About the book
Once a week at Sime Road, hungry internees gathered round a makeshift table and talked their way through an imaginary dinner. P. C. B. Newington wrote down the recipes, adding dishes remembered at Changi and contributions sent through the inter-camp post by women held nearby. First published in Ipoh in 1947, Good Food preserves the meals they missed and the kitchen knowledge they shared.
Inside the book
Its 23 recipe chapters move from breakfast and cocktails through fish, meat, curries and vegetables to puddings, cakes, chutneys and sweets. Laksa and satay sit beside coq au vin and bread-and-butter pudding; tropical fruit finds its way into familiar tarts and trifles. There are household shortcuts, elaborate dishes for guests and brief notes that leave an experienced cook to supply the method. Malayan ingredients and English measures share the same page.
About this edition
Newly typeset from the 1947 edition, this printing includes Beryl Irving’s original illustrations and retains the recipes’ historical language and measures. Newington’s preface and A. J. H. Dempster’s original foreword appear alongside a new family note by Adam Irving, a historical introduction, boxed camp notes, glosses and guidance for modern cooks.
