Let's discuss the things we've made from Nigella's new book.

[AgentProvocateur]

I know there are a few Nigella threads, but I thought it would be useful to have one to discuss what we've made, and how it turned out.

I've made the marmalade cake, which was nice, but not terribly marmalade-y. If I do it again, I'll buy darker marmalade to use.

The African chicken was good, but I added chilli the second time I made it, and it was better.

The Guinness Gingerbread is baking at the moment, and it's not smelling good! When I added the flour and bicarb of soda, there was a fishy smell...

I'll post back when it's out the oven.

Do you mean the Kitchen one? I've made

• turkey meatballs: tasteless considering how much faffing around was involved. A distinct lack of enthusiasm from DH and the DSs.

• chilli with cheese: I liked but no one else did.

My first experiences of cooking with Nigella and I'm not overwhelmed so far.

Marking place. Am going to make the Peanut butter cheesecake at the weekend.

Agent - have always found that any ethnic recipes of Nigella's are rather bland and underspiced - I always add ectra chilli/ginger/etc

FellationNelson needs to come on here and post her results of making the Grasshopper Pie.

I'm here but def. not trying the grasshopper pie - not even for you getorf. I have a love/hate thing with Nigella.

I really wanted to try the guinness gingerbread. I hope it tastes better than it smells.

I have been a very organised girl. I have bought a notebook and quickly jotted down notes of all the recipes from Kitchen that appealed to me, with the key ingredients that I know I won;t already have in the pantry. That way when I'm wandering around the supermarket in a trance I can refer to my notes and go home with the relevant ingredients instead of just buying the same old stuff without knowing what the hell I'm going to do with it.

We had a Nigella week, trying out new recipes from the book. Will only repeat 1 of the 5.

1. Chicken teriyaki - far, far too sweet but also bland. I'm sure she's got the measurements of sugar wrong. Maybe needs 1-2 teapspoons not 2 tablespoons imho.

1. Turkey meatballs - nasty, too dry, also too sweet.

1. spanish chicken with chorizo and potatoes - nice idea but didn't quite work. Chicken overcooked after an hour (temp in recipe is v. high) but potatoes not cooked.

1. Asian braised shin of beef - much more successful BUT having made her other recipes I used much less sugar than she suggests. Have made it twice. Much better with shin than bog standard stewing steak.

1. duck leg and potatoes - awful. Duck so overcooked as to be inedible. Her timings are v. wrong on this, I feel.

I have doubts as to whether she has actually made many of the recipes. I don't feel they're as rigously tested as, for example, Delia's receipes are.

Well, the gingerbread is now ready, and it actually tastes OK.

I didn't buy enough sour cream, so I used 150 cream and 150 milk. It was in the oven for far longer than the recipe says,yet it looks and tastes a bit raw, but not in a bad way.

It's certainly not like a gingerbread loaf that you could slice - it's almost a brownie texture in the middle.

It's a bit sweet for me, but the DC are devouring it.

Yes, have experienced over sweetness from Nige in the past.

Made chinese spiced sausages from Christmas book, crikey they were too sweet and the timing was wrong, too little time in the oven.

I also remember making DD cry when I made Lemon Linguine from How to Eat 'i don't have to eat this do I mummy?'

Tunisian rose stew from Feast was a triumph, however added far more harissa spice than she said to. As was georgian feast, it was truly wonderful.

And I could eat naan bread pizzas until the cows come home.

Sorry - rambling on, haven't actually cooked anything from the new book yet (will this weekend).

I don't usually do sweet stuff but was drawn to the chocolate salted peanut crunchy bars, and they're gorgeous!

The recipe has already acquired legendary status locally

Marmalade cake used mandarin marmalade and am going to use it to make the trifle with it smells lovely but haven't tasted it yet

Salmon with couscous was very nice

Roasted gnocchi took ages to roast and ended up frying them they were ok dh was a bit underwhelmed

That's it so far

I think will cook the ham hocks at the weekend with the creamed leeks, which will then turn into a pie for Monday.

I am slightly at the red velvet cupcakes, they just look like fairy cakes with about 8 spoons of red food colouring in. What is the point of that? But am emphatically not a baker anyway.

Am going to oriental grocer to hunt down Choagang (sp?) Korean spice paste.

Ham hocks and creamed leeks are high on my list too, as is the shin of Asian beef - and I was mulling over the Georgian Feast only this morning.

Her gammon ham cooked in ginger beer and glazed with ginger preserve and mustard is absolutely divine.

I thought the same about the RV cupcakes too!

The only thing that puts me off the ham hocks is that they may look like the frightening pork knuckles served up by some tight scots bloke on Come Dine With Me

Ham in ginger beer sounds brilliant, actually never cook a ham without coke now, but will give that a try.

The Georgian feast is really good, I cannot remember the name of the salsa but it is lovely, as is the Hapachurri bread.

I want to try the ham in coke (or cherry coke!) but I can never pass up the chance of a gingery one - it's so yum.

I've given up on Come Dine With Me. Ever since it ceased being about the cooking and hosting and starting being about the after dinner 'entertainment' and OTT personalities who jut want to get on the telly and falsh their boob jobs of be outrageously camp. It's spoilt a really good show.

Also not keen on the condensed four meals in one show format.

Agree on the turkey meatballs; tasteless, I did think 2 cans of water was a bit much and I may make them again but put in less water and more spices

Sloppy Joe (not sure how she calls it in her book); same as meatballs, no flavour for lots of faffing about and many ingredients, prefer the version of an American friend.

Interestingly these recipes are from her section of 'family'friendly' food, seems her kids like food without much flavour...

Lemon couscous was great.

Banana, Coconut, cherry cake; Lovely! The whole family likes it.

Also made the lemon curd/double cream dessert, couldn't really go wrong with that, so simple and tastes great!

We did the ham in Irn Bru once, and it was surprisingly good.

Made the chicken/chorizo thing tonight and it was OK - I put the temp down to 200 as ours is a fan oven and it was fine except for the onions, they were overdone but the chicken skin was lovely.

Also made the pumpkin chutney (think that was from this book?) - leaving it to mature but the bit leftover that I tried was yummy - a real after-kick, spicy but good.

Marking my place.

I've made the Blackberry Vodka today and last week made the Red Velvet Cupcakes which were gorgeous.

May I join you?

Haven't cooked anything from new book yet but may try the "praised chicken". I love some of her other recipes but do find her a bit hit and miss.

Amd, not that anyone will remember my comments about her glow-y-ness and my age but she's older than me and still looks better (the cow).

In two minds whether or not to buy this book then. Have always loved the yellow split-pea and frankfurter soup from Feast. I do have my own very successful turkey meatball recipe though and am at the mention of water!

Can I ask AgentP how you cooked the ham in Irn Bru?

Only £9.99 in Sainsbury's...

I haven't really made a jammy dodger

Have done the Lemon curd, cream and merigue dessert, needed extra merigue IMO

Have made the blackberry vodka which will be ready in 8 weeks.

TwoIfByTheSea, I just followed the ham in coke recipe, but substituted the coke for Irn Bru. It made the ham moist and sweet, and it didn't taste of Irn Bru.

I'd like to join you too as I'm a Nigella fan (for years now) despite her being so over-the-top. I'm just used to cooking her recipes & I feel that 99% of the time they turn out delicious.

For example tonight I've made the Hatchapuri (sp?) from the Feast book; it's delicious & surprisingly easy to make, I've made it countless times & both DP & I love it. Highly recommend it.

As for the Kitchen book... Despite the fact that I wasn't delighted by the book (I think it lacks a theme, unlike the other books) the couple of things I've made were delicious:

-I made the chicken fajitas which were extremely easy to cook & assemble & smelled/tasted divine. I recommend them particularly for an easygoing gathering with friends when everyone assembles their own fajitas.

-I also made the flourless chocolate lime cake with the margarita cream. It works very well, everyone loved it (I made it for friends) & the lime in the cream & cake makes it lovely & light (well...as light as a chocolate cake can be!)

I'll keep you updated with anything else I make & will keep checking this thread :).

ive made the jumbleberry jam but just made it with blackberrys and its GORGEOUS!!!!!!