Eat Up!

Tandoh (Flavour; Cook as You Are), a 2013 Great British Bake Off finalist and author of three cookbooks, offers an uplifting, eye-opening, and liberating meditation on eating, dieting, and food culture. Eating is so much more than satisfying a physical need. It encompasses emotional eating, mental health, family traditions, and, as Tandoh passionately argues, is affected by class, race, and gender. Tandoh adorns her reflections with delectable recipes—gorgeously buttery tomato sauce, sweet potato and butternut squash stew, and tomato soup to make at the end of a long day. With gentle, clear tones, her narration envelops listeners in the warmth of her understanding and compassion. There is a place for everyone here, from those seeking food as medicine, to transgender people trying to conform to unforgiving societal expectations, to individuals contending with disordered eating. Tandoh encourages listeners to dig into their food and eat with gusto, no matter what others may think—“Who cares? Eat their leftovers. If they carry on judging you, eat them too.”