Little books, big voices

Colourful cover designs by illustrator Nicky Hooper © Nicky Hooper

by Caitrina Cody

Editor and publisher Kristin Jensen believes there are two things that connect everyone, everywhere: food and stories. She gives us the lowdown on banishing Ireland’s boring culinary myths and providing a publishing platform for a diverse range of food authors.

Scanning the food sections of bookshops across Ireland, you’ll see many well-known faces smiling out from large, glossy, hardback tomes. It’s no real surprise: big names sell books. But, having worked for over 20 years as a freelance editor, publisher Kristin Jensen found herself curious about the other voices, the less well-told food stories of Ireland.

“The longer I worked in publishing, the more frustrated I got that so many stories weren’t being told in food media in Ireland,” Kristin, who moved to Ireland from the US in 1999, explains. “We have such a buzzing, diverse food scene, but you’d never know it from looking at what’s produced on TV and what’s on the shelves in bookshops. The food on offer in Ireland is as good as anything in London or New York—think of restaurants like Pickle in Dublin or Kai in Galway. So why does the outdated idea that Irish food is bland and boring still persist?”

Perhaps as someone born in the US, Kristin is more aware of Ireland’s cultural stereotypes abroad. “Anyone abroad would be forgiven for thinking that all we eat in Ireland is soda bread and potatoes. It’s not helped by the fact that every March, the same old clichés get rerun in the international media for their annual St Patrick’s Day recipe round-ups. Tired stereotypes and lazy food writing do a disservice to what our food culture actually is. I wanted to find a way to move the needle forward on that story.”

From left to right: Lily Ramirez-Foran (photo by Spire Vision Studio); Russell Alford and Patrick Hanlon (photo by Phill Doyle Photography); Jess Murphy (photo by Nathalie Marquez Courtney); Eoin Cluskey (photo by Alan Rowlette); and Kwanghi Chan (photo by Peter Cernoch).

Today Kristin has very much moved that needle forward with her new series of cookbooks, Blasta Books (published by Nine Bean Rows Books and edited by Kristin, with creative direction by Jane Matthews and illustration by Nicky Hooper). The concept is simple but the impact is powerful: each small-format book celebrates the work of a food author with a strong voice and a story to tell. The first four books in the series are Tacos by Lily Ramirez-Foran, Hot Fat by Russell Alford and Patrick Hanlon, The United Nations of Cookies by Jess Murphy and Eoin Cluskey and Wok by Kwanghi Chan.

Blasta means ‘tasty’ in Irish, and each book has something different and distinctive to say, says Kristin: “Lily doesn’t hold back on her opinions about shop-bought taco shells and avocados; Russell and Patrick have put the joy back into one of the most demonised types of cooking, deep-frying; Jess and Eoin have collected cookie recipes from refugees and immigrants who have made Ireland their home, showing that no matter who we are or where we’re from, we can all connect through food; while Kwanghi says that his food may not be authentically Chinese, but then, neither is he.”

Kristin is very aware of the impact of words and the power they have to make a difference. “I’m always looking at DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) through a food lens. I’ve learned a lot from Mallika Basu, a consultant and a culture and diversity commentator in the UK… for example, she explained why writing ‘chai tea’ or ‘naan bread’ is incorrect. Chai is tea and naan is bread, so you’re basically repeating yourself and saying ‘tea tea’ or ‘bread bread’. These might seem like inconsequential little things, but it all adds up. We need to start normalising more terms and foods the way we have with, say, French or Italian cuisine. Think about it: we don’t say ‘cappuccino coffee’, ‘linguine pasta’ or ‘baguette bread’. Words matter.”

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@blastabooks / Blastabooks.com
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