to think that Nigella has lost the plot?

[Lottapianos]

I love her - she is a terrific cook, she's completely gorgeous and has a real zest for life. Up until now I had always thought she was a bit bonkers in a campy fun sort of way. But I have just watched her cook chocolate fusilli with butterscotch sauce because 'sometimes you come in from work and just can't decide whether to have chocolate or pasta for dinner - so why not have both!'



I can handle a lot of wankery and pretentiousness and off the wall stuff around food but even I have my limits. In fact, this whole Nigellissima series has been mad - hardly any of the dishes had anything Italian about them. Will stick with her 'Kitchen' book which I adore and read for fun

[marshmallowpies]

Most of what I've cooked from the Domestic Goddess book has worked...the more basic recipes (fairy cakes, lemon sponge, butter biscuits) are good, the slightly more fanciful ones don't seem to be quite so reliable. (Cappucino cupcakes I remember being not nearly as tasty as they sounded).

I own Nigella Express but am yet to cook anything from it. I've given up actually watching her, too annoying by far!

[Valpollicella]

I can't actually watch any more of Nigellissima as it was working me up into a fucking disproportionate rage it was unbelievable.

The moment she started frying the chips in COLD oil I started to lose my shit.

[pixwix]

Binky - sorry read your post and just Pmsl! [hsmile]

[MrsjREwing]

That meat pizza was not kids party food. I haven't seen any since.

YANBU.

[squeakytoy]

I tried her grasshopper cheesecake thingy once..

just once...

It was ok, but it cost a fecking fortune..

[HazeltheMcWitch]

Is it only me that does not find the idea of chocolate pasta so bad? You get choc flavoured rice pudding, and you get macaroni pudding, or the Jewish Lockshen pudding (sp) is also pasta baked in custard stylee.

But she does seem to have jumped the shark with her innuendoes this series, yes. ALthough I imagine if she were to say jump the shark, it'd sound like some VERY niche bedroom practice.

[HazeltheMcWitch]

Also, chocolate on chips is very very nice.

[justmyview]

We liked the grasshopper cheesecake, but I agree the grasshoppers were very expensive

[QueenofNightmares]

For all the Nigella cake doubters have you tried Guiness cake? It is bloody amazing honestly. The pear and chocolate cake is lovely and simple too. I wouldn't bother with any of her savory dishes though.

[StuntGirl]

I cook Nigella recipes almost exclusively I've only ever had a handful of recipes not work.

She is a smug bitch though, I can only read her posts. Watching her makes me want to stab things.

[ShadowsCollideWithPeople]

I love some of her recipes. I do, however, get tired of her glorious, glossy, glistening, gleaming, luxurious, lavish offerings. And, clearly, her overuse of adjectives.

HazeltheMcWitch, her Jewish Lokshen pudding was kugel. Yummy!

[terrywoganstrousers]

DP commented on her 'come' face as she was rubbing the butter into the flour tonight. He said 'why can you not look like that when you're making pastry?!'

[GiserableMitt]

terrywogan did you tell him you're not getting paid as much as she is to pull faces?

[Loveweekends10]

And ..she stole my Italian meat ball recipe! I do it better though. I use those chilli sausages from tesco. OMG the kids love that recipe.
It was actually a Jamie Oliver and he stole it from River Cafe.
So she's not that original!

[echt]

I remarked once: "That cardigan is really too small for her". DH, quick as a flash:"No, it isn't."

I saw his point. And both of hers.:o

[NuzzleandScratch]

I thought that after the "kitten's tongue" one Viperidae, like that really gives you an appetite, "Mmm, kittens' tongues"!

Agree about the kitchen though AutumnChill, did anyone see when she opened her freezer drawer?! As in a draw like in a normal kitchen, only it was a freezer! But then she ruined it by shelling some beans individually - who's got time to do that?!

[lyndie]

It's not even her kitchen it's an exact replica in a studio!!

Cannot be bothered with the boring trawl round her larder every week as she points at all the ridiculously expensive items she has. The quick cooking pasta for fractious children is about £4 a box!

Thank goodness they've got rid of the dressing gown bit too, ridiculous.

I do actually own Feast though and it's a great read with some lovely recipes. She also wrote in there some very moving stuff about bereavement including when her husband died.

[GreenEyesAndHam]

I think calling her a bitch is a bit off personally.

I'm biased though, I think she's hilarious.

[Bonsoir]

How to Eat and Feast are useful books, full of basics and traditional recipes re-worked for the food processor era. I grew up with Constance Spry as my traditional go-to cook book and now I use Nigella for that.

But the recipes in the more recent Nigella books are too out there for me.

[kitsmummy]

Is it only me who thought the chocolate butterscotch pasta recipe sounded yummy [hblush]

[womblingalong]

I agree with Bonsoir about How to Eat, Domestic Goddess and Feast, and her earlier books with the TV series are really good - also really love some of the things from Nigella Express, but I find her too mannered to watch, and The recipes from Nigellisima are not v appealing to me.
She is very beautiful I think, but sounds a bit loopy on the TV, think it's all the archness to camera IYSWIM.

[SirSugar]

I need to know Hazel, how do you realise that chocolate on chips is good?

[SugariceAndScary]

My ds1-17 would devour her chocolate pasta , I think it'd be nice as a Bonfire night type pudding on a cold damp evening outside.

I've liked this series but there's nothing other than her freezer meringue thing from last week that I'd be tempted to make, I'm not buying the book for sure.

[HomeEcoGnomist]

I teeter on that fine line between finding her entertaining and annoying

However, if I look like her at 50, I will be v happy

[fatlazymummy]

I prefer her earlier series,TBH.She was much more natural and real then. I don't buy cook books, so can't comment from that angle.