The Dictionary of lost words by Pip Williams Recipe by Chef Jomon Kuriakose
Author.
Born 1969 in London, Pip Williams is best known for her first novel The Dictionary of Lost Words (2020).
With a Brazilian mother and a Welsh father who, although working as a computer analyst, also wrote children’s books and jokes, must have had an influence on her writing.
Pip moved to Sydney, New South Wales in 1972 where she went to school, and she showed her teachers her love pf reading and writing by having her first poem published in Dolly magazine at aged 15.
Although loving books such as The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe she was a slow reader and it was at age 17, she was diagnosed with dyslexia.
Once school was over, she went to Europe for a gap year. When she returned, she went on to study psychology and sociology, and later a PhD in public health where she developed an interest in social justice and wanted to improve equality for people living with disability and for women, especially older women.
Working as a social researcher she co authored lots of papers, did some radio production and started writing non-fiction getting lots published along the way.
Pip spent six months in Italy, and on her return, she managed to start on creating the Adelaide Library.
She didn’t waste her travelling adventures, and writing them down in One Italian Summer, they were published in 2017.
The Dictionary Of Lost Words was born from Pip spending time in the State Library of South Australia. It became sixth on the list of Australian fiction bestsellers in the year of its publication.
It won lots of awards including General Fiction Book of the Year and the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction.
She has been with her partner since she was 19, has two sons moved to the Adelaide Hills, but it wasn’t long before they took the kids out of school and returned to Italy for six months where she worked as Willing Workers on Organic Farms.
Now living back in the Adelaide Hills, she sometimes can be seen writing in cafes around town.
Pip Williams
Book
Debut fiction novel, The Dictionary of Lost Words, hit the shelves in March 2020, and went on the New York Times best sellers list and went on to win a ton of literally prizes in won 2021, and hot other countries to be translated into several languages.
The book is based on the real-life compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary, but uses fictional characters to explore the experiences of women during that tie.
When Esme’s mother died giving birth to her, and as her father brought her up, she spent all her time when growing up.
His days were spent at word as a lexicographer in the Scriptorium, and this is where Esme’s spent her years. Sitting under the table watching her father and other team members of the team, compile the Oxford English Dictionary.
Over time, years, she listeners to the common words being added, and as she grows into a young woman, interacting with the world, she begins to collect her own words.
She has an awareness that words used by and about women, are being missed out. As she starts to collect these, she begins to see more of the world and her horizons open up to include people and experiences.
Collecting these "lost" words, eventually creating her own dictionary and exploring the power of language to shape our understanding of the world, particularly in the context of the women’s suffrage movement and World War I.
Edith Thompson, Esme’s godmother and surrogate aunt, plays a huge part of her life and is an influence on her ability as a free thinker.
Esme gets involved with people from the suffragette movement, and becomes as she becomes more aware of the world, she becomes more aware of the pleasure her body can give. Becoming an accidental mother, she chooses to give her new daughter away to a ‘nice’ couple.
Deeply grieving her daughter, she later marries and finds fulfilment in her work. She becomes involved in the in the suffragette movement and volunteers at an infirmary, particularly caring for injured soldiers during World War I.
Spoiler alert here - Esme eventually dies after being hit by a car at a rally for the Equal Franchise Act.
Book and chef for August
My Thoughts
Loved this book, once again because of time restraints I listened to it.
What a great idea for a book, a female writing about the accumulation of words, in a mans world, and at the same time, focusing on the views of women in a time when the word of women’s rights are changing.
The pace of the book was perfect for the subject.
So often when reading, the subject is left behind as the writer tries to show off their writing ability. Not so with this book.
The words in the book are used perfectly and as a listener, I was taken by the perfect descriptions of characters and places. Descriptions, not used just because they need to be fitted into a certain place, but because they fit with the theme of the book and the author’s vision.
All characters have their own back stories, and even though some of them drop out of the narrative, I knew where they were heading in their future of their lives, and this made me stay interested in them even when they were no longer being written about.
I give this book a golden 5 egg, and not only am I going to recommend it to anyone who will listen, I’m planning on revisiting it again myself.
A perfect 5 golden eggs
The Chef
The following, is taken from the Lockdown Lunches page on my website. Chef Jomon graciously gave his time to chare his food with the nation during that time when everyone was hidden away behind locked doors.
Watch him on Foodie Book Club YouTube channel - read on for the link and of course, the recipe is further down too.
Getting to spend some time watching Jomon cook has been something I’ve hoped for since he was Chef trainer in 2018 Celebrity MasterChef UK.
Jomon is an innovator in Indian cuisine plating and if you click here, you can see some of the amazingly beautiful plates of art, that seems to come so natural to him.
Watch Chef Jomon on Foodie Book Club YouTube Channel cooking up a storm with his duck curry right from his home kitchen
Heres a snippet from his website.
‘Born and raised in Kerala, India, Chef Jomon completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management from Sarosh Institute of Hotel Administration at Mangalore University.
Upon graduating, Jomon was offered his first role within Speciality Restaurant Pvt Ltd, one of India’s leading restaurant groups, as Chef de Partie at Sigree.
With over a decade of experience in the kitchen, Jomon Kuriakose is a passionate chef working hard to achieve a modern perspective to Indian food. He loves experimenting with flavours and creating new dishes to compliment the timeless art of Indian cuisine.
He loves cooking with the tandoor oven and even has one in his house. He loves exploring through the forests and villages of Kerala, trying and tasting all sorts of food in order to bring out a treasures of the old to modern kitchen.
Jomon moved to London in 2008 and took up the role of Chef de Partie at Bombay Palace, where he was able to strengthen his expertise in an authentic Indian cuisine and develop his skills in fine Anglo-Indian dining.
In 2012, Jomon was appointed Senior Chef de Partie at Cinnamon Kitchen, a modern Indian restaurant in London merging Eastern spices with Western culinary styles. Here he quickly progressed to Sous Chef, learning under the guidance of Executive Chef and CEO Vivek Singh.
He joined Baluchi at the Lalit London as Chef de Cuisine in 2017. Baluchi is the pan-Indian dining destination within The LaLiT London. Jomon is responsible for creating new and exciting dishes to continually enhance the menu, as well as leading the kitchen team on a day-to-day basis.’
Chef Jomon Kuriakose
Recipe
Kuttanadan ( a region in kerala) Duck Curry
Ingredients
Duck 1 kg
Ginger garlic paste 3 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Crushed Pepper 1/2 tsp
Salt To taste
Vinegar 2tbsp
Fennel seeds 1/2 tsp
Cloves 4
Cinnamon stick 1 /2 inch
Onion Sliced 2 medium
Green chilies slitted 3
Curry leaves 2 strings
Coriander powder 1.5 tsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Crushed pepper powder 1/2 tsp
Thin coconut Milk 1/2 cup
Coconut milk, thick 3/4 cup
Coconut oil 2 tbsp
Kuttanadan Duck Curry
Method
Marinate the duck with turmeric powder, black pepper powder, salt, half
Of ginger garlic paste, vinegar, a pinch of garam masala for a minimum of 2
hours or overnight in fridge more advisable
Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a pot at medium heat.
Add fennel seeds, cinnamon and cloves wait till it gets crackle
Add chopped ginger and garlic and sauté till golden brown
Add onion and sauté until onion turns transparent.
Add coriander powder turmeric powder sauté until its Cooked.
Add marinated duck pieces. Mix everything well. Add thin coconut milk. Close with the lid and cook it for 15-20 mins (stir occasionally) until duck is fully cooked.
Add tomatoes, and curry leaves and add 3/4 cup thick coconut milk. Mix well.
Taste-check for salt. 1 tsp coconut oil and pinch of garam masala powder.
Mix well and switch off the fire and keep it close until it’s serves
