Good book to learn to cook from, especially if you live alone. ( )

I was thrilled to receive a hardback copy of this delightful cookbook from Blogging For Books. At first I was taken aback by the format as it reads more like a novel than a cooking aid. It isn't designed to lean against the counter for step by step instructions.

I have had the book for a few weeks now. I find that I do read it like a novel and always put it down hungry and ready to create a meal with flavor and simplicity in mind. Many of the ingredients are foreign to me; the British author uses items not found in the north Georgia mountains grocer's inventory. One of the strengths of the book is the author's suggestions on modifying his recipes and it is easy enough to craft a satisfying dish.

The recipes are designed for one or two people which is very helpful for this retired grandmother. There aren't a ton of leftovers and tomorrow brings an opportunity to try something new!


Looking forward to referring to this book for ideas for years to come ( )

I don’t know if this will be one of my favorite Nigel Slater books yet as I haven’t had time to delve into the entire volume. I do know I’m loving it so far.

It’s rather hard to beat The Kitchen Diaries, for me anyway, but this book Eat will give it a run for it’s money.

How wonderful it would be to follow Nigel around for a few months and learn some of his methods. Gardening is the challenge for me and he has such lovely gardens, but I digress. If you are looking for a cookbook with a traditional format then this may not be for you. He writes in a smooth flow embedding recipes into the conversation. For me, I love it as I am a fan of Nigel’s writing.

What I liked

Well, just about everything ! The writing style, the simplicity of the recipes, his focus on nutrition and the variations you can try with each recipe.

The cloth cover is lovely but I will worry about stains. The size is compact enough to be tossed into a bag when we travel so I’ll have a reference book for my temporary kitchen.

What I didn’t like:

It’s a conundrum when addressing the cloth cover of this book. It reminds me of cookbooks from 40+ years ago I would find in my grandmother’s home. As I mentioned above, my concern is when I am cooking my hands get oily or stained with juices. I don’t want to mar this gorgeous book but it is bound to happen sooner or later. The European version of this book has a cover i like much better

So many recipes to try but I was lucky enough to have a friend who lives in England share a few from her copy. Eat wasn’t available in the US until very recently.

I have made Marmalade Chicken and Pork and Figs so far. Next up will be a pasta dish with cream, mushrooms and bacon – Yum! ( )

Not sure I 'got' this book. Nothing really jumped out at me as in 'I must make this!'. I plan to re-read it in the summer, perhaps will be more inspired then. ( )