Review | Diets be damned: Bake Off runner-up puts enjoyment of food first in offbeat cookbook
Plus, political correctness and postmodernism come under fire from clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson
by Ruby Tandoh
Serpent’s Tail
3.5/4 stars
Eat Up falls between two stools – it’s not a straight cookbook, neither is it a regular book about food. That means its success will rely on the voice of its author, Ruby Tandoh, the Great British Bake Off runner-up who whipped her way to fame.
In her latest volume, Tandoh adds spice to views on how, when, why and where we eat, stirring gender and money politics into the mixture. She also niggles at food writers, herself included, who construct “a fantasy food world that sits outside of real life”. She writes that when we follow the diet gurus who pick at calories and carbs, and foodies who eat to show off their class, it’s no surprise we’re all too conflicted to take a bite.
Championing self-care and self-love, Eat Up urges readers to consume everything from sugary drinks to kick-start the day, to a curry to get you through the flu. The point is “just feeling better is enough to get better”. To that end, Tandoh provides recipes to make the spirit soar (including a salmon meal to end the blues). This book is like eating itself – a messy act. Most important,
it is enjoyable.
by Jordan Peterson
Random House Canada