This is a melange of writing, about how the author sets up home in her Edinburgh flat, and makes the kitchen space (that is practically the entire below-street-level floor) a home for her and a TARDIS for her to travel to times and places some distance away. Each chapter, and we get one per month for the year this loosely covers, the focus dithers between the dish she's making and the place that inspired it. This is almost a Cold War Kitchen, therefore, for pretty much everywhere was once behind the Iron Curtain (with the exception of Turkey, and the actual Scottish hillwalking contents).

And with that in mind I really ought to have liked this more than I did. I can forgive the typical Proustian response food causes for her – although how she tastes everything so forensically while a smoker I'm not sure. I've covered much of the ground here, from Bishkek (alright not on the night of violence after a contentious election) to Armenia and Riga's market hangars, but I really didn't get the feel of going back, however much I loved the places myself.

And I certainly could have done without the dog being mentioned so much.

There still is good writing here – the Bishkek night is certainly engaging, and her reactions to Krakow are definitely worthwhile. There is some peculiarity, too – the line about Turkey and the South Caucasus being so alike, when they're clearly not, and the fondness for the ubiquitous plov. But the bigger picture remains that this fits between two stools, and the way it hangs on to both with one desperate buttock each is most awkward. We have some kind of food writing, an homage to ex-Soviet wonders with a recipe every chapter to help us taste along, and we have her exploring the old Bloc, if that is what we're here for, really quite ineffectually and really badly interrupted by the cooking.

It doesn't give me pleasure to be cold to the Cold Kitchen. But this isn't the full, juicy manti it could have been – it's the handle bit you don't even really have to eat.

Cold Kitchen is a food and travel memoir, showcasing the delicious foods of lots of places I’ve never been to and describing the author's adventures in those foreign lands contrasted with her own basement kitchen in Edinburgh.

It took me a long time to get through this book and I think that’s because I was entirely in the wrong headspace to enjoy it. I needed to be in rainy cold Britain, preferably in autumn or winter, whereas I was actually on the beach in Sicily. The vibes were wrong!

A recommended read if you’re feeling thoughtful and elegiac. Not so good on a sun lounger.

I have been a fan of Caroline Eden's series of travel cookery books for some time as she manages to evoke a sense of place directly linked to the food of the region, town or village that she has visited.
Cold Kitchen is her personal musings on a year in her basement kitchen in Edinburgh, In this space we follow her through the seasons, Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn with memories of travel and food relevant to each of these seasons. The writing as always is impeccable with the stories of her travels drawing you in to Istanbul in Winter, the Trans- Siberian express, Baltic villages and of course Scotland. Each chapter revolves around particular travel moments, often a montage, which resolve into the perfect recipe that is captured in the authors Edinburgh kitchen.
The author has a beautiful way of describing a place, relating it to food, smells, tastes and conversation. Food and its sharing is the most ancient of ways to show trust, friendship and to immerse yourself in another culture - this is clear from the authors writing.
For me definitely cold kitchen but with warm memories and I would highly recommend this and the authors other works, Red Sand, Black Sea and soon to be published Green Mountains. I also have on my list to visit Istanbul in Winter - a place I have always wanted to explore but had never contemplated a winter visit prior to reading this book.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this ARC, all views are my own.

Caroline Eden is a well travelled writer. From her Edinburgh home - the cold kitchen - she cooks and weaves a story around the ingredients. The stories are based on her visits to different countries where she's lived. It's a lovely book to dip into, a chapter at a time. You are transported to a different cuisine, but are always grounded in her kitchen in Edinburgh

Caroline Eden has taken me on a journey, almost literally. From the moment I read the opening pages where she returned from her travels to her Edinburgh home, I warmed to her writing style and knew I was going to enjoy her story, This is, in essence, an autobiography and travel journal, with food at the heart of the writing. There are a few recipes thrown in, but what’s really worked for me is that this serves as a taster. Caroline has visited areas of the world that are remote to me. It’s unlikely I’ll ever actually go to most of the places she talks about in Cokd Kitchen, but each place has been brought to vibrant life.
Her story is split into seasons and within each season, she visits different areas; Russia, Turkey, Baltic nations and more. But every section is also grounded in Edinburgh, a city close to my heart and she uses her kitchen and food to recreate her travels, people and meals she encountered during her journey. As a narrative technique, it works really well and made the story even more enjoyable. There are a few recipes thrown in along the way, but the reason to read this is to reach into corners of the world that are otherwise inaccessible. Caroline is a travelling companion who is generous to share her experiences and understanding of cultures that are different. It’s an inspirational book. I’m determined to learn more about cooking food I’ve not tried before. Springtime soup with bulgar, tomatoes and herbs has provided the kick start I needed and this book is a total joy. I live food, cooking and gave a large variety of cookery related books. I prefer those that have stories with the recipes because of the insight they provide. This has few recipes, but more insight than I’ve come across in a long time. It’s filled with wisdom and joy. Absolutely loved it.

This was a pure escapement read. I loved the food descriptions and you travelled while sitting on your sofa to Central Asia, the Baltics etc. Each chapter starts with a lovely cooking lesson and you get the the recipes.. Darwin the dog is a lovely part of the story . I can’t recommend it enough .