Dining with the Durrells: Stories and Recipes from the Cookery Archive of Mrs Louisa Durrell

by David Shimwell, Lee Durrell

'We lolled in the sea until it was time to return for tea, another of Mother's gastronomic triumphs. Tottering mounds of hot scones; crisp paper-thin biscuits; cakes like snowdrifts, oozing jam; cakes dark, rich and moist, crammed with fruit; brandy snaps brittle as coral and overflowing with honey. Conversation was almost at a standstill; all that could be heard was the gentle tinkle of cups, and the heartfelt sigh of some guest, accepting another slice of cake.' - My Family and Other Animals, Gerald DurrellIn Dining with the Durrells, David Shimwell has delved into the Durrell family archives to uncover Louisa Durrell's original recipes for the scones, cakes, jams, tarts, sandwiches and more that are so deliciously described by the Durrell family. From her recipe for 'Gerry's Favourite Chicken Curry' to 'Dixie-Durrell Scones with Fig and Ginger Jam', and including the family stories and photos that accompany them, this book will transport you to long lunches enjoyed on the terrace of a strawberry-pink villa, sunshine-filled picnics among the Corfu olive groves and candlelit dinners overlooking the Ionian Sea.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Food

288 pages, Hardcover

Published March 31, 2019

Reviews

[The Contented · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant enough book, but not a ‘must- read’ in any sense. My son and I were browsing a Waterstones in Guildford. I flipped open the book and was quite intrigued by its description of ‘soojee biscuits’. For his part, he was up for anything if it tasted ‘like the food that Nani cooks’, as opposed to his bland boarding school fare.

The book does have some merit. If you’re stuck in self-imposed Coronavirus isolation in the cold north, it’s almost a holiday to read a book about food and swimming, and breakfasts in the villa’s garden in Corfu.

I also really liked the incorporation of the Indian elements in a different cuisine - ‘what Balkan cheeses can be easily substituted for paneer in a recipe?’ - sounded like a leaf exactly out of my own fusion cuisine. (As for makeability, the Taj Mahal Titbits - slices of spicy cheese on toast, commonly sold by roadside vendors, sounds like something I would try. Not hugely sure though that I will be trying much else from here).

There was more than a hint of food nostalgia for richer times. From Jacquie Durrell’s Afterword: “ Reading through Louisa’s mothers notes one is immediately transported into a time in the Indian Raj when money was no object, ingredients were readily available and eating meant more than just a quick meal.”

On the whole, the book is substantially lifted by excerpts from Gerald Durrell’s writing. Passage below:

“We lolled in the sea until it was time to return for tea, another of Mother’s gastronomic triumphs. Tottering mounds of hot scones; crisp paper-thin biscuits; cakes like snow drifts, oozing jam; cakes dark, rich and moist, crammed with fruit; brandy snaps brittle as coral and overflowing with honey. Conversation was almost at a standstill; all that could be heard was the gentle tinkle of cups, and the heartfelt sigh of some guest, accepting another slice of cake”

If you don’t mind the descriptions of ‘burfee fudge’, and if you’ve wondered since the ancient book you picked up in Reception what ‘rock cakes’ were, then this might be the book for you. Good for a re-read or a flip through some day.

PS. This is the foodie equivalent of Rumer Godden’s writing

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad about the renewed interest in the Durrells and their time in Corfu in recent years - how lovely to hear more about that funny, eccentric family and their really very enviable lifestyle (none of them had jobs and they spent all those lazy days on a Mediterranean island paradise doing their own thing, getting friendly with the locals and eating wonderful food...)

This book is borne of a study into the collection of cookbooks belonging to Louisa Dixie Durrell, mother of Lawrence, Margo, Leslie and Gerald. Louisa was born and raised in India during the British Raj and retained a lifelong interest in Indian cuisine, including an understanding of different regional cuisines. Her cookbook collection included recipes for a variety of curries, chutneys, bhajis, as well as "Indian" versions of British foods such as fruit cakes and rice puddings. There were also recipes of other classic British foods, as well as the Mediterranean / Corfiot dishes from the family's Corfu years. The author has woven these recipes with excerpts from the various Durrell books - not only Gerald Durrell's Corfu trilogy, but also from Lawrence's various books, as well as writings by the wider circle of Durrell family and friends. Together this forms a contextual layer that enriches the reader's understanding of the Durrell's time in Corfu.

While Dining with the Durrells is an enjoyable companion to Gerald Durrell's Corfu trilogy, I find it somewhat lacking in structure and not sure if it really hits the mark as a standalone book. As other reviewers have mentioned here, it does meander, and readers may find it hard to pinpoint the "point" of the book. The focus on Louisa and her cookbooks is original and interesting but was not sustained properly - once the family relocated to Corfu, the focus shifts clearly to Gerry and Larry and events mentioned in Gerry's books. Nonetheless, Louisa's early life was fascinating, particularly as a colonial whose life was significantly influenced by her Anglo-Indian background, and I wish there was further exploration of this aspect of her life.

Probably more enjoyable for readers already familiar with the Corfu books, rather than as a taster/ introduction to the family before reading My Family and Other Animals.

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming book which can nicely accompany Gerald Durrell's books dealing with Corfu life. The author starts with cooking practices and recipes from India, where mother Louisa Durrell spent a lareg part of her early life. Unfortunately, I am allergic to some of the spices used in Indian cuisine, so this part was of less interest to me. From Indian cuisine, the author moves on to tradional British and Greek dishes. There are a few from here (fudge, scones) that I would like to try. This is a pleasant book for Durrell fans.

[Jamad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read a lot of Durrell books over the tears. Started with My Family and Other Animals, progressed in to A Zoo in My Luggage, The Balfut Beagles, Fillets of Plaice…the list goes on. Also read some books by his first wife, Beasts in My Bed, and his second…but can’t remember the title. Then there was Larry - Alexandra Quartet, Bitter Lemons.

I think I enjoyed Dinning with because of my reading history. Can’t say I though much of the recipes though. Am sure some of the recipes were similar to those I had as a child “curries” with “curry powder” and boiled eggs. How cooking has changed.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice mixture of tales and recipes.

[Rita Moreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book as a gift for my niece who told me about the program on Amazon. It was a delightful series. Loved it. Looks like a great cookbook and she will enjoy.

[Elaine]

A lovely meandering book of recipes and people
Easy reading about this lovely family

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like all the Durrell Corfu books, it was over too soon.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, enjoyable read. There weren't many recipes that tempted me to try them.

[Felicity · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is a professional Durrell aficionado and what he doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing! I really enjoyed this surprising, almost a behind the scenes look at Louisa as I’m a big Durrell fan myself! There’s family history going right back to Louisa’s roots in India, of which I knew nothing. She was born there in 1886 during the British Raj and lived there until the death of her husband Lawerence in 1928, at which time she was 42 and had four children. I chuckled over the various snippets from Gerald’s and other books and there’s some lovely, albeit grainy, black and white photos included. Les Augrès Manor in Jersey is now the home of The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and also where the archival material used in this book is held. It’s open to the public if you ever find yourself in the area. Something else I wasn’t aware of, her amazing cooking skills were established then strongly influenced by the recipes and spices of the many different regions of India she had lived in or visited. Far from being the little ol’ suburban housewife I thought she was, Louisa Durrell, it appears, was very much more!

[alleycats · Rating 4 out of 5]

The editors of this book have worked overtime to curate a Louisa-specfic collection of recipes, family photos, and fascinating family history.

I wasn't able to convert her recipes as much, as it wasn't of any standard measure. It seems she cooked much as I do. The list of ingredients are really for inspiration and to serve as suggestions. They editors did try to make some conversions but the availabilities of ingredients then became my issue.

So, I spent my time with this book pouring over the photographs and family history. Thank heavens Louisa served as the family biographer so we have much more than basic ancestry records.

[Paul Cassedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of a memoir of Durrell life on Corfu. Intro by one wife of Gerry, afterward by another wife (not simultaneously, mind you).