In addition to being a fantastic writer, Nigel Slater possesses the ability to create thoughtful plates of food with a laser-like focus. Every component has a purpose. Nothing feels out of place. This book features fresh, seasonal ingredients that define comfort food. Most recipes contain less than 10 ingredients and can be easily composed in under 30 minutes. The recipe titles read like a trendy Instagram account name - disparate ingredients colliding to create something that rolls easily off the tongue. Sunchokes and pistachios, pumpkin and chickpeas. All that's missing is the "@" symbol and gorgeous photos of cherubic children helping make cookies in a perfectly organized kitchen with flattering light. We also appreciated the uncommonly compact size of the book - equally efficient, just like the recipes. Here are the dishes we made:• Fennel, Peas, Halloumi - Achieving a nice caramelization on both the fennel and halloumi took a bit of time but was very "zen". The accompanying dressing consists of peas, basil and mint blended with oil oil - resulting in a fresh burst of flavor atop the ingredients. Lemon juice was an uninvited, yet welcome, guest - providing just a touch of brightness. This would be a perfect side dish to a variety of proteins. We enjoyed ours with some grilled chicken thighs for a quick, simple dinner.• Jerusalem Artichokes, Pistachios, Grapes - Our shallots were quite large. This posed a challenge in achieving an even cook throughout. Though nicely charred on the outside, they still retained some "bite" inside - more than we would have liked. Perhaps "sweating" them low & slow and then charring at the end would have been a better method for us? Jerusalem artichokes, or sunchokes, are a favorite even though preparing them can be a bit time-consuming (pro tip: we use a small spoon to gently "scrape" the skin away before slicing). These flavors married perfectly together and are not ones we would have imagined (I guess that's why Mr. Slater gets paid the big bucks!) This would also be really good on a flat bread.• Carrots, Spices, Paneer - Sheet pan dinners are all the rage these days. Although not strictly a "sheet pan" recipe, the paneer (an unaged, non-melting soft cheese common to India) could conceivably be added during the baking process instead of frying it separately in a skillet. The spice mixture (consisting of ground coriander, cumin, nigella (we used sesame) and mustard seeds transforms this into a flavor-packed meal that we enjoyed with the shallot, apple and parmesan tart (below).• Pumpkin, Chickpeas, Rosemary - Roasting the pumpkin, skin-on, amplifies the sweetness - which is a perfect foil for the simple, savory hummus (a no-frills blend of chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley and pink peppercorns (which is actually a dried food and unrelated to commercial pepper even though it is often blended together in a blend with it). This was a fantastic dish that we enjoyed with some perfectly cooked (sous vide) lamb chops.• Shallots, Apples, Parmesan - A timely dish since we had just returned from a day trip to a local apple orchard. A cast-iron skillet was enlisted for this recipe. This is a classic tarte tatin (named after the Tatin sisters who served it in their hotel as a signature dish). Cooking both the apples and shallots in butter and olive oil prior to final assembly enhances the flavor of both. While not the most photogenic dish, it certainly is delicious!• Tagliatelle, Dill, Mushrooms - Pulsing the dill and parmesan into a fine "dust" was a revelation. We suddenly began conceptualizing other flavors we could perform a similar treatment to - basil, parsley, you name it! We reserved a small amount to sprinkle atop the dish as a finishing garnish. We always welcome an opportunity to create a dish using an assortment of tasty mushrooms (in this case, king oyster, shitake, trumpet). Gently sauteing them in butter results in a perfectly earthy topping for the tagliatelle. The addition of heavy cream adds a pleasant richness. No complaints with this!