Reading Room: The Edible Atlas by (my mate!) Mina Holland

Photo Paul Salischiker

I can't wait to see my old uni pal Mina Holland tonight in town. You may recognise those cheekbones as she was contributing Editor of Observer Food Monthly,  now covering maternity leave as Editor of Guardian Cook, AND now a published, celebrated author of  The Edible Atlas (Canongate, 2014).

As this is a style Blog, what makes me most happy is how bloody gorgeous and cool she looks in this photo. Love blunt cut hair at the moment, particularly because i could only dream of such a thing with my lion's mane. 

The Edible Atlas Cover, Canongate

Here's what she says about the book;

'A book for intrepid cooks, I explore the what and why people eat as they do across the world, demystifying the flavours, ingredients, techniques and dishes at the heart of thirty-nine different cuisines. With fully adaptable recipes to suit beginners and confident cooks alike, learn to recreate dishes from across the globe. Weaving snippets of anecdote, history and literature in with recipes and words of wisdom from some of the world’s most seasoned food experts – such as Yotam Ottolenghi and Jacob Kenedy, Jose Pizarro and Giorgio Locatelli - The Edible Atlas is as comfortable in your kitchen as it is at your bedside.'  Mina

and here's what some other rather well known chefs and food writers say...

• "A fascinating project, telling some fantastic stories about a broad range of cuisines. Mina’s style is engaging and illuminating and the food cries to be cooked."YOTAM OTTOLENGHI
• "The Edible Atlas is not only a delight to read but also peppered with delicious recipes, facts and flavours from around the world"RACHEL KHOO
• "The Edible Atlas deserves a place on every serious cook’s bookshelf. Intelligent, informative, entertaining and very handsome. Mina Holland’s prose is as engaging as her recipes. She is an exciting and authoritative new voice in the world of cookery and food writing."RUSSELL NORMAN
• "Mina has managed to present world cuisine on a plate in this marvellous book."JOSÉ PIZARRO

back in HiFi, Leeds, both looking a little less sophisticated