Vividly recreating suburban england in the 1960s, nigel slaters childhood is told through the tastes and smells he grew up with. After the loss of his mother at a young age, slater had a difficult childhood. It is currently touring in the uk, and slater is a regular in the audience. Matthew fort celebrates the courage and honesty displayed in nigel slaters memoir, toast. Toast is top food writer nigel slaters eatandtell autobiography. A deliciously evocative story of childhood in 1960s suburban england from one of theunited kingdoms bestloved writers, nigel slatertoast is the truly extraordinary story of a.
Nigel slater books list of books by author nigel slater. An evocative memoir by the noted food writer and cookbook author shares the story of. For anyone of a certain age it will spike the memory, and for those too young to know what people used to eat it will be a history lesson told with real humour. The story of a boys hunger by slater, nigel paperback 2003 version book the kitchen diaries. I loved every page and the poignancy of being a child is dead on. Whether recalling his mothers surprisingly good rice pudding, his fathers bold foray into spaghetti and his dreaded boxing day stew, or such culinary highlights as arctic roll and grilled grapefruit then considered something of a status symbol in. A deliciously evocation story of a childhood in 1960s suburban england from. Whether recalling his mothers surprisingly good rice pudding, his.
As expected, slater writes beautifully concise yet evocative prose, and this book will give those of us who grew up in britain in the 70s multiple proustian flashbacks of longforgotten food items. The story of a boys hunger by nigel slater alibris. The story of a boys hunger by nigel slater goodreads. Winner of six literary awards, including the national book awards british biography of the year it is by turns funny and desperately sad. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. We love nigel slater, how passionate, excitable and animated he is about food. Most of the narrative moves along rapidly with slight leaps of time taking place between vignettes where we pause briefly to glimpse at nigels childhood memories of food and. Few, if any, food writers engender such affection as nigel slater. Toast is nigel slaters truly extraordinary story of a childhood remembered through food. Following a phenomenal sellout run at the traverse part of the edinburgh fringe festival toast now makes its west end debut nigel slaters toast is a new play based on his awardwinning autobiography. The best cookbooks five books expert recommendations. In december 2010 the bbc will bring out a film of toast starring helena bonhamcarter and directed by lee hall. Slater isnt a particularly good reader too many wronglystressed words for my taste, but it doesnt matter too much because his personal stake in.
Slater became widely known with the publication of toast. Lets not follow the rules of a recipe book but follow the way of. This memoir is both an amusing and sad commentary on nigel slaters childhood. My mother is scraping a piece of burned toast out of the kitchen. Stars or their ghosts write to celebrate a glittering career. He has written a column for the observer magazine for over a decade and is the principal writer for the observer food monthly supplement. Whether relating his mothers ritual burning of the toast, his fathers dreaded boxing day stew or such culinary highlights of the day as arctic roll and grilled grapefruit then. Books in english nigel slater for sale in stock ebay. Nigel slaters memoir begins with his mother a hapless and hopeless cook. For her, cooking was no more satisfying than tending to aunt fannies incontinence. His books include the classics appetite and the kitchen diaries and the critically acclaimed twovolume tender. Nigel slater is one of the best cookwriters around. Toast is a different sort of book andfor mea difficult book.
At the simplest level, toast is an autobiographical account that follows nigel slater, the acclaimed british cookbook author and columnist, from the age of six through his time at catering school culinary college. In 2004 he published the widely acclaimed, awardwinning biography, toast. He has been food columnist for the observe r for 20 years and is presenter of bbc1s dish of the day. Nigel slater london, 2004 toast 1 my mother is scraping a piece of burned toast out of the kitchen window, a crease of annoyance across her forehead. Nigel slater is wellknown for several cookbooks filled with stories and sumptuous photos, his. The story of a boys hunger by nigel slater, in very good condition.
Detailing all the food, recipes and cooking that have marked his passage from greedy schoolboy to great food writer. The book is divided into bitesize chapters named after the foods of postwar england arctic rolls, tinned ham, jammie dodgers. In each chapter, as he takes readers on a tour of the contents of his familys pantryrice pudding, tinned ham, cream soda, mince pies, lemon drops, bourbon biscuitswe are transported. In each chapter, as he takes listeners on a tour of the contents of his familys pantry rice pudding, tinned ham, cream soda, mince pies, lemon drops, bourbon biscuits, we are transported. But dont call him a celebrity chef read our interview to find out why. Toast by nigel slater used very good 9781841154718. Toast is food writer nigel slaters story of a childhood recollected through food.
Nigel slater is a british writer that specializes in writing about food. In each chapter, as he takes readers on a tour of the contents of his. She talks of the stepmothers predation and wonders if the fathers early death was part. Born april 5, 1958 in wolverhampton, england, he is perhaps best known for his 2004 novel toast, a journey into his past largely remembered through the food in his pantry and his desire for homecooked extravagant meals while his mother attempted and generally burned dinner, serving as the backup plan toast instead. Toast subsequently became a bbc television drama, and was then adapted for the stage. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading toast. Toast is nigel slaters truly extraordinary story of a childhood remembered.
Litigators tenaciously protect nigel slaters rights. The story of a boys hunger by slater, nigel and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The book, published in 2003, was a hit and is currently being adapted for the stage. Foremost among his accolades for this book is a blurb at the top of the front cover by his nibs, jamie oliver. Mums burnt toast, soupy rice pudding, and rockhard christmas cake were staples at the dinner table, but she tried very hard, desperate to be a homemaker, and her son loved her all the more for it. Nigel slaters memoir told around the meals he shared with his family may be unique in its style and the childhood remembrances of joy at the simple pleasures instilled by food. This is not an occasional occurrence, a onceinawhile hiccup in a busy mothers day. Pw productions and karl sydow present the lowry production of toast extremely funny, elegiac, brutal and heartbreaking times literary supplement.
I regret oversharing about my stepmother in my memoir. Nigel slater is an english food writer, journalist and broadcaster. Toast has been made into a bbc film starring helena bonham carter and freddie highmore and has been part of. Awardwinning food writer nigel slater has pleased palettes both here and in his native england with cookbooks like real fast food and appetite, and a recipeladen memoir, toast. Nigel slater bio, age, family, restaurant, recipes. Slater became more widely known in the 1990s and 2000s hosting the channel 4 television series nigel slaters real food show and the bbc series a taste of my life and simple suppers and publishing cookery books including appetite, thirst and the kitchen diaries. Toast by nigel slater the sunday times bestseller, and the biggest memoir of the year, from britains best loved food writer.
Acutely observed, poignant and beautifully written daily telegraph. Bbcruby filmssusie allnutt anita singh, arts and entertainment editor 23 january 2018 6. The story of a boys hunger first printing by slater, nigel isbn. His memoir, toast the story of a boys hunger, has been adapted for a mouthwatering run at londons the other palace. Nigel slater has confided that he regrets oversharing in his. She was highly pitying of nigel slater and his upbringing and very condemnatory of his father and his stepmother.
Prior to this, slater was food writer for marie claire for five years. I whipped through toast pretty smartly, and then read the book club notes, which left me rather disturbed and even meant i had trouble getting to sleep thinking about our different responses. Our cheap used books come with free delivery in the uk. Nigel slater with helena bonham carter, who played his stepmother in toast credit. Unashamedly intimate and occasionally unsettling, it has been translated into six languages and is a gcse o level set text. Nigel slater has 48 books on goodreads with 42174 ratings. Detailing all the food, recipes and cooking that have marked his passage from greedy schoolboy to great food writer, this is also a catalogue of how the british have eaten over the last three decades. Jane stern, author of ambulance girl, coauthor of roadfood, and contributing editor at gourmet magazine. Toast is nigel slaters truly extraordinary story of a childhood remembered through. The story of a boys hunger kindle edition by slater, nigel. In each chapter, as he takes readers on a tour of the contents of his familys pantry rice pudding, tinned ham, cream soda, mince pies, a deliciously evocation story of a childhood in 1960s suburban england from one of the uks bestloved and bestselling. Nigel slaters toast, not to be confused with richard beans 1999 stage comedy, toast, is elegiac, emotional and evocative. His books combines thoughtful comment with superb recipes for food that people really eat.