The back of this book starts: “Some women collect shoes, Allegra collects knives”.
This coffee table recipe book follows Allegra McEvedy around the world as she travels, trying out different foods and dishes.
“Allegra tells the stories of her travels through the knives she has collected on the way, from aesthetically-crafted filleting knives from Scandinavia to simple, effective and impressive African tools, and includes several recipes inspired by each country. From Spanish pea and ham croquetas and Malawian pumpkin curry to Brazilian breakfast juice and Cuban banana daiquiris – these are straightforward and interesting recipes you will have never cooked before but will want to eat again and again.”
The recipes are indeed easy to follow, and I didn’t find many ingredients I wouldn’t be able to get hold of. But the best thing about this book is the writing style. This is not just any recipe book – this is a diary – and the way Allegra outlines the recipes and gives information about the knives is as descriptive as any novel.
The image-heavy pages are a pleasure to read and the descriptions and information about the different places featured whisk you away as if you were there… written in a totally personal style, this book shouldn’t be confined to your cookbook shelf – it needs a place somewhere far more prominent.
What do you think? Comment below...