A winter tale
The produce of autumn and winter is seldom welcomed with such enthusiasm but Jill Norman has just written a wonderful book called Winter Food to remind us that there is much to get excited about.
Gardens, orchards and fields may be dormant but there are still lots of winter vegetables, fruit and nuts and food that warms and nourishes during the winter months. Even if forests and moorlands are in the grip of cold, game is still hunted to provide pheasant, wild duck, venison and hare. Geese are reared for the autumn and winter feast days.
Citrus fruits are at their best, as are many fish and shellfish. Winter Food focuses on making the best use of the season’s foods, providing a rich variety of dishes for eating well with family and friends.
Norman is one of the most highly-respected cookery authors in Britain. She was the first editor of the Penguin cookery list, where she edited Elizabeth David, among others, and she is now the literary trustee of David’s estate.
As a publisher, she has been awarded two special Glenfiddich awards, as well as winning the Glenfiddich, the André Simon and countless other awards for her own books.
Her book draws on the winter traditions of different cultures and offers recipes from all quarters of the globe.
From the high Andes and the northern states of America, the plateaux of Turkey and Spain and the mountain villages of Italy, to China, Russia, Scandinavia and Britain, there are rich, warming dishes to counter winter’s chill.
I adore autumn and winter food, and the cold weather gives me the excuse to make lots of comforting casseroles. We linger longer over meals in the cold season.
* Winter Food - Seasonal Recipes for the Colder Months - by Jill Norman, published by Kyle Cathie, €29.99; Internet: www.kylecathie.com
