Two Books For Summer

My attempts to reduce my book collection continue to be unsuccessful. In recent times I blame Linda W, who alerted me to the new cook book shop, imaginatively entitled The Cookbook Shop, on Edinburgh's Leith Walk. I went to say hello, determined not to make a purchase. But who could resist The Racine Effect by the wonderful Henry Harris? I first ate his food when he was head chef at Harvey Nick's in Knightsbridge. Went in looking for a snack and ended up going right through the menu. But not for the first time, I meander.

So today I bring you two totally disparate volumes. The first, The Land Where Lemons Grow, was recommended by the impossibly elegant Christina in my Italian conversation group. (I was going to write conversazione but there's enough ponciness in this column, thank you very much.)

I discovered the second  from a social media post by the lovely Karen Barnes. Karen used to be editor of the now sadly defunct delicious! magazine. She was hosting a book festival event somewhere, interviewing Jeremy King about his newly published memoirs. If you don't know who Jeremy King is, you haven't been paying much attention. In about his fifth decade of restaurant brilliance he has taken on, and improved out of all measure, the cherished institution that is Simpsons in the Strand, and Romano's. We'll start with him.

WITHOUT RESERVATION

Lessons from a Life lived in Restaurants

Jeremy King

4th Estate                              pp 279                                         £25

What a glorious tale this is! Five decades at the top of the restaurant game. For those who don't know, Jeremy, along with Chris Corbin, resuscitated Le Caprice, then The Ivy. They created The Wolseley from nothing, then a splendid group of places which you desperately wanted to visit. Not for the swank, not for the celebrity spotting, just for good food at surprisingly affordable prices.

Memoirs can be a bit precious. I'll certainly allow Jeremy a little (and there is surprisingly little) name dropping. He was a close friend of, and was painted by, Lucian  Freud, and he did do a great deal to protect Princess Diana from the paparazzi. But there is far, far more to this book than that.

Once upon a time a long time ago, I used to review books on management. Were I still in that game I would heartily recommend this to anyone in any business. Tips for start up businesses, for example, and the wisdom of staying in control. Having created an empire, King was forced out by majority investors, a topic which he relates with quiet dignity.

His thoughts on dealing with change, and how to handle difficult people are worthwhile lessons for any business, not just in the restaurant sector. Perhaps surprisingly, he was friendly with the acerbic restaurant reviewer AA Gill, who had his own private spot at The Wolseley. There are a few snippets of the man's writing, reminders of what we have lost. As the writer of Tom's Food!, I chuckled at his description of a food critic as one who really only needs two things in order to do his job properly: no eating disorders and the gastric morals of a hooker with a mortgage.

A terrific read, even if restaurants are not your thing.

THE LAND WHERE LEMONS GROW

Helena Attlee

Penguin Books                                pp 231                                          £12.99

The land in question is Italy: the fruits in question are all types of citrus, of which Italy has a remarkable diversity. Attlee studied in Italy. In addition to being a writer, she has lead garden tours through the length and breadth of the country and its islands, fanning her enthusiasm and widening her knowledge.

You don't need to be a horticulture enthusiast (which I'm not) to enjoy this work as it is written on so many different levels. Yes, those who have an interest in the science and development of the fruit will learn a lot, but there is much more. Every region of Italy is featured, even those where citrus growing is impracticable.

The social and economic factors are fascinating and sometimes surprising. With fortunes to be made in Sicily, the Mafia soon got into the act. Marmalade wasn't just the product of a certain Mr Keiller in Dundee. In Ivrea, near the Swiss border, the annual carnival features a Battle of Oranges which are brought in from Sicily.

Be beguiled by the scent of orange blossom; imagine blood oranges as we never encounter them here; marvel at the wonders of the Amalfi lemon. Learn of the wonders of the bergamot. Not only is it the flavouring which you find in Earl Grey tea, it is also the basis for the original and world famous Eau de Cologne.

If ever a book made you want to book your ticket back to Italy, to any part of Italy, it is this one. Masterly. Not for nothing did it win the Guild of Food Writers Book of the year when it was first published.