Exploding Tomatoes & Other Stories-Book Review

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For readers outside the UK, Sophie Grigson is a long time cookbook author and celebrity cook of around 20 books, so when I was given the chance to review her latest book I was very happy to accept because I hadn’t read one of her cook books before.

Sophie took the adventurous step to move to Puglia in the south of Italy in 2019, and this  book is her take on traditional Southern Italian recipes and the lesser known cuisines of Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria.

The book is divided into regions with a useful “Recipes course by course” section at the end. It has an excellent guide to ingredients, though some are difficult or impossible to source in UK. I like her reasoning not to buy cheap tinned tomatoes because
migrant pickers are treated like slaves – “Bigger international brands are not
squeaky clean, but they are a better bet.”

I enjoy Sophie’s writing style which is chatty, friendly, informal yet informative.
Her collection of observations about the dishes, ingredients, people, history and culture of the region, certainly make it more than a cookbook.

Also, there can’t be many cookbooks where Pythagoras appears in the index!
Grigson writes about the philosopher’s “loathing for and fear of broad beans”
as an interesting introduction to Pasta with Broad Beans, Fennel and
Pancetta, which sounds worth trying. Like the Exploding Tomatoes of the
title the recipes are usually very simple and rely on the quality of ingredients:
Sea Bass with Breadcrumbs, Mint and Capers sounds good as does
Orange, Fennel and Black Olive Salad and I will definitely have a go at Super
Speedy Lemon Ice Cream.

A couple of recipes seem a bit self indulgent because of the difficulty sourcing
ingredients – Bergamot Marmalade and the section on Lampascioni for
example.  On the other hand Sophie chooses to use dried oregano in her recipes, surely she can grow this in her garden? I also wished the author had fewer tomato based recipes, though I guess that’s in keeping with title of the book.

Overall, it’s the kind of book that makes you want to travel to the areas she’s
describing because she’s obviously so passionate about the region, its food
and its people. It is definitely a page-turner, even if I’m not going to be cooking bergamot marmalade anytime soon!

Cookbook review by Chef Kevin Ashton 2024

17 thoughts on “Exploding Tomatoes & Other Stories-Book Review”

    1. Hi Elvira and thank you for taking time to leave a comment.

      Tomatoes are one of my favorite ingredients because they are so versatile. You can roast them dry them in the sun, tossed into salads, use them in so many ways to enrich a sauce.

      The texture and taste can be so different, depending how they are used. I’d love to hear more of your favourite dishes that use tomatoes.

      Best Wishes
      Kevin 🙂

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      Reply

    1. Hi Gloria,

      Sorry I missed this comment whne you made it, my apologies.

      I too love tomatoes, be them fresh, roasted, in sauces, oven dried or even made into chutneys or relishes. They are just so versatile and so good for your health.

      Best Wishes

      Kevin 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Thanks Luisa,

      I too love tomatoes…they are so versatile. You can use them in so many different ways, cuisines from French to Italian to Indian or Mexican and many more. Tomatoes can be used as a main ingredient or as part of an ensemble of ingredients. It can use in its ripest form or can be equally delicious in a unripened state such as this one.

      Green Tomato Soup with Roasted Chillies

      Best Wishes
      Kevin 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

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