Let’s Eat (Margaret Pomeranz & Philippa Whitfield Pomeranz, HarperCollins)

Let’s Eat is the debut cookbook from beloved film critic Margaret Pomeranz, co-written with her daughter-in-law Pip. Its strength lies in its charming, poignant and entertaining vignettes with the famous and family members in equal measure. The reader is seduced by simple, good food liberally seasoned with stories—probably a bit like having dinner with Margaret! The recipes are uncomplicated and well explained. However, this book also has its problems. It feels a bit disjointed due to the distinct personalities of the two authors, while the biographical and historical vignettes don’t always relate to some of the very contemporary food, which is reminiscent of glossy food magazines and illustrated by somewhat ‘instagrammy’ food-styling and photography. Let’s Eat is really two books somewhat forced together, and perhaps that is how it will be read and used.

Tim White is co-owner at Books for Cooks