Laura Lockington has penned an autobiography that is both hilarious and poignant with the common denominator being food. This is brilliant and my only complaint is that it’s too short. I was disappointed when I reached that last page. The same sentiment one has when one reaches the end of a well-needed holiday.
Cupboard Love is populated by eccentric but lovable characters who offer Laura an enormous range of experiences, both emotional and culinary. Food, like the smell of perfume or aftershave, has the power to evoke vivid memories, and Laura’s story is a tapestry woven of meals and misadventure. Even those less happy encounters have added colour to her journey.
Not many books bring tears of mirth but this is one. Don’t read this in a public space for fear of making a spectacle of yourself. The events themselves are amusing but Laura’s choice of words is nothing less than inspired. The chapter titled Dinner Parties from Hell will have your sides aching but there are so many other truly funny anecdotes. Plenty of nostalgia, not of the “those were the days” variety, but recollections of Vesta instant meals and PVC raincoats that are bound to raise a smile with a sizable section of the population.
Perhaps I should warn you that you will read this book twice. I started reading the narrative and couldn’t stop. It’s compelling and you’ll need to know what happens next. I reached the last page and had to return to read the recipes, which all relate in some way to Laura. Each chapter (apart from that dealing with school dinners!) has a recipe.
So how about the food? The recipe for Strawy’s Christmas Cake sounds very tempting. It’s not the rich, heavy fruit-laden traditional but a cake moist with Clementines and lemons which would be ideal for anyone with wheat intolerance as it uses ground almonds instead of flour.
This is the first of Laura Lockington’s books that I have read but it won’t be the last. She has a unique style that I can only compare with such notable wits as Peter Ustinov and David Niven. There are very few truly amusing books around but this deserves to be at the head of the list. A real chuckle but also a warm and human story.
Cupboard Love
Author: Laura Lockington
Published by: Book Guild Publishing
Price: £9.99
ISBN 978-1-84624-280-9
Cookbook review by Chrissie Walker © 2018