Se7en + 1 Reasons to Love “What Katie Ate…” by Katie Quinn Davies

There are two types of cookbooks in the world… reference books, that tell you how to do just about everything, they are big and fat and quite happy to sit on our bookshelves… and then there are works of art, filled with pages of beautiful food, ideas that you had just never thought of, inspiration dancing on every single page!!! This cookbook is of the “Works of Art” variety. “What Katie Ate: Recipes and Other Bits and Pieces” was written by the fabulous Katie Quinn Davies and Published by Penguin/Lantern Books.

Picking and choosing recipes to try for this review became quite a project!!! So many stunning recipes… our post-it-notes were put to the test and the feasting began. I have to say my family know that if there is a book review in progress that they are going to have to try a lot of new flavours… and dinner will most likely be late every night… because new recipes just take longer!!! Well no-one complained about late dinner, it was worth the wait every single time!!!

1. The first thing that strikes one about this book is that is feels like an old-fashioned cookbook… A journal of sorts, stuffed with incredible recipes… scribbles on the side, notes taped in… it is photographic masterpiece. It is large format, with a lovely rustic feel. You can imagine this book lying on a kitchen counter and being lovingly filled with favourite family recipes over time. And then it eventually was published…
2. Katie Quinn Davies has an interesting and different way of presenting food… her photography is different and her recipes are very appealing to the eye!!! If you love food then follow her blog, you won’t regret it, there is plenty of eye candy waiting for you over there!!!
3. Who can complain about recipes that include heaps of our favourite flavours… chills and limes, coriander and red peppercorns… lovely flavours and don’t for a moment think that they are adult flavours even my fussiest eaters were willing to taste these recipes… they are different and colourful and flavourful… winners!!!
4. The food in this book was family friendly… it isn’t often that you can sit down to dinner without a single grumble… but my kids and the father person loved the results… there were just good things to say. I tell you the truth, that fills me with joy!!!
5. The photography in this book is stunning from start to finish, one beautiful page after another. One concern was that what looks good in the book doesn’t look quite so good in real life. But the recipes did turn out looking good to eat as well as being inviting once it reached the table. You can not go wrong really with chunks of lime and chopped chilli.
6. I loved the page of very handy tips at the start of the book and I especially love that one of her essential tools is a cherry/olive stoner… I can only agree with that!!!
7. The food is good homely food, with no airs and graces. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to manage the recipes, they looked so good on their full colour spread. I was wrong. The recipes were really easy. It was the flavour combinations, and interesting ingredients that made them so tasty and not complicated techniques at all.

and the se7en + 1th thing…

8. This book has an interesting feel… if this book was a pair of jeans it would be of the comfortable stone-washed variety and apposed to stiff skinny jeans… this book may never find its way onto a shelf in our home – it is destined to be oohed and aaahed over on the coffee table forever!!!

1. Homemade Baked Beans on Toast:

I am all for a recipe that calls for HP sauce… I have never seen a recipe book that sing’s its praises before, but it is one of my faves – so I was eager to try this one. My family were more than a little eager to try pancetta. This recipe was incredibly quick and easy – I may never buy baked beans again. I will switch to more affordable bacon. This recipe has nudged omelettes off the Sunday night menu and I am all for that!!!




2. Colms Soup:

My family aren’t mad about soup, I confess… but anything with roast tomatoes they love and gobble up. The roast peppers and chopped up chilli give this soup a nice tang… and I will definitely roast two trays of tomatoes next time it is a very more-ish soup. There were actual cries of despair when it was finished!!!






3. Barbecued Peppercorn Beef Fillet with Chilli and Herb Gremolata:

You definitely don’t have to say steak twice around here!!! And steak rubbed in red pepper corns and braaied on the open fire… tossed through delicious minty and parsley flavours, tons of chilli and masses of lemon zest… Yes please!!!





4. Caramelised Onion and Goats Cheese Tartlets:

This recipe requires Caramelised Onion Jam, and the recipe is in the book. I knew my roast onion and onion ring loving boys would be wild for this recipe… but I have to say add some puff pastry and a dash of goats cheese to this sticky sweet jam and my entire family were gobbling these down as if they were dessert!!! Seriously I have made these and remade them… they are a new family favourite!!!






5. Madeleine’s HomeMade Lemonade Cordial:

This is a lovely recipe… perfect for the hot summer days we have been having and perfect one for kids to make themselves…





6. Katie’s Fish Pie with Crunchy Bacon and Leek Topping:

When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it!!! It is the sort of dish I love, but never ever make… turns out my family love it too and I should be going the extra mile more often!!! There was a lot for me to learn in this recipe, lots of new ways to make things and ideas that I hadn’t thought of before.




7. Barbecued Ginger Ale Pork Ribs:

What is not to love about braaied pork ribs!!! Funny thing is I haven’t made these for my family like forever and they were literally drooling over the ribs while they were still on the fire!!!



8. Barbecued Sweetcorn with Chilli Mint and Lime Butter:



9. Honey Baked Peaches:

Now the desserts in this book were well… lots of divine looking chocolate goodies!!! And I wasn’t planning to make dessert but there was a public outcry and roast peaches have become another favourite on the menu – why oh why have I never roasted peaches before!!! Just stunning!!!

So here sits “What Katie Ate: Recipes and other Bits and Bobs…” destined to life on our coffee table and post-it-notes at the ready as new favourite recipes are discovered and tried…

What Katie Ate by Katie Quinn Davies, is published by Penguin Books and we were given a copy for review by Penguin Books South Africa. I was not paid to write this post and the opinions are all entirely our own!!! Also, our friends over at Yuppie Chef wrote a stunning post on Katie Quinn’s Stunning photography and how to achieve it… pop over and take a look!!!