How to Be a Domestic Goddess - Nigella Lawson

Anyone who likes to cook, even a little bit, probably owns at least one cookbook. But making a meal of a meat, starch and two vegs is something almost any idiot can do, even without a recipe (and this is especially so today with so many prepared products on our market shelves). However, if you like to bake, having a cake cookbook on your shelves is practically essential. This is because baking is much more of a science than regular cooking. I've even heard it called chemistry for the kitchen. In truth, that's a good analogy because baking a cake or cookies isn't something you can just do without some kind of formula. And if ever there was a cook who could make even ...  Read the complete review

Most 'celebrity' chefs are all about what they call healthy eating - meaning low calories and a balanced diet. What I like about Nigella Lawson is that she advocates healthy eating but through indulgence, and her 2000 book How To Be A Domestic Goddess has a well earned place on our shelves. The edition we have is from 2003. The book emphasises that it is about comfort eating and baking, and is divided into a number of sections. A short intro impresses on us the importance of remaining as 'domestic' as possible when cooking, and to focus on the enjoyment of cooking and eating, before giving us some lists and advice on equipment, ingredients, and a conversion ...  Read the complete review

I'm a great believer that there's a cookery book out there for everyone. Whether you are an expert baker or a novice egg-boiler there'll be something to suit. My own cookery book collection is quite extensive and eclectic borne out of the fact that I like many different styles of food and, depending on my mood, will seek to cook or bake in many different ways. There are, however, a number of books that regularly make it off the shelf and onto the worktop. Nigella's Domestic Goddess book makes a fairly regular appearance on the work surface. Baking, over and above the relative staples of a basic sponge, bread and butter pudding or basic biscuit is an art ...  Read the complete review

I shouldn't like Nigella Lawson. After all, she's the daughter of a former Tory PM who named her after himself.... not cool, and she is clearly posh and monied - she admits that she doesn't pay any attention to the price of ingredients. (Sigh.) She is also incredibly smug, she lives in a house that always looks beautiful, her children help with the cooking and aren't actually a hinderance (I mean, come on!). If the impressions given by her series are to be believed, she has interesting friends who drop in for amazing meals, which she serves whilst looking immaculate and making very little effort whilst the food cooks itself. However, Nigella does have several ...  Read the complete review

I was born into a family where custard was served in slices, cakes tended to have liquid centres and the gravy boat was passed round the table with the question "One lump or two?". Therefore the fact that I can cook is definitely not genetic, more the result of many evening classes and years of practise. And I do practise regularly. I bake all my own cakes, bread and most of my own biscuits (I say most because I haven't yet mastered Jaffa Cakes!) and I also cook a 'proper' meal every night and regularly have dinner parties. I have a cooks blow torch, for goodness sake - and I use it regularly. I very rarely use cookery books of any kind.I ...  Read the complete review