Does anyone else come over all Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells when he's on the telly? His cooking show seems to consist of the following:

"I'm going to show you how to make my friday night stir fry"

"Start with some noodles, cook them in some stock, but don't worry if you don't have any stock, or any noodles, use rice or pasta instead."

"Fry some cabbage, onions and sugarsnap peas in the wok with the noodles. Don't worry if you've not got those, just use whatever veg you do have."

"Add some Soy sauce. Don't worry if you've not got soy sauce, use anything that's vaguely brown instead."

He completely fails to provide anything resembling a recipe for anything on his programme!

and he is almost as smug as trevor macdonald

Get out more.

tend to agree. he cooked some spuds with marrow and tomato the other week and some hippy allotment types (with THE best mullet ever) were getting all wet about it. there was absolutely nothing to it, except the fact the veggies were dug up 5 minutes ago.

In fact, searching for picture of said mullet, this lady says the same;

In my eyes, Slater is easily the most inoffensive cook on TV (he doesn't even call himself a chef!), familiarising himself with the audience by recounting his quirky tales of the endless battle between himself and his mischievous garden critters… He even visits an allotment where a seemingly normal couple (I say seemingly because not only does the guy not like vegetables, he also has a really peculiar mullet) grown their own veg. He promptly rustles up a medley of vegetables which they gratifyingly wolf down (thus converting mullet man)- not really an inspiring dish.

No. His books are fantastic and the recipes well tested, well written and he's clearly put a great deal of thought into what works and what doesn't. He is a cookery writer rather than a 'celebrity chef' and so his recipes actually work.

Do you enjoy cooking tron or just sit and watch it on the tele?

Get out more.

Or don't bother posting if you don't like the subject of the thread.

Back to the OP, I like him but for his books. They're excellent for people who don't like the Delia style of "do it as I say and no differently"…it was his books more than any Mockney Oliver bollocks that gave me some confidence to vary my ingredients and try different ways to do things…putting more of something I like and less of something I don't like…the importance of seasoning, all that kind of basic stuff that gives more confidence for harder stuff. They are also beautifully written…Appetite being a case in point.

However, I don't think he's great on TV – he comes across better in his books than on the screen – there's something about him – a slightly affected style.

But anyway, I'd recommend any of his books. Oh and like all chefs with lots of books, a lot of his stuff he's doing now is a rehash of his earlier (and much cheaper now) books.

EDIT: Or more succinctly, what domino said 🙂

+1 for his books actually.

deadlydarcy – Member

Get out more.

Or don't bother posting if you don't like the subject of the thread.

Who made YOU Pope?

another +1 for his books, except when he's taking it up the ***

Great books, fantastic cook.

Been a big fan of his since getting his fast food paperbacks when I went off to university back in the day. Along with the Ballymaloe (sp?) Cookbook it's his books that I tend to turn to first when looking at planning food for the week ahead on a Sunday afternoon.

Him, Tom Atkinson (again sp?) and Darina Allen – my most read food writers…

The books are good, and in his shows he says they are there for inspiration not to be used to the letter.

Another +1 for his books, his latest series was total pants, however his other one where cooked with other chefs was quite good, follow his recipes from his books and they work well, he does a very simple chicken risotto that the whole family love also a dish that involves onion,sauages, black pudding, parsnips chicken stock & thyme that result in a lovely caramlized sticky dish wonderful.

= Nigella Lawson for the Metrosexuals

I find him really quite creepy and cannot watch him, maybe its the fact he seems to keep a camera man in the back of his huge fridge. He is just so smug and the programms so slow paced I want to smack the TV. How someone can annoy me so much whilst simply stirring some food is amazing.

Alot of people like him as he kind says you can use "this" but if you prefer "this" use it.

Myself I'm not a fan, I prefer jamie oliver as he cooks food I prefer I really liked his show in the USA, but then I'm more into forign foods than homely british food.

Well if you don't have a Nigel Slater than just use any other smug religious looking ****.

his books are good and i really rated him from them…but when i heard him speak on tv….what a mincer!!sorry but thats what i thought.

Don't know why, but I'm really glad it's not just me.

Can't stand the smug little twerp.

As others have said, his books are great.

On TV he comes across as a bit dull. At least in the latest series.

Hmmmm, I know it's each to their own and all. BUT – I don't like him either.

His books are worse than his TV shows. They're all a bit too much of a personal journey – HIS personal journey. "My gran was lovely so on Mondays I cook pie" type of thing.

I went off the TV shows (and forgive me if this wasn't him) when he had some minor celeb on and spent 15 minutes raving about how great beans on toast are.

Now – don't get me wrong – beans on toast are good. But in 15 minutes I could have cooked and eaten them myself – rather then listen to him twaddle on about them.

To be fair though – I'm not a great fan of celeb chef books. I'd rather just buy "Indian Cooking" or the like. Cheaper and it's where the celebs get their recipes from anyway…..

Pretentious, aspirational bullshot. Really just take a look at this over complicated recipe and reasoning. Perfect Sunday morning ? Twunt. Oh and yes, I tried the recipe, it was revolting.

Watching it right now, and I'm gettin' hungry.
Never have that many leftovers the kind of which he's using tonight, but still. Good ideas.

Get what you mean about the mincing, but I've seen/heard much worse. Even displayed some drunken attempts at it myself, but that's for another thread.

Yay for the books – they're great

Nay for the TV – unfortunately he comes acros as a smug prick