Toast by Nigel Slater

I knew Nigel Slater was a talented cook, but had no idea that he is also a talented writer.  His memoir, Toast, is based on a short story that was originally commissioned for the Observer.  It is a  wonderful portrayal of food in sixties suburban England.  He writes in an honest way, with nothing being “glossed” over.  At times his writing made me laugh, sigh and cringe!   Written in the form of short stories, each story uses a particular food as a framework and depicts his childhood and teenage years.  The descriptions are great – I particularly like the following (and I’m not even a big fan of bread and butter pudding!)  “You can’t smell a hug.  You can’t hear a cuddle.  But if you could, I reckon it would smell and sound of warm bread-and-butter pudding.”