If you are looking for a visually stunning cookbook that is filled with mouthwatering recipes, then look no further! What Katie Ate: Recipes and Other Bits and Pieces, by Katie Quinn Davies, is – by far – one of the most beautiful books I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

In fact, Katie was recently named the winner of the James Beard Award for Excellence in Photography! Impressive, but certainly not surprising for anyone who has been following her blog and her career. Katie taught herself to cook, style and photograph and she has accomplished a lot in four short years. Her blog, which you should go check out (just as soon as you are done reading this, of course), is filled with incredible photos and meal ideas.

Katie begins her book with an honest account of how she embarked on her path towards food photography. She shares a wide range of recipes and focuses on seasonal ingredients. I love that she emphasizes cooking for friends and shares tips and ideas for  dinner parties using simple recipes – after all, who wants to be stuck in the kitchen when company is over? I must confess that I often pick up this cookbook and spend ages leafing through it and admiring the full page pictures.

Some of our favorite recipes are the Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tartlets, the Barbecued Sweetcorn with Chile, Mint and Lime Butter and of course the desserts (don’t miss the raspberry fiands – they are fabulous)!

Photos by Katie Quinn Davies from What Katie Ate.