Princess Diana's personal chef offers a peek into British royal family's life

"Why would anyone in years to come want to know what I ate?" Princess Diana once asked her chef, Darren McGrady.

Newly separated from Prince Charles, she told McGrady he could drop the royal family's tradition of recording all her meals in a leather-bound "Menu Royal" book, deeming it a waste of money.

But almost 10 years since Diana's death in a car accident in Paris, McGrady finds people are still fascinated by what she did, what she wore, and yes — what she ate. Hence, his book, "Eating Royally" (Nelson, $24.99), which offers a peek into the palaces where McGrady spent 11 years cooking for Queen Elizabeth II and four years as Diana's personal chef.

"People are still fascinated with anything they can find on the princess," McGrady said in a telephone interview from his home in Dallas. "It's amazing the draw she had, and the inspiration she gave people. I don't think the princess really understood all that."

Lately we've seen a revival of Diana nostalgia. Her sons, princes William and Harry, were on "Dateline NBC" and hosted a concert in her honor. And last year's movie, "The Queen," based on the royal Family's reaction to Diana's death, netted a best-actress Oscar for Helen Mirren.

McGrady said he found Mirren's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II so realistic that "when she looked down into the audience, I snapped to attention."

But it's Diana to whom he refers as "The Boss." After she died, McGrady turned down a job offer from Prince Charles and Camilla, because "I think I would have forever felt Princess Diana looking down on me saying,'You are not going to cook for that woman, are you?"'

He said he walked away from an earlier book deal because he wouldn't divulge "juicy gossip" of Diana's love life. "I didn't want to go that route — never have, never will."

The cookbook dishes up recipes, not dirt. There are cakes from garden tea parties, souffles from state dinners and wild game from royal hunting parties. Any "juicy" references are saved for Windsor Castle's hothouse peaches or Balmoral's raspberries.

It's sprinkled with lots of personal tidbits — helping princes Harry and William make their "Mummy's" favorite stuffed eggplant, dancing with Diana at royal balls, and helping the queen rescue her belongings while Windsor Castle was on fire.

McGrady said profits from his book will go to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. "I wanted it to be something that would make money for the causes she cared about. It was never about cashing in."