Bitter

I may have said this quite a few times, but I feel it bears repeating: bitterness is the most undesirable of attributes, except when it comes to food … My ‘bitter tooth’ is pronounced … I gravitated greedily towards Alexina Anatole’s book, Bitter – Nigella Lawson * Nigella.com * Bitter by Alexina Anatole is a gem of a cookbook - not only are the recipes fresh, fun and innovative, but her well-researched writing on the nature of bitter food is a pleasure to read - knowledgeable and generous. I’ve come away with ideas to enhance my own cooking as well as a stack of recipes to try out for friends and family. A delightful read. * Rukmini Iyer, author of the ‘Roasting Tin’ series and ‘India Express’ * A detailed deepdive into the wondrous world of one of the trickiest flavour profiles. Stunning and inventive recipes inspired by cuisines from around the world to make you fall in love with bitter! * Ixta Belfrage, author of ‘Mezcla’ * So much more than just a cookery book, Bitter is a revelation. Alexina skillfully takes you on a journey through the world of ‘bitter’, exploring its place in the sphere of flavour, and arming you with tricks and hacks on how to use bitter foods in your everyday cooking. Her recipes are a delight - beautiful, vibrant and packed with exciting, unexpected combinations I can’t wait to try. * Dominique Woolf * The cover is beautiful, the photography is gorgeous and it’s accessible. She makes bitter into a really gorgeous topic and lovely recipes. * Georgina Hayden, author of ‘Nistisima’ and ‘Taverna’ on Channel 4 Sunday Brunch * Alexina’s ability to take very strong, bitter, sharp flavours and marry them together with majesty is incredible * John Torode * Alexina really impresses me with her originality * Gregg Wallace * Extremely accomplished * Jay Rayner * In this delightful book, MasterChef runner-up Alexina Anatole takes 10 ingredients - bitter oranges, beer, walnuts, cranberries, cocoa and coffee among them - and ‘walks you through every type of bitterness and how to tame it’. The recipes are varied and compelling - chicory, roquefort and walnut salad, and coffee and Biscoff no-bake cheesecake jumped off the pages at me - but above all, the pleasure here is in embracing bitter flavours and using them to elevate, balance and bring pleasure across a dish. – Mark Diacono * Delicious Magasine * What I love about Alexina’s approach to recipes and cooking is her thoroughness. She researches and researches and makes every effort to understand the inception of an ingredient, technique or dish. So when she comes to use it or cook it she is armed with knowledge, engagement and connection, enabling her to cook thoughtfully and masterfully.

Her debut cookbook, Bitter … is just the most divine book that celebrates the wonder of bitter flavours and how to use them. I have spoken often in here about the need for balance in cooking and one of the best ways to achieve it is by harnessing bitterness. It offers so much dimension and sophistication to recipes and this is evident in every single one of Alexina’s.

– Rosie Mackean * The Dinner Party substack * I welcome Alexina Anatole’s debut book ‘Bitter’ with open arms … In her debut, Alexina aims to show us all that there’s nothing to fear and so much to gain from bitterness. There are many bitter ingredients we don’t tarnish with the fear brush in the kitchen - coffee, tea and cocoa all have bitter profiles that don’t make us panic. Yet, I’ll admit I still have some residual anxiety around bitterness. If you feel similarly, I’m thrilled to tell you that Alexina is a competent and soothing guide. – Nicola Lamb * Kitchen Projects *

Alexina Anatole started her career on a trading floor in the City of London, but an obsession with food was always present. In the last year of her twenties she decided - after years of watching the show - that she was finally ready to enter MasterChef. Weeks of competing resulted in her reaching the final of the 2021 season, coming runner up to champion Thomas Rhodes. The competition led her to realise that she might actually have a talent for cooking but, more importantly, it helped her to better understand her philosophy around food and flavour. Having read English at Cambridge, she now finds herself becoming a food writer - and thus coming full circle.

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