We’re delighted to be teaming up with our wonderful neighbours at Boston Tea Party to bring you a very special event with 2021 Masterchef finalist, Alexina Anatole, and her dynamic cookbook, Bitter.

The first in a series of five titles which are set to become cookery classics, Bitter is a collection of 80 accessible recipes that reveal how bitter flavours can add depth and complexity to our cooking, making food incredibly moreish. It also introduces the fascinating histories of some everyday foods and ingredients. 

Alexina will be in conversation with Bristol’s very own culinary superstar, Elly Pear (Curshen), in what will be an exciting celebration of flavour and irresistible cuisine. And Alexina will be bringing along samples of a recipe from the book. An evening not to be missed!

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It’s time to embrace the beauty of bitter flavours.

How well do you really understand bitterness? Often thought of as an acquired taste, bitter flavours add complexity and depth to a dish – making food incredibly moreish – if, you know how to work with them.

Fearlessly bringing together the best flavours and culinary strategies from around the world, Alexina will help you befriend bitterness – one flavour-balancing technique at a time. Using ten ingredients to walk you through every type of bitterness and how to tame it – from grapefruit and bitter oranges, bitter greens, tahini, beer, walnuts, cranberries, tea, coffee, cocoa and liquorice – each recipe will expand your repertoire and open the door to new worlds of deliciousness, using bitterness in both savoury and sweet dishes to elevate the taste of everything you make.

These 80 recipes include something to suit every taste and occasion. Start with bold breakfasts recipes, like Banoffee Breakfast Bread, Malted Crepes with Lime & Sugar, and Winter Citrus Fruit Salad, then fill your day with light lunches and weeknight dinners like Roasted Aubergines with Whipped Feta, Grapefruit & Hot Honey, Seared Salmon Tacos with Grapefruit & Avocado and Allspice Lamb Chops with Pickled Walnut Ketchup. Then, impress your guests with Ancho Coffee Beef Short Ribs, Duck Confit with Bitter Orange Salsa Verde and Jerk Pork Belly with Grapefruit Hot Sauce, plus decadent desserts such as Negroni Pavlova, Bitter Chocolate Torte with Passionfruit Sauce and Tiramisu Tres Leches cake.

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Praise for Bitter 

‘Bitter by Alexina Anatole is a gem of a cookbook – not only are the recipes fresh, fun and innovative, but her well-researched writing on the nature of bitter food is a pleasure to read – knowledgeable and generous… A delightful read.’ Rukmini Iyer, author of the Roasting Tin series and India Express

‘My ‘bitter tooth’ is pronounced… I gravitated greedily towards Alexina’s book.’ Nigella Lawson

‘A really gorgeous topic and lovely recipes.’ Georgina Hayden on Channel 4 Sunday Brunch 

‘A detailed deep dive into the wondrous world of one of the trickiest flavour profiles. Stunning and inventive recipes inspired by cuisines from around the world to make you fall in love with bitter!’ Ixta Belfrage, author of Mezcla

‘A revelation… exciting, unexpected combinations’ Dominique Woolf, winner of Channel 4’s Great Cookbook Challenge and bestselling author of Dominique’s Kitchen

Praise for Alexina Anatole 

‘Extremely accomplished’ Jay Rayner

‘Alexina’s ability to take very strong, bitter, sharp flavours and marry them together with majesty is incredible’ John Torode

‘Alexina really impresses me with her originality’ Gregg Wallace

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