Saturday, August 3, 2013

NIGELLA EXPRESS by Nigella Lawson

I had never seen Nigella Lawson on television until I went to England and Wales this summer. Exhausted from a conference – oh, and from running around London with a tween looking for Harry Potter filming locations – we were thrilled we could “veg out” in the evening with the Food Network UK. (Ah, the comfort. Ah, the bacon!) Our schedule (and jet lag) introduced us to two new-to-us shows: Nigella Kitchen and Bitchin’ Kitchen. Back home, I looked for accompanying cookbooks because my daughter had enjoyed the shows so much, and Nigella Express was the first one I saw. Which is why Nigella has the (dubious) distinction of being my first Rent Before Buying review.

Who is Nigella Lawson? Self-proclaimed “Domestic Goddess,” daughter of a former Chancellor of the Exchequer of Great Britain, and until this week the wife of the advertising-made bazillionaire Charles Saatchi. She is a self-taught cook, and her curvaceous appearance and flirtatious delivery helped to define what media critics refer to a “food porn.” Lawson is an icon in the UK, with a string of successful cookbooks and cooking series to her credit.

Take on Cooking: Nigella Express is Lawson’s ode to the busy working mom – someone she knows more than a little bit about, what with running a media empire and being a mother of three! It’s all about giving yourself a break and getting good tasting food on the table fast.

The Delicious Parts: The book is beautifully photographed, and Lawson’s personal stories make it an entertaining read. She comes across as down-to-earth but just a little bit edgy– kind of like the Anti-Martha Stewart. And Lawson has a real talent for putting together flavors that work well together. There’s plenty of spices and seasonings, with some unexpected combinations.

Not Quite To My Taste: The “express” part of the title comes with some shortcuts that we don’t usually use, including a lot of processed products –mixing jarred spaghetti sauce, broth and pasta for minestrone seems a bit too express, if you get my drift. Also, the “comfort food” aspect of the book meant that a lot of the recipes were very fatty. So I wound up adding steps and substituting ingredients to make meals for my family. The book is dessert heavy, because sweets are definitely Lawson’s thing – but we aren’t habitual dessert eaters, so a lot of the recipes would go unused (although I’m pretty sure my daughter would be happy if I used them).

Recommedation? Devour, Split, Send it Back to the Kitchen? For me, it’s a definite split—it’s going back to the library, and I don’t have to purchase it. But I can see why others would devour it, especially dessert lovers, and those looking for one cookbook with a broad set of recipes! I could see this as a great shower gift or new parent gift – perfect for someone not used to getting a meal together every night.

One Great Recipe: Nigella Lawson’s Curry in a Hurry

2 T. canola or other oil

3 T. finely chopped scallions

3-4 T. green Thai curry paste

2 ¼ lbs. chicken thigh fillets, cut into strips about 1 ½ inches by ¾ inch (I used considerably less, only about a pound, and for the four of us the proportions were fine)

1 14-oz can coconut milk

1 cup boiling water + enough chicken bouillon or concentrate to make 2 cups (I used veggie broth)

1 T. fish sauce

1 ½ cup frozen peas

1 ½ cup frozen edamame

1 ½ cup frozen slender beans (I used fresh because they are in season)

3 T. fresh cilantro

Cooked rice or noodles (I served this with a spicy chili rice)

Lime wedges

1) Heat the oil in a large saucepan, on that owns a lid, and drop in the scallions. Cook, stirring for a minute of two, and then add the curry paste.

2) Add the chicken pieces and keep turning over heat for 2 minutes before adding the coconut milk, stock, and fish sauce, and then the frozen peas and soybeans.

3) Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the frozen green beans and cook for 3-5 minutes.

4) Serve with rice or noodles, as wished, sprinkling over the cilantro as you do so. Put a plate of lime wedges for people to squeeze over as they eat.

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. Thanks to Beth Fish Reads for hosting!

FTC disclosure: I did not receive a free copy of this book for review.

28 comments:

  1. I have a love/hate relationship with Nigella. I've been a fan of her style for years. I love her casual style and her easygoing manner. I have several of her cookbooks, but I find I end up being inspired by her recipes more than I actually use them, if you know what I mean. I don't think I own this one.

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    1. I love her style -- and she does present great "launching off" points for dishes. She's a great entertainer, that's for sure. I wish I wasn't too cheap to pay for the tv package that includes The Cooking Channel, because I think that's where her show is in the US!

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  2. I've never used Nigella's cookbooks, but think I'll give the 'curry in a hurry' recipe a try. Can't wait for your next Rent Before Buying review!

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    1. My family loved the curry. Right now I'm working on Clotilde Dusoulier's Chocolate & Zucchini. So far, so delicious!

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  3. I know who she is but I've never watched Nigella's show. I don't like the idea of using the processed foods but I do like the idea of express meals. I may see if our library has this one.

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    1. It's really entertaining. I think if you're the kind of person who has a lot of stuff in the freezer, this would be a great book for inspiration to wrangle it all into a dinner!

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  4. I always read Nigella's cookbooks like novels. I love her descriptions and the way she talks about food. If you enjoyed that too, try her How To Eat book. It's very chatty and quite a few of the recipes are kind of like formulas that are meant to be individualized.

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    1. I really enjoyed her writing too. I will check out How to Eat. Thanks for the recommendation.

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  5. I am really enjoying your Rent Before Buying reviews, you have given us some terrific advice. I don't think I've ever watched an entire Nigella episode on Food Network, but I have seen her on morning TV shows.

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    1. Thanks so much for the kind words, Di! Glad they've been useful. I also haven't bought a book recently, so there are some financial benefits too!

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  6. OMG! I never had curry until about a year ago. Mmmm, I was hooked. I'll be trying this recipe soon.
    Here's My Weekend Cooking

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  7. I love Nigella and have a couple of her other cookbooks. May have to give this one a miss though.

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    1. This is the only one I've read, so I don't have any idea how it compares. If you already like her, it might work for you.

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  8. I adore your classification system. Yes!

    And thank you for this review.

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    1. Thanks, Deb. I have to give credit to some super blogs for helping me realize I needed some kind of rating system, especially Unabridged Chick and Boston Bibliophile!

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  9. I love to watch her show (yes, I do get the Cooking Channel, try satellite ;-) ) in great part because she's not afraid to enjoy the food. But I've never tried any of her recipes, so I think that's worse than a split from me.

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    1. CC is only in a super expensive package for us -- and we already use less than a 10th of the channels we do pay for. But Nigella certainly is entertaining. We all loved the shows -- but the food does seem to take a back seat!

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  10. It's a great time to support Nigella - I have been so sorry for her given the very public way her marriage collapsed. I'm sure she'll bounce back in due course.

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    1. Agreed. We were in the UK when the videos came out, and it was non-stop news. She really deserves some happiness -- thank goodness she has a family and career to get her through!

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  11. I have watched her on TV and like her..she is funny...but never actually made any of her recipes. but this sounds good.

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    1. It really was good. There was also a kick-a$$ chicken salad with black bean salsa that we all loved. She really can reduce meals down to their elements and refit them for the home kitchen.

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  12. The curry in a hurry sounds good, but I'm also careful about using processed foods as ingredients. Fish sauce, sure, jarred spaghetti sauce, not so much.

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    1. Yes, it's a bit uneven, which is why it's a split. But there were plenty of good ideas in there, especially for dessert lovers!

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  13. This is one of my go-to cookbooks. At one time I had hoped to cook every single recipe. Curry looks great.

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    1. I can see that, because she covers such a wide range of foods and cuisines. In my case, it would reproduce a lot of what I already have, but I still loved reading it!

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  14. I've never actually made any of her recipes. But this curry sounds yummy.

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    1. It is definitely worth a try. I will probably make it again in winter, when I need to maximize those frozen vegetables!

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I absolutely love comments. Thanks for taking the time to share! Col