I really can't recall the last time I enjoyed reading a book as much as I enjoyed The Kitchen Diaries. I spent most the weekend curled up with it on the couch under a warm blanket, drinking a hot mug of coffee. It's basically the perfect format for me - a combination of diary and cookbook, reflecting on seasonal eating, cooking experiments (both good and bad), and the pleasures (and sometimes shames) of food. After reading through half the year on Saturday, I woke up Sunday morning dreaming of perfect breakfasts.

I think one of the things I really enjoyed and appreciated was his perspective on meals and portions. From the way he talks about food, it seems like his diet centers around very good food, but not a whole lot of it - so small, hearty, flavorful portions rather than a plate full of mediocre food. As I told Shane, this is something I struggle with in planning meals - I worry that whatever I make isn't going to be enough, or that there should be more protein, etc - when perhaps if I focused on healthy, hearty, and flavorful, the rest wouldn't be as big of a deal.

On the whole, I found myself really inspired to cook more, make better meals, and read and write about food more. So consider yourself warned.

I picked this up because I thought it might have a favorite quick curry recipe, posted by Luisa Weiss on The Wednesday Chef a while ago. It has that recipe and 1000 others that are quite intriguing. Slater's cooking is generally easy, although going around to the butcher for some lamb is a little bit more difficult in the US. But it's also a little bit unfamiliar, in part due to his creativity perhaps, or pairings and traditions that are British/European. The flavors and use of vegetables from his garden or the local farmers markets are quite tempting. Desserts are frequently included, so there is something for everyone in here. I found the reading meditative overall, and could see myself re-reading for fun; his tone is quite soothing, even when he is talking about goose fat.

I need to go back through and doublecheck, but I'm tempted to buy a copy of this because I think I would actually be able to cook a lot of deliciousness out of it.

Slater is emphatically not a vegetarian, but I modified the curry recipe is in tofu; other recipes could be very easily modified.

This is definitely a step up from "What I Eat in a Day" videos! If I could never read anything besides Nigel Slater describing his food and the weather, I'd be totally content. He's so poetic about cooking, it's inspiring (almost annoying if you're an idiot who struggles with the basics). But yeah, this is amazing. I never thought I'd love reading a cookbook.

Such a beautiful book. I'm inspired now to chronicle my cooking endeavours although I wish I had the spare time to go daily to the farmer's markets. The only really romantic and beautiful one in Amsterdam is the Noordmarkt which is on Saturdays. The Albert Cuypstraat market is okay but doesn't inspire the same longing for produce as the Noordmarkt.

This is such a lovely, atmospheric read- makes you want to run into the kitchen and start cooking ;)

Edit Aug '12- The wonderful news that a second Kitchen Diaries is coming out made me revisit this one, and how I love it. It is such a practical cookbook; there are recipes that you can plan for and impress with, but it is also very useful when you have something 'lying around' (like Nigel often does).... an on the spot decision to make plum crisp, p288, turned out beautifully just last week.

Unapologetic and blunt, it's exactly like a diary. The blurbs are short and don't mince words. The recipes are fantastically simplistic, perhaps too much so sometimes.

This was awesome. I actually started it as a library book, and ended it my own copy. (I actually bought all three volumes.)

I don't know how useful these will be as cookbooks, but that's not what I love about them, anyway. They're chatty and familiar, and above all, beautiful. The pictures are lovely. The book itself, as a physical object, is a appealing and gorgeous. Such a good reading experience.

I've read along with The Kitchen Diaries all this year, following the months of seasonal cooking & eating . I loved the narrative interspersed with the gems of recipes; from the comforting soups & stews through the autumn and winter, to the fragrantly spiced curries and lovely fresh salad combinations through spring and summer . Everything I've made from this book has been made more than once, nothing has disappointed . But more than that, I've loved the honesty that he brings, admitting to some days, eating leftovers from the fridge, or enjoying the simplicity of a cheese sandwich . There's a lovely ethos that pre-dates the current trend for shopping local, using seasonal produce, and wasting nothing . This is an absolute delight of a read .