User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
I'm having a cookbook clear-out, and have decided to leave reviews for some of the cookbooks before I donate them to charity.
For years I've loved watching Nigella's cookery shows on TV, but this is one of those cookbooks that has gone almost completely unused. In fact, I'd be surprised if I've done more than a couple of recipes from it over the years. I think they are perhaps a little fancy for my tastes. Having said that, it is still a very good cookbook with good illustrations and easy to follow recipes.
Rating: really liked it
For some reason, it's not supposed to be cool to like Nigella. I don't care - she has excellent recipes that really work, she's smart and writes amusingly, and she even looks sexy! I suppose the last part is the problem, some version of
Legally Blonde syndrome. You'd think people would have got over that by now.
Another person who reviewed this book praised the Coq au Rielsing. It is indeed totally excellent - especially if you do what she recommends, and make it the day before you're planning to eat it.
Rating: really liked it
This is without a doubt THE BEST COOK BOOK I OWN!!! (no i didnt forget that the cap lock was on)
The recipes are reallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllly EASY!!!
The recipes are fast!!!
The recipes are TASTY!!!
Another thing I LOVE about Nidge is her alternative suggestions to ingredients (lets face it we dont all have a fully stocked larder like she does) and the fact that usually ridiculous and odd ingredients are left out dont expect to have to go to a fancy place for the ingredients!
Really dumbs down cookery in a GREAT WAY!!!
Forget the snobbery in the kitchen open the book and start cooking!!!
Rating: really liked it
I may never make anything from this cookbook, but it made great reading! Nigella is a funny, smart writer with a killer vocabulary (plaudits? recherche?) as well as her own vocab (e.g. "spatch" as a verb meaning "spoon with a spatula"), so much less annoying than you-know-who and her EVOO. Reading straight through, I find the major themes are: Nigella hates diet food and the concept of restraint in food; Nigella shops online a lot (mentioned in fully half of recipe entries); and Nigella is embarrassed that "sunblush" tomatoes are called that.
Rating: really liked it
12/24/2021
Reread in time for the Holidays. I always make the spiced peaches for with my Holiday ham... cocktail sausages are yummy. Party popcorn is a hit. I like the New Orleans coleslaw and the butternut squash recipe.
Seriously .....nothing I have made from this book has been a disappointment....and all are relatively quick and easy.
*******************
love all the holiday treats and she has great alcoholic drink recipes, her books are so fun to read.
Rating: really liked it
Almost everything I've made from this we've gone back to again and again. The only recipe I wouldn't rate so far is the macaroni, as the one from the Xmas book is infinitely nicer.
the quick pork in cider and mustard with gnocchi is sublime.
Overall, the effort to results ratio is ideal. Fast, but tasty food...a must have.
Rating: really liked it
some awesome recipes i've already made: baked eggs, chicken cacciatore, banana chocolate smoothie (me and zoe drink those every day for breakfast!)
Rating: really liked it
I was actually surprised that Nigella came out with this new cooking concept, making her favorites with short cuts, suddenly being impatient and saving time while still having parties and cooking dinners ever night for her family. Honestly I never found her recipes hard, I enjoyed making everything the proper way but I have to say its fun to find way to cheat I guess, making mousses without all the fancy work, creams and cakes and stews with minimal effort, without hours of baking and slow cooking, using less ingredients ( saves tons of money) and still eating something tasty.
Basically this book is filled with recipes one can make for any occasion, best yet for dinner after a hectic day of work, using 4-5 ingredients, simple and still having something to put on the table that is not the same old saver we turn to. Too often it's easy to fall into a comfortable rut and cook the same thing; with this book it is really easy to gently shake things up. Sometimes I read it at work, photocopy pages, stop at the store on my way home and make something new that's different and doesn't require me to spend 2 hours cooking and then washing lots of pots and pans. I think to write this book requires more effort, it's easy to make a complex dish using thirty ingredients, but hard to make something simple that takes the least amounts of effort but is edible. I often pick one recipe, and then make a side of my choice even if it's steamed veggies and dinner is on the table in no time.
I have been using this book since last November and some of the my favorites are;
Mustard Pork Chops page 11- any meat can be used but pair it with white cannolini beans, simplicity ( 5 ingredients! ) at its highest, actually writing about it now made me decide to make it for dinner tonight, yet again.
Steak Slick with Lemon and Thyme - great on some toasted ciabatta bread the next day or as an elegant supper, lemon and thyme seems to be a classic combination, not I make all my steaks this way.
Cheese Fondue - Gruyere, Brie, Emmental and Camembert melt into a spectacular and easy dip for anything you can find in the fridge. Some white wine in the sauce and then in the glass to drink with completes this fun dinner.
Chocolate Croissants - more fun then I thought to make, sometimes I just make four, with this book there is no need to make thirty servings of something, I often make enough for just one day.
Moonblush tomatoes page 126- sour, tangy, roasted and great side to savory dishes, my new favorite. I find it goes great with eggs for breakfast!
Irish Cream Tiramisu - wow, interesting and make sure to reserve a nap after, packs a punch!
There are stir-fries, galettes, cakes, burgers, all sorts of meats and pastas, each page has a tiny recipe with a gorgeous picture, and this book is actually very useful and makes cooking fun especially to see how the short cuts turn out. I mean if the short list of ingredients doesn't make one want to cook out of it then the pictures will, and it's nice to have a cookbook that is always used versus having one recipe in it that I have to turn to. Nigella throws things together in a beautiful way, after reading and cooking her recipes to me they are as natural as breathing and they pretty much always turn out perfect! Now that is a feat, I haven't had to apologize for making something new to anyone and it's easy to see that her ingredient pairing choices are well through out and put together.
Rating: really liked it
I don't often review cookbooks. In fact, I almost never review them, but I felt this one deserved a mention. I first became interested in Nigella Lawson's type of cooking through her TV program, Nigella Bites. She has a way of going through a recipe in a few, simple, sensual steps that is very attractive. Her recipes are usually full of flavour and are quick to prepare.
Quick is what I like (in addition to the sensual part of cooking), so I picked up Nigella Express. Overall, the book meets it's title. Most of the recipes take less than a half hour to prepare. Her Crab and Avocado Salad with Japanese Dressing is refreshing and flavorful. She mixes Scallops and Chorizo for a quick, different and colorful meal. The Layered Salad with Roast Quail and the Buttermilk Roast Chicken are again very simple but full of flavour. Her Lamb Cutlets with Chilli and Black Olives are to die for.
The only two criticisms I have is that here recipes are often too loaded with fat and that the book contains entirely too many desserts. Regardless, every recipe I've tried so far is a keeper.
Rating: really liked it
If you have never had the pleasure of watching Ms Lawson on her Cooking Channel shows, I am sadden for you. She is a sweet, sassy and salt of the earth cook to watch in action. I didn't think her cookbooks would hold a candle to her on-screen pizazz but was I ever wrong. Her writing style is that of sitting right next to you with no-holds-bar conversation about food, life, family, friends, what have you. Her recipes in Nigella Express are much more simple and honestly, kid friendly than any of the other cookbooks I have from her collection. Many a tasty feasts has our family enjoyed from Ms Lawson and many a more to come!
Rating: really liked it
This is the first cookbook I'm reviewing and I plan on reviewing plenty more since I have a ton. Besides reading and writing, I enjoy cooking and baking, so my bookshelves are a jumble of fiction and cookbooks. I love this book of hers for its simplicity and for the caramel croissant bread pudding, which we just relabeled bourbon bread pudding. It's so damn good, I get requests whenever I go to a party/potluck. Plenty of other recipes in this book were a hit for me, so I'd recommend it to others.
Rating: really liked it
Nigella is super! She not only makes cooking easy n enjoyable her recipes are very delicious too! Try them and you won't be disappointed. Plus her book is a fun read....not a boring instruction cook book. It's a handy book as ever to have when your in a hurry or have to entertain or just want comfort food and the best part of all it's not too much effort!
Rating: really liked it
1. i love nigella. even if this was a book entirely made up of ways to cook meat and coleslaw, i would have read it because of Nigella's writing style and the beautiful photos.
2. i am such a fan of cookbooks that include a photo with nearly every recipe. i am not a confident cook by any means, so it's nice to "see" what i'm working towards.
3. i love that Nigella is so down to earth about food. she doesn't make me feel guilty for eating more raw brownie batter than i bake(and i feel that she would probably join me if we were sharing a kitchen). she is not above using food from cans and jars and the freezer. she also has a way of making me truly believe that fried doughnut pancakes would make a well balanced dinner from time to time. :)
4. i would give this book 3.5 stars if possible, mostly because there were more not a ton of recipes that would be useful to me. i can be a picky eater and i mostly cook for me and the (small) kids, so there were several recipes that i could just look at and tell that they would not go over well.
the recipes that WOULD go over well were mostly desserts!
i really did like her breakfast section, a few things from the Italian section, and i think there was a salad or two that looked decent. i was inspired to make a few infused oils for here at home, and when i do start adding meat back into our diet, i found several things that looked pretty good.
Rating: really liked it
Quick recipes and handy shortcuts. Lots of good ones in here including some fancy show stopping ones that are both simple and take no time at all. Amn't a big fan of cream, butter and very rich food so she probably isn't the right kind of cook for me! However, there are a good number of recipes that I have enjoyed and even more that I have made for other people. I regularly have my family around for a meal and if I do go home I always cook for them. I have made a-lot of the recipes from this book for them and they have gone down very well. Especially with my mum who adores Italian style food. The book offers a wide range of recipes including drinks, breakfast items, sweets (candy), desserts, meals, light meals and snacks. It is fantastic all round cookbook. Though I mentioned Italian, it is Nigella's main influence but in this express book the cuisine is varied and certainly not strictly Italian. It has given me plenty of ideas and the recipes are easily tweaked to taste.
Recipe Highlights-
Festive Fusilli, Apple Martini, Brandied Bacony Roast Chicken, Chocolate and Pistachio Fudge, Pomegranate Ice-cream, Nectarine and Blueberry Gallette and Seared Salmon with Singapore Noodles
Rating: really liked it
I've not made any of the recipes (which is not at all needed for me to enjoy and approve of a cookbook). I did ID more than a dozen recipes I'd like Andre to try -- happily, he says he's willing. Also love her intros to each section. She almost makes cooking sound like fun. ...Almost.
p11 Mustard Pork Chops (she suggests a side of gnocchi)
p19 Naan Pizza
p23 Caramel Croissant Pudding (because you need
something to do with those stale croissants)
p39 Potato & Mushroom Gratin
p40 Steak Slice with Lemon & Thyme
p94 Breakfast Bars
p97 Pear & Ginger Muffins
p149 Mirin-Glazed Salmon
p176 Cheddar Cheese Risotto
p261 Sesame Peanut Noodles
p262 Banana Butterscotch Muffins
p265 Crunchy Salad with Hot & Sour Dressing
p284 Tuna & Beans
p296 Pollo Alla Cacciatora
p363 Minestrone in Minutes
