Nigel Slater's Top Book Recommendations

Sophie DahlIt was her warm self-deprecating lovely tone that really engaged me. I loved the way that she described food. It was just this wonderful, friendly, easy rolling-off-the-page kind of writing. (Source)

Nigel SlaterIf I could keep only one cookbook, this would be it. There’s an intelligence to the way she writes, and she expects a certain intelligence of her readers as well. (Source)

Madhur JaffreyMarcella Hazan takes you by the hand. For example, if you are going to make a risotto she tells you what rice to buy. (Source)

Nigel SlaterIt’s not beautiful writing; I don’t read her for information; I don’t read her for a sense of place. I read Marcella Hazan purely for the way she writes her recipes…. There is no finer recipe writer. Her recipes are concise, they’re clear, they’re unfussy and she never leaves me in any doubt about what I’m supposed to be doing. (Source)

Ruth RogersWhen people come to work at the River Café as a chef we ask them if they have read this, and if they haven’t we ask them to read it. (Source)

Nigel SlaterElizabeth David’s recipes give you a sense of place: I feel as if I am in France with her. (Source)

Giles CorenShe is a very good cookery writer, trying to explain to people in austere 50s Britain how to make a petit salé or a beef bourguignon. (Source)

Nigel SlaterIt’s quite robust cooking. I tend to turn to her when I come across something that I want to know a bit more about. (Source)

Bruno LoubetThis book is a bit like a bible or a dictionary – it’s a huge book with so much information and you can go there for so much reference. (Source)

Nigel SlaterAn important historical record of Thai cooking and an excellent recipe book. (Source)

Ted KnutsonMy sister asked me for recipes and I dug this Thai Beef salad one out that I think I stole from David Thompson's amazing Thai cook book. It has HUGE flavours (too much for my kids), but we think it's amazing. https://t.co/iSQbjC9mJv (Source)