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Eat Up!: Food, Appetite and Eating What You Want
In Eat Up, Ruby Tandoh celebrates the fun and pleasure of food, taking a look at everything from gluttons and gourmets in the movies, to the symbolism of food and sex. She will arm you against the fad diets, food crazes and bad science that can make eating guilt-laden and expensive, drawing eating inspiration from influences as diverse as Roald Dahl and Nora Ephron. Filled with straight-talking, sympathetic advice on everything from mental health to recipe ideas and shopping tips, this is a book that clears away the fog, to help you fall back in love with food.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2018
291 people are currently reading
11361 people want to read
About the author
Ruby Tandoh
9 books274 followersRUBY TANDOH is an author and journalist who has written for The New Yorker, The Guardian, Vittles and Elle. A finalist on The Great British Bake Off in 2013, she has written Eat Up!, a book about the pleasure of eating, as well as three cookery books, Crumb, Flavour, and Cook As You Are. She is also the author of All Consuming, a book about the highs and lows of modern food culture – out now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 470 reviews
February 24, 2018
Wasn't sure I would like this purely based on reading the odd tweet by ruby! Was thinking she was anti-vegan, and wasn't sure about a slim person telling us that we can eat what we want. But I was completely wrong, and she addresses those issues - and she's completely fine about veganism by the way!
I really enjoyed her writing and how she discusses and examines eating disorders, classism and race in regards to eating what you want. This was way more than I thought it would be and anyone with even the slightest interest in food (or who has ever considered dieting) should read it.
I really enjoyed her writing and how she discusses and examines eating disorders, classism and race in regards to eating what you want. This was way more than I thought it would be and anyone with even the slightest interest in food (or who has ever considered dieting) should read it.
March 5, 2018
This is beautiful writing by Ruby Tandoh not just about food but bodies, culture, class, and feelings. It has been such a wake up call to struggle less with what I eat and slow down to be kinder to myself. There's a core of kindness and lack of judgment here that is so refreshing when it comes to food writing.
July 12, 2018
Anyone who knows me will know what a huge fan of food I am. I adore cooking new recipes, playing around with flavours, and visiting new restaurants. It comes as no surprise, then, that I have wanted to read Ruby Tandoh's Eat Up!: Food, Appetite and Eating What You Want ever since it came out. Many will remember Tandoh from The Great British Bake Off, of which she was a contestant in 2013.
In her insightful introduction, Tandoh gives her reasoning for writing such a positive book about food; it directly goes against the wealth of dieting and fitness crazes which have swept the United Kingdom over the last few years. She begins by rubbishing the often contradictory dietary advice which we hear almost daily on the news: 'We don't want to go hungry, we don't want to be too greedy, we don't want to live too exuberantly, we don't want to be a kill-joy. We fret about our size and shape, and too often police the bodies of others. We accept the lie that there's a perfect way of eating that will save your soul and send you careering blithely through your eighties, into your nineties and beyond. Do what you want, we're told - but you'll die if you get it wrong.'
The main exploration in Eat Up! is 'everything that happens in the peripheries when we take a bite: the cultures that birth the foods we love, the people we nurture, the science of flavour and the ethics of eating.' Tandoh recognises the splendour of all food, regardless of its preparation; she shows the myriad ways in which food is directly linked with how we feel, and what we need in our lives. 'Not every meal,' she writes, 'will be in some sunlight dappled orange grove; sometimes what you need is a pasty by the side of the M4, and there's no harm in that.' Food can also be used as a tool in order to bring people together; it 'transgresses the "boundaries" between here and there, us and them, me and you, until we are all just bundles of matter, eating and being eaten.'
The celebration of food is linked in with Tandoh's own memories: the blackberry bush near her grandmother's Essex garden; eating a huge Indian takeaway with her girlfriend when both were suffering with influenza; the food which comforted her when her grandfather died. She also touches upon her own relationship with food in the past, and the eating disorders which she has dealt with in the past. Eat Up! is highly revealing in this manner. Never does it feel preachy, or as though Tandoh is hard done by in any sense; rather, it feels like sitting down and having a conversation with the very best, and most intelligent, of friends.
The history of food, and the ways in which we eat, have both been touched upon here. The research which Tandoh has done is impeccable; facts and statistics blend seamlessly into her narrative. So many issues are explored which can be linked to food and eating: those around weight, how we eat in public, the joy of seasonal eating, the diet industry, culture, eating trends, food as power, comfort food, and the scientific processes of digestion, amongst others. This varied content, all of which has food at its centre, is fascinating, and makes for an incredibly engaging and coherent book.
Eat Up! is, pardon the pun, a delicious book; it is warm and understanding, and filled with love and humour. Such positivity abounds; throughout, Tandoh cheers for the existence of every body, no matter its size or shape. We all need to be nourished, and we need to feel happy when we eat. In this manner, Tandoh weaves together a fascinating narrative about food, peppered with recipes for every occasion, and body positivity. 'The way you feel about food,' she points out, 'sits hand in hand with the way you feel about yourself, and if you eat happily and wholeheartedly, food will make you strong.' I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience of Eat Up!, and know that it's a tome I will dip into again and again.
In her insightful introduction, Tandoh gives her reasoning for writing such a positive book about food; it directly goes against the wealth of dieting and fitness crazes which have swept the United Kingdom over the last few years. She begins by rubbishing the often contradictory dietary advice which we hear almost daily on the news: 'We don't want to go hungry, we don't want to be too greedy, we don't want to live too exuberantly, we don't want to be a kill-joy. We fret about our size and shape, and too often police the bodies of others. We accept the lie that there's a perfect way of eating that will save your soul and send you careering blithely through your eighties, into your nineties and beyond. Do what you want, we're told - but you'll die if you get it wrong.'
The main exploration in Eat Up! is 'everything that happens in the peripheries when we take a bite: the cultures that birth the foods we love, the people we nurture, the science of flavour and the ethics of eating.' Tandoh recognises the splendour of all food, regardless of its preparation; she shows the myriad ways in which food is directly linked with how we feel, and what we need in our lives. 'Not every meal,' she writes, 'will be in some sunlight dappled orange grove; sometimes what you need is a pasty by the side of the M4, and there's no harm in that.' Food can also be used as a tool in order to bring people together; it 'transgresses the "boundaries" between here and there, us and them, me and you, until we are all just bundles of matter, eating and being eaten.'
The celebration of food is linked in with Tandoh's own memories: the blackberry bush near her grandmother's Essex garden; eating a huge Indian takeaway with her girlfriend when both were suffering with influenza; the food which comforted her when her grandfather died. She also touches upon her own relationship with food in the past, and the eating disorders which she has dealt with in the past. Eat Up! is highly revealing in this manner. Never does it feel preachy, or as though Tandoh is hard done by in any sense; rather, it feels like sitting down and having a conversation with the very best, and most intelligent, of friends.
The history of food, and the ways in which we eat, have both been touched upon here. The research which Tandoh has done is impeccable; facts and statistics blend seamlessly into her narrative. So many issues are explored which can be linked to food and eating: those around weight, how we eat in public, the joy of seasonal eating, the diet industry, culture, eating trends, food as power, comfort food, and the scientific processes of digestion, amongst others. This varied content, all of which has food at its centre, is fascinating, and makes for an incredibly engaging and coherent book.
Eat Up! is, pardon the pun, a delicious book; it is warm and understanding, and filled with love and humour. Such positivity abounds; throughout, Tandoh cheers for the existence of every body, no matter its size or shape. We all need to be nourished, and we need to feel happy when we eat. In this manner, Tandoh weaves together a fascinating narrative about food, peppered with recipes for every occasion, and body positivity. 'The way you feel about food,' she points out, 'sits hand in hand with the way you feel about yourself, and if you eat happily and wholeheartedly, food will make you strong.' I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience of Eat Up!, and know that it's a tome I will dip into again and again.
March 30, 2018
I’ve never had an easy relationship with food: I hate cooking and dislike eating. It’s a way to alleviate hunger rather than a pleasure. Ruby Tandoh is perhaps the only food writer who doesn’t make me feel guilty and inadequate for this, which I really appreciate. In this book she takes the deliberate and revolutionary approach of not telling the reader what to eat. Instead, she explores the many significances of food, her own experiences, and how we can try to feel better about eating. I can’t say it transformed my perspective and made me yearn to cook - that’s probably impossible. However, I read it over dinner and felt better about my basic and unimaginative meal as a result. Tandoh’s tone is generous, thoughtful, and hopeful in the face of exhausting and fraught food discourse. She is particularly good at dissolving the moral judgements that surround choices about eating and conveying the joy that food has brought her. 'Eat Up!' invites you to reflect on the foods that you find reassuring and pleasant: porridge is the first that comes to my mind, although I only learned to like it a year ago. This lovely little book is a breath of fresh air. Tandoh's writing style is very engaging and will encourage you to feel happier about food.
February 10, 2018
Ruby Tandoh is a young queer woman of colour who epitomises the best of millennial values, like self-care and not judging other people. I adore her. Eat Up is not a recipe book or a how-to-eat guide or even the radical manifesto that the publisher, Serpent’s Tail, says it is; it’s a series of intelligent, engaged meditations on food and the role it plays in our lives, and the ways in which our relationship to food intersects with cultural narratives about power, privilege, morality, money, class, race, sex, gender, and worth. Of all the things that take up space in my head on a daily basis, food might well be the biggest: in order to feed myself appropriately, I must contend with the intersections of affordability, Type I diabetes, chronic lack of time, my own tendency to use food as a mechanism for unhealthy self-control and self-punishment, and a spectacular sweet tooth. It’s really fucking hard. Reading Tandoh’s words makes me feel understood and reassured. Yes, she says, food is complicated; no, you don’t have to eat perfectly all the time; there isn’t even any one right way to eat. Her asides on social and cultural history are succinct but thorough: the section on the history of the UK chocolate industry, and sections on queer bodies, poor bodies, and the use of food in film, are particularly good. And she does include perhaps two dozen recipes, scattered throughout the book, every one of which looks delicious and quick and affordable. It’s been years since I’ve been so uncomplicatedly excited about cooking, for myself and others.
March 4, 2018
3.5 stars that I’m rounding up because I wanted to like it more than I actually did. There’s some lovely passages in here and I admire Tandoh’s passion for her subject, but in the end I felt like this was a jumble, with many sections not fully developed and contradictory ideas from one paragraph to the next. Food and morality is a complicated subject, and I admire and support her attempt to remove stigmas from eating what you like and the idea of good v bad food (so often laden with assumptions about class and race) - but when it comes to the hard questions posed, I rarely had a firm grasp on her stance.
July 13, 2019
3.5 stars
"Somehow the most elemental, easy, joyful thing we can do has become a chore and a source of anxiety, and we begrudge these blurry boundaries that encroach on us when we take the outside world inside us and make ourselves from the inside out. Food is the point where our bodies merge with the vast universe outside, and that’s scary."
an absolute delight. i picked this up on a whim--funnily enough, just as i was about to take it off my tbr list--and was immediately drawn in by tandoh's lively, vibrant writing. you can really tell how much she's invigorated by food in every word of her book. she writes about how food can lift you up and weigh you down, but consistent throughout eat up is her contagious and unabashed love of food and what it can do for us if we let it.
"Somehow the most elemental, easy, joyful thing we can do has become a chore and a source of anxiety, and we begrudge these blurry boundaries that encroach on us when we take the outside world inside us and make ourselves from the inside out. Food is the point where our bodies merge with the vast universe outside, and that’s scary."
an absolute delight. i picked this up on a whim--funnily enough, just as i was about to take it off my tbr list--and was immediately drawn in by tandoh's lively, vibrant writing. you can really tell how much she's invigorated by food in every word of her book. she writes about how food can lift you up and weigh you down, but consistent throughout eat up is her contagious and unabashed love of food and what it can do for us if we let it.
March 3, 2018
Please trust that it's not hyperbole when I say that I really and truly believe everyone should read this book. I feel like someone who has always had a relatively "healthy" relationship with food but the way Ruby writes about it has definitely been a game-changer in moving my thinking beyond just nutritional value/food groups/carbs/etc. to all the ways that good food can be enriching not just physically but mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
The one caveat is that she is a UK-based writer so the specific food items she talks about are sometimes less familiar to me, but I don't think it ever detracts from the overall point. The recipes would also take a /tiny/ bit of work to convert to US measurements, again it doesn't seem like a huge deal but just a note. I'm not sure if/when a US version of the book is coming out; I got mine from Book Depository which offers an awesome free shipping deal because I couldn't stand to wait. There are a couple of excerpts available on Ruby's newsletter if you want to look before you leap, too.
The one caveat is that she is a UK-based writer so the specific food items she talks about are sometimes less familiar to me, but I don't think it ever detracts from the overall point. The recipes would also take a /tiny/ bit of work to convert to US measurements, again it doesn't seem like a huge deal but just a note. I'm not sure if/when a US version of the book is coming out; I got mine from Book Depository which offers an awesome free shipping deal because I couldn't stand to wait. There are a couple of excerpts available on Ruby's newsletter if you want to look before you leap, too.
February 1, 2022
3.5 but it had some stellar moments. I had trouble maintaining interest by the end and it gets a bit twee. I like her realistic non-judgey thinking though. Especially for anyone who’s had an unhealthy relationship with food in any way.
Suspicious of some of it though - she pulls out that old chestnut about beaver anal glands being used for vanilla flavoring, which has been debunked and explained a million times years before this book ever came out. It’s also a bit dated - there’s a line that I couldn’t tell was sarcasm or not, about Kim and Kanye’s love being the only real one in the world. Awkward.
Im complaining a lot but it’s because the beginning was just so, so good and when it was that genuine, down-to-earth Laurie Colwin style it’s wonderful and I wanted it all to be that good and not feel like watery philosophy and a million different ideas, some of which didn’t feel as food-related as they were meant to.
Suspicious of some of it though - she pulls out that old chestnut about beaver anal glands being used for vanilla flavoring, which has been debunked and explained a million times years before this book ever came out. It’s also a bit dated - there’s a line that I couldn’t tell was sarcasm or not, about Kim and Kanye’s love being the only real one in the world. Awkward.
Im complaining a lot but it’s because the beginning was just so, so good and when it was that genuine, down-to-earth Laurie Colwin style it’s wonderful and I wanted it all to be that good and not feel like watery philosophy and a million different ideas, some of which didn’t feel as food-related as they were meant to.
November 14, 2019
This was a little cheesy but overall a fairly enjoyable read. I happened to be reading it while coming out of a period of bad appetite so it was nice to be reminded about the magic of food and cooking! And I appreciated her pushing back on all the different ways that we are shamed about what and how we eat.
March 25, 2021
This book should be obligatory!
What a precious work of art 💗
Everything Ruby discussed here is so necessary to hear and think about!
What a precious work of art 💗
Everything Ruby discussed here is so necessary to hear and think about!
May 25, 2021
thank you my amazing friend Ellie for gifting me this absolutely wonderful book1!!!
I usually shy away from reading non fiction, finding it doesn't captivate my attention enough and I start flagging halfway through a sentence, interested but not quite gripped. Eat Up is so much more than a memoir about food - I learnt some invaluable ways of looking at food in a non-toxic and healthy way.
Tandoh touches on the history of certain foods, the richness of culture you can find in any recipe, and treating food as GOOD and HAPPY for the soul - I'm so tired of the phrase 'intuitive eating' since I really struggle personally to follow my body's signals for food due to a lot of factors and she accurately describes what it's like living with an eating disorder. This is only a small part of the book but it really stayed with me.
she doesn't shame anyone's eating habits, rather just explores how different people choose to eat, examines food in film, TV, books and includes amazing recipes which I will be trying ASAP.
I love the way she looks at food, and the supermarket shop I did after I finished this book actually brought a smile to my face. Highly recommend!!
I know I'll be returning to this one many times in future.
I usually shy away from reading non fiction, finding it doesn't captivate my attention enough and I start flagging halfway through a sentence, interested but not quite gripped. Eat Up is so much more than a memoir about food - I learnt some invaluable ways of looking at food in a non-toxic and healthy way.
Tandoh touches on the history of certain foods, the richness of culture you can find in any recipe, and treating food as GOOD and HAPPY for the soul - I'm so tired of the phrase 'intuitive eating' since I really struggle personally to follow my body's signals for food due to a lot of factors and she accurately describes what it's like living with an eating disorder. This is only a small part of the book but it really stayed with me.
she doesn't shame anyone's eating habits, rather just explores how different people choose to eat, examines food in film, TV, books and includes amazing recipes which I will be trying ASAP.
I love the way she looks at food, and the supermarket shop I did after I finished this book actually brought a smile to my face. Highly recommend!!
I know I'll be returning to this one many times in future.
May 25, 2021
Eat Up! Is honestly the most nourishing and wholesome thing I’ve consumed all year.
Speaking loudly and proudly in the face of the usual, and frankly exhausting tirade of food discourse. Tandoh masterfully tackles and expertly exposes the good, the bad and the downright ugly, when it comes to our approach and attitude to food, cooking & eating.
Particularly highlighting the dangerously ingrained pervasiveness of diet culture. That is forever shapeshifting under new guises aka ridiculous “wellness” trends, that are frankly shaming, guilting (is that a word?) and killing us, one bite (or sip -with those stupid detox teas!) at a time.
“Life is confusing and strange often unhappy and there’s no diet that can gloss over this.No perfectly choreographed parade of little vegetable nibbles or energy balls can cure that feeling inside you, because you know what?There’s nothing to cure.The absolute mess is an abstract painting and nobody understands what on earth it means but it is perfect and it is you.”
For me though, it was her chapters on disordered eating, food privilege, poverty & colonialism that I found most affecting.
Drawing from her own personal experience, Tandoh debunks societies harmful perceptions and “specifications” when it comes to diagnosing and treating those suffering with eating disorders -which, and I cannot stress this enough, are a MENTAL illness and one that effects many people, of ANY age, race, gender, and comes in all manner of different shapes & sizes too!
Now I fully appreciate I am about to speak from a place of immense privilege here, as a thin, white, able bodied woman, but believe me when I tell you, there is no such thing as “good” or “bad” food. And your food choices or the number on the scale (which, you need to GET RID OF NOW btw) does not define you, or make you any more of a “good” or “bad” person.
So go forth you gloriously lovely folk and eat up(!) whatever it is that makes YOUR heart soar and your tummy sing! Nourish that precious body and mind of yours. Because you know what, you have ALWAYS deserved it, and you ALWAYS will.
5 delish magic choco stars (which they need to make vegan ASAP! Cos they were the BOMB)
https://www.instagram.com/elliekakoulli/
Speaking loudly and proudly in the face of the usual, and frankly exhausting tirade of food discourse. Tandoh masterfully tackles and expertly exposes the good, the bad and the downright ugly, when it comes to our approach and attitude to food, cooking & eating.
Particularly highlighting the dangerously ingrained pervasiveness of diet culture. That is forever shapeshifting under new guises aka ridiculous “wellness” trends, that are frankly shaming, guilting (is that a word?) and killing us, one bite (or sip -with those stupid detox teas!) at a time.
“Life is confusing and strange often unhappy and there’s no diet that can gloss over this.No perfectly choreographed parade of little vegetable nibbles or energy balls can cure that feeling inside you, because you know what?There’s nothing to cure.The absolute mess is an abstract painting and nobody understands what on earth it means but it is perfect and it is you.”
For me though, it was her chapters on disordered eating, food privilege, poverty & colonialism that I found most affecting.
Drawing from her own personal experience, Tandoh debunks societies harmful perceptions and “specifications” when it comes to diagnosing and treating those suffering with eating disorders -which, and I cannot stress this enough, are a MENTAL illness and one that effects many people, of ANY age, race, gender, and comes in all manner of different shapes & sizes too!
Now I fully appreciate I am about to speak from a place of immense privilege here, as a thin, white, able bodied woman, but believe me when I tell you, there is no such thing as “good” or “bad” food. And your food choices or the number on the scale (which, you need to GET RID OF NOW btw) does not define you, or make you any more of a “good” or “bad” person.
So go forth you gloriously lovely folk and eat up(!) whatever it is that makes YOUR heart soar and your tummy sing! Nourish that precious body and mind of yours. Because you know what, you have ALWAYS deserved it, and you ALWAYS will.
5 delish magic choco stars (which they need to make vegan ASAP! Cos they were the BOMB)
https://www.instagram.com/elliekakoulli/
February 6, 2018
What a wonderful, marvel of a book. Ruby talks about food — the best parts and the worst parts — and food culture — same — so beautifully, incisively, decisively. It moved me to tears multiple times. Food is complicated and terrible and wonderful and Ruby embraces it while and helps us embrace it too.
November 27, 2018
3.5 stars. I deeply appreciate that this book exists. I don’t have a good relationship with food, sitting at the crossroads of control issues, anxieties about ethical consumption, and just being plain old picky. I think most of us would benefit from unpacking our food hang-ups at least a little and Eat Up invites us to do so enthusiastically, affirmatively, lovingly. It says a lot of good things and I hope it reaches plenty of people who need to hear these things.
I didn’t personally enjoy it more because (ironically!) the indulgent food writing was a bit over-the-top for me, and genuinely fucked with my appetite. (I can say with 95% confidence that you will most likely not encounter this same problem.) I enjoyed the historical bits the most, but didn’t get as much from the liberal pop culture references. I also loved how far Tandoh’s explorations go, from comfort food to queerness, but less so that these often felt randomly strung together and inconclusive. But these are quite personal preferences and not an indictment of the book itself — would still recommend it quite widely.
I didn’t personally enjoy it more because (ironically!) the indulgent food writing was a bit over-the-top for me, and genuinely fucked with my appetite. (I can say with 95% confidence that you will most likely not encounter this same problem.) I enjoyed the historical bits the most, but didn’t get as much from the liberal pop culture references. I also loved how far Tandoh’s explorations go, from comfort food to queerness, but less so that these often felt randomly strung together and inconclusive. But these are quite personal preferences and not an indictment of the book itself — would still recommend it quite widely.
May 16, 2020
2.5*
Ruby studied philosophy, and this definitely comes through in her writing and style. Although it sounds silly, I’d like to see more of her writing that isn’t about food - her commentary on social issues was really engaging and interesting.
However, I’m not the biggest food person and I quickly lost interest in reading lavish descriptions of food and each sentence using five examples instead of one. This isn’t my area of expertise, but I think it needed another round of editing at least.
Generally a 3*, but I knocked it down half a star as at a couple of points I did considering DNFing it.
Ruby studied philosophy, and this definitely comes through in her writing and style. Although it sounds silly, I’d like to see more of her writing that isn’t about food - her commentary on social issues was really engaging and interesting.
However, I’m not the biggest food person and I quickly lost interest in reading lavish descriptions of food and each sentence using five examples instead of one. This isn’t my area of expertise, but I think it needed another round of editing at least.
Generally a 3*, but I knocked it down half a star as at a couple of points I did considering DNFing it.
February 9, 2021
Edit: my first reread of this and the below still stands! Thoughtful, eloquent and compassionate. This is a firm favourite for a reason.
Absolutely loved this! Really reminded me of the joy of food, whilst giving me a lot to mull over. I have a feeling I'll be rereading it for years to come...
Absolutely loved this! Really reminded me of the joy of food, whilst giving me a lot to mull over. I have a feeling I'll be rereading it for years to come...
January 25, 2019
I learned a lot from this book. Its sheer scope - delving into history, religion and popular culture to articulate the complexities behind eating food - was incredibly impressive. It was an insightful and engaging read that was ultimately a celebration of food, and it helped to restore my faith in humanity.
I am so done with ‘influencers’ in the food world telling you that you should feel guilty about eating some foods, and revelling in the kind of Masterchef ‘cookery’ (I will always maintain that this is not a word ffs) that ascribes ‘good taste’ only to those who can afford it. In this book, discussions of the classism, racism, sexism and ethical issues embedded in present-day food and diet culture are interspersed with simple, practical recipes for yummy dinners. These are recipes tailored to people that just want a good tea after work that can be cooked in one or two pans. You don’t need a spiralizer, you don’t need a blender, you don’t need a griddle pan. They’re practical and, crucially, accessible. You’ve probably got most of the ingredients in your kitchen cupboards already. It’s this perspective on cooking, and the open, follow-your-appetite approach to eating that Ruby advocates, that I found especially refreshing. Even without all of this, it’s simply a beautifully written book.
I might not start lovingly cradling jars of bolognese in the supermarket aisle (chapter one) but I will make more of an effort to listen to my body when the hunger pangs strike.
I am so done with ‘influencers’ in the food world telling you that you should feel guilty about eating some foods, and revelling in the kind of Masterchef ‘cookery’ (I will always maintain that this is not a word ffs) that ascribes ‘good taste’ only to those who can afford it. In this book, discussions of the classism, racism, sexism and ethical issues embedded in present-day food and diet culture are interspersed with simple, practical recipes for yummy dinners. These are recipes tailored to people that just want a good tea after work that can be cooked in one or two pans. You don’t need a spiralizer, you don’t need a blender, you don’t need a griddle pan. They’re practical and, crucially, accessible. You’ve probably got most of the ingredients in your kitchen cupboards already. It’s this perspective on cooking, and the open, follow-your-appetite approach to eating that Ruby advocates, that I found especially refreshing. Even without all of this, it’s simply a beautifully written book.
I might not start lovingly cradling jars of bolognese in the supermarket aisle (chapter one) but I will make more of an effort to listen to my body when the hunger pangs strike.
February 16, 2019
4.5 stars
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October 10, 2021Fills into the Reading Women Challenge 2021 (4) A Cookbook by a Woman of Color.
October 26, 2023
A balanced, nuanced and thoughtful approach to discussing the cultures, industries, politics and belief systems surrounding food and diet.
March 10, 2022
A straightforward, nurturing look at food, that reminds you of the joy of eating in an often otherwise complicated space and perfectly describes how incredible a crème egg is.
August 30, 2019
actual rating is maybe a 3-3.5
so i really wanted to like this, and i did like it, but it just missed the mark for me. it was a very different type of book about food, at least based on the food-related media i've consumed, and i like the perspective she brings (british, mixed race, queer) and the topics covered. i like that it's a blend of personal essays, pop culture references/examples, and historical research about some major foods/players. i also liked that it didn't solely focus on american research + evidence, which i have fallen into the trap of doing just because there's so much stuff out there to use that it's easier to do. i also liked her message & purpose - basically giving us information to make our own decisions, but permission to eat without the guilt (and she outlines all the different types of guilt surrounding eating decisions). so that's what i liked.
what i didn't like: i dont like her writing, at all, point blank. it was a real chore to get through. this needs to be separated from her voice, which i did like, as explained above. descriptions of food are usually meant to be highlights of reading a book about food (for eg. done SUPER well in give a girl a knife), but they were SO contrived and terrible here. like they put me off the food, because it sounded like she was trying so hard, but also using such generic descriptions (i even especially noted p. 74, the rich and smoky bean stew recipe as being an example lol). she also tends to list foods in twos or threes, usually to draw some comparison. and it always follows this fucking format - high brow, medium brow, low brow - whether it's water or types of desserts, and i'm like yes you've pulled this trick 28 times already, we are aware there are ranges of the different foods, you don't have to point this out everytime you speak of a new food group. she just really loves listing foods apparently, i'm pretty sure that's 1/5 of the book. also had an issue with some of the research - a lot of it is well done, solid analysis, etc. Some of it is not. It feels like she dismisses the notion of clean eating entirely, and she sometimes makes sweeping statements with no evidence, like on p. 80. She names some situation, then gives a positive message, but doesn't establish the correlation or causation. this stuff drives me crazy. i also wish she had expanded upon some of the chapters, it generally felt like a very very brief sweep over the various topics, and was overly simplistic (the part about queerness). the pop culture references as well, this is probably just a personal issue for me, but like i appreciated the ones i did get, but not most of them because i didn't get them. which can be kind of unexpectedly alienating when they make up a lot of some of the sections. and lastly, i could totally tell that she was a philosophy undergrad. those descriptions were so dense i would have to reread sentences all the time. it was like unnecessarily packed with words and jargon sometimes that just did not need to be there! just say it plainly and concisely man! (and this goes back to the lists too, which as you can tell, i abhorred).
so i really wanted to like this, and i did like it, but it just missed the mark for me. it was a very different type of book about food, at least based on the food-related media i've consumed, and i like the perspective she brings (british, mixed race, queer) and the topics covered. i like that it's a blend of personal essays, pop culture references/examples, and historical research about some major foods/players. i also liked that it didn't solely focus on american research + evidence, which i have fallen into the trap of doing just because there's so much stuff out there to use that it's easier to do. i also liked her message & purpose - basically giving us information to make our own decisions, but permission to eat without the guilt (and she outlines all the different types of guilt surrounding eating decisions). so that's what i liked.
what i didn't like: i dont like her writing, at all, point blank. it was a real chore to get through. this needs to be separated from her voice, which i did like, as explained above. descriptions of food are usually meant to be highlights of reading a book about food (for eg. done SUPER well in give a girl a knife), but they were SO contrived and terrible here. like they put me off the food, because it sounded like she was trying so hard, but also using such generic descriptions (i even especially noted p. 74, the rich and smoky bean stew recipe as being an example lol). she also tends to list foods in twos or threes, usually to draw some comparison. and it always follows this fucking format - high brow, medium brow, low brow - whether it's water or types of desserts, and i'm like yes you've pulled this trick 28 times already, we are aware there are ranges of the different foods, you don't have to point this out everytime you speak of a new food group. she just really loves listing foods apparently, i'm pretty sure that's 1/5 of the book. also had an issue with some of the research - a lot of it is well done, solid analysis, etc. Some of it is not. It feels like she dismisses the notion of clean eating entirely, and she sometimes makes sweeping statements with no evidence, like on p. 80. She names some situation, then gives a positive message, but doesn't establish the correlation or causation. this stuff drives me crazy. i also wish she had expanded upon some of the chapters, it generally felt like a very very brief sweep over the various topics, and was overly simplistic (the part about queerness). the pop culture references as well, this is probably just a personal issue for me, but like i appreciated the ones i did get, but not most of them because i didn't get them. which can be kind of unexpectedly alienating when they make up a lot of some of the sections. and lastly, i could totally tell that she was a philosophy undergrad. those descriptions were so dense i would have to reread sentences all the time. it was like unnecessarily packed with words and jargon sometimes that just did not need to be there! just say it plainly and concisely man! (and this goes back to the lists too, which as you can tell, i abhorred).
May 27, 2018
Tandoh is apparently known for her Bake-Off appearances? I know her as a Guardian food columnist. This is an affirming book about the importance food has in our culture and in our lives. She looks at diet as it shows up in literature, film, and her past; she thinks about home cooking versus fast food, fine dining versus the simplest meals cooked for friends, what we eat when we’re sick versus what we make when we’re showing off. Mostly, she wants to make it clear that no foods are simply wrong, and that you should eat what makes you feel good. “It’s about engaging all of your senses, and letting food, body, craving and daydream all bleed into one.” Tandoh writes evocatively and reassuringly, but I think this book would be better suited to younger people who have experienced food and body issues.
August 5, 2021
What a lovely cover and book design.....yeah shoot me, I judged a book by its cover. And that Nigella was giving the blurb on its front cover.
Usually I read to get something like a new education, tactics or how-to methods or some fiction-plot that will knock the socks off me. So reading this meandering book was a little weird for me initially. Anyhow I love food and mostly think about food, although not eating that much food so I can manage my weight...dang it!
Ruby starts with : " I often think about where food begins and ends." and from that line we are taken into an interesting discussions about the origin, culture, magic, movies, emotion, tastes, LBGTQ, friendship, religion ("...and so begins the biblical descent via Eve and her big mouth" - Pg 192) , globalisation (yes that's you Mc Donald!), bug farming for food and food taboo. Interspersed with her anecdotes are recipes she finds worth including due to the subject matter at hand eg : smoky butternut squash stew with chickpea dumplings (pg 88)
I savoured this book and didn't apply any of the speed reading techs that I so loved. Her choice of words were delightful and her insights thought provoking, sometimes delightful (like how she writes about food and referenced When Harry met Sally, Julie & Julia, Chocolat, Mystic Pizza, Howls Moving Castle and the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Pulp Fiction; amongst others )
Did you know that the key to tea was sugar? Sugar was made available in England since the middle ages, introduced to the Europeans by Arabic traders. This expensive delicacy was grown first as sugar canes along the banks of River Jordan and the muslim traders then sold their sugar via Venice and Genoa to cold , northern Europe !
A gem of a book. This one's a keeper in my library.
Usually I read to get something like a new education, tactics or how-to methods or some fiction-plot that will knock the socks off me. So reading this meandering book was a little weird for me initially. Anyhow I love food and mostly think about food, although not eating that much food so I can manage my weight...dang it!
Ruby starts with : " I often think about where food begins and ends." and from that line we are taken into an interesting discussions about the origin, culture, magic, movies, emotion, tastes, LBGTQ, friendship, religion ("...and so begins the biblical descent via Eve and her big mouth" - Pg 192) , globalisation (yes that's you Mc Donald!), bug farming for food and food taboo. Interspersed with her anecdotes are recipes she finds worth including due to the subject matter at hand eg : smoky butternut squash stew with chickpea dumplings (pg 88)
I savoured this book and didn't apply any of the speed reading techs that I so loved. Her choice of words were delightful and her insights thought provoking, sometimes delightful (like how she writes about food and referenced When Harry met Sally, Julie & Julia, Chocolat, Mystic Pizza, Howls Moving Castle and the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Pulp Fiction; amongst others )
Did you know that the key to tea was sugar? Sugar was made available in England since the middle ages, introduced to the Europeans by Arabic traders. This expensive delicacy was grown first as sugar canes along the banks of River Jordan and the muslim traders then sold their sugar via Venice and Genoa to cold , northern Europe !
A gem of a book. This one's a keeper in my library.
March 9, 2018
Make sure to buy a creme egg (or five) before reading!
I purchased my copy of this book at an event in Genesis Cinema, East London. A screening of Moonstruck in 35mm was followed by a Q&A with Ruby Tandoh, Zoe Adjonyoh and Rebecca May Johnson, and a book signing. The inscription in my copy reads, 'for Alisha, eat up! take good care of yourself,' followed by a heart and Ruby's name.
This book was a delight from beginning to end. Ruby's writing style is so warm and energetic, and occasionally sarcastic, it's like listening to a friend. I have a complicated relationship with food, which certainly isn't uncommon, and while I won't bore anyone who happens to see this review with the details of that, I turned to this book at a time when I needed it - and I think a lot of people need it. Tandoh doesn't give us a list of rights and wrongs, in fact she completely refuses to share her own food "convictions", but instead she determines that it is okay for us to not only listen to our stomachs, minds, and hearts, but also our bank accounts.
This is certainly a manifesto and I am sure it is going to be a long-term companion of mine as I navigate the treacherous world of supermarkets, home kitchens, restaurants, and fast food joints.
Also: the recipes seem delicious! Plenty of options for vegetarians, such as myself, and vegans.
I purchased my copy of this book at an event in Genesis Cinema, East London. A screening of Moonstruck in 35mm was followed by a Q&A with Ruby Tandoh, Zoe Adjonyoh and Rebecca May Johnson, and a book signing. The inscription in my copy reads, 'for Alisha, eat up! take good care of yourself,' followed by a heart and Ruby's name.
This book was a delight from beginning to end. Ruby's writing style is so warm and energetic, and occasionally sarcastic, it's like listening to a friend. I have a complicated relationship with food, which certainly isn't uncommon, and while I won't bore anyone who happens to see this review with the details of that, I turned to this book at a time when I needed it - and I think a lot of people need it. Tandoh doesn't give us a list of rights and wrongs, in fact she completely refuses to share her own food "convictions", but instead she determines that it is okay for us to not only listen to our stomachs, minds, and hearts, but also our bank accounts.
This is certainly a manifesto and I am sure it is going to be a long-term companion of mine as I navigate the treacherous world of supermarkets, home kitchens, restaurants, and fast food joints.
Also: the recipes seem delicious! Plenty of options for vegetarians, such as myself, and vegans.
July 15, 2019
‘Eat Up’ is an essay that looks at the fun and pleasure of food, as well as the morality that food and consumers are labelled with – “gluttons” and “gourmets”. Ruby Tandoh looks into the history of the food we see everywhere today. She celebrates what food we enjoy, what cheers us up, introduces us to new cultures and connects us with the people we love.
Tandoh’s book does not judge – she acknowledges time and again that the food we enjoy or that remind us of good childhood memories are able to put a spring in our step. She also discovers that we absorb more nutrients from our food if we enjoy the experience of eating it. She also admits that we have busy modern lives, and many people cannot afford luxuries; we are not always able to use the choicest ingredients or cook from scratch, we have responsibilities, fussy children, or are time-poor. Tandoh also talks openly about her experience with eating disorders and recognises that food is closely related to our mental health. She writes in a sympathetic and encouraging way.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t read it too quickly because I wanted to digest (excuse the pun) what she had to say. Tandoh’s well-considered essay encourages her readers to embrace the food we enjoy eating and to trust ourselves when it comes to eating a balanced diet.
I will definitely be hanging onto my copy for reading again in the future.
Tandoh’s book does not judge – she acknowledges time and again that the food we enjoy or that remind us of good childhood memories are able to put a spring in our step. She also discovers that we absorb more nutrients from our food if we enjoy the experience of eating it. She also admits that we have busy modern lives, and many people cannot afford luxuries; we are not always able to use the choicest ingredients or cook from scratch, we have responsibilities, fussy children, or are time-poor. Tandoh also talks openly about her experience with eating disorders and recognises that food is closely related to our mental health. She writes in a sympathetic and encouraging way.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t read it too quickly because I wanted to digest (excuse the pun) what she had to say. Tandoh’s well-considered essay encourages her readers to embrace the food we enjoy eating and to trust ourselves when it comes to eating a balanced diet.
I will definitely be hanging onto my copy for reading again in the future.
January 2, 2021
My journey to heal my relationship with food led me to this book - and it is certainly different from any of the reading I have done on intuitive eating so far. In saying that, this is the first book that has profoundly changed the way I think about food.
Ruby Tandoh writes about class, culture, feelings, ethics and science in terms of what we eat. They touch on so many things I've never even considered. For example, the way wellness culture directly relates to how "good" we perceive ourselves and others to be - as more people drift away from faith/spirituality, we need a new way to measure our morality. This desperation to know we are a good person is in turn linked to our fear of death.
Most shockingly food is written about without judgement! Ruby Tandoh writes about the magic of food - but not just fresh, organic produce and home baked artisinal bread, but a pastie from the service station, McDonald's cheeseburgers and cans of soft drink. It's all equal and it's all part of who we are.
Food is not just fuel, or pleasure, it is so much more complicated and tangled within every aspect of our lives.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Would recommend to anyone who has ever struggled with diets or weight, or any type of food related guilt.
Ruby Tandoh writes about class, culture, feelings, ethics and science in terms of what we eat. They touch on so many things I've never even considered. For example, the way wellness culture directly relates to how "good" we perceive ourselves and others to be - as more people drift away from faith/spirituality, we need a new way to measure our morality. This desperation to know we are a good person is in turn linked to our fear of death.
Most shockingly food is written about without judgement! Ruby Tandoh writes about the magic of food - but not just fresh, organic produce and home baked artisinal bread, but a pastie from the service station, McDonald's cheeseburgers and cans of soft drink. It's all equal and it's all part of who we are.
Food is not just fuel, or pleasure, it is so much more complicated and tangled within every aspect of our lives.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Would recommend to anyone who has ever struggled with diets or weight, or any type of food related guilt.
July 28, 2018
I loved this, and I knew that I would. Ruby Tandoh is excellent at writing about food and cultural norms; there were passages that positively sang! My favourites were the ode to supermarkets and the bit about the "aspirational" nature of food and fashion these days.
As soon as I finished it, I felt the urge to go and pore over the recipe books on my kitchen windowsill so I could plan my next session of comforting-yet-slightly-challenging cooking (lately I've been getting frustrated with rotating the same three meals due to lack of energy, among other factors). The book had so many unexpected topics and stories waiting around each corner that in a way, I didn't want it to end. I left it feeling really vindicated!
As soon as I finished it, I felt the urge to go and pore over the recipe books on my kitchen windowsill so I could plan my next session of comforting-yet-slightly-challenging cooking (lately I've been getting frustrated with rotating the same three meals due to lack of energy, among other factors). The book had so many unexpected topics and stories waiting around each corner that in a way, I didn't want it to end. I left it feeling really vindicated!
August 23, 2024
I listened to this on audible to keep me company while at the gym or on a run. Ruby’s narration felt like a conversation with an old friend and gave me something to look forward to whenever I felt otherwise unmotivated by the prospect of exercise.
The text is dotted with recipes throughout which worked surprisingly well as an audiobook. Her method is so descriptive yet casual, it’s easy to picture just how to bring the meal to the table.
An incredibly rich and fulfilling book which discusses the important of food from a wide variety of perspectives. Ruby looks at how food forms an integral part of popular culture through how it is used in film and tv as well as its importance from a theological and religious standpoint, she tackles sensitive matters like health and eating disorders with great poise and thoughtfulness.
The text is dotted with recipes throughout which worked surprisingly well as an audiobook. Her method is so descriptive yet casual, it’s easy to picture just how to bring the meal to the table.
An incredibly rich and fulfilling book which discusses the important of food from a wide variety of perspectives. Ruby looks at how food forms an integral part of popular culture through how it is used in film and tv as well as its importance from a theological and religious standpoint, she tackles sensitive matters like health and eating disorders with great poise and thoughtfulness.
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