EAT YOUR HEART OUT: LOVE STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Peta Mathias, Penguin Random House NZ, $35

Light but informative, this charming little book is the perfect morsel to snack on when the fancy takes you. Love and food are its twin themes and, as often happens with the former, at first encounter you’re left feeling bewildered… What is this? Is it a cookbook, a collection of stories, a poetry anthology, a series of personal insights? The answer is, it’s all of them. Kiwi treasure Peta Mathias – chef, gastronomic tour guide, writer, restaurateur and broadcaster – looks at love-related topics ancient and modern, from Māori legends and historic courtship rituals to online dating and a chapter entitled ‘Men, and how to feed them’. She analyses famous liaisons – such as that of Lee Miller and Man Ray, or Alice Toklas and Gertrude Stein – and shares seductive recipes including Quail and Roses, and a Flourless Chocolate and Almond Torte she served at her Paris restaurant in the 80s; “I almost married someone soon after having eaten it”. Cheeky, earthy, and full of personal musings – she reckons the way a man eats asparagus hints at his skills in the bedroom – there’s something entertaining on every page. Whether you’ve ever wondered who ‘virgin queen’ Elizabeth I really had the hots for, or whatever came between

Kermit and Miss Piggy, you’ll find it here.