Appetite by Nigel Slater

To read one of Nigel's books is a feast in itself and this is no exception: rhapsody upon rhapsody. Nigel thinks cooking is ‘one of the greatest pleasures you can have with your clothes on' and never before has lying on a sofa, reading a book, been more seductive.

Nigel does it his way and has not been pushed around by the ‘cookery circus' as he puts it. He cocks a snook at fussy recipe books by teaching us to follow our instincts and cook the finest ingredients simply. Cooking to him is a form of expression and he believes that we can be the most creative when working outside the bounds of a recipe, thinking for ourselves. For those embarking on cooking for the first time, Appetite will set them up for life. For the rest of us, it is a case of turning round and going back a few steps before we can go forward. Appetite makes this all too easy and if we follow his advice, we will all be as calm and contented as he is.

Appetite is essentially a book of ingredients. Nigel has taken 100 simple dishes, gives us some suggestions and then lets us create what we feel works best for us. There is food here to soothe or sharpen the senses. He covers just about everything that aspiring cooks need to know; sound advice intermingled with his intoxicating prose.

His writing is such a joy and will have you laughing out loud. In Real Food, we had images of him burying his face in mashed potato. In Appetite, when writing on where to eat, he does admit to standing by the fridge and foraging (he is not alone) but he adds ‘I have never yet had the courage to pull up a chair to it'.

You must read this book from cover to cover. If you browse, you will do so at your peril as you will undoubtedly miss something. There is a lot to look forward to as we work through this book and the seasons change. There is only one word to describe Appetite, BRAVISSIMO. Nigel is our King of Cooks and Nigella, our Queen. What an autumn.

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*****
Publication Details:
448 pages. Photography by Jonathan Lovekin . £25.
ISBN 1841152889. Published by Fourth Estate.
2000

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