Food books from André Simon awards 2020 longlist to add to your culinary collection
André Simon awards 2020 have announced their longlist with a total of fifteen books. Named after André Simon, French-born wine merchant, gourmet, and prolific wine writer, the award was established in February 1965 and is the UK’s only food and drink book award that celebrates the best contemporary writing in the English language.
The awards hold even more meaning and significance this year since the hospitality industry has been greatly hit during the pandemic, with pubs and restaurants being forced to close their doors and many facing massive financial losses. Here is a look at books that have been longlisted for the awards.
'The Pie Room’ by Calum Franklin
The book presents a treasure trove of recipes from some of Chef Calum Franklin's favourite pastry dishes. Alongside the recipes, he guides you through the techniques and tools for perfecting your pastry.
Pic credit: Bloomsbury Absolute
‘Jikoni’ by Ravinder Bhogal
Since the author of the book was born in Kenya to Indian parents, it showcases 'immigrant cuisine' along with evocative stories from a past that illustrates the powerful relationship between food, people, place and identity.
Pic credit: Bloomsbury Publishing
‘Summer Kitchens’ by Olia Hercules
As per the blurb of the book, it transports you to idyllic summer kitchens of the past and present. It features delicious food and travel photography from all over Ukraine, interspersed with stories and memories.
Pic credit: Bloomsbury Publishing
‘Entangled Life’ by Merlin Sheldrake
In the book the author shows us the world from a ''fungal'' point of view, providing an exciting change of viewpoint. By observing fungi on their own terms, Sheldrake reveals “how fungi and our relationship with them are changing our understanding of how life works.”
Pic credit: Random House
‘Falastin: A Cookbook’ by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley
In the book, the authors retrace the lineage and evolution of Palestine's cuisine, born of its agriculturally optimum geography, its diverse culinary traditions, and Palestinian cooks’ creativity and inventiveness.
Pic credit: Ten Speed Press
‘The Chicken Soup Manifesto’ by Jenn Louis
The book celebrates the universal joy of chicken soup. The author shows readers “how chicken soup is not only a source of heart-warming sustenance, but also a cure-all and the ultimate expression of love.”
Pic credit: Hardie Grant
‘The Whole Chicken’ by Carl Clarke
The book is a homage to the world's most eaten meat-chicken and a demonstration of its versatility. It shows exactly how to use every last scrap of the whole bird.
Pic credit: Hardie Grant
‘Nose Dive’ by Harold McGee
As per the blurb, "Nose Dive distils the science behind smells and translates it into an accessible and entertaining sensory and olfactory guide. Here is a story of the world, of all of the smells under our noses."
Pic credit: John Murray
‘Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet’ by Tom Hunt
The author's mission "is to teach a way of eating that prioritizes the environment without sacrificing pleasure, taste and nutrition." In the book, he demonstrates how we can all become part of the solution, supporting a delicious, bio-diverse and regenerative food system.
Pic credit: Interlink Pub Group Inc
‘Oats in the North, Wheat from the South’ by Regula Ysewijn
The book is a guided tour of Great Britain's baking heritage. The author shows us “how the diverse climate of the British Isles influenced the growth of cereal crops and the development of a rich regional baking identity.”
Pic credit: Murdoch Books
‘Parwana’ by Durkhanai Ayubi
The author's parents fled Afghanistan with their young children at the height of the Cold War. The book contains numerous fragrant and flavourful recipes that have been in the author's family for generations, each having a story to tell.
Pic credit: Interlink Pub Group Inc
‘Salmon’ by Mark Kurlansky
As per the author, there is so much to the extraordinary fish that salmon is. The book is a "magisterial history of a wondrous creature."
Pic credit: Oneworld Publications
‘Victory in the Kitchen: The Life of Churchill’s Cook’ by Annie Gray
As per the blurb, "This is the story of a woman who was not a royal, not rich, not famous, simply someone who worked hard and enjoyed her life. ‘Victory in the Kitchen' is culinary biography: a life lived through food, ranging from rural Berkshire to wartime London, via Belle Epoque Paris and prohibition-era New York.”
Pic credit: Profile Books
‘Red Sands’ by Caroline Eden
It is a reimagining of traditional travel writing using food as the starting point to explore Central Asia, filled with human stories, forgotten histories and tales of adventure.
Pic credit: Quadrille Publishing
‘Spoon-Fed’ by Tim Spector
As per the blurb, the book "is a groundbreaking book that forces us to question every diet plan, official recommendation, miracle cure or food label we encounter, and encourages us to rethink our whole relationship with food."
Pic credit: Jonathan Cape
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