This is a book for people who spend most of their time thinking about what to have for dinner.

For people who communicate big feelings through food.

And for people who know that a bowl of pasta is never really just a bowl of pasta.

From crispy gnocchi with hot and sour tomatoes and grated halloumi to chubby ricotta basil dumplings, from spatchcocked chicken with pepper sauce to salty coconut granola, this is a book bursting with over fifty mouthwatering recipes for every occasion. Because in our real lives, we need all kinds of dinners. Food to keep our hands (and brain) busy, lap dinners for tired souls, batch cooks for busy days ahead and emergency treats, because sometimes we just need emergency treats.

Weaving together recipes, memories, essays and Strong Feelings about supermarket cheddar, female friendship and food we eat when we're alone, But First, Dinner is Eleanor Steafel's hilarious and heartfelt manifesto on how to answer the dinner question - no matter what sort of day we are having.