Nigella Lawson

[Jenise]

I am needing to lighten up my household, pare down. There's way too much stuff around that I never use. So I've started weeding out my cookbooks, which I don't really have that much of for someone who's fascinated with food, maybe 150--I know people who cook less but have much more--but many have hardly been looked at since initial purchase let alone used. And some just make me sad. So they should go.

After I take one last look at them, that is. Most are easy decisions. Of the last ten books I reviewed, 10 went in the Go Pile with hardly a twinge of regret and only one merited a closer look. I read it over the last 24 hours and dog-eared 9 or 10 recipes I really want to try, an unusually high number. So it stays. I'm almost embarrassed to report that it's a Nigella Lawson book.

It was a Xmas gift from Bob in 2016, a surprise since I know I wouldn't have expressed any interest in her. I watched exactly one episode of one of her TV shows once upon a time and couldn't stand her overtly seductive presentations, the finger-licking and side glances. So I sweetly thanked Bob for the gift and stuffed Nigella on a shelf, where she remained untouched until yesterday.

Mind you, her writing style is laborious. She can't confine herself to 10 words if 50 will do and her prose is quite purple. She doesn't tell you to cover a boiling pot and reduce it to a simmer, she says something like, "Now grab the lid. Doesn't have to be a perfect fit, and it doesn't matter if it is scratched and dented, just grab any lid, smash it in place when the odorous mixture starts bubbling, then turn the fire down to low, or medium low depending on your stove, and go get busy with something else for 20 minutes, or even 30 if you need a nap, because you can't overcook this." If commas were a crime, she'd be in jail. Every recipe is 3 pages long.

But still I plowed thru it, and her cooking style at the stage of her life documented here (newly divorced--anyone remember the famous footage of her famous art dealer husband trying to strangle her in a restaurant?) is very different from mine. She uses a lot of whole seed spices--cumin, coriander, fennel, nigella seed, red pepper flakes--where I'm more the fresh herb type. The appeal of the recipes that interest me has a lot to do with getting out of my own rut. Or trying things I've never thought to make at home, like Brazilian cheese bread.

But wow, Nigella. What a surprise.

I'm with you, Jenise. I never liked her demeanor or presentations. She did have interesting recipes, but I never tried them. Have not thought about her in years. Maybe Bob watched her on TV and liked her. Our eldest son is fascinated by Ree Drummond and likes to watch her. He is a guy who knows all about good wine and fine food, does a lot of cooking, and even makes his pasta and pizza crusts when time allows. He does sous vide and a lot of great soups, as well. He has more equipment for cooking than I do.
Have fun with your new outlook on the book and report back to us.

[Jenise]

I've only ever cooked one recipe of hers but only because it was featured in Food & Wine online and the picture got me before I realized whose recipe it was. Bob's only exposure to her would have been that show she did with Tony Bourdain, Ludo Lefebvre and I can't remember who else, where the experts created teams of contestants who made one-spoon bites. It was a pretty dumb premise, but we watched some of it.

I can't stand Ree Drummond. I don't get her appeal--not to anyone who really understands how to cook, that is.

I find Nigella's recipes are good but they need to be written down by somebody else.

I used to watch Nigella, but not necessarily for the recipes. Hers was one of the first food shows where I was very aware of the close ups of foods. They were usually shot with some kind of sauce spilling over the sides or oozing out of the middle, or a seductive pour over something on a plate. It didn't occur to me until you mentioned it, Jenise, it was the art of seduction in food porn. Mon dieu!

Ree Drummond has quite a story behind her. She is from Oklahoma, but as I recall, was living in So Cal, a vegetarian when she made a trip back home. She and Ladd met in a bar, and it was love at first sight. She ended up back in Oklahoma, married to a cattle rancher who was not fond of veggies and only liked meat and potatoes. Ladd was already wealthy, the owner of thousands of beautiful land, and several buildings on the property. She homeschooled three children who grew up to be smart and hardworking kids. The three are college-educated and doing well for themselves. Ree and Ladd brought their town of Pawhuska back to life with the remodel of a huge old building and turning it into a destination point with a mercantile, they also own a pizza place, and another building where she has her office. She has a line of linens, cookware, and dishes, and has made millions from all her efforts and successes. It is not all about cooking food, and where she lives, they eat differently. Lots of casseroles, dips, sauces, beef, of course, and she has managed to introduce wine in her cooking to Ladd, and he now eats veggies and has a better diet. The two girls came back home after college, one works as a cowgirl next to her dad, and the eldest lives on the property with her husband and a new baby girl. I may have a few facts not quite right, but that is the basics and the last info I had. I do not keep up with her as I used to, as the kids are not there all the time, and it was fun watching them grow up. The two boys were driving farm equipment long before driving age, and that was fun to watch. They also care for a huge herd of wild mustangs which the government pays them very well yearly to watch over the herd, keep them healthy and fed. It is breathtaking to see the herd occasionally run across their front property. Ree was very good to Ladd's parents, taking them lots of food for the week when they were elderly. Every Sunday, their church has a potluck lunch, and she and the family contribute to that generously.

I am needing to lighten up my household, pare down. There's way too much stuff around that I never use. So I've started weeding out my cookbooks, which I don't really have that much of for someone who's fascinated with food, maybe 150--I

Lightweight! Your post made me take a quick count. Food books at 224 and it still seems to (very slowly) grow. Haven't counted y wine books nor my main or audio libraries. And yet I still seem to buy new cook books from time to time and also collect recipes I see that I want to try (ask the resident librarian how many next time you are over). Scared to take a census of my main library.

I deal with a local second hand book store - the owner rents out books by the linear foot (well, up here by the metre) to local movie companies as set backdrops. There are always people who will take/buy books.

I'd have a hard time thinning out my library(ies) but why worry about it? Plus if you get rid of something you think you'll never use again, guess which book you suddenly find a need for.....

I was digging into my cookbooks yesterday and came across Heirloom Tomatoes—a small book, very well done, with beautiful photos. I had made a few recipes from it and marked them as excellent. I had forgotten how much one can do with a tomato. This book has appys, pasta, meat dishes, salads, and desserts. I saw a crab cake recipe that I want to make again, if I can find a good canned crab; I'm not sure if fresh ones are available this time of year. I used to buy a brand that was excellent and used it a lot of times. cannot recall what it was...

I saw a crab cake recipe that I want to make again, if I can find a good canned crab; I'm not sure if fresh ones are available this time of year. I used to buy a brand that was excellent and used it a lot of times. cannot recall what it was...

Costco sells a good crab 1 lb tub of lump crab meat. I've bought both Chicken of The Sea and another brand that I can't recall. I used to get it at $25 a tub, but the last time I bought it the cost was closer to $40. But, for 1 lb of lump crab meat, that is still a great price. I was surprised at the quality and the freshness each time I bought it. I would say try Costco. Though, I have to admit, I really hate shopping at Costco, but it is my go-to place for bacon (Fletchers), butter (Kerry Gold), hot links (Evergood) and crab meat.

Thanks JoAnn, I will check on that. I have a Costco 2 minutes away, and they do Instacart!

We have a number of Nigella's cookbooks, and use them as much as those of any other author. We've found them to give reliable results, and I'm ok with skipping over the stories to get to the recipe itself. Also, my Y chromosomes are quite entranced with her (or at least they used to be back when I watched her original show).

I'll second Jeff's Costco recommendation for crab. It's quite good.

Good to know about the crab (but Jo Ann recommended, not Jeff)
I've enjoyed a few Nigella recipes I've made- actually most were Indian.
Not a fan of Pioneer Woman, but was recently told she has Basset Hounds, so that is a point in her favor.