you this time. But I do have this: the brown butter tamal served by Santiago Lostra of Kol restaurant in London, at the end of a remarkable lunch to launch Arielle Johnson’s new book, Flavor-ama. I’ll be putting more about the book on The Kitchen Bookshelf, but for now let’s just take a moment to admire the beauty of these.
Thank you for being here. See you soon, I hope.
Angela x