The Kitchen Diaries: A Year in the Kitchen With Nigel Slater

`the kitchen diaries' by `Britain's best-loved food writer' (according to the clear stickie on the book cover), Nigel Slater is truly one of the most unusual culinary books I have seen since I began reviewing all sorts of different cookbooks, cooking science books, culinary memoirs, and culinary history books. The one similarly unusual book that comes to mind is the great `Honey from a Weed' by Patience Gray in that both are culinary diaries. The salient difference between the two is that Gray's book covers the cuisines of four important culinary locations, while Slater's guiding light is the food available through the various months of the year. Oddly, in spite of the great quality of both books, neither is a very good guide to the food from their inspiration. Both are meant less as a reference for looking up recipes and more for the kind of book you simply sit down and read from cover to cover.I once described to culinary journalist and writing teacher, Dianne Jacob, the author of `Will Write for Food', that I thought there were three major styles of recipe writing. The first and most common these days is the model created by Julia Child in `Mastering the Art of French Cooking'. Everyone from James Beard on down rewrote his or her stuff in this style soon after this book came out. The second style is the `haute cuisine' / celebrity chef style epitomized by Joel Robuchon, with the assistance of Patricia Wells. These recipes are read less to prepare these dishes than to garnish insights on new cooking techniques and unusual ingredients. The third is what I described as the Elizabeth David style of recipe writing as this great writer did in her earliest books on Mediterranean, French, and Italian cooking. Ms. Jacob said she didn't think anyone wrote recipes like Elizabeth David (except, perhaps, Elizabeth David). I submit that if in no other way, then certainly in this style of culinary writing, Nigel Slater is the truest incarnation of Elizabeth David's style of recipe writing.As he explains in his excellent book, `Appetite', he is all about a minimalist approach to recipe writing, to advance the greatest culinary pleasure of being able to cook without a cookbook, or, at the very least, with only the barest suggestions from the author on how to go about doing things with some ingredients at hand. This is the most attractive aspect of several current popular culinary writers, not the least of whom is Slater's compatriot, Jamie Oliver, who seems to worship the ground on which Slater walks.This book is also a great study in the cardinal precept of Tom Colicchio's `How to Think Like a Chef' which states that recipes do not develop from an interest to make a tart or a roast or a ceviche or whatever. They arise from what the chef has on hand. This book is an essay on that principle in a way which makes the principle real for the average amateur cook who works exclusively at home.One of the greatest revelations you will find in this book is the surprising truth that even distinguished culinary writers will often eat through the day by simply picking out of the fridge and that Slater often goes for two or three days without actually cooking a `sit down' meal. This rings so true that those of us who routinely watch Rachael Ray saying that she cooks full two and three dish meals every day, or almost every day at home in the Adirondacks seriously believe she is exaggerating just a bit.The title of this book must be taken completely literally. It is so much of a diary that about 40% of the text in the book is more like the material in a memoir than in a cookbook. It is not unrelated to `cooking', as it describes the circumstances under which certain dishes come about. The primary circumstance is the season, or more exactly the month or time in the season. So, the book is organized by month rather than by quarterly season.Another very important sense in which this is a `diary' is that it has very much a sense of being an unfinished work in progress. Slater is nothing if not eloquent in his writing in his other books. That is why I am so surprised to find plainly awkward, unpolished writing in this book. This leads me to believe that unlike much of his other work, this book has not seen the pages of a newspaper with its platoon of copy editors poring over the text to clean up awkward writing.This awkwardness may make one stop and reread passages here and there, but it will clearly not detract from the pleasure of reading this book for dyed in the wool foodies. Another thing which may limit the interest of the book to food fanatics is that like `Appetite' and unlike some of his more popular books such as `real fast food' and `real cooking', all measurements are done in metric units.In the end, if you enjoy writing about food, this book is simply a great find. It is one of those rare books which puts you into the cook's head and lets you see work in progress in a way I simply have never seen anywhere else, even in Colicchio's important book or in better writer / chef collaborations such as Bittman / Von Gerichten and Welles / Robuchon.Very highly recommended for foodies.

I bought this book, along with Tender, when they were both Cookbooks of the Month on Chowhound. Everything I've made from it is wonderful, from an easy and tasty curry of aubergines a lemon-frosted pistachio cake (using ground pistachios and almonds instead of flour), and a broad bean and dill "hummus". I recommend his other book, Tender, as well. It's a cookbook based on what's ripe in his garden throughout the year.The one gripe I have is that his writing is too gushingly precious....everything is "if only every day could prick the senses..." and "It is a warm ochre soup, soothing, yet capable of releasing a slow build-up of heat from its base notes of garlic, chilli and ginger; a bowl of soup that both whips and kisses" -- I mean, come ON! It's SOUP! Still it has loads of wonderful recipes.

I was looking for a cookbook that was bigger on the "book" part than the "cook" part. Enjoyed reading Nigel Slater's life of a year in the kitchen, the garden, the food purveyors. This is a book for someone looking for something a little more literary as opposed to a collection of recipes with instructions. FYI, there are recipes included but the instructions aren't exacting and nor should they be. I think this would appeal to anyone who is a more intuitive cook.

Nigel Slater is a major British food writer and critic and a superb cook. This engaging book and its sequel follow Slater's personal cooking through a year, and the menus and recipes range from simple garden suppers to feasts for major holidays. I bought the book some years ago and gave it away while downsizing for a move. I am glad to have it back.

Nigel is one of those authors who has the ability to transport his readers to another place in time via his unique writing style. When reading any of his books I am instantly in his garden seeing what he is speaking of, or in his kitchen smelling and tasting one of his delicious recipes. His recipes are down to earth and uncomplicated. All his cookbooks are a must to any cookbook library.

I got this as a gift for my fiance who loves to cook. The book is enjoyable to just sit and read and also has unique but easy recipes. He finds the section in the back where he can look up recipes by ingredient to be very useful. He has tried a few of the recipes already and they have been successful.

Lovely writing, this is not a picture book and the recipes are good but I bought it more for the writing as I love Nigel's style

Excellent cookbook. I'm working through it now actually as a mini project and aside from some things that I simply can't find in Chicago like golden syrup or pigeon or fresh mackeral, it's a very accessible, beautifully written cookbook.

My favourite time in the kitchen growing up was when my mum would open a Nigel Slater cookbook (Real Cooking). As she cooked from it, I would endlessly slide it across the counter and read each page lovingly, dipping into a world of scrubbed-clean kitchens and perfect winter meals, seasonal ingredients and the joys of leftovers. My love of the book totally unmarred by how often my mum had to snatch it from me to read the next step in the recipe she was following, I have amassed quite a collection of his book.The Kitchen Diaries is an artist at the peak of his craft. It is a book about the love of food, and the way that good food structures a life well lived. Each recipe is accompanied by a note on the time of year, or the celebration therein, or the changes in the garden or the season or the sky. Along with both volumes of Tender, it is a book I would try and save from a fire, thus indicating both my love for it and my complete lack of common sense.

Beautifully bound, it is quality and a total joy to read it is more than a cookbook it is a novel and it inspired me to look at each day/week and cook according to the season.On the way home from work I always get that moment when all I want is for home to take over, by just popping in somewhere to buy one or two ingredients rather than the manic ‘buy it all’ anxiety has made me so happy.So the plan is a courgette and vine tomatoes tonight. My darling dog in the shade in the garden and a glass of wine.Simple

Nigel Slater's Really Good Spaghetti Bolognese was the sole reason I bought the book ('Used, VGC') at such a bargain price. It's well worth buying for this recipe alone!

My copy of Kitchen Diaries arrived well before the suggested delivery date which was fab! The book is in very good condition and I’m extremely pleased with the quality of service. Always happy with this retailer. Would highly recommend.

This book is secondhand and is in good condition: as described by the seller. The recipes are interesting and easy to follow and the beautiful accompanying photos are a real incentive to recreate the dish yourself. Nigel Slater's vivid descriptions also whet the appetite.