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Original poster

What are Nigella Lawson's recipies like????????

49 replies

drosophila · 18/12/2006 20:34

My sister who is a fantastic cook said that she has never really had success with them and has heard others make similar comments.

I wanted to try her ham for Christmas and now I'm concerned

OP posts:
whensantagotstuckupAITCHimney · 18/12/2006 20:38

i find her excellent, really and truly. funnily enough, i have difficulties with delia and everyone says she's foolproof. (depends on the fool, i think).

my impression is that nigella is good for slapdash people who like to footer with recipes from the start, while delia is good for people who like measuring.

DingdongMegaLegsonhigh · 18/12/2006 20:40

I love Nigella recipes, they seem to work ok for me but I'm definately in the slapdash camp aitch. There was a thread recently about the mistakes she'd made in some of her books and the corrections had been put on her website.

DimpledThighs · 18/12/2006 20:41

in my experience they are really hit and miss - some are fab (banana cake) and some do not work AT ALL. I think the books are clever and nicely put together but often they seem unresearched. My books have loads of notes on like half this amount, cook for longer, do not make!

If I am feeling adventourous I do something from hers but would not rely on it when things had to work out.

have you seen this?

DingdongMegaLegsonhigh · 18/12/2006 20:42

I love her Christmas series but spend more time trying to look at her house.

SpicymulledSheraz · 18/12/2006 20:43

Made her chocolate and guiness cake- first cake I ever made and it turned out perfect.

chubbleigh · 18/12/2006 20:44

I have got How to Eat and Domestic Goddess and have not had a problem with recipes in either so far. Everything that I have made from the Godess book has turned out great and looked good too.

I have alway heard that Delia Smith recipes are very good and she does lots of really basic stuff like hams etc. Give her website a go, her books are always in libraries too.

whensantagotstuckupAITCHimney · 18/12/2006 20:47

oh sheraz i had that chocolate and guinness cake at the weekend, it was AMAZING. the frosting on it is perfect. how easy was it to make? i'm not so cocky about baking, i must say. i hate measuring things. although Nigella's never let me down in that dept either... i love how she puts ten tablespoons of baking powder into everything to make certain that it rises.

popsycal · 18/12/2006 20:47

i am the same as some one elsewho has posted....write notes on her recipes - mainly for quantities
like make double this amount for 2 adutls and 2 children
maybe we are just greedy

ediemcreedie · 18/12/2006 20:48

whats the Clementine thing like?

fishie · 18/12/2006 20:49

i find that we like similar things to eat, so often use her books for ideas. have found how to eat is good, domestic goddess less so. also had very different results with a previously successful choc cake recipe of hers when i changed from gas to electic oven i can't cook hugh fw's recipes, despite being really keen on meat.

tassis · 18/12/2006 20:50

Which book's the choc and guiness recipe in?

Her ham in coke works and we love it!

on her website there's a list of corrections from her cook books (and they're things like the wrong size of tin, condensed milk not evap, and the wrong number of mars bars). The number of corrections goes some way to explaining why some of her recipes don't seem to work.

whensantagotstuckupAITCHimney · 18/12/2006 20:50

it's lovely, my friend made it. she said it was very easy. i'd want a squeeze of lemon in it though, as if the clementines aren't that brilliant flavoured i'd imagine it might not taste as sharp and perfumey as you'd want it.

whensantagotstuckupAITCHimney · 18/12/2006 20:51

I can't do hugh FW either.

tassis · 18/12/2006 20:51

what clementine thing? her clementine cake is delicious...

ediemcreedie · 18/12/2006 20:52

Thats the one. Do you ice it?

fishie · 18/12/2006 20:53

yes clementine thing tastes lovely, but mine was a bit soggy and then it went mouldy

i always only use 2/3rds her recommended sugar, sometimes half. and less butter in some stuff too.

crunchie · 18/12/2006 20:54

personally I love her, she cooks like I think and I have never had a disaster. However I do think you need to know HOW to cook with her recipes as her details aren't perfect and she assumes you know how to do everything, whereas delia explains the technique more

Pruni · 18/12/2006 20:54

Message withdrawn

SpicymulledSheraz · 18/12/2006 20:57

Not sure which book cho and guiness cake is in friend gave me the recipe.

DimpledThighs · 18/12/2006 21:28

clementine cake is fab - but best one is damp apple and almond cake.

Do you want me to dig out guiness choc cake - think it is godess - could type in recipe if you like.

HoHoHorsewoman · 18/12/2006 21:58

Guiness cake, 24 hour cooked pork, ham in coke. All tried, tested and adored by my family and friends.

Original poster
drosophila · 19/12/2006 08:30

So what do you think about her Ham from the recent Christmas series - \link{http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/aromaticspicedham_84672.shtml\here). I love Fennel, Star anise and Cloves but as I was describing it to my sister (who is an amazing cook) she said there are a lot of differnent flavours going on there. What do you guys think?

Thanks for all the comments. I did tell her that on MN I have always seen fab comments from people.

OP posts:
Original poster
drosophila · 19/12/2006 08:31

try again

OP posts:
RanToTheHills · 19/12/2006 09:04

don't know that particular recipe, but gen LOVE her recipes and how she writes about food so beautifully! You can tell she really appreciates it, unlike say Delia whom I always find a bit clinical and boring.

MrsMillsletoe · 19/12/2006 09:32

Yesterday I made up a pan of her apple and cranberry chutney and it is delishioso.

Just need to get some proper cheese and sausage now. In fact it is so nice (and quite handsome) I am considering giving it as christmas presents to a few family folk. Or would that be naff?