Real Cooking

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Nigel Slater

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Pages: 288 (Paperback)

ISBN: 0141029498

Pub: Penguin

Pub date: 2006-11-02

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 4583

Editorial Review:

Nigel Slater is the god of sticky things. He loves bones you can gnaw, the crispy bits from the bottom of the roasting pan, squishy things to eat on crusty bread with juices dribbling down your chin. Unctuousness. This is the man who made greed sexy. His cooking is determinedly domestic, to be consumed alone, or as an intimate supper with a loved one (in Slater's case, it seems, often the cat), occasionally rising to the heights of an informal dinner party. Within these self-imposed bounds, he's unbeatable. In Real Cooking he continues the campaign he began with Real Food, the essence of which is that a baked potato can, if prepared with love and attention, be as satisfying as any more elaborate confection. Real Cooking represents something of a broadening of scope, though, with the emphasis firmly turned to the cooking process:
Real cooking is about making ourselves something to eat that involves a bit of simple roasting, grilling or frying. Nothing complicated. Nothing that is not within the grasp of a novice cook. But it is cooking, rather than opening a packet or a tin.
So he has put together a wide-ranging collection of straightforward but unfailingly seductive recipes that anyone could manage, set about with the familiar reassuring, no-nonsense Slater commentary. He makes everything sound delicious. Where to start in illustrating this? At random: "Grilled Mackerel with Sherry Vinegar", "Creamed Oyster Toasts", "Herbed Roast Chicken" (with wonderful before and after photographs), "Pasta with Spicy Sausage and Mustard", "Roast Spiced Aubergines", "Lemon Surprise Pudding". The great thing about this book is that it's just the thing to give to someone who lacks confidence in the kitchen; but it's also a terrifically handy compendium for a cook looking for simple but tasty ideas. --Robin Davidson

Reader Reviews:

Unrealistic food for the busy or beginner cook (1/1 people found this helpful)

To be honest, I felt that the unstructured style of this book, combined with a lack of "proper" recipes (more suggestions) render it a bit unsuitable for the less experienced cook. I understand that Nigel Slater's style is to encourage people to be more intuitive and take their own initiative in the kitchen; a little bit of this, a splash of that, whatever you fancy etc. However someone who has little knowledge, such as myself, wants to be told what to do and to be given guidelines so they can build up the confidence to do recipes themselves. I don't deny that Nigel has some nice recipes, but I want to know what to cook for dinner tonight, not what to nibble on whilst reading the Guardian and smearing it with my greasy fingers (one of life's great pleasure, no doubt!)

Truly real cooking (3/3 people found this helpful)

I bought this book for my son-inlaw when we visited just before Christmas, he cooked from it whilst we were staying and I started browsing. I ended up buying the book for myself and my husband cooked a superb piece of pork. I only started looking at Nigel Slater's books after watching his TV series Simple Suppers and it was my type of cooking. Having to avoid dairy products we've managed to adapt the recipes with cheese etc in and they do work. Not fussy, straightforward and delicious recipes. A good cook book and used more than many others I own.

lets get cookin'! (1/1 people found this helpful)

this book has all the good basic knowledge and inspiration a great cook needs.lovely page layout and very easy to follow.all i can do now is get stuck in and eat!!!Nigel Slater rocks!

Cooking made easy but with great effect (1/1 people found this helpful)

Love this man's way of cooking so simple but delicious and the presentation, well do youself a favour and buy this book.

A Real Cookbook (8/8 people found this helpful)

Nigel can seemingly do no wrong. His is not the world of Blumenthal-style wizardry, but that of food that anyone can cook. And should cook. Often. If I'm in the mood for cooking, it is to this or the excellent Kitchen Diaries, also by Nigel, that I turn. The ingredients lists are no longer than they should be; he writes lucidly, entertainingly and informatively; the food is delicious. I have made a fair few of his recipes now, and I've not been disappointed.

Unlike some cookbooks, these recipes are all tried-and-tested (never understood that figure of speech - are not they one and the same thing?). It is all food that he cooks at home. Not to say that this is simple, inoffensive food. His blue cheese risotto was comforting yet intriguing to the palate. A lentil soup with mushroom and lemon was moreish and exciting, probably not easy to pull off with lentils. Can't wait to try one of his curries (inauthentic by his own admission, but as he says, who cares? It is how the thing tastes that we care about).

This book is not filled with pictures of Nigel. You may or may not know what he looks like. He cares not. The pictures are of him cooking the recipes you read in the book, in his kitchen, with his own pots and pans. And it works wonderfully.

Celeb-chef cookbooks are fine, but if you wanted to learn to cook for yourself, or if you wanted a cookbook that you could happily cook from, at no great cost, every day of the week, it is to Nigel that you would turn. Food writing as it should be.

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