He's the host of Saturday Kitchen, the celebrity chef with a perennial twinkle in his eye, responsible for many a weak knee here in the office. So, when the opportunity came to catch up with James Martin, ahead of the publication of his new book Slow Cooking, competition was fierce...

Now that autumn's here, which dishes are you looking forward to cooking?
The great thing about the nights drawing in is that your style of cooking changes. It's also the start of the root veg season, so I love slow-cooked soups and stews at this time of year.

What do you enjoy most about presenting Saturday Kitchen?
Working with some of the best chefs in the world. I feel honoured that they choose to take part in Saturday Kitchen – often it's their only appearance on British TV. It's a constant learning curve, even after six years, but we have a great team that produces the show, and hopefully that teamwork makes for good viewing.

And the bad bits?
Getting up at 5am on a Saturday morning and being confronted with a camera. And I hate the make-up chair!

So what's next for you?
We have a new menu at my restaurant at the Talbot Hotel in North Yorkshire, and I've been in the US filming a series that'll be aired here later this year. My other big project is hospital food – I want to pursue the challenge where we left off last year.

Readers can buy James's new book Slow Cooking (Quadrille, £20) for the special price of £15, including postage. Call 01256 302699 and quote 7XH. Offer ends 30 October 2012.