Book review: Nigel Slater’s ‘The Kitchen Diaries’

November 19, 2009 • Hello. I am currently out of the country and unable to respond to comments and e-mails. Rest assured, however, that future posts have been scheduled so new recipes will go live almost everyday during my absence. I'll be back soon with lots of stories and photos. Ciao for now! ~ Connie
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I received my copy by courier last week but I didn’t have a chance to start reading it until yesterday.

Book review: Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries

I don’t usually read book introductions but as I browsed The Kitchen Diaries‘ three-page introduction, something caught my attention and I just had to read everything. Let me quote: “The photography is done in ‘real time’. So when it says October 2nd or April 9th, then that is when the picture was shot. After I have cooked each meal and it has been photographed, we sit down and eat it while it’s still hot. Then I wash up. The pictures are taken at home, so if you recognize plates and pans from my books Real Food or Appetite, then it is because they are things that I have come to love and cherish. Whether it’s a vegetable peeler or a palette knife, it works for me and has become part of my life.”

Sounds familiar? Just like food blogging, eh? And The Kitchen Diaries was written as a journal covering a period of one year. If you’re a food blogger and connoisseur of cookbooks like I am, you appreciate honesty. And you appreciate the fact that the recipes in the cookbook were personally prepared by the author and that the photos were of the actual meals instead of carefully arranged ornaments courtesy of some high-priced food stylist. As far as I am concerned, the photo of the cooked meal is proof that the recipe works. And if the photo has been embellished, then, the author’s credibility becomes suspect.

Beyond the photos, there is one other reason why the recipes in The Kitchen Diaries represent real food for me. I’ve cooked similar versions of some of the recipes before and my family loved them.

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November 17, 2006  Print This Post   
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Comments

4 Responses to “Book review: Nigel Slater’s ‘The Kitchen Diaries’”
  1. stef says:
    November 19, 2006 at 12:26 am

    no mention of countries or regions of origin of the dishes. It’s like saying food is universal and a great meal is not about being academically correct about the history of dishes nor ingredients.

    glad you reviewed this sassy. while i love books that go into food history and all that, sometimes i just want a good recipe that works — not everyone cares about all that other stuff! nigel slater’s book was not on my list to buy, but it may be worth a look after all.

    Reply
  2. Connie says:
    November 19, 2006 at 2:56 am

    i think food books should be categorized more clearly — cookbooks are for cooking; and there should be a name for the kind that goes in depth about the history and origin of dishes and ingredients. But then again, The Kitchen Diaries wouldn’t exactly be a cookbook because it is a blog in print form. Printed blog, maybe. LOL

    Reply
  3. jerry roxas says:
    November 20, 2006 at 3:22 pm

    a ako pwedeng mag order ng book ni NIgel Slater’s ” The Kitchen Diaries”, please advice.

    Reply
  4. Connie says:
    November 20, 2006 at 9:02 pm

    jerry, i think it’s available on amazon.

    Reply
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