The Pedant in the Kitchen Book

The Pedant's ambition is simple. He wants to cook tasty nutritious food; he wants not to poison his friends; and he wants to expand slowly and with pleasure his culinary repertoire. A stern critic of himself and others he knows he is never going to invent his own recipes (although he might in a burst of enthusiasm increase the quantity of a favourite ingredient). Rather he is a recipe-bound follower of the instructions of others. It is in his interrogations of these recipes and of those who create them that the Pedant's true pedantry emerges. How big exactly is a 'lump'? Is a 'slug' larger than a 'gout'? When does a 'drizzle' become a downpour? And what is the difference between slicing and chopping?This book is a witty and practical account of Julian Barnes' search for gastronomic precision. It is a quest that leaves him seduced by Jane Grigson infuriated by Nigel Slater and reassured by Mrs Beeton's Victorian virtues. The Pedant in the Kitchen is perfect comfort for anyone who has ever been defeated by a cookbook and is something that none of Julian Barnes' legion of admirers will want to miss.Read More