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    Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger
    Unavailable
    Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger
    Unavailable
    Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger
    Audiobook6 hours

    Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger

    Written by Nigel Slater

    Narrated by Nigel Slater

    3.5/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    Now a critically-acclaimed play at London’s The Other Palace Theatre.

    ‘Remarkable' Observer

    'Acutely observed, poignant and beautifully written' Daily Telegraph

    ‘My mother is scraping a piece of burned toast out of the kitchen window, a crease of annoyance across her forehead. This is not an occasional occurrence. My mother burns the toast as surely as the sun rises each morning.’

    Toast is Nigel Slater’s award-winning biography of a childhood remembered through food. Whether recalling his mother’s surprisingly good rice pudding, his father’s bold foray into spaghetti and his dreaded Boxing Day stew, or such culinary highlights as Arctic Roll and Grilled Grapefruit (then considered something of a status symbol in Wolverhampton), this remarkable memoir vividly recreates daily life in 1960s suburban England.

    Likes and dislikes, aversions and sweet-toothed weaknesses form a fascinating backdrop to Nigel Slater’s incredibly moving and deliciously evocative portrait of childhood, adolescence and sexual awakening.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJun 15, 2005
    ISBN9780007219599
    Unavailable
    Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger
    Author

    Nigel Slater

    Nigel Slater is one of Britain’s most highly regarded food writers. His beautifully written prose, warm personality and unpretentious, easy-to-follow recipes have won him a huge following. He writes an award winning weekly column in the ‘Observer’ and edits their ‘Food Monthly’ supplement, and he is a regular contributor to Sainsbury’s ‘The Magazine’.

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    Reviews for Toast

    3.5/5

    361 ratings33 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 5/5
      Wonderfully written and an amazing story to listen to.
    • 5/5
      Really enjoyed this memoir. Slater has a great way of telling stories that engage you.
    • 4/5
      Nigel Slater’s memoir told around the meals he shared with his family may be unique in its style and the childhood remembrances of joy at the simple pleasures instilled by food. For anyone of a certain age it will spike the memory, and for those too young to know what people used to eat it will be a history lesson told with real humour. His recollection of the dreaded crates of (often warm) yucky milk that would arrive at school is one I share, only had it been me made to stand at the front of the class until I drank it all, I would have stood there all day rather than even make the attempt. It’s hard to believe we used to consume even half these things, even more difficult to believe a few still exist. Along with stories of how children caught diseases such as measles and mumps (not in the book but when one child caught something, the others sent round to make sure they caught it too so they all got it over and done with) with no talk of vaccinations may sound shocking now, but was a commonplace occurrence then. He tells some of these memories with the innocent callousness only a child can muster; as an adult Slater has said he regretted being so harsh, but I think it’s forgivable as these are childhood recollections not tempered with time and understanding, more real for all that.
    • 4/5
      After having read years ago, I re-read this book as my entry for an Edible Books contest. Though I didn't win the contest (toasted french bread topped with apple butter, crumbled blue cheese, freshly chopped sage) all was at least eaten so I can solace in that. The upside was enjoying a memoir whose subtitle might be a bit misleading. The author was never in danger of going hungry for food but the hunger was indeed one for love and acceptance by his father after the death of his mother at age of nine or so. The look back into one's childhood is always bittersweet but this book is a good example that most of us will find our way if we accept ourselves and that reminder was well worth the second reading.
    • 5/5
      Slater's Toast awoke in me so many past food feelings from my own childhood not just from his sumptuous descriptions of his own past life but because of the proximity our lives shared in the fact that we were raised in towns barely eight miles apart and are within two years of being the same age. The descriptions of past memories of sweets reminded me so much of my childhood, and I think would resonant more with a British audience than American.
      My mother, as his, did not enjoy the preparation of food, and while for Slater that led to a life of exploration in food, for me not so much. This is why I enjoyed this book. Not only is it a tell-all tale of a youth hungering for the love of a father that was only occasionally available but one of a life of exuberance, a life that becomes filled with the joy of finding your niche in life and wallowing in it wholeheartedly. If only we all could find that space in our life.
      Slater normally writes books on cooking, with recipes, so this was a brave soul-searching stab at a new venture that lets us in on why he is so good at what he does.
    • 5/5
      I've seen a couple of Slater's programmes. He's really creepy and disturbing. There's a scene in the book where his father watches him eat ham before losing his temper and throwing Slater's plate across the garden. I know exactly how he feels. I remember watching him spread jam onto a pudding and I just wanted to grab the knife and punch him repeatedly in the head with the handle shouting "Handle your food properly or this is what you get!" And I really am not a violent man at all.However, this is a very charming book, funny and at times shocking. He has a way of reversing things or jumping from one subject to another that I admire a lot. Peanuts to penises in a single sentence. I read the Radishes section to the guy who sits next to me at work and he was so disturbed he had to go away for quite a while.A fascinating picture of that rather disturbing time in British cooking (which luckily I'm too young to remember) between Rationing and Curry. The spaghetti and parmesan scene is gold dust. But more than that you get a picture of wider British culture with his nouveaux riche parents struggling to look middle class and the generational split in the 60s... and all told through the medium of food.
    • 5/5
      A series of short personal memories, mostly food related. Some are sweet, as Slater remembers his mother's awful cooking with fondness, and after her death, his father's attempts to feed his son and comfort him. Some memories are steeped in anger or anxiety, especially when a new woman entered his father's life, and some food memories deal with his happiness upon starting his culinary career.Very intimate and very English, I enjoyed this nearly as much as my previous read from the author, Eating for England.
    • 2/5
      Would of liked it more if the author had not undermined himself at times. Obviously I feel pretty sorry for him and I respect the humour with which he distances himself from what was an awful childhood on the whole, but it was rather repetitive and the sum of the parts did not add up to anything special - and I think handled better it might have. But it whiled away some long train journeys fairly pleasantly, even given the uncomfortable nature of much of it.
    • 4/5
      I thought this book was very entertaining. I wish I was more familiar with the British brands and words to relate a bit better. I found it to be quite amusing and I can relate to how certain foods/smells trigger memories rather they be bad or good.
    • 2/5
      While I enjoyed the food part of this memoir, I didn't like the tone. I came to it with no prior knowledge of who Slater is, I picked it up primarily because I needed an audio book, my library had this available, and it was a memoir.

      Slater lost his mum early on, his brother was much older and left home soon after, which left Slater alone with his dad for awhile. Then his dad finds a new woman with whom to share his life, and his son is resentful and angry and bitter about this still. She admittedly sounds like no prize at all, though she's an above-average cook.

      I think this would have worked much better for me if I had read the print version, or if it had been narrated by someone other than the author. He was unable to keep a whiny, aggrieved tone out of his voice when recounting the tribulations of his adolescence. I was unable to keep from rolling my eyes when he complained that no teenaged boys (save him) were ever required to do such onerous chores as tidying their rooms, picking clothes up from the floor & etc.
    • 4/5
      I fell in love with British chef Nigel Slater's beautifully evocative food writing through his cook books, so I was very excited to see his autobiography at my library.

      The book is written chronologically, as a series of essays centered around a various food item or recipe, and it was much more gripping that that description makes it out to be. It was also a lot sadder than I'd expected. What amazed me most was that angry, stifled boy from the cold, stern home had grown into the warm, enthusiastic man of the cook books.
    • 1/5
      I often like food related memoirs, but couldn't get into this one and abandoned it 1/3 of the way through
    • 5/5
      Nigel Slater writes with candour and humour about his childhood and up to the time of his finishing college and his very first venture into the world of employment. Unsurprisingly perhaps it is a food centred memoir, each short episode invariable carrying the title of a dish or ingredient.It is very well written, and there is much more than humour here, it is at times quite touching and occasionally very moving as we come to understand the losses and the shortcomings in his upbringing, not that he suffered the deprivations of poverty, but possibly something more serious.What comes across is the picture of a mildly determined and resourceful young lad who from an early age was passionate about food. This is a delicious gem of a book, as entertaining as it is moving.
    • 4/5
      Nigel Slater's autobiography of his childhood through to his teenage years is an interesting read. He conjures up a vivid depiction of his youth through descriptions of what his mother cooked (badly, from packets) and his stepmother's extravagant three course dinners on which Slater blames his father's heart attack. His adventures with the opposite and same sex are intriguing and I found I wanted to read on when the book finished.
    • 4/5
      Toast:This is a fun book that would make a great summer read. It is broken up into short manageable snippets for reading on the go. Basically it is the story of the British chef Nigel Slater told through the story of various foods, starting with his childhood foods (His mother served burnt toast every morning of his childhood, and never go the hang of it). Certain foods (e.g. ketchup) were considered low class and not allowed in the house. His mother passed away when he was 9, leading to many changes including the type of foods served. His father remarried a woman who (although they did not get along) was a good cook. Stories of these transitions are told through the lens of the types of food served, prepared, and the politics associated with them. A good read in general, a great read if you like food!
    • 4/5
      This book is an autobiography telling about Slater's (not very happy) childhood (mother had severe astma and died when he was nine, father eventually remarried but stepmother and -son did not see eye to eye) and adolescence. Very matter-of-factly written, short chapters, never any false sentiment but very touching anyway. It started of as a few columns in a newspaper, but grew into a very nice book indeed. Almost all the memories told here are in some way food-related; but together they form a story about families, love, and the lack of love.
    • 5/5
      Nigel Slater, a famous British food writer and TV chef, recounts his childhood and early adulthood through the medium of, well, a book that will make you hungry enough to want to eat the book itself. I wouldn’t recommend doing this, especially not if you’re reading in Kindle format. What outwardly seems to be a sad and lonely childhood is brought to life by the frequent mention of various staples of the post-war British diet. Slater is almost thirty years older than me, but I was pleasantly surprised at the number of foods that appeared on the plates of both our childhoods; Christmas Cake, Jammie Dodgers, Banana Custard, and the treats spoken of in hushed tones in a passage entitled “Crisps, Ketchup, and a Few Other Unmentionables”. On reflection, I’m not sure I expected this to be as good as it was. The combination of a readable, elegant style of writing, a touching memoir and the aforementioned nostalgia has brought the slightly odd man on the TV to life for me. I think a lot of my enjoyment of this book does stem from the common nationality, so I wonder how much readers who didn’t grow up with tinned ham and sherbet fountains might get from it. Having said that, it is very well-written and is deserving of the praise given to it, so definitely worth a read. I’d recommend bringing a snack along with you.
    • 5/5
      I loved this very easy to read. Quite sad in parts and funny in others. He writes of his childhood with his mother (before she died) and her lack of culinary skills with a lot of humour and affection and his father and eventual step mother with frustration and lonliness. Food being a real solice for him throughout. A must read for anyone with the tiniest interest in food.
    • 4/5
      Funny, poignant and sad, Toast is a must-read book for all foodies. Nigel Slater tells the story of his upbringing in the 1960s - complete with intricate descriptions of food dishes he is introduced to throughout along the way. Despite the ups and downs of family life, the book is ultimately a celebration of cooking and the joy it brings
    • 4/5
      When I started this book I was delighted to realise that not only was it Nigel Slater talking about food in the beautifully and often humorous way he usually does, but that it was formed in the shape of a memoir of his youth.This is a coming of age story of the author, who lost his mother at an early age and then had to compete for his somewhat cold father's affections with a new stepmother, who provided him plenty of competition in the culinary arena of their kitchen.This makes for some quite sad reading, but as usual, I also find Nigel Slater's writing quite inspiring as he was spurned on by his desire to please his father as well as to broaden his horizons with regards to food. It is also a story of someone discovering himself sexually and there is a lot of admirable honesty in the author's writing about this aspect of his life.I really enjoyed reading this. There were times when I would have liked to know a bit more about the food he was learning to prepare, but I suppose for that I'll have to stick to his cook books!
    • 4/5
      I particularly enjoyed this book at the beginning when NIgel was reminiscing about foods from his early childhood that I remember vividly from my own. Very amusing about his Mother and her lack of cooking skills. The book actually became quite sad towards the end and I found it very moving.
    • 5/5
      I've only recently discovered Nigel Slater's cookery programmes on BBC TV and I love them. After acquiring several cookery books of his someone suggested this book. It is a comedy masterpiece and for anybody who grew up in Britain in the 50s and 60s it will be atrip down memory lane as far as food is concerned. The piece on school meals is especially funny and brought back nightmares for me.
    • 3/5
      Sad and funny
    • 4/5
      Subtitled "The story of a boy's hunger," this is the story of a young boy whose mother was (to put it gently) not the greatest cook in the world. As he describes the horrors of the food she made, he manages to highlight the relationship of food to love in our lives.While he has always been interested in food and cooking, his father did not allow him in the kitchen, so when his mother dies and father must take over the provision of meals, life becomes even more dire. After dad hires (and later marries) a cook/housekeeper, the food gets better, but life somehow does not. In fact, the family is uprooted and moved halfway across England to establish a more uppity lifestyle to please the 'new mum.'Later when he gets old enough to get a job at a pub, and then a posh hotel, he realizes his calling in food prep. His father's death brings everything to a boil, severs the link with bridezilla, and provides Nigel with the impetus to go to cooking school and take up his true vocation.I 'read' this one as an audio while preparing our Thanksgiving meal. I loved hearing the British terms for foods --had to go look up a few--and laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes in a few places. It really brings out the role food (and in Britain the role of TOAST) in our lives, and how our relationships with food providers are formed so early in life. An enjoyable read--it's as much a coming of age bio as a food event-- even if you're not a foodie.
    • 4/5
      A poingant tale of a boy growing up in sixties Britain told through his relationship to food. Each episode is ony a few pages long and most are titled by food. Frome thes facets the reader builds up a picture of a difficult child surviving a difficult childhood (his mothers death and his father's subsequent remarriage). Although my life is very different to Nigel Slater's I'm almost exactly his age and spent my first seven years in England, and this book brings back memories of cakes sunk in the middle, tinned mandarins in jelly, tinned fruit and ideal milk, maybe not cuisine but made and eaten with love.
    • 4/5
      This book certainly read quickly (helped by good sectioning). A poignant but whimsical memoir, I thought Nigel drew the perfect line between empathy & self-depreciation. Some parts read a bit like horror (without giving too much away, watch out for Milk). As a foreigner currently in UK, it introduces a maze of strange foods, which when mentioned to the right people, elicit contented sighs & faraway looks. I liked it best for it's small adventures.
    • 4/5
      i savored every chapter of this book like another course in a great meal. Slater is a master of imagery....I found myself reading passages aloud to anyone within distance to enjoy his facility with language. Much more than just a book about food, this book is an honest and often sad memoir of Slater's boyhood, using food as a context for the events that shaped his youth. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      This book really brought back some childhood memories for me. It was an easy read, and very evocative of the type of food that was around in the 70's.
    • 4/5
      This book was tailormade for the Anglophile foodie in me. I loved how the story grew from each different remembered food.
    • 4/5
      This book is a dark delight. Every chapter starts with a food heading, this seems gimmicky at first, but soon becomes an integral part of the book. The foods evoke the 1960s and 1970s and make the book a real nostalgia feast for me, as I am of the same generation as Nigel Slater.Although his mother died when he was eight, and he found his father cold and forbidding, and hated his step-mother, this is no misery memoir. In fact, from a very early age he was as good at giving misery as taking it. I was impressed with the clarity of his description of what it is like to be a child, as we get older we tend to sentimentalise our own childhood, we forget how brutal and unsentimental children and teenagers can be. His description of his feeling of release after the death of his father is a vivid example of this, and contrasts with the theatrical histrionics of his stepmother.The story of an awakening, both personal and sexual and one of the best pieces of autobiographical writing I have read, I hope he writes more.