Observations from the Kitchen is coming soon to a Substack near you!
Guerre and Shalom is excited to announce that Michelin-starred superstar Richard Neat will be exclusively serialising his fantastic new book over the coming period. It’s an extremely original work: part novel, part memoir, part travelogue, part philosophy text, part creative journey, part Republic-style grand metaphor set on a chess board. It’s difficult to place the work in a (err..) Neat category, but as an erudite audience, you are the class of readers that Richard has been looking for. So what is Observations from the Kitchen about?
OBSERVATIONS FROM THE KITCHEN is an autobiographical adventure story that unfolds upon the metaphoric battlefield of a chess board, a place The Cook uses to describe and make sense of a lifetime spent in service to gastronomy.
Set within the sweatshop kitchens that have been his home, it is a journey that takes the reader from the frenetic chaos of the London’s West End to the narcissistic playgrounds of the Cote d’Azur, through amazing India and magical Marrakech to the snow-covered domes of the Kremlin before ending in the steamy jungles of beautiful Costa Rica.
The Cook invites different companions, the people who have touched him, made his life something other than mundane, to join him ‘à table‘, where, whilst preparing his signature dishes, they discuss such themes as Ambition, Loyalty and Contentment and whether such ideas are comprehensible to anyone other than the person who utters them.
In the words of a prestigious figure in the literary world:
“OBSERVATIONS FROM THE KITCHEN is rather wonderful. You’ve created an extraordinary work here, and a beautifully crafted one. I found myself thinking that every creative should read it regardless of what industry they’re in or skill set they’re mastering. It raises such important questions, and is so refreshingly forthright about them. This work is unique in many ways… It’s such a smart, thoughtful, brave discussion about some really difficult (dare I say unresolvable) issues. It strikes me as a meditation, a parable, an exploration of the creative journey.”
In this short podcast, Richard introduces himself to the Guerre and Shalom Community with the aim of - so to speak - whetting your appetite for the journey ahead.
To access the Observations from the Kitchen, you will need to become a paid subscriber (or better, a patron). Should you “subscribe as paid” from one of Richard’s chapters, the proceeds will be shared equally between the editor (ie me) and the author —and you will get access to all of Guerre and Shalom’s material for a year!
So take a listen, sign up and I’ll see you the other side of the paywall!
To learn more about Richard, read this exclusive Guerre and Shalom interview:
Also from the Guerre and Shalom Publishing House (for paid subscribers):
PAX ARABICA by Daniel Clarke-Serret
Introduction: The time to change the narrative is now! // Chapter 1: On Arab Imperialism // Chapter 2: On the Vanguard //Chapter 3: On Dictatorial Oppression // Chapter 4: On Islamist “Freedom” // Chapter 5: On Islamist Misery // Chapter 6: On Arab Apartheid // Chapter 7: On Middle Eastern Minorities // Chapter 8: On the Masters of Ethnic Cleansing // Chapter 9: On Genocide, Slavery and Racist Indifference //Chapter 10: On Unjust “Justice” and the Inversion of Language // Chapter 11: On Appeasement // Chapter 12: On the Man who stood against Pax Arabica // Chapter 13: On Nations, States and the Nation State // Chapter 14: On Sykes-Picot // Chapter 15: On Zionism and the duty to protect // Chapter 16: On the New Regional Sheriff // Chapter 17: On the Psychology of Strength // Chapters 18-20: To come.
TEN LIES THAT KILLED DEMOCRACY by Ashok Panikkar
Preface: The Ten Lies that killed Democracy // The First Lie: Liberalism //The Second Lie: Cosmopolitanism // The Third Lie: Progress // The Fourth Lie: Freedom and Liberty // The Fifth Lie: Justice // The Sixth Lie: Open-Mindedness // The Seventh Lie: Equality // Eighth Lie: Power and Oppression // Next chapter out over the coming days.
