Indulge yourself in the art of comfort cooking! (How to Be a Domestic Goddess - Nigella Lawson)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	How to Be a Domestic Goddess - Nigella Lawson
Date:	08/04/09 (316 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great comfort cooking recipes

Disadvantages: Not the healthiest cookbook

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 chart.

Cakes is the first section, and contains a number of gorgeous delights. We haven't really scratched the surface of these, but there seem to be many that we would like to try at some point but we never get round to it. However, the Butterscotch Layer Cake is probably my recommendation from the few that we have tried.

Next up in Biscuits, which seems strange to have its own sections, but Nigella explains in its intro that it is a good place to start to learn about cooking, and also includes scones and muffins, etc. We have yet to try her recipe for scones, but some of the biscuits are worth giving a go.

The Pies section first deals with the pastry bases, before moving on to savoury and then sweet. There are some really easy but brilliant recipes in here, and it is perhaps the section we have used the most, from making a pastry pizza, to Steak and Kidney Pudding (although we omitted the kidney as my wife doesn't like them!). It is a versatile section, dealing with large and small pies and also tarts.

The Puddings section is next, and it is worth considering that if you can't find what you're looking for in here, it may have appeared in the previous section, particularly if you're looking for Apple Pie or something similar. These puddings are quite diverse, and I have learnt what a Boy-Bait and a Grunt are!! There are indulgent puddings here, and it's no secret that many regard puddings as Nigella's forte. The Steamed Syrup Sponge is fantastic, and for those of you who like a wee nip of gin, the G&T Jelly is a surprisingly success.

Now then, the bit most people like Nigella for - the Chocolate section! Nigella shows us how diverse and creative you can be with chocolate, starting with the Chocolate Loaf Cake (oh my!), before going through a plethora of additional ingredients to make varying cakes and sponges, custards and even a chocolate cheesecake (yet to try this but near the top of the list!). My wife regularly uses NIgella's recipe for making chocolate brownies. As far as I'm concerned, she can carry on using that recipe until the world runs out of choc!


The next section caters for children, but whereas other recipe books may contain different easy and healthy meals for kids, this one has fun and creative sweeter snacks and cakes and biscuits to make. We haven't really tried any of these as yet, but with Easter looming we're going to give her Easter Nests recipe a go with our 5 year old son's 'help' if you can call it that!

There is then a section entirely devoted to Christmas, which examines various different traditional yuletide recipes, with her own twist on them. We don't usually cook much at Xmas, we both work up until the day and then are all over the place with grandparents, etc, so the kitchen isn't really where we spend a lot of time (or money!) However, there are some enticing recipes in there, and there's nothing stopping you from trying some at other times of the year. I'm particularly intrigued by the Boxing Day Egg-and-Bacon Pie!!!

As this is a book relevant to baking, although not about baking itself, Nigella does devote a section towards the end to bread and yeast, explaining how to make homemade breads of all different kinds, from loaves to bagels and even pizza and tart bases. Occasionally we follow her guidelines for bread, and there's nothing better than the smell of homemade bread on a sunny day for me!

The last main section deals with what she personally lkes doing and having in terms of food. There are quite a few recipes for preserving fruits and making brandies, curds and jams, pickles and chutnies, and it's almost an accompaniments or condiments section.

What I like about this book is that Nigella doesn't try and educate us to eat better or to understand the properties and innermost working of food. Instead, she encourages us to enjoy cooking and eating it, no matter how healthy or 'unhealthy' it may seem. The layout of the book is very user-friendly, with the majority of recipes having a good sized picture of the finished product, and clear to follow instructions and ingredients lists. The colours are vibrant and well spaced, nothing is crammed in, and it makes it a delight to use as a book.

Our copy is well thumbed, much more so than other cook books we have on the shelf. We love using it, even if it does mean repeating what we cook as opposed to perhaps trying newer things she suggests. However, comfort cooking is the aim, and I'm sure that if a few of the recipes is what gets us enjoying cooking and eating, she'll feel she's succeeded.

If you're looking for healthy eating recipes and balanced diets, low calories and constructed meals for kids, go look somewhere else. If you want to have fun in your kitchen and explore the wonders of making and baking while your mouth drools, then this is the book for you.

Nigella Lawson's How To Be A Domestic Goddess currently retails at around the £15 mark, although you cna pick it up a bit cheaper on amazon and second hand copies drop to under £10. have a look round charity shops, too. I have seen one or two here and there for around the £5 mark.

Summary: Great for comfort, not so great for low calories!