Notes from the Larder: A Kitchen Diary with Recipes—A Cookbook

by Nigel Slater

Following on the success of  Tender  and  Ripe , this companion to the bestselling  Kitchen Diaries  is a beautiful, inspiring chronicle of a year in food from beloved food writer Nigel Slater. 
   
Britain’s foremost food writer returns with his quietly passionate, idiosyncratic musings on a year in the kitchen, alongside more than 250 simple and seasonal recipes. Based on Slater’s journal entries, Notes from the Larder  is a collection of small kitchen celebrations, whether a casual supper of grilled lamb, or a quiet moment contemplating a bowl of cauliflower soup with toasted hazelnuts. Through this personal selection of recipes, Slater offers a glimpse into the daily inspiration behind his cooking and the pleasures of making food by hand, such as his thoughts on topics as various as the kitchen knife whose every nick and stain is familiar, how to make a little bit of cheese go a long way when the cupboards are bare, and his reluctance to share desserts.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Reference, Culinary, Essays

544 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Nigel Slater is a British food writer, journalist and broadcaster. He has written a column for The Observer Magazine for seventeen years and is the principal writer for the Observer Food Monthly supplement. Prior to this, Slater was food writer for Marie Claire for five years. He also serves as art director for his books.

Although best known for uncomplicated, comfort food recipes presented in early bestselling books such as The 30-Minute Cook and Real Cooking, as well as his engaging, memoir-like columns for The Observer, Slater became known to a wider audience with the publication of Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger, a moving and award-winning autobiography focused on his love of food, his childhood, his family relationships (his mother died of asthma when he was nine), and his burgeoning sexuality.

Slater has called it "the most intimate memoir that any food person has ever written". Toast was published in Britain in October 2004 and became a bestseller after it was featured on the Richard and Judy Book Club.

"I think the really interesting bits of my story was growing up with this terribly dominating dad and a mum who I loved to bits but obviously I lost very early on; and then having to fight with the woman who replaced her ... I kind of think that in a way that that was partly what attracted me to working in the food service industry, was that I finally had a family." As he told The Observer, "The last bit of the book is very foody. But that is how it was. Towards the end I finally get rid of these two people in my life I did not like [his father and stepmother, who had been the family's cleaning lady] - and to be honest I was really very jubilant - and thereafter all I wanted to do was cook."

In 1998 Slater hosted the Channel 4 series Nigel Slater's Real Food Show. He returned to TV in 2006 hosting the chat/food show A Taste of My Life for BBC One.

Slater has two elder brothers, Adrian and John. John was the child of a neighbour, and was adopted by Slater's parents before the writer was born.

He lives in the Highbury area of North London, where he maintains a kitchen garden which often features in his column.

Reviews

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been cooking along out of this gorgeously-written Nigel Slater tome for the past 6 months as part of I Heart Cooking Clubs. If you need a clear and direct recipe or photos in your cookbook, you may not love this book as much as I do. But, if you are like me and like to savor the writing in cookbooks like a novel and love to work with "sketches" of recipes, you will adore this book. I keep it on my nightstand and open it up and just read, as well as cook from it. Set up by month to follow a year in the kitchen, it is a treasure trove of Nigel Slater's thoughts and wonderful food writing.

So far I made (and loved): Needs, Must Pasta (a simple and amazing fettuccine Alfredo): http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20..., Pasta with Creamy Basil-Caper Sauce (I keep making the sauce for pasta and fish and to top soup): http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20..., the intoxicating and addicting version of Bánh Mì (aka 'Sour, Hot, Crisp, Soft. A Sandwich for the Senses'): http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20..., a scrumptious lemon compound butter for fish: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20..., and delightful Little Green Onion & Ricotta Omelettes with Asian Dipping Sauce: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20... and I loved them all.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The problem with checking Nigel Slater cookbooks out from the library is that I need time to really digest them. Though my natural inclination is to race through his books in a single sitting, I try to take them in small portions, a few pages (or meals) at a time, in order to maximize the pleasure of his writing, and the meals I imagine him eating, and the meals I imagine making as a result of my enjoyment of reading about them.

Alas, this time taking it slow has resulted in fines. That'll teach me to just buy the dang book next time.

[Karen Lowton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I've reached the ripe old age of 45 without owning any of Nigel Slater's books! I've heard him on the radio and thought his recipes sounded simple yet delicious, and now, finally, I am the proud owner of The Kitchen Diaries II. I go between wanting to keep this book in pristine condition for its whole feel and presentation - it could pass quite easily as an arty coffee-table book - or a working food-stained kitchen recipe book (I've just made the chocolate muscovado banana cake and the light spring onion omelettes, both delicious and to be made again and again). The recipes and engaging writing about food are set out by month, with simple, easily obtainable ingredients and no complicated messing about for hours in the kitchen either. Very highly recommended.

[Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly just read Slater's cookbooks like regular prose, and I find them comforting and inspiring.

[Galina Krasskova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this man's books. I just read this one and I have tags and sticky notes, and bits of paper marking all the things I want to try to cook over the next few weeks. What a wonderful resource and it's poetic. When he writes about loving his battered wok as one might an old friend, or how his knife brings comfort because he knows every groove or how one should wipe broiled figs "tenderly" before serving...it makes my heart sing.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This very weighty tome is a kitchen diary offering many observations, facts, happenings and of course over 250 different seasonal recipes from acclaimed British food writer and broadcaster Nigel Slater.

Would it be fairer to describe this book as a more edited, polished memory dump from the author, providing a little bit of everything along the way that is wrapped around a diary? The author is clear to note that whilst items follow over the course of a year, they are not a strict chronology but more a focussed collection of events that have happened over the years, so something that happened on a given November day would have happened on that given day, but not necessarily in the same year as the previous or subsequent diary "entry". Not that it makes a difference in the grand scheme of things though!

This is a book that, to be fair, you will get as much out of it as you put in through reading and comprehension. If you use the book solely as a source of recipes then, whilst you will invariably find many interesting recipes from the sheer multitude on offer, you will be missing much by ignoring the surrounding text.

When browsing through this book one notes that whilst the recipes have been "translated" to U.S. imperial units, at the same time ignoring their metric equivalencies, there are many cultural references that might have non-native Britons scratching their head in puzzlement before seeking clarification to a small, possibly insignificant point. There are a number of average to relatively good photographs to break up the text but they just don't feel like they fit, feeling instead that they are there solely as filler material to "illustrate" the book. Technically the photographs are quite good, particularly when they accompany a recipe yet many just feel out of place. It would have been better to have had smaller photographs accompanying EACH recipe and then use a few hand-drawn illustrations if one did need a "barrier" or "filling" image. A small thing that doesn't detract from the overall delight of this book, but when you pay a premium price for something one becomes invariably more picky over the smallest of things.

The end of the book featured a very detailed index to the recipes, referenced by key ingredient) which is a Godsend when you see the sheer bulk of this book. It would have been nice if each chapter (month) had a separate list of the recipes within to help navigate as the internal signposting is quite sparse… but it was not to be. Even a mini index to some "key happenings" or traditions would have been appreciated.

This book was an enjoyable gambol throughout a typical "year" of a British food writer and active cook. If you have enjoyed other books by this author then you won't be disappointed but if the name Nigel Slater doesn't mean anything to you, it could also be a good introduction to his work, his viewpoints and style - and after that there is no shortage of other Nigel Slater books to keep you occupied for a long time.

Notes from the Larder: A Kitchen Diary with Recipes, written by Nigel Slater and published by Ten Speed Press. ISBN 9781607745433, 545 pages. Typical price: USD40. YYYY.


// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Nigel, you've done it again... where would I be without you?!

So far I have tried:
- sea bass with rosemary and capers: delicious! A romantic meal with my boyf, who had never had sea bass before. We cooked one bigger fish instead of two, and it worked out wonderfully.
- parsley risotto: didn't do the parmesan crisps that go along with this, and as I already know how to make risotto I just looked at how he included the parsley - very clever idea to boil the stalks in with the stock to include their flavour. I also added some left over chicken from the same bird as the stock, but the risotto would have still been lovely without it.
- bacon and celeriac soup: all that grating takes aaaaages (I will probably just chop the celeriac into chunck next time, as it gets blended) but it is mostly worth it... and think of your arm muscles!
- Marmalade chocolate ice cream: delicious but i did run into some problems... Nigel says it can be churned by hand or in a machine, but I'm afraid it just *wouldn't* churn in the machine, I tried several times then resorted to hand. I think this is because of the marmalade, which Nigel says gives a soft scoop texture... but it also lowers the freezing point!

What I love about both Nigel's Diaries is that they are simply wonderful, inspiring reads. Even when I don't follow the exact recipes pretty much every page gives me a new idea to include in my cooking. Thanks to Nigel, I've started putting salt in my porridge, and oh my gosh you would not believe the difference it makes!

All Hail Saint Nigel! <3

[The Queen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the year comes to a close and we start on the path toward longer days and the coming of springtime, there can be no better book to curl up with than Nigel Slater's, “ Notes from the Larder, A Kitchen Diary,” published this fall in the United States. The cookbook received Amazon’s and Food and Drink's Book of the Year Award in the United Kingdom.

For anyone not familiar with Mr. Slater, he is a self-described “writer who cooks.” A true Englishman who loves his garden and the seasonal pleasures of its bounty, Mr. Slater finds joy in calmly reworking recipes until they finally come together in a way that he deems fitting for that particular day, or moment in time: “What intrigues me about making something to eat is the intimate details, the small, human moments that make cooking interesting.”

Mr. Slater is a BBC television series presenter and documentarian. He is author of eight cookbooks and a memoir, “Toast, “ which was recently made into a major BBC film. As the weekly food columnist with “The Observer Magazine” for over twenty years, Mr. Slater has a large and well-deserved loyal following. You can find his recipes and photographs of his food and garden at www.nigelslater.com.

For me, the lovely muted photographs from both the kitchen and the garden were worth the price of the book. But it is his words, and his thorough enjoyment of the essence of the ingredients and how they come together, often quite simply, that create the true magical images set out on each page.

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved, loved, loved Slater's Kitchen Diaries. In fact, it is next to my sink where I look at it every few days to keep myself seasonally inclined for cooking. And, of course, for inspiration.

When I saw that there was a second Kitchen Diary, it was at the perfect time. Just got another freelance job. So a little treat is in order. Right? Well, that's how it works in MY checkbook!

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This doesn't have the complete charm of the original, but is still quite good. I'm reading along month-by-month so it will take a year before I'm done.

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Done! I stand by my statement above that it doesn't match the first Kitchen Diaries book. However, it is quite good and I have about 15 recipes marked to try out. A good deal of the charm, of course, is in Slater's poetic, evocative writing which is enjoyable whether one wishes to actually cook from this book or not.

UPDATE 2014
Stacked next to the bathroom sink as a bit of daily food reading before bed. Quite satisfying to reread this way and it serves the purpose of keeping me thinking seasonally. Love that. And Slater's "normal person" sensibilities.

[BecksR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another lip-smacking, inspiring tome from Mr Slater.
His appeal is that he not a 'chef' ...rather a cook who is passionate about the foods and tastes that he discovers. He writes with such enthusiasm and sensory pleasure ...the idea of cooking his food is in your mind before you even see the recipes, you just want to share in the wonder of the experience!
Alongside that, this is a beautiful book which aesthetically lures you in.. evocative pictures and colours. Impossible to resist. Despite its glorious grandeur you still want to cook from it immediately.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catching up on reviews today; I love Nigel Slaters recipes.

[Anne S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

WAS ICH BEI KOCHBÜCHERN MAG
Generell lese ich ja vor allem Kochbücher, in denen es um die eigentlichen Rezepte herum noch mehr „Geschichten“ (im weitesten Sinne) zu lesen gibt – in denen ich das Gefühl habe, der Autor nimmt mich mit in seine Welt, erzählt mir etwas Persönliches von sich. Sei es, was ihn inspiriert hat, eine Küchen- bzw. Lebensweisheit, die sie uns zu Teil werden lassen möchte, vielleicht auch eine Schwäche, die man offenbart bekommt und so den Eindruck bekommt, man lese eher einen Brief eines Freundes als einen Text, den man gebunden und gedruckt gekauft hat. Man kann aus solchen Büchern meiner Ansicht nach viel mehr über das Kochen lernen als aus den eher nüchternen, technischen Beschreibungen, wie sie für „Rezepte“ heute üblich sind. „An Everlasting Meal“ von Tamar Adler ist ein weiteres wunderbares Beispiel für die Art, die ich mag.
Genauso geht es mir auch mit Nigel Slaters „Das Küchentagebuch“. Zwar ist das Buch schon ein paar Jahre älter, aber ich habe es bisher nie geschafft, mich zu motivieren, so einen dicken Wälzer auszuleihen oder zu kaufen. Ich hatte Nigel Slater zwar schon eine ganze Zeit im Hinterkopf, weil ich britische Kochbuchautoren generell ganz gerne mag, und er war mir auch entfernt als „der ist irgendwie ziemlich beliebt, da muss was dran sein“ bekannt gewesen. Die schiere Menge an Seiten hat mich aber ehrlich gesagt abgeschreckt. Je dicker ein Buch, desto mehr muss man herumschleppen, das ist unpraktisch, und desto teurer ist es auch in der Regel, es zu kaufen. Jetzt habe ich aber gerade jede Menge Zeit, und so war die Neugier doch groß genug, ein Werk von Nigel Slater aus dem Regal in der Bibliothek zu nehmen und in meinen Rucksack zu packen.

REZEPTETEST
Nun habe ich das Buch noch nicht ganz gelesen – immerhin knapp 530 Seiten – bin aber trotzdem sehr zufrieden mit meiner Wahl. Mein Vater und ich haben an den Weihnachtsfeiertagen auch schon zwei Gerichte ausprobiert, einen Lammschmortopf mit Aprikosen und eine Kürbis-Pastete (leider zu spät im Jahr für Kürbis, daher durch Süßkartoffeln ersetzt – ja, ja, ich weiß, das typische „Chefkoch“-Klischee: Ich hatte x nicht, habe stattdessen y genommen, aber tolles Rezept!). Trotz kurzer Zutaten-Listen (einfaches Einkaufen und Zubereiten ist zu Weihnachten immer ein Plus) waren beide Gerichte sehr lecker. Ich hatte zwar mit der angegebenen Menge an Süßkartoffeln viel mehr Füllung übrig als für den Blätterteig der Pastete benötigt wurde, aber das mag auch daran liegen, dass ich hier so eigenmächtig ein anderes Gemüse gewählt hatte.

DIE PERSÖNLICHKEIT
Aber ich hatte ja eingangs erzählt, dass mir das Drumherum mindestens genauso wichtig ist wie die Frage, ob die Rezepte gute Ergebnisse liefern. Der Stil des Buches gefällt mir wirklich sehr. Die meisten Gerichte haben eine lange Einleitung mit einer Mischung aus persönlichen Geschichten, Gedanken und ein wenig Warenkunde oder Küchengerätetipps. Dabei kann das „Persönliche“ grob gesagt aus einer der folgenden 4 Kategorien „Was ich gerne esse“, „Wo ich etwas Inspirierendes fand“, „Kleine Schwächen“ und „Haus und Garten im Wandel der Jahreszeiten“ stammen. Also immer noch alles geeignet für ein Bewerbungsgespräch, nichts wirklich Privates. Und trotzdem erzeugt dieses Buch ein Gefühl der Beruhigung, etwas Heimeliges, das mich dazu bringt, es immer vor dem Einschlafen zum Abschalten in die Hand zu nehmen.
Das liegt sicher auch daran, dass viele dieser Einleitungstexte im Wesentlichen die eine, immer wiederkehrende Sache ausdrücken: „Das habe ich schon immer so gemacht“. Hier zum Beispiel zu einem Rezept von Nudelsuppe in Hühnerbrühe vom 2. Dezember:
„Hühnersuppe mit Nudeln kann lecker sein oder langweilig wie Spülwasser. Am besten schmeckt sie, wenn das Hühnerfleisch vor dem Kochen gebraten oder gebacken wird […] Ich mache das schon lange so.“ (2. Dezember)
Für mich schafft er damit ein beruhigendes Gefühl von Kontinuität in unseren ganz schön unkontrollierbaren Leben. Was für eine Erleichterung, wenn da etwas Beständiges ist, auf das wir immer wieder zurückgreifen könnten, wenn es notwendig wäre – und sei es auch nur das geborgte Wissen um eine perfekte Hühnerbrühe, die wir niemals zubereiten. Es reicht das Wissen, dass ein sicherer Ort existiert, auch wenn wir selbst niemals einen Fuß dorthin setzen werden.

BESTÄNDIGES UND VERGÄNGLICHES
Aber nicht nur seine Gewohnheiten beim Kochen lassen mich wohlig in meine Decke gekuschelt zur Ruhe kommen, es sind auch die Geschichten von Beständigkeit, die er aus seinem Haus und Garten erzählt. Anderes Thema, nämlich der Bericht über das erste herbstliche Aufräumen im Garten, aber gleicher Effekt:
„Ein strahlender Herbsttag, trotz zweier heftiger Schauer, und ich arbeite an den Töpfen auf der Hintertreppe. Die Tomatenpflanzen sind zusammengebrochen; ihre Stängel sind vertrocknet braun und die letzten Tomaten faulen, zwischen den Töpfen verstreut, still vor sich hin. Die meisten sammle ich auf und werfe sie auf den Kompost. Auf den anderen rutsche ich aus. Was nicht mehr zu retten ist - die Gurke, zwei Auberginenpflanzen und geschossener Rucola – wird ausgerissen und durch fingerlange Goldlack-Pflänzchen ersetzt.“ (29. Oktober)
In diesem Abschnitt kommen auch schön die kleinen selbstironischen Einstreuungen zur Geltung, die liebgewonnenen Schwächen, die Slater bei sich selbst feststellt. Zu wissen, dass man nicht der oder die Einzige ist mit Fehlern, Makeln und Ungeschicklichkeiten, das beruhigt ebenfalls.

EINE INTUITIONSGEMEINSCHAFT
Auch dann, wenn er in der Erzählperspektive manchmal von der Ich-Form zu „man“ oder „wir“ wechselt, so als würde Slater uns mitten in seine Geschichten hineinnehmen, entsteht dieses tolle Gefühl von Geborgenheit:
„Es gibt jenen erhabenen Moment, in dem wir […] auf etwas Köstliches stoßen, das sich im Kühlschrank verbirgt. Ein Stück Herrlichkeit, mit dem wir nicht gerechnet hatten.“ (19. März)
Manche „Rezepte“ wie z.B. die „Lebensrettersuppe“ vom 15. Dezember, sind auch nicht allzu viel mehr als grob zusammengefasste Empfehlungen, die dem Leser manches an Küchenerfahrung zutrauen und ihn ebenso hineinnehmen in eine Art kurzfristige Gemeinschaft derer, die sich durch jahrelanges mehr oder weniger professionelles Herumprobieren eine Art Intuition angeeignet haben, was in der Küche funktionieren könnte, und was nicht.

EINE ECHTE REZENSION KANN NICHT NUR POSITIV SEIN
Nicht zuletzt sind diese Texte einfach literarische Edelsteine mit wunderschöner Sprache, die manchmal so poetisch wirkt, dass das Rezept oder das Kochen eigentlich gar nicht mehr so wichtig scheint und man dieses Buch nur noch um seiner selbst willen lesen möchte.

Was man kritisieren könnte, wenn man extrem pingelig sein wollte, ist natürlich, dass die Rezepte insgesamt eher selten vegetarisch sind, und, weil es eben ein britisches Kochbuch ist, manchmal nach Zutaten verlangt wird, die in Deutschland eher unüblich und daher etwas schwieriger zu beschaffen sind. Das betrifft z.B. in Sirup eingelegten Ingwer oder das sogenannte mincemeat, laut Buch eine Mischung aus Trockenfrüchten, Alkohol und Gewürzen, die ich hier noch nie gesehen habe. Aber 1.) sind die Gerichte vor allem wohl als Wohlfühl-Essen, nicht zum Abnehmen gedacht und 2.) muss man sich bei Kochbüchern aus Großbritannien über regionale/nationale Zutaten ja wohl nicht wundern. Für Freunde der vegetarischen Küche gibt es ja auch noch seine beiden Bücher „Greenfeast“ (Frühling/Sommer und Herbst/Winter sind jeweils zusammengefasst in einem Band: Greenfeast: Frühling / Sommer: Frühling/Sommer; Greenfeast: Herbst / Winter).

Wahrscheinlich wäre es gut, jeweils nur an dem Tag, für den auch ein Eintrag im „Küchentagebuch“ vorhanden ist (es umfasst, wie schon der Untertitel verrät, doch nicht ganz 365 Tage, dafür gibt es an manchen Tagen mehrere Rezepte), den Eintrag zu lesen, dann hätte man wirklich einen Begleiter für das ganze Jahr. Vielleicht wäre das auch für eine kleine Koch-Challenge à la „Julie und Julia“ (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135503/) geeignet. Dafür sollte man sich dieses wunderbare Buch wirklich im Hinterkopf behalten.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've got a confession to make. I'm in love with Nigel Slater's cooking and his recipes and he could come to my home and be my kitchen slave forever. Needless to say, despite ogling his dishes on the television, I bought his books. Well, I bought two: The Kitchen Diaries: A Year in the Kitchen (2005) and The Kitchen Diaries 2 (2012). Not only are they filled with great recipes but, importantly to me, the text in between the recipes is engagingly descriptive and effortlessly witty.

Nigel Slater is my kind of cook as his recipes are straight-forward, easy to understand, and generally use ingredients that are either already in our cupboards, fridges and freezers, or readily available to most of us. I suppose I fell in love with Nigel's cookery skills by watching his television programmes. He has such a relaxed way about him, such an ordinary way of speaking to the viewer, such a no-nonsense approach to cooking, that he convinced me absolutely that 'I can do that'. Which actually remains to be seen, of course. His Kitchen Diaries books are like that. They are far more than just recipe books. They are, as they state, diaries. The narrative from the author, Nigel Slater, is almost poetic with descriptions of his garden, the plants, the weather, the shops that he frequents, the produce that he so loves. You can sit and happily read these books as if they were simply delightful novels that paint vivid pictures with words. They are treasures to be cherished. Really.

" April 17... " Could there ever be the perfect day? Maybe not, but today is as close as it gets. Bright sunshine and cool breeze, the scent of wallflowers and narcissus on the air; a farmers' market with sorrel, young pigeons and good rhubarb, and an afternoon so hot and sunny you could fry eggs on the pavement. I gave in and bought my first tomatoes too, a vine or two of the early Campari... "

As sometimes is the case with writers publishing a second book some years later, the recipes are not, in this case, a repetition of the first book with a few changes and really just ripping off the buyer. The paper quality is very good in both books, as are the plentiful coloured photographs (by Jonathan Lovekin) of the dishes. There is not, however, one photograph per recipe which might disappoint some but this doesn't really matter to me as Nigel's instructions are so very clear and there are so many recipes to enjoy that I don't think it would have been feasible to have a photo for each one. If I were to have one tiny complaint it is that the photographs have no caption so you have to match the recipe to the image, but the recipe is not far away and generally it is quite obvious at a glance. Nigel Slater has divided his book up into months although not necessarily one recipe for each day of the month, and there is an index at the back too if you are looking for a recipe that uses a particular ingredient. The 2005 book has 400 pages and the 2012 book has 544 pages in all. With regard to the 2005 book, I bought the paperback (for the sake of economy) and my 2012 book is the hardback version which has a nice satin ribbon for keeping one's place in the book. Both were at a great discount through Amazon. When I went to purchase them the older 2005 book, in the hardback version, was actually a lot more expensive than the hardback of the 2012 book, but I don't mind buying paperback books, especially quality ones.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is pure comfort reading.
I've been a fan of his writing since I read the first Kitchen Diaries. His writing is understated (he never gushes, and even his rants are quiet), elegant and serene. His clear focus on the personal and the domestic gives his writing a timeless, even location-unspecific quality - if you don't realise that he lives in inner London, and overlook his fondness for Asian flavourings, you'd probably think he lives in a manor house out in the English countryside. Sort of Secret-Gardenish.

Some of his recipes puzzle me - they are often very light (eg supper may be a bowl of miso soup with leafy greens), with virtually no carbs (or no suggestions of serving with carbs). Perhaps that's just the way he eats, or perhaps it's a cultural difference between British "suppers" and Australian "dinners", who knows? But it makes me wonder if other readers would find his recipes unhelpful for that reason.

[Helbob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars because it’s a cracking, comforting read. Five stars because I’ve made some really good food following his recipes in this book. Two favourites: Smoked haddock with potato and bacon, basically smoked fish and chips with the richest most moreish sauce ever. And in contrast a December Lifesaving soup, a bowl of pared back stock, miso and prawns (I left out the salmon) that felt like immunity in a bowl. Love Nigel Slater writing about food.

[Neveah · Rating 5 out of 5]

In which Nigel goes to Japan... this is a wonderful book and Nigel Slater is pretty much the God of cooking as far as I'm concerned. Date set to July but tbh I've read this all the way through a couple of times over the last few years.

[Andy Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Volume I, I was concerned that this would be too same. Not a bit of it, other than the insistent voice of Nigel Slater - but that's the attraction. As before (see my review of Volume I), it's for reading, for cooking and for both.

[Sarah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent book from Nigel Slater that has kept me company throughout the year, and given me new things to eat in the process.

A Thousand Feasts will be my year long treat in 2025 - can’t wait!

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found some magic in the chronology of the first book. The second book is still pretty charming though.

[Lesley Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this just as much as Volume 1. Now to start Volume 3. Love his take on life and food. Books to go back to time and time again.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cookbook you can read like a novel

[Gette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nigel Slater is an authentic writer who happens to have a penchant for cooking and gardening. I’m late to knowing his work and so grateful I followed up on his works. He is an original.

[Tabitha McGuinness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simplistic, seasonal, delicious

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely pictures and stories.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is just fabulous even if you never make a thing Slater will empower the way you approach cooking,gardening and eating

[Becki Iverson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little horrified when I saw how long this book was after it arrived, but no matter - I flipped through it super quickly. Part Mark Bittman, part M.F.K. Fisher or Tamar Adler, this is a lyrical, seasonal approach to cooking that I thoroughly enjoyed, especially in this season of winter when I'm inside and yearning for a long, slow cooking process. There are many recipes in this book but they're almost all simple and accessible. The best part is truly the context surrounding each recipe, the slips of notes or brief page-long essays that muse on the seasons, focus on a particular kind of food, or simply say something about how the day went. I find reading diaries to be somewhat boring usually, but I really enjoyed that feel in this book - it made the recipes really come alive. This is a book for people who fancy themselves foodies, for chefs who track their progress, or anyone else interested in development over time and particularly how that relates to food. A simple, lyrical (but long) book - I really enjoyed it.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of recipes I want to try, I am truly tempted by the excellent photography and style of writing, however the test is ultimately in cooking one of the recipes contained within.
The pork and pear recipe got my mouth watering and tasted as good as was promised. So simple and appreciated by all the family.(which is a very big plus!)
I really enjoy dipping into this book and the only downside is that I have borrowed it from the Library and at £30 a copy am unlikely to get the hardback version. Hence only four stars.
Three weeks is not long enough dedicate to this book.

I wonder how much the paperback will cost?

[Pip Terrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anything by Nigel Slater gets my vote. He's a real enthusiast for good food. I love to read cookbooks, even if I don't always use them for cooking, and this book is a record of Nigel's daily life with ad hoc recipes thrown in so it was fine for me, but I could see that some people might find that a bit irritating. I had to use a lot of post it notes to mark the recipes I'd like to try as it isn't set out in a conventional way.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved. Nigel Slater has such a wonderful way of talking about food, cooking, gardening, and life in general. Every time I sat down to read a few pages, I felt cozy and comforted. And that's on top of all the delicious recipes that I'll have to try. Slater's approach to food is simple when necessary, extravagant when wanted, but always delicious. Can't wait to go back and read the first volume of his kitchen diaries.

[DuMont Buchverlag · Rating 5 out of 5]

»Nigel ist ein gottverdammtes Genie.«
JAMIE OLIVER

„Er kann schreiben. Er kann kochen […] Star-Koch Nigel Slater hat noch nie ein schlechtes Buch gemacht. Auch dieses ist einfach gelungen.“
Gabriele Gugetzer, MARTHA STEWART LIVING

"Die Bücher des BBC-Koches und Observer-Kolumnisten sind Küchen-Literatur zum Schwärmen."
KURIER