With Valentine’s Day approaching fast, I was given a copy of ‘How to Feed a Man’ by Stasha ‘Butterfly’ Palos to review, so I settled down with a cup of tea to have a good read.
‘How to Feed a Man’ by Stasha ‘Butterfly’ Palos
Like most reviews of this book, I’m obviously going to have to address the title first. It’s obviously a bit of an attention-grabber, and certainly something that stands out in a sea of yawn-inducing titles and increasingly similar books. So why this particular title? I personally like it very much. It’s a little cheeky, and a bit different, just like the contents of the book. I am also a big believer in expressing love and care through food and cooking – a result of growing up with a Greek grandmother, who used carefully prepared food as a way of looking after all of us.
Because it isn’t just a book about feeding the chap in your life; it’s about cooking from love in general. As Stasha herself states, it’s also out of love for your family, or your friends. It’s a shame that it seems to have upset people as being a little retrograde, because the book isn’t remotely about dragging women kicking and screaming back to the kitchen sink. It’s merely a beautiful guide to looking after your loved ones, and ensuring they feel safe and secure within that love. Marco Pierre White certainly seemed to like it, as he has contributed the foreword.
So, that’s the principle behind it. But what about the contents of the book itself? Well, it’s an absolute stunner. Somewhere between coffee table book, graphic design bible, and recipe book, ‘How to Feed a Man’ is a charming thing. The pages are full of gorgeous, bright images, cheerful plates of food, vivid colours, and some nifty little bits of design. For example, there’s the Dali-esque picture of a pear to accompany the poached pear recipe, a page with a Van Gogh style chair, and a fantastic Noir-ish image of Marlon Brando in The Godfather alongside the Pasta Puttanesca recipe.
Some pages are full of positive statements, little witticisms and musings on life, and life advice. For me, it felt as though I’d pulled up a chair at Stasha’s kitchen table, and was getting the full benefit of her good advice while tucking into a yummy plate of food. It’s a warm, friendly, and entirely charming book. I like Stasha. In fact, when I saw a photo of her in her leather pants and apron, I thought: ‘she’s my IDOL’.
I’m by no means a cookbook virgin, and my shelves are already pushed to breaking point by the heaps of instructional books I insist on buying. This one really stood out for me, as someone who is equally as interested in aesthetics as in content. There is only one other recipe book I currently own that I’d put on my coffee table, and that is Heston’s ‘Fat Duck Cookbook’. Utterly gorgeous, but not something I whip out for everyday use. Stasha’s, on the other hand, is full of homely, comforting recipes. I tried baking the banana bread this afternoon – laced with dark brown sugar and overripe bananas, and it worked perfectly.
This is the cookery book that I wish I could have written. Stasha’s chatty, informal, engaging writing style (calling the readers ‘my darlings’ etc) is absolutely up my street. I love her. The things she likes are the things I like – i.e. salted butter on everything, big bowls of pasta, delicious desserts. There is so much heart to this book, so much warmth. I made sure I didn’t read any reviews of the book before writing my own; the only one I saw was a positive piece in the Sunday Times Style around the time it was first released. Having searched just now, I was saddened by a rather vitriolic response from some reviewers. I stand by what I’ve said. I enjoy cooking, mainly for other people to enjoy, whether that is ‘my man’, my friends, or my family. I don’t think that makes me a disgrace to feminism, but perhaps I’m wrong.
If you’re bored of the usual cookery books, if you take pleasure in cooking for others, and if you like a good-looking book written in a friendly style, I can’t recommend this book enough. I’m single at the moment, but I didn’t feel in any way excluded by the book. As Marco says in his introduction, it’s ‘Not too serious’. Just enjoy it, try not to get too caught up in the title, and go forth and cook.
Buy the book for £19.99 at www.howtofeedaman.co.uk
