I tore through this astonishing memoir in record time, caught up in the sheer vigour and drama of Prue Leith’s life.

I have been cooking out of this marvellous book for a month now and still haven’t run out of dishes I want to try, although I have the Whole Lemon Tart in my sights for a weekend lunch party.

It takes a while to be drawn into this quiet, meditative book, an extended diary of a man’s wanderings across New York.

Visiting the Roman ruins of Glanum near the town of St Rémy in Provence last year, I was struck by how sophisticated the city had been in 300 AD.

I have been waiting for this book for months, ever since discovering Belinda Bauer last year.