The Consolation of Food: a book

The Consolation of Food. Stories about life and death, seasoned with recipes. A book by Valentine Warner. Out in October 2019.

Ultimately, this is a story book with food in it. Valentine Warner presents a collection of stories, seasoned with recipes, to read and make in both happy and troubled times; a book of ‘comfort’ food in the truest sense of the word.
Following a personal tragedy, Val began to take note of his grief in culinary form, documenting meals that made him feel good. From the aching simplicity of toast with butter to the isolation of cooking for one and the pleasure of returning to heart-warming wholesome slow-roasts, one-pot suppers and more – this book is about enjoyment, grief, restlessness, disasters and success.

Organised chronologically and featuring 75 recipes, The Consolation of Food recognizes the affirmative powers of time spent foraging or fishing for ingredients, and of cooking; to soothe the soul, to lift our spirits and to celebrate the pure life-changing and life-affirming joy of good food.
Valentine Warner is a food writer, author and cook with a passion for nature, the seasons and being outdoors. His BBC series ‘What to Eat Now’ in 2008 saw him seeking out the best food and dishes that the four seasons have to offer and was quickly followed up by a second series in 2009. Valentine appears regularly on Countryfile and has written for The Times, The Mail on Sunday, The Guardian, Independent, Olive, Waitrose Kitchen, Delicious and many more. In 2013 he co-founded the Moorland Spirit Company, whose Hepple Gin won double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

‘Time spent with Val is not just time spent in wonderful company but with an intelligent, proper cook – I could sit at a table with this man for days.
He cooks like he eats; just delicious, delicious food.’ Angela Hartnett

The Book is out in October 2019 by Pavilion Books.