Product Description

"A Year in My Kitchen" is destined to become one of the classic cookbooks and consolidate the already remarkable reputation of its author Skye Gyngell, as one of the most inspirational chefs cooking today. As food editor for "Vogue" magazine and "The Independent on Sunday", and chef of the Petersham Nurseries Cafe, a magical 'town-meets-country' oasis in southwest London, Skye's refreshingly original approach to cooking yields superb results. Her unfussy but intensely flavourful food is based on the components of her culinary 'toolbox' - ingredients and flavourings that Skye uses to 'build' her dishes from earthy base note flavours to the fresh top notes that make the dish 'sing'. Seasonally inspired and produce led, Skye maintains that her secret is 'not to mess with good ingredients - just to turn the volume up'. The recipes in the book are an absolute treasure trove of dishes especially created to make the most of ingredients at their seasonal best. Try a refreshing springtime Panade of Broad Beans with Pancetta, Mint and Ricotta; a summertime treat of Tea-Smoked Wild Salmon with Chilli Sauce; a warming Sweet Potato and Ginger soup in autumn; and a Spicy Italian Sausage with Rosemary, Chilli, Red Wine and Polenta to cheer you through the dark winter days. Simple, clean and clear flavours are the prevailing characteristics and the food sings in the mouth as well as visually on the plate. Her enthusiasm for great-tasting food is conveyed on every page, providing a constant source of inspiration.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #104221 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-20
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Review
Winner of 'Cookery Book of the Year' at the Guild of Food Writers Awards 2007 --Guild of Food Writers

Vogue
Unfussy but full of flavour recipes.

Observer, December 17, 2006
Would tempt anyone back into the kitchen.

Customer Reviews

Simple and exquisite food
Skye Gyngell is the chef at Petersham Café, a heavenly café-restaurant in the middle of Petersham Nurseries. In the old greenhouses, surrounded by plants, flowers and many a ravishing household accessory, you will eat simple but exquisitely prepared food.

`A year in my kitchen', Skye's first book, is a real labour of love written with great warmth, thoughtfulness and a serious concern for the seasons. Feeding friends - or customers - is in part about the right attitude; a `generosity of spirit', so she positively encourages us to put our hearts and souls into our cooking.

The basis of her recipes is her `culinary toolbox', a range of flavours that are the starting point for her dishes. The toolbox is based on `sky and earth' flavours that range from leafy green herbs, citrus zest and vinaigrettes (sky) to the earth-bound, woody herbs, toasted nuts or roast spices that add depth to winter meals. Trust me, it does make sense once you have read her explanation and it is far less airy-fairy than it sounds.

Truly a treasure to be absorbed and used throughout the year, "A year in my kitchen" focuses on choosing fresh seasonal produce and preparing it with flair and individuality. It will excite and inspire you and - should you feel the need - put the passion back into your cooking. It will also leave you itching to get in the kitchen to try Skye's ideas.

wonderful book
Although I have not tried many recipes from this book as yet all those I have tried have worked and been wonderful. This book is a delight to read and Skye's prose is quite inspirational. She tends to compose simple recipes with a careful use of sweet, sour salty etc and the end result is very good indeed. I hope to use this cook book a lot, however, some of the recipes are prohibitive in terms of the ingredients. There are nevertheless many ideas that I hope will make it into my kitchen. Great book.

Possibly the most beautiful cookery book ever written
This is probably the most beautiful cookery book ever written.

I have a feeling that this book was not written for profit. This book is a mere result of her love for seasons, the gardens in Nurseries, natural ingredients from the mother nature, and the food to put a smile on your face.

I always feel that Australian cooks understand the essence of Oriental cuisine very well - the importance of contrasting textures in a dish, and the importance of balance in saltiness/ sweetness/ sourness/ bitterness/ spiciness/ umami in flavour. I think they excel at throwing this essence into European dishes to come up with something outstanding.

As below reviewers already mentioned, this book is not for beginners (if you are, go for "The First-Time Cook" by Sophie Grigson. A great book. Fun to read too), and some ingredients are hard to get if you live far away from big cities (well, but, looking at he sunny side of life, you stand far greater a chance to be able to pick wild garlic).

Having said that, this book is brilliant just to have on the bed side. The pictures are so wonderful and it is a sheer joy just to look at them. It makes you feel the world is still a nice place, and there is something you can look forward to making for lunch at the next weekend.

I am going to the Cafe in Petersham Nurseries one day soon!