Nigella Express (Hardcover)

Treat yourself I absolutely love this book, I watched the show and was so lulled by Nigella's coquettish cooing that I found myself wanting to make everything she did. I got the book as a gift from friends after encouraging them to watch the show, and invited them over for a Nigella Night where I made the Coq au Reisling and the Chocolate Pistachio Fudge (which although a bit rich is absolutely divine and can be varied with flavoured chocolated and some unsalted cashews as well). I have to say I much prefer watching the show as her adjective style (beat this until it forms stiff white creamy peaks) is almost as fun to watch as the cooking. But the book is fantastic and the illustrations are great - although I am a little dubious about her claim to have taken pictures of them herself with a digital camera in the foreword! A must for people that want to cook quickly, easily, cheaply and don't have too much concern on special occassions about calories!

The 'Domestic Goddess' is back......... and what a GREAT book it is! 'This is, as the title makes clear, a book about fast food, but it is a book about fast food for those who love eating. Perhaps that's self-evident: How could I write any other sort? ....... But, here's the problem: the day doesn't have enough gaps in it for me to do much shopping and the evening - what with the battles over homework, the still unchecked-off list of things I was meant to do, the calls I was supposed to return - doesn't yield much time to cook. But I must eat, and I must eat well - or else what is the point of it all?....... I could go on, but in the interest of brevity and the `Express' spirit, it seems only right to cut straight to the chase. The recipes that follow are not simply quick to cook, they attempt to make the whole of your cooking life - and as a consequence, all of your life - easier. They are arranged in chapters, but please don't feel confined by these. Read, browse, sample, fiddle about as you see fit. As in cooking, so in life: we muddle through as best as we can and this is what `Nigella Express' is all about. Good Food Fast.....' Nigella is the author of a number of best-selling books....but this is, arguably, her best to date. In it you will find the likes of everyday favourite recipes, such as `High-Speed Hamburger with Fast Fries', `Quick Chilli`, `Macaroni Cheese', `Butterfly Cakes' and `Roly Poly Pudding', mingling with the lesser well-known, but intriguing:-`Red Prawn and Mango Curry', `Green Apple Martini', `Red-Leaf, Fig and Serrano Ham Salad', `Chopped Ceviche and Mexicola', `Roquamole' and `Hokey Pokey'. Launched to coincide with her latest BBC TV series, this chunky tome has 390 high quality pages, split over 13 chapters:- (1) Everyday Easy - speedy suppers, day in, day out (2) Workday Winners - weekday entertaining made easy (3) Retro Rapido - time-warp favourites given the express twist (4) Get Up and Go - breakfast at breakneck speed (5) Quick Quick Slow - prepare ahead to save time later (6) Against the Clock - no time? No problem (7) Instant Calmer - super fast soul food (8) Razzle Dazzle - give a party pronto (9) Speedy Gonzales - Mexican-inspired moments (10) On the Run - food for eating on the hoof, packed lunches and picnics (11) Hey Presto - instant Italian (12) Holiday Snaps - Christmas quickies (13) Storecupboard SOS - how to cope when there's no time to go shopping sandwiched between an introduction and a full index. Handy ribbon bookmark. Each chapter opens with the famous Nigella banter, as does each recipe, e.g. :- `Lamb Olive and Caramelized Onion Tagine' `Nearly all stews start with chopped onion. Here is the lazy person's version, which uses some caramelised onion out of a jar instead..........And I add to the desirable idleness by not even searing the meat. I just tip everything into a big pan and let it do its own sweet thing without any interference from me. `I don't actually cook this recipe in 'a tagine' - though often serve it in one - but ever since someone told me that in Morocco most tagines are made in pressure cookers, I have felt unembarrassed by calling something cooked in a pan - 'a tagine'. The recipes are clearly laid out with the list of ingredients, an easy to follow numbered method and the number of servings and, if applicable - notes on accompaniments and/or a footnote. Mouth-watering full colour photography throughout. A very small taste of the other recipes contained within:- Anglo-Asian Lamb Salad Mustard Pork Chops Rapid Ragu Naan Pizza Caramel Croissant Pudding Potato and Mushroom Gratin Eton Mess Cheese Fondue Crepes Suzette Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Go Get `Em Smoothie Frittata Party! Croque Monsieur Bake Maple Chicken `N' Ribs Gravlax Sashimi Irish Cream Tiramisu Totally Chocolate Chip Cookies Sweetcorn Chowder with Toasted Tortillas Amaretto Syllabub Holiday Hot Cake with Eggnog Cream Hot Toddy Curry in a Hurry and Instant Chocolate Mousse - a shockingly easy recipe which is simply delicious - don't forget some white chocolate shavings on the top!

Fabulous ! just like the Lady herself ! A fantastic book ! i got this for a Christmas Present from my Husband and i love it ! i really enjoyed the BBC2 Series Nigella Express so this is great to have as ther are lots of great recipes that she didnt feature on that. im not the best cook, but i do like to dabble and this book is perfect for that, easy to make recipes (including some scrummy Cocktails!) mostly with minimum ingredients required, which come out as fabulous dishes ! The Marguerita Ice cream was so easy to make and earned me so much credit that i felt guilty ! And it is so great to see a cook like Nigella, a real cook who loves cooking and eating food and is not afraid to say it ! She is truely fabulous !

Life saver My husband and I love to cook, but with two kids and both working full-time, we either end up using convenience foods or not eating until about 9 o'clock if we want to make something tasty - by which time we're falling asleep in our dinner. I bought this book on the strength of just the first episode of Nigella's series and I was not dissapointed with the other recipes! I'm not too impressed with the chapters as it doesn't make it particularly easy to search by ingredient or food type but the recipes are quick, easy and tasty. I made the chilli recipe for all the adult guests at my son's 3rd birthday party and they were all suitably impressed - it's fantastic...but simple! I wouldn't be without this book now - I even photocopied some of the recipes when I went on a self-catering holiday to Portugal. A must buy for busy people who love food!

Express Success!! This book is a hit! I bought it when I was having guests for the week-end. I wanted to spend more time with my guests than time spent over a hot cooker. It worked, I prepared ahead where I could like Nigella's tip of storing your ready made pancake mix. My guests loved everything I made from the tasty Quesadillas Tortilla wrap Page 240 to the hugely popular Smoked salmon potato cakes page 198. with the exquisite Flourless Choc brownies page 51 and my absolute top favourite of Cherry cheesecake page 81. If I have any critisism, it would have to be the several pounds I piled on over the weekend. You do need to be aware that many of the recipes should carry a high fat warning. Right now, there's just time to make a Mocha choc smoothie whilst the TV adverts are on. Thats what I call an express success!! P.S. Such was it's popularity that two of my friends have since made me order a book for themselves....Is nothing sacred?