Desert island delights – literary feasts that feed both mind and soul

Edinburgh Reporter

02-06-2025

What would your Desert Island book be?
Mine is 'Family Life – Birth, Death and the Whole Damn Thing' by Elisabeth Luard, a book I first read when it launched in 1996 but remains as poignant today as it was then. It's a recommendation I've made countless times over the years.
In truth, any book by Luard would keep me happily contented and satiated as I plotted my escape route from the island. Her unique ability to weave heartfelt stories with sketches and recipes means I'd never go hungry – in body or spirit.
Luard's story begins in 1963 when, at twenty-one, she married Nicholas Luard, co-founder of Private Eye. Within six years, she had four children and moved to a remote valley in Southern Spain.
'Family Life' chronicles the love that holds a family together, told both in sunlight and shadow. No family is immune to tragedy – still less one that lives life to the full. In Francesca, the eldest daughter, we find a true heroine. She tells her own story until that moment when she can tell it no more.
Ultimately, it's a mother's tale, one of love without regret – a story of laughter and tears, of joy and sorrow, of life and death. It's unforgettable.
However, a new literary contender has recently entered my life.
I attended another excellent Toppings Bookshop event celebrating Edinburgh-based writer Caroline Eden's third book in her colour trilogy, 'Green Mountains', following 'Black Sea' and 'Red Sands'.
This latest work is split between Armenia and Georgia, tracing Caroline's walks in the South Caucasus, exploring culture, history, religion and politics through the lens of food.
I'm rather annoyed I hadn't discovered Eden sooner. Like Luard, she has a remarkable ability to bring countries to life through storytelling. By her own admission, she's no chef, but she has a nose for a good recipe and an ear for extraordinary stories. Throughout the book are what she calls 'Edible Postcards' – recipes that capture the essence of place.
I was quick to secure tickets for Toppings' first supper club – an event that sold like hot cakes. I found myself seated at a table nestled among bookshelves with four foodie friends and three strangers, all united by our love of good food. Tables were elegantly set with white cloths, vases of wild spring flowers, and cutlery tied with string adorned with marigolds.
Our first edible postcard was an aperitif called Armenian Dawn: apricot, almond essence, brandy and prosecco. As Caroline later explained: 'If an Armenian hands you an apricot, they are, in a way, handing you Armenia.' The apricot is Armenia's national symbol, and this sunrise-coloured delight perfectly launched an evening of revelations.
What followed was a delicious feast: Summer tolma with cranberries from Armenia, lobio croquettes from Georgia, courgettes with Georgian spices and walnuts, citrus and walnut salad, potato and cabbage pirozhki, sauerkraut and pickles, finishing with tarragon panna cotta.
This somewhat scathing cynic – who typically wouldn't choose a meatless menu – left the evening satisfied in both stomach and mind. The combination of great company, mental stimulation, and fabulous food sent me home with Eden's entire trilogy plus her recent memoir 'Cold Kitchen', written during lockdown when travel ceased.
'Cold Kitchen' celebrates curiosity and feeling at home in the world, opening in Uzbekistan and concluding in Ukraine. Named a 'best summer read' by both the Financial Times and The Observer, I'm sure it will become one of mine as well.
Discover other Cooks and Books events at Toppings, Edinburgh: www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/edinburgh/
Both Caroline Eden and Elisabeth Luard publish weekly newsletters on Substack – 'Journeys Beyond Borders' every Wednesday and 'Elisabeth Luard's Cookstory'
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