Masterchef finalist Anatole whips up first two books with Square Peg

Vintage imprint Square Peg has snapped up two cookbooks from 2021 "MasterChef" runner-up Alexina Anatole.

Mireille Harper, commissioning editor, bought world language rights from Milly Reilly at the Jo Unwin Literary Agency. Bitter: The Missing Ingredient will be published in autumn 2022, followed by Sweet.

In Bitter, Anatole change the way readers think about the bitterness in food with a "dynamic collection of accessible recipes that reveal how bitterness can transform our cooking" and introduce readers to the wonderful world of bitterness — where it appears, how to use bitter flavours in cooking and why they're good for us. Dishes include tahini miso steak, negroni pavlova and liquorice panna cotta. 

Anatole said: "One of the most exciting realisations to come from my 'MasterChef' experience was that my eclectic flavour combinations were considered bold and surprising, particularly in regards to the use of bitter ingredients. Fast forward to today and I could not be more thrilled to be writing my first cookbook on that very topic. Bitter will be all about making bitterness more familiar to the home cook — the missing ingredient in your dishes, if you will. Though bitterness is the taste we are collectively least certain of, a lot of bitter ingredients have made their way into the mainstream — think coffee, cocoa, beer, grapefruit. I hope to share how we can use these ingredients and flavours to add dimension to the food that we cook and eat. 

"To be publishing this book under Square Peg/Vintage is a real pinch-me moment. To have a team who are so passionate about this idea — and who have been a publishing home for numerous successful food writers including Rukmini Iyer, Georgina Hayden and David Chang — is a dream."

Harper commented: "We are utterly thrilled to be publishing Alexina Anatole's debut cookbook, Bitter. Tuning in to 'MasterChef' week-on-week, I was in awe of Alexina's ambition, creativity, confidence and passion, but most of all, how she pushed the boundaries by centring bitterness in her delectable dishes. After a chance call with Alexina, I was blown away by this brilliant concept and knew that Square Peg was the home for her.

"Bitter showcases Alexina’s remarkable palate and penchant for aspirational and imaginative recipes — think show-stopping dishes like Negroni Pavlova and Tahini Crème Caramel, made approachable and accessible (no ridiculously hard-to-find ingredients nor elaborate and expensive equipment needed) — and pays homage to the cuisines that celebrate bitterness from Italy to India.

"By focusing on t10 staple bitter ingredients that all are familiar with — from coffee, cocoa and tea to grapefruit and bitter oranges — Alexina showcases the huge scope and potential that bitter flavours can offer us, how we can adapt them according to our preferences and just why they're so good for us. Both an exploration and celebration of bitterness, this will be a staple in every kitchen – we can't wait to share it with the world."