'the story of a boy’s hunger' 

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We bring Toast to the Den for many reasons. Nigel Slater is a national treasure in the world of British cuisine. He’s an outstanding chef and respected journalist and this is a delicious and nostalgic story of growing up in '60s Surburbia. It can be read as an easy book club choice or as a selfish treat, especially in the lead up to Christmas, when we appreciate family and celebrate traditions established around food ... food glorious food. 

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‘Cake holds a family together. I really believed it did’.

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Toast is an award winning memoir of Nigel Slater’s childhood remembered through food, starting and ending with toast. Written in 2003 it has since been adapted into a TV drama and a play but the book feels like the best way to enjoy his stories including the excitement of discovering new foods. Slater’s diary style entries are punctuated by food or a recipe whether it be the arrival of Spaghetti Bolognese into his home, hidden convenience foodstuffs such as Smash which would naturally be scorned today, or 'exotic puddings' such as Grilled Gratefruit, a status symbol in Wolverhampton at the time!

 

As well as an insight into Nigel Slater’s somewhat privileged but lonely childhood, Toast provides a backdrop to his culinary beginning before he discovered 'real food' (which interestingly is the title of his best selling cookery series).

 

There are plenty of hilarious moments in the kitchen – that will have readers chuckling in disbelief and/or horror. 

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- for people who love books -