BOOKS
This April sees the publication of William's much-anticipated history of eating out: The Restaurant. His other books include Eggs or Anarchy, The Really Quite Good British Cookbook and A History of Food in 100 Recipe, first published by Harper Collins in 2011 to great critical acclaim. The Times, for example, called it: 'A Triumph. Almost every sentence of his scrupulously researched and breezily confident book oozes with a passion for eating.'
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William tackles this enormous subject with his typical wit and precision. He spies influences from an ancient traveller of the Muslim world, revels in the unintended consequences for nascent fine dining of the French Revolution, reveals in full hideous glory the post-Second World War dining scene in the UK and fathoms the birth of sensitive gastronomy in the US counterculture of the 1960s.
This is a story of the ingenuity of the human race as individuals endeavour to do that most fundamental of things: to feed people. It is a story of art, politics, revolution, desperate need and decadent pleasure. Sitwell, a familiar face in the UK and a figure known for the controversy he attracts, provides anyone who loves to dine out, or who loves history, or who simply loves a good read with an accessible and humorous history. The Restaurant is jam-packed with extraordinary facts; a book to read eagerly from start to finish or to spend glorious moments dipping in to.
It may be William Sitwell’s History of Eating Out, but it’s also the definitive story of one of the cornerstones of our culture.
THE RESTAURANT; A HISTORY OF EATING OUT DUE APRIL 2020
This book tells the amazing story of how Lord Woolton, Minister of Food, fed Britain during the Second World War. Delving into unpublished diaries, secret documents, hidden dossiers in The National Archives, The Bodleian Library, The British Library and many other personal sources, this is one of the great untold stories from World War Two.
EGGS OR ANARCHY
PUBLISHED JUNE 2 2016
What do you cook for the people you love? Asked this question, 100 of Britain’s food heroes have shared their most beloved recipes to make this extraordinary cookbook. Nigella Lawson divulges how to bake her Chocolate Guinness Cake and Rick Stein fries up Shrimp & Dill Fritters with Ouzo. Yotam Ottolenghi would serve Pea & Mint Croquettes and for Jamie Oliver, an unrivalled Fantastic Fish Pie. These are just a few of the incredible recipes provided by the best and brightest on the British food scene, including chefs such as Raymond Blanc, Gordon Ramsay, Delia Smith, James Martin, Nigel Slater, Thomasina Miers, Mark Hix, Jason Atherton, Marco Pierre White, Claudia Roden and more. Compiled by award-winning food editor and author William Sitwell, The Really Quite Good British Cookbook is keenly anticipated and a stunning object in its own right. Ultimately it is a celebration of the breadth, creativity and richness of Britain’s unique food culture
THE REALLY QUITE GOOD BRITISH COOKBOOK
PUBLISHED MARCH 2017
Find here the ingredients, cooks, techniques and tools that have shaped our love of food in this lavishly illustrated book.
The history of food and cooking is the history of civilisation. In today’s world we can get food from just about anywhere, at any time of day, but how many of us know exactly where our much-loved recipes come from, who invented them, and how they were originally prepared?
In this richly entertaining book, food writer William Sitwell explores the fascinating history of cuisine from the first cookbook to the first cupcake, from the invention of the sandwich to the rise of food television. His engaging and witty narrative uncovers the earliest recipes painted onto Egyptian tomb walls, written in medieval manuscripts and he shines a light on the many trends and technological innovations that have shaped the way we ate over hundreds of years.