First, Catch: Study of a Spring Meal

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

The thing to do is just begin. The question, of course, is where

So opens Thom Eagles hymn to a singular early spring meal. A cookbook without recipes, this is an invitation to journey through the mind of a chef as they work. Stand next to Thom in the kitchen as he muses on the very best way to coax flavour out of an onion (slowly, and with more care than you might expect), or considers the crucial role of salt in the creation of the perfect assembly for early green shoots and leaves.

In an era when we are so distracted that we eat almost without realising what weve just put in our mouth, this is food and writing to savour, gently steering the cook back towards simplicity, confidence and, above all, taste.

Reviews

'A one-off, the kind of food book that I believed was no longer being published ...when I reached the last page, I went back to the beginning' * Bee Wilson, The Times *
'A wonderful taste of fresh air ...First, Catchis almost revolutionary ...His words aredelicious, musical heaven' * Wiliam Sitwell *
Thom Eagles writing is pure joy effortless and unaffected. Even such a seemingly banal and simple thing as boiling vegetables is engaging and illuminating in his hands. He is easily one of my favourite writers, and this book deserves to become a classic' * Olia Hercules, author of Mamushka and Kaukasis *
'It feels so tantalisingly transgressive to find a book that looks beautiful, feels lovely in the hand and just contains words gorgeous, thoughtful essays ... from a talented chef and writer' * Tim Hayward, Financial Times *

Author Bio

Thom Eagle is a chef, writer, and Young British Foodies-nominated pickler currently based at Little Duck in EastLondon. He blogs at In Search of Lost Thyme. This is his first book.