Posted by Jane McMorland Hunter on November 8th, 2021

A Cook’s Book is subtitled The Essential Nigel Slater and before I read it I was afraid it might simply be his favourite recipes, many of which I already know as I have his previous fifteen books and an unwieldy stack of his recipes from The Observer which I have collected over the years. I need not have worried. The recipes here are a mixture of old and new but even the old have been tweaked – Nigel is a ruthless cook and ‘an unnecessary step or an ingredient that wasn’t pulling its weight’ have been cut. Useful notes and interesting variations have been added. Every time you cook a dish the result is slightly different and this book celebrates that difference. There is nothing dull, boring or repetitive here. There are also his trademark asides, snippets of information which enhance the recipes and give them a back-story, not vital to the success of the dish but the details which make him my favourite cook/writer or writer/cook.

So far I have made pumpkin soup (there are eight mouth-watering variations), the stickiest and most delectable chicken wings, ‘sausages and sauce’ (whose simple title hides a multitude of subtle and delicious flavours) and blackcurrant macaroon tart (twice, because it was so good). Every recipe worked perfectly and, while they cooked, simmered and baked, I read on, marking more recipes to make.

Another Nigel Slater book I always go back to at this time of year is The Christmas Chronicles. This is arranged by date, starting in early November and going through to Candlemas on 2nd February. When I first read it this system immediately appealed to me as I use Candlemas to mark the end of the Christmas season too – January can be a grim month and a few fairy lights and festive dishes make it a little brighter. In the days when I lived in a small and cluttered flat, my tiny tree often remained up until then too, becoming a temporary winter ornament.

Nigel Slater loves winter, relishing its arrival in the same way that many people welcome summer. Before his official start on 1st November the book has a delightful twenty-five pages of general wintery writing. His winter manages to encompass all the best of the season without becoming unrealistically rosy-eyed about it.

The recipes are delicious and most are his trademark easy preparation: a new toad-in-the-hole involving marmalade, crumble-topped mince pies and sweet potato and kale bubble & squeak are just a few of my favourites. The book also includes wintery musings: Christmas markets, the story of the Magi and a mass of fascinating information about candles, including the fact that in winter he writes by candlelight! I am enchanted. On Christmas Day he recommends the following for mid-morning: ‘May I suggest that you sit down and take it all in, as I do. Collect your thoughts – there is still much to do – but also take in the scene . . . . Five minutes in which to settle your spirit.’ I can’t wait.