Kitchen Diaries

Is there a better gift that a food writer could give us food lovers than a year-long diary of what he (or she) cooks and eats? I think not. But that is precisely what British writer, Nigel Slater, has done. "The Kitchen Diaries" is just that, a diary of what he prepared and ate over the course of four seasons, and peppered it with recipes. If you're adept at cooking without a structured recipe or just enjoy reading about mouth-watering food, then this is a book for you.

I opened it up to this week to see what Nigel is up to. Here's a snippet of what he prepared for his dinner guests on August 24:

"An extravagant supper of rare beef, red salad and cheeses...I present it whole, with some majesty, on a long wooden board. Not being used to this sort of thing, I don't have a board long enough, so some of the great piece of meat hangs off the end. I am slicing it thinly, spooning over a creamy dressing flecked with mint and mustard as I go. The accompanying salad is of red leaves - baby chard, red chicory and oak leaf - and I must admit the whole thing is quite sensational...The evening rounded off with a plate of cheeses that I laid out on leaves from the grapevine."

You're drooling, too, aren't you? And it goes on, but I don't want to spoil it. I want you to enjoy this beautifully written and photographed book yourself. He'll inspire you with his culinary adventures and creations, and I'll bet money that you'll discover foods you've never heard of before this side of the pond (cobnuts, anyone?).

Mr. Slater, you're my new hero.