You could say I’m a winterphobe, so when this cookbook promised to entice me to revel in the season through food, I skipped straight to the relevant section. First to catch my eye was the love-hate Brussels sprout (I’m a love). The author calls them ‘orbs of tasty joy’, advises never to cut a cross in their bottoms for cooking (they’ll go soggy) and combines them with kale in a recipe that’s healthy and delicious. Two hearty salads – one using shaved cauliflower and golden raisins, another that teams carrots, oranges and scallops – looked colourful and interesting but, since food is such a visual medium, I found myself wishing for more still life photos of more of the recipes. Beautiful illustrations are a good compensation and what is evident is that UK-based Angela Clutton knows her stuff when it comes to the provenance of vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and dairy. She develops cookbooks for London’s Borough Market – which I can attest is well worth a visit – and writes with a light touch and wonderful detail. Instead of getting out the pots and pans, I was captured by her memories intertwined with fascinating facts. Did you know mackerel can swim through roughly 10km of sea in an hour or that the shade of red/purple on a blood orange’s skin is no indication of the depth of colour its flesh will be? The book showcases how to shop for, store and pair up seasonal offerings. Anyone who encourages the eating of leftover cold roast potatoes straight from the fridge with a lick of horseradish and just enough guilt to give them an illicit thrill has my vote. Claire McCall
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