Nigel Slater, a cook's book - Nigel Slater

Over 200 recipes from a passionate cook . Breaking the Bread . “It all started with a baguette. That first loaf, bought in Paris early one morning on my way home from a night out. It was still warm, with a crisp crust. I’ll never forget its hunk full of flour—more crust than crumb, more air than dough—hastily cut and savored while walking, without butter, without jam, without ham. That memory has never faded.” Back to Basics . “At home, dinner might be just one dish—a bowl of chili noodles with vegetables; large garlic beans slow-cooked in the oven and served with grilled chicken thighs seasoned with thyme and lemon. Sometimes, too, it’s almost a feast: a generous plate of pasta with mussels and shrimp; a sweet potato and lentil pie; a fatty piece of pork confit in the oven in broth, with white beans.” Yet, they are always simple things. At my house, a bowl of olives is the closest thing to a starter. Four chocolate cakes . “One afternoon in late 2017, I created what would become my favorite chocolate cake. Thin, with a crunchy texture, it is studded with sherry-soaked raisins and chocolate chips, and its surface is sprinkled with rosemary sugar. Served with coffee or smoky tea, it is perfect for an autumn afternoon. A fire in a neighboring garden had left a lazy, long wisp of smoke in the darkening sky. I felt a powerful urge then to crush, with my fingertips, a mixture of sugary crumbs, toasted nuts, and dark chocolate onto a plate.”