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.

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One of my favorite light summer dinners to make is refreshing gazpacho. This chilled soup is sure to quickly soothe an overly hot body. The recipes that I prefer are those without bread, making them lighter and healthier (especially if you’re dieting).

This recipe is from my mother’s friend, Vicki Sebastiani, founder of Viansa Winery in Sonoma, California. You can find it in her wonderful cookbook Cucina Viansa.

Gazpacho alla California

Makes 8 cups
1 large cucumber: peeled, seeded and diced
1 large red onion: peeled and diced
1 large red bell pepper: seeded and diced
1 large zucchini, diced
6 large tomatoes: peeled seeded and diced (about 6 cups)
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups tomato juice
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash of Tobasco sauce (optional)

Garnish:

1/2 sour cream
1/2 cup fresh minced chives
1/2 cups croutons, preferably homemade (I skipped this in my preparation)

Note: I also like to toss in avocado for extra creaminess.

Set aside about a 1/2 cup each of the diced cucumber, onion, pepper, and zucchini. Toss the remaining ingredients into a blender and puree slightly, so vegetables remain a little chunky. Cover tightly and refrigerate 2-3 hours, or until chilled. Either stir the remaining vegetables into the soup, or arrange on a separate dish to be added individually. Nice served with a dollop of sour cream, too.

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