What Katie Ate: Recipes and Other Bits & Pieces (2024)

Edit: I originally gave this book 4 stars, but after making the "Easy Chocolate Cake" I'm bumping it down to 3. Based on that recipe and the others I made, it seems like the recipes are either not well-tested or just poorly translated from metric. The Easy Chocolate Cake is indeed fairly easy to make. It's not quick and it's not simple--I had to make a special grocery trip to get the ingredients. So I guess it depends on what your definition of "easy" is.

My cake ended up with burnt edges before even reaching the minimum cook time (but the inside was still moist as described in the recipe). I salvaged it by chopping off the burnt parts and strayed from the serving suggestion by making a whipped chocolate ganache to put over the whole thing. I think the ganache really saved it and made it a pretty decent cake (although slightly over-baked). By itself & as presented in the book, I don't think it would have been worth the special ingredients and prep time.

Overall the recipes in this book receive a resounding "meh" from me, although I still think the pictures are pretty.

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The photos and design in this book are equally as cool and integral as the recipes themselves. If you read the introduction, you'll learn that Katie Quinn Davies was a designer in a previous life and now makes a living as a food photographer. So if you're curious about this book, it's worth picking up for the great design and gorgeous photography alone.

Which is why I feel like it's ok to give 4 stars to a cookbook that I haven't actually made anything from. I sat down with this book tonight, drooled over the food p*rn, read the intro and blurbs before each recipe, and marked 10 recipes that I'd like to make. There are certainly more than 10 recipes in this book that sound delicious, and if I had an unlimited budget and unlimited time I'd probably have marked at least half the recipes. But I'm poor and can't hang out in the kitchen all day so I picked 10 that I hope to actually make within the constraints of real life (as someone who was mildly amused by the frequent talk of "dinner parties" in this book....heh).

I think there's a nice mix of recipes here, but a lot of them lean toward the super-expensive-ingredients end of things (not ALL of them, and if you're not a poor grad student you'll probably disagree). If you're looking for a unique entree, side dish, or dessert, either for your own...err...dinner party...or to bring along to someone else's, this is the book for you. However, (at least for me) most of these recipes aren't particularly feasible for everyday eats. Nonetheless, I'm hoping to give some of these a try. I'm determined to make the Easy Chocolate Cake (pg. 285) as a birthday cake for myself in a few weeks. Practically salivating just thinking about it.

Recipes I marked to try:
Banana, Strawberry and Ginger Smoothies (pg. 18)
Strawberry, Apple and Almond Breakfast Muffins (pg. 26)
Bob's Granola (pg. 37)
Wild Rice, Mint and Chickpea Salad with Apple Cider Dressing (pg. 100)
Madeleine's Homemade Lemonade Cordial (pg. 125)
Lemon Chicken with Herbed Rice (pg. 167)
Super-Crunchy Roast Potatoes (pg. 226)
Blood Orange, Mango and Peach Granita (pg. 250)
Apple, Ginger and Blueberry Shortcrust Pie (pg. 280)
Easy Chocolate Cake (pg. 285)

I'll update this (...if I remember) with any notes about the successes/failures of these recipes when I try them!

Edit:
Ok, I made the Banana, Strawberry and Ginger Smoothies and the Wild Rice, Mint and Chickpea Salad with Apple Cider Dressing.

Smoothie: Really tasty. I subtracted one banana and there was still a little too much banana flavor for me. I would definitely make this again but would tweak it and add different fruits and more honey. The ginger is a delicious addition and I normally wouldn't think to add ginger to a smoothie.

Rice and Chickpea Salad: There's a typo SOMEWHERE in this recipe because it's supposed to serve 4 "as a side". Uhhh ok. Tell me how 3 cups of rice (uncooked) plus 2 14oz cans of chickpeas results in a side dish for 4 people!? I cut the recipe in half and it still made way more than enough to serve 4. If I make it again, I'll just use half as much rice and chickpeas and keep everything else the same. I ended up having to add more apple cider vinegar and olive oil since cutting that in half made it too mild. Overall, a pretty tasty dish that works as a side or as a nice light lunch. Would be good with some fresh lemon or lime squeezed over it to serve.

Edit: Made the Lemon Chicken with Herbed Rice. Wow. Will not make that again. It was disgusting. Even the rice was blah (also, not sure how cooking rice with onion and adding parsley and scallion makes it "herbed"). The chicken just tasted mushy and over-flavored and I thought the sauce was nasty. Too many bold flavors mixed together. I thought 3T of smoked paprika in the flour mixture seemed like overkill, and it definitely was. Yuck! Also, the servings are once again grossly miscalculated for this recipe. It's supposed to serve 2 but could easily serve 4.

I also made a batch of Madeleine's Homemade Lemonade Cordial but it's not ready to drink yet. Will update with the results of that...

Edit: Homemade Lemonade Cordial was definitely a success :D I made a half-recipe and it was plenty (made roughly 400mL of syrup). If you have any home-grown mint I would highly recommend using that over store bought stuff (obviously), or if it's farmer's market season get some there. The store-bought stuff tends to have small leaves which are kind of annoying when floating around in a glass (aside from the fact that home-grown or locally grown stuff probably tastes better). Anyway, the syrup itself was pretty easy to make and it's easy to mix up a glass or pitcher of it. I followed the serving recommendation and mixed it with soda water (but I used sparkling water...which I guess is the same...but I don't know). She also recommends serving it with vodka which I think would be reeeeeally good.

Not sure I'll get a chance to make much else from this book. I definitely will make the Easy Chocolate Cake but I don't think I'll get to the others. After making some of the recipes, I don't know if this is really a book I'd want to own. The pictures are pretty but I feel like the measurements in some of the recipes are off (like...REALLY off). I noticed on the What Katie Ate blog, the measurements are all metric and have been converted to US for this book. Obviously convenient for us non-metric folks but I think some things got messed up in translation.

It's pretty near impossible for me to resist a cookbook which has raspberry friands on the cover. RASPBERRY FRIANDS!!! When I was a uni student living in Hobart, I used to work in a couple of cafes, and one of them sold friands - raspberry ones and, I forget what the other kind were. They have to be one of the yummiest things in the world, and they're also something I've never made myself because they use SIX egg whites (!!) and I always struggle to find some use for the leftover yolks.

For most other people, they'll pick up this book not because of RASPBERRY FRIANDS!!!! but because it's KATIE QUINN DAVIES!!! - with just as much enthusiasm. Now, Quinn Davies is quite the phenomenon back home, but living in Canada is a bit like having my head in the sand when it comes to what's happening back in Australia, so you'll have to excuse me for being a bit slow on the uptake here. Quinn Davies is an award-winning food photographer from Ireland who married an Australian and moved to Melbourne. After the success of her blog, www.whatkatieate.com, she turned it into this impressive cookbook ("What Katie Ate" is, of course, a take on the classic children's book by Susan Coolidge, What Katy Did, which I remember really enjoying - and reading several times - when I was younger. I guess that means that Katie Quinn Davies' vol. 2 cookbook will be called What Katie Ate Next? ;) ). I highly recommend you click on the website link above to see more of her photography, because she really is one of the absolute best out there (I also feel a bit nostalgic, seeing her photos, because they remind me so much of my sister Tara whose house looks so much like these photos!). These are ones I've borrowed from her blog, as they're always going to be better quality than if I scan them myself! (And a full-page spread would never fit in my A4-sized scanner anyway.)

Baby carrots roasted with thyme, hazelnuts and white wine - from What Katie Ate p.206

Barramundi with pickled radish, green bean and watercress salad - from What Katie Ate p.68

It's not just the photos of the food, though, that makes this a beautiful book - it's the book design itself. Every single page, and I mean EVERY page, has had time and attention paid to it. They're works of art in their own right. Here are sample scanned pages:

White bean, chickpea and roasted garlic dip - from What Katie Ate p.211

Madeline's homemade lemonade cordial - from What Katie Ate p.125

Vanilla ice cream with salted butterscotch sauce and honey-roasted almonds - from What Katie Ate p.253

The recipes are organised in the following way:

Tips & Tricks
Breakfasts
Lunches
Salads
Canapes & Drinks
Dinners
Sides & Sauces
Desserts

And as you can see from the images above, she does that thing that Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver and an increasing number of celebrity chefs are doing: giving personal backstories or memories associated with the recipes, or extra tips.

The recipes are rather fancy, ideal for a dinner party that you have several days to prepare for. I'll be honest, I'm a little intimidated by her recipes. They're quite gourmet, and most of them have at least one ingredient that I never have at home and probably can never find anywhere. Even her "easy chocolate cake" recipe uses things like Frangelico, which I've never heard of and aren't entirely sure what it is (I'm guessing a liqueur", since she recommends you switch it for milk in a kid-friendly version), as well as mascarpone, savoiardi biscuits and so on. This isn't a cookbook for people who never have time to cook and who don't enjoy it.

I have tried a few recipes. I recently tried the "Sticky chicken with sesame and chilli" (p.187) but I was away from the oven and so wasn't able to turn the drumsticks over frequently, so, um, they kinda burnt. Not Katie's fault. The first thing I tried was the "Lemon chicken with herbed rice" and it was awful, I felt ill afterwards - we both did, but it seriously did not sit well in my stomach. And the herbed rice wasn't herbed! I don't get that. I also made the brioche buns one time, which she uses in a hamburger recipe (p.108) - they were yummy (isn't brioche always yummy?) but I've no idea how she made hers come out in such perfect bun shapes. That's one tip I would have liked to learn!

If you enjoy cooking and love taking the time to make really good food and are looking for some new versions of things to try, this would be great for you. I do happen to love cooking but I especially like to bake (cakes, biscuits, scones, desserts, bread etc.) and this doesn't have many recipes like that. It has some amazing-sounding ice cream recipes I wouldn't mind trying one day, and plenty of other things I'd like to try too - but "one day" being the optimal expression here. It's certainly an inspiring cookbook, with it's gorgeous photography and layout, and one you'll be sure to drool over, but it's also a bit intimidating and made me realise just how crap a cook I really am.

A note on this edition: This book was originally published in Australia by Penguin Australia. I have the UK edition, published by Collins (HarperCollins UK). Measurements and oven temperatures are in grams and Celsius and gas marks. You can also get a North American edition, published by Penguin USA (pictured), which will have measurements etc. converted into ounces and fahrenheit.

North American edition

3.5 stars rounded to 4

Amazing photographs and beautiful page design from fonts and colors to overall layout.
Decent balance between quick & simple to time-consuming & involved recipes. All have detailed and clear instructions.
Personally this would be more of a coffee table book to appreciate the photography and browse for potential inspiration rather than having a permanent place in my recipe box.

I bought this cookbook on the strength of one or two recipes, which is nothing unusual for me. That plus the fact that a friend told me the raspberry friand recipe in the book is the best she's ever used. That's really all I needed. In terms of bloggers-turned-cookbook-writers I'm more impressed by Deb Perelman's effort with The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, but this one is still very good and I'm glad I bought it. This weekend I may well bake a batch of raspberry friands.

If you follow Katie's blog (http://www.whatkatieate.com/) you know about this cookbook. It is as beautiful as her blog.

The font choices. The paper quality. The photos.

And the recipes are quite good, too. Try the mini eggs benedict, parmesan cookies w/roasted tomato and pesto, or the lamb with feta. If you want folks to talk about you for years, make the roast with apple, apricot, and pistachio stuffing. Years.

First, this book is beautiful. I would expect nothing less from a food photographer. She is good at her job.

I would recommend the book to people who can spend $500-600 a month on food and have quite a bit of time to spend cooking. In other words, if I made about $400 more a month and only had one job, I would cook out of this book every night.

What surprised me the most was the chapter on salads. As salads would rank about 105th on my favorite foods list, I expected to skim through them. But they are so delicious that I would eat a salad for every meal if they all looked and tasted like the ones in this book.

This cookbook includes a wide variety of recipes, and it is super cute. Super, super, super cute. It is so cute that I found it extremely difficult to read -- all of the recipes are printed on different colors of patterned paper, and each recipe features at least 5 different fonts. I found the overall design to be whimsical and precious and totally impractical for a cookbook; it's hard to read the recipes straight through, let alone follow them while cooking. I think this is an example of getting carried away with form and forgetting about function.

Interesting, but not enough recipes to my taste for me to purchase this cookbook. There are a lot of sour/bitter/salt flavours I'm not thrilled with like rhubarb and capers. I realize that not every cookbook can contain 100% recipes of my dreams - sometimes I just appreciate the photography and move on.

I was also a bit irked at the use of many different fonts per page. The book has a disjointed feel from a graphic design perspective because the fonts are not in harmony.

One of the most beautiful cookbooks I have ever read! Get ready for photography that actually creates the taste before you have even prepared the dish. I have heard that you eat with your eyes first, but this book takes the cake!

I haven't made any of the recipes yet, but it doesn't matter. This is the most beautiful cookbook I have ever owned.

I bought this book when it first came out in the UK, ten years ago. I made half a dozen recipes from it and all of them were inedible without tinkering with the recipes. They were obviously not tested properly. I have one particular image in my head of a potato dish that was so greasy from the amount of oil called for that no one could eat it. Anyway, I donated the book. Years later, I thought maybe I was being too harsh so I bought a cheap used copy. I just made the fennel and red cabbage salad and I knew there was going to be a problem with the dressing. For a small amount of yogurt it called for the juice of one lemon. I tested it and it was horribly sharp, so I added some honey and it was fine then. I fear this copy is going to get donated as well. Just because you are an award winning food photographer doesn't mean you can write recipes.
The photography ten years ago was cutting edge, I'll give her that, but today the graphics and photos look dated. Which is I guess what happens.

I didn't give up on Katie Davis, the books were just too enticing! I'm glad I didn't either! This collection of recipes is much better, just as labor intensive, best saved for special occasions, long weekends, company dinner, etc... than everyday, but most are worth it. Photos, as in her other book, are so darn yummy looking! I wish there were a way to taste them...other then making them myself! Tons of recipes tho' so I am sure everyone will find a few they will like and make again and again. Love the desserts section. The breakfast chapter has lots of meal components I think would serve well for a small Sunday brunch. So good!

I would never have come across What Katie Ate had it not been for the now-defunct Cookbook Guru, a consortium of food bloggers who selected six cookbooks a year to read, cook from, and write blogs about. I joined Cookbook Guru in its last months, and indeed, What Katie Ate was the last book up for exploration. I am glad that I was introduced to this gem of a cookbook. Davies is a Dublin, Ireland, native who now resides in Australia. By profession a food stylist and photographer, Davies’ work has taken her all over the globe, including extended stays in the United States and Italy.

Predictably, Davies’ actual food blog is gorgeous, given her photography, and the photography is equally essential to the quality of What Katie Ate. Davies’ photos evoke moods; they show her artistry with lights and textures; they make you want to cook everything in the book. Add to that Davies’ creative takes on Irish comfort food, British culinary classics in general, and also Australian specialties and readers will likely be inspired to get into the kitchen and start cooking. Davies’ travels and her talent at coming at a culture through its food also adds to this book’s appeal. If you ever grow tired of meat pies and mash, there’s a range of Italian and Southwestern United States food to spice things up.

Given my own interest in cuisines of the UK and Australia, I started with the those recipes. One warning: Davies’ measurements and some of the proportions needed adjustment. Home cooks will need to know their way around the kitchen to pull off some of the recipes because they might need more than a ¼ cup of flour (for example) or a bit less than a pint of ale (in another example) to make them work. My favorite recipe was Davies’ miniature Beef and Bacon Aussie Meat Pies, and this was a case in point. The amount of filling was significantly more than what the actual mini pies could hold, and so I had left-over filling. That’s not a bad thing—I just froze it for a later use.

What makes the Aussie meat pie delectable is the blend of Worcestershire, steak sauce, and curry powder. Adding bacon (minus the fat) also added an intensity of flavor that I was unprepared for but really loved. By making the pies in miniature muffin tins, cooks will guarantee that at a party with bite-sized appetizers, these will be snapped up. Making them in normal-sized muffin tins is great for a home dinner, alongside a salad and Davies’ recipe for a Spicy Vine Tomato Relish (if it’s the season for tomatoes—otherwise, these meat pies taste great with HP brown sauce (a classic British accompaniment).

I found myself easily working recipes from What Katie Ate into my normal meal routine. Sunday is a lazy day food-wise around our house, and Katie’s Extra-Creamy Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Spinach was a real hit. It came together quickly, and the sprinkling of fresh dill on top of the salmon as well as dill worked into the scrambled eggs, made this dish stand out. My husband and son like cereal, and for them, I made Bob’s Granola—a very nutty affair with pumpkin seeds, almonds, and hazelnuts all in there, along with a healthy amount of dried fruits, including dates or figs. What really made this granola special was that Davies recommended adding two tablespoons of cocoa powder (which I did), and also leaving half of the granola recipe unbaked. The finished result is more like muesli: some crunchy bits, some softer bits, not overly sweet, with that touch of bitterness from the cocoa. It was so beautiful when completed that I put some in large mason jars, tied ribbons around them, and gave them away as Christmas gifts. Again, the proportions were a bit off, however. I needed more than the four tablespoons of oil, honey, and maple syrup than the recipe called for, and I needed to be confident enough to gauge how much more of each was needed (one tablespoon each, for three more tablespoons of the liquid altogether).

Davies’ takes on Irish staples are creative enough to tempt, but not so much so that the flavors of the original are lost. For example, her Irish Brown Bread with Smoked Salmon also calls for a delicious Wasabi Cream to give the dish an unexpected bite. Similarly, Davies’ classic Shepherd’s Pie with Roasted Garlic and Cheesy Mash Topping calls for barbecue sauce—definitely a deviation from the standard, but at a mere three tablespoons, not enough to overwhelm or compromise this classic comfort food.

I also loved the Australian feel of this book. Aussies love seafood and of course the Asian influence of much Australian cuisine adds tremendous zest and brightness to many classics, including that curry powder in the meat pies. Predictably, cooks will find some excellent recipes for meringues, a type of dessert that many Australians love. Mum’s Chocolate Meringues are not overly sweet or chocolaty, but subtle in flavor and perfect if you don’t want something heavy after dinner. That particular recipe is indicative of how Davies will work in expert tips to help ensure that one’s finished production is perfect. In this case, she wisely tells readers to wipe the inside of the mixing bowl with the cut-side of a lemon to remove any traces of oil (a meringue hates oil and will refuse to whip properly if any is present).

Buy this book for its photography, narrative, and blend of classic recipes with novel ones that will become steadfast favorites in a home cook’s repertoire.

Big caveat…. This review is based on reading this cookbook on a lazy Thursday afternoon. I have not prepared any of the recipes yet. If I change my opinion after I make the dishes, I will revise my rating.

While on my three days of home isolation after arriving in Sydney, I picked this treasure off my daughter’s book shelf.

I was drawn to the gorgeous composition of the book. Katie Quinn Davies is a food photographer and this volume reflects amazing talent in that area.

I have earmarked several interesting dishes and hope to experiment after the holidays.

OK. So I haven’t made one recipe in this cookbook, but I will, OH I will. But first, it is the most beautifully photographed cookbook I have ever seen. Even the texture of the cover makes it special! I’d give it 5 stars for that alone.
But the recipes look amazing too. I hardly know where to start or what to mention first. From the Sizzling Shrimp to the Rhubarb, Mascarpone and Hazelnut Tartlets there’s something for everyone here.

Beautiful cookbook! Some of the recipes were a bit more on the exotic side, which are still interesting to try. What was so unique about this cookbook were the beautiful pictures throughout the book! This was a feast for the eyes! I found some recipes I am really looking forward to trying to prepare in the near future. This book would make a nice addition to any cookbook collection!

So nice

The most beautiful cookbooks ever!!

Beautiful publication, and what's more important I have yet to find a recipe that would fail me. One of my favourites cookbooks, at least when it comes to savoury dishes.

Not sure how many of these recipes I will actually make, but I really ordered the book for the stunning photography. Katie has an incredible eye for the beautiful & delectable.

Ondanks het feit dat ik me zo weinig mogelijk op de cover van een boek probeer te focussen moet ik eerlijk toegeven dat deze mooi geïllustreerde kaft me lonkte zonder dat ik verder iets van het boek wist. Ik had dus geen idee dat ‘Wat Katie eet‘ net als ‘The Green Kitchen‘ gebaseerd is op een populaire blog.

Al snel ontdekte ik dankzij de openhartige en uitvoerige inleiding dat de cover, die niet enkel mooi is maar ook uitnodigend en degelijk, perfect bij de inhoud van dit boek past. In tegenstelling tot Katie waag ik me wel vrij regelmatig aan het maken van macarons. We hebben echter ook een belangrijke overeenkomst … ik hou namelijk ontzettend van van de manier waarop ze met koken omgaat. Geen samenstellingen van methodisch afgewogen ingrediënten en minutieus opgevolgde instructies. Nee, veel van haar recepten zijn net tot stand gekomen door te experimenteren en allerlei ingrediënten door elkaar te husselen.

Dit boek nodigt echt uit om zelf aan de slag te gaan. Het enige minpunt dat ik kan aankaarten is het kleine lettertype. In combinatie met de bijzondere achtergronden maakt dit het soms wat moeilijk om de recepten te lezen. Dit is alleszins het geval wanneer je iets snel wil nakijken tijdens het koken. Dat lukt immers niet in een snelle oogopslag.

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Mijn volledige recensie kan je hier terugvinden.

2 things I enjoy most in the world are cooking and books. "What Katie Ate" became my absolute favourite experience of both. I bought it when it was only just released in Australia after following Katie's blog for years. I did not mind spending a small fortune on Australian price + delivery and it was 100% worth it. I have moved countries twice since then and this book is the first thing I pack every time.

Now I have confidently cooked though most of it and can assure you - it won't disappoint. The illustrations are beautiful and inspiring, the recipes easy to follow and have become ones I use to amaze my guests at dinner parties. I have never heard so many compliments to my cooking even though I've been at it for over 10 years. The book has become an absolutely irreplaceable tool in the kitchen.

In this book you will find ideas for delicious every day starters, mains and desserts as well as creative breakfasts, sauces, sides, canapes and drinks. If you follow the recipe the result will almost always look exactly as it is on the beautiful illustrations. If you are looking for a reason to fall in love with the food, start with Roast Chicken with Lemon Cream Gravy and you will never cook your sunday chicken any other way.

This is just a short excerpt from my longer blog review found here:

http://onehugestackofbooks.blogspot.c...

I reviewed 4 recipes along with pictures so take a look if you're curious what type of food is featured.

Elegant and thoroughly delicious, What Katie Ate is a mouthwatering temptation that's hard to resist. Quite simply, it's one of the most beautiful cookbooks I've seen. The food photography found within its pages feels rustic, yet highly polished in its framing and lighting, but most importantly, every photograph makes you passionately want to cook the mirroring recipe.

Despite making one disastrous recipe (more on my site about what went wrong), I really loved the food featured in Katie's book. The stunning food photography and charming faux rustic page layouts are addictive to flip through and I can't help picking up the book every so often to just to admire it artistically. I'm really looking forward to cooking more dishes, especially the ridiculously cute mini egg benedicts. It's a wonderful cookbook and a much appreciated belated birthday gift.

Very pretty pictures, but I don't use it a lot/at all.

The Raspberry Friands are delicious, attempting rhubarb tart later today. Recipe seems kind of incomplete as instructions say to boil the water you use to soften the rhubarb down to sirupy, but never says if you're supposed to use the syrup for anything in the recipe.

There's a lot of things in this book that look delicious, but many of them have one weird ingredient I don't know where to buy, and I don't want to order something specific online where I don't know whether I'll even like it. I did preserve a couple of lemons to see what that's like... the recipe (I found it somewhere else on the internets) was easy and straight forward enough to give it a go.

A lot of the salad type things have tomatos in them unfortunately and I don't know how to substitute them... I may just add pureed tomatos for liquid and some other veg.

Also, the quantities are huge and not easily cut down. Unfortunate if you're not cooking for large crowds all the time or want to give something a test run. Half the friand recipe was still 12 muffins... since they're best right out of the oven, having at least 5 people handy would be good.

When it comes to cookbooks is there anything better than sitting down and looking through a gorgeous book with great production values including a style that has obviously been thought through to the last detail and gorgeous photos of food? If, like me, you enjoy spending time flicking through such a book then What Katie Ate by Katie Quinn Davie might just be a book for you. I have included a photo of a page below to give you a small idea of the production values of the book.

As an object, this is a gorgeous cookbook. You can feel the quality of the paper, there is a lovely black and white striped ribbon as a bookmark (I am a sucker for any book with a ribbon bookmark in it), the old style font and the photos come together beautifully. Katie Quinn Davies background was as a graphic designer in her native Ireland. She moved to Australlia and eventually decided that she wanted a career change. After a few false starts she decided to combine her skills as a designer with her love of food. She started a blog and in due course this book was born.

To read more of my thoughts head to

http://www.theintrepidreader.com/2014...

Such a beautiful book with photos to jump start your appetite while you marvel at the aesthetically pleasing presentations. The format is very unique and is a pictorial journal styling. It’s gorgeous.
Katie Quinn Davies isn’t a trained chef, she is a graphic artist. Combine those talents with someone who loves to cook for people she loves and you get this book. Dublin born and married to an Australian, Katie has created a web site and book sharing her international styling and recipes.

Of all the cool recipes here what I wanted to try most was kangaroo. Now, I hear you can purchase kangaroo meat from a place ion Jacksonville but if I ever eat it, I want to be in the Land Down Under to enjoy an authentic and fresh dish.
The book is broken down into: Introduction, Tips & Tricks, Breakfasts, Lunches, Salads, Canapes &amp, Drinks, Dinners, Sides & Sauces and Desserts. So many recipes to choose from.

Full review and lovely baked peaches with honey may be found at Novel Meals:

http://novelmeals.wordpress.com/2013/...

This cookbook had some amazing sounding recipes. For example:
1. Poussin with spicy rub and grilled lime
2. Slow roasted tomatoes with Manchego Cheese
3. Katie's fish pie w/ crunchy bacon & leek topping ( little adventurous recipe but the picture made it look so great)
4. Strawberry, basil and black pepper ice cream ( very different but, intriguing).
This was a cook that is well worth purchasing. The recipes were very simple and easy to read. I loved the way this cookbook was designed; it had a very retro looking. The writer was(is) a professional photographer. The book is very stylish and the pictures really come to life. Highly recommend this cookbook for those who are interested in building their library.

This is a gorgeous, gorgeous book. I mean, really, really beautiful. I am not much of a cook. Instead, I read cookbooks for the visual enticing and the flights of fancy they can send me on. This is one of the most gorgeous I've ever read. I was also struck by how nicely her recipes were written for a novice cook like me.

I am smitten with Katie. She jumps off the page and you immediately LIKE/LOVE her. And her photography is nothing short of gorgeous. Which hypnotizes you into wanting to try every recipe. Post haste. And that is usually when the spell breaks. However, I have tried 5 recipes now, and I am still swooning. Absolutely equal parts stunning + impressive...and the same goes for her cookbook! ;)

Beautiful photography and innovative yet approachable recipes. You'll want to cook something from nearly every page! Davies has a gift for writing about food that will make you feel like friends in no time.