Eat and Drink: good food that's great to drink with - Olly Smith
Dinner and a show
Sara Schwarz
Eat and Drink by Olly Smith
Olly Smith is a very busy Englishman. If you haven’t heard of him yet, it won’t be long before his enthusiasm and knowledge wends its way to our fair shores.
Bursting with energy, Olly Smith has just launched his first book, Eat and Drink: good food that’s great to drink with. Writing such a book is always an impressive achievement however having done so in between hosting television shows - including the UK’s new version of cult Japanese series Iron Chef, writing wine columns for various British newspapers and magazines and in between appearences at wine and food shows up and down the length of Great Britain, having finished this book is even more impressive.
If this isn’t enough to keep him busy, Olly Smith was named the Intenational Wine and Spirits Communicator of the Year in 2009 and has just launched his own floating wine bar on P and O's luxury cruiser, Azura where he will be making personal appearances whenever his schedule allows. One busy man indeed.
The first thing that hits you about Eat and Drink (and an impression you get from his CV also), is that Olly Smith is a man who simply can not sit still for a minute and whose thoughts rush out (in this case onto the page) all at once. At each turn, family anecdotes, cartoons (also drawn by Olly), photos, wine advice and recipes all jostle and vie for your attention. This can be quite disconcerting at first and it is only at second glance that you begin to discern order amidst the mayhem and take in the well thought out recipes, tips and wine matching advice within.
This is not your standard recipe book with stylized photos and clearly laid out instructions, rather it is a fascinating journey around the mind of a man who is passionate about wine, food and Sir Roger Moore and who really enjoys sharing these passions with the universe.
If you are a fan of the man from his television appearances or magazine columns or if you enjoy your cookbooks somewhat off the beaten track, then Eat and Drink: good food that’s great to drink with, may well be the fun and entertaining book you’ve been searching high and low for. If this is not really your style however, then I suggest you go grab a drink with Olly some time at his wine bar on the Azura, it is sure to be a most entertaining evening.
Eat and Drink: good food that’s great to drink with is published by Headline Publishing Group, RRP A$45.00 and available online and at select good bookstores.
Regions
- United Kingdom - all (UK)
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