The amateur photos in this post were taken by me. I bought the book but obviously the natural photos in the book are not mine and were taken by a professional photographer who works with Nigella. Just typing so everyone knows and people can't comment with things such as you've ripped them off etc. The photos of the food were used in the blog to represent visually the dishes that Nigella has created within the book.
A while ago, I did a vlog of when I went to see a friend in Leeds... I'm not that sure if it went up as a couple of my videos from my MIM series didn't go up. On the day, I decided to go buy Nigellissima in Waterstones Leeds. I have a slight collection of cooking books which may seem strange but it just increases my passion for food. I had been looking for this book for a while as my local Waterstones in Bradford didn't have it for a while so I was thrilled when I found it.
Nigella's gastronomic heart is in Italy and in this new book she conjures the warmth and simplicity of Italian cooking in her own irresistible style. - The blurb of Nigellissima.
This book has 6 different chapters so to start off theres something for everyone. There's pasta, fresh fish and fowl, vegetables & sides, sweet things and an Italian inspired Christmas. This means that if your strong point is baking then you can bake some delicious treats from this book or if you're in the mood for say lasagne then you can cook it up from the book in a simple way that you never knew before and you can pass it down throughout generations and it can become a well known recipe within your family.
The pasta category is quite a varied category. Recipes range from well known dishes via the series such as Pasta with Courgettes and Spelt Spaghetti with Olives and anchovies to dyed pasta such as Green pasta and yellow pasta which is dyed with saffron. This chapter also includes longer recipes with a simplistic view such as Quick Calabrian Lasagne. It's a great category for people who are diverse or who love pasta.
The next category is fresh fish and fowl but I think that is should have a more exquisite name for a category as this one contains quite a lot of rich and lavish recipes with a simple twist. There is lamb chops with chilli, mint and golden potatoes, Butterflied leg of lamb with bay and balsamic vinegar, Pork chops with Parma ham and Oregano, These are mainly on the series that goes along with the book but there's even a recipe for an italian inspired stew for when it get's a bit chillier or when you need some comforting food!
This brings us along to vegetables and sides which may sound bland and unentertaining but when you turn the page into this section it is an absolute surprise. The first recipe that comes up is baby Aubergines with oregano and red onions which doesn't sound great but the contrast between textures and colours just on the picture at the side of the recipe are a masterpiece. The red onions have been steeped therefore the colour of them has been intensified. This a recipe which again is on the series as Nigella explains on the show how to lose the acrid burn after taste of raw onions. This chapter also contains peas with pancetta which could be a luxurious side to any meal or could be added to pasta dishes for children. There is also a recipe for cherry tomatoes with olives which is pretty much a good side for anything or could be added to a sort of antipasti. There is also Tuscan fries which are fresh homemade chips with an Italian twist of garlic and herbs fried along with the chips. Sounds delicious.
The penultimate chapter is Sweet Things. This is where you instantly salivate just reading the chapter and instantly want to make everything... Well that's what I'm like except I don't have kitchen scales so I don't. There is a varied amount of sweet things within this chapter such as Chocolate Olive Oil Cake which is gluten and dairy free which caters for coeliacs, wheat allergic people and lactose intolerants such as myself. Chocolate cake without being naughty and containing lactose is an amazing yes in my opinion. There is also a Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake which is very simple to make as most of the ingredients only need a whip up or a stir and they mainly come from jars and packets making it easier on us all... There is a few full on Italian dishes such as Tiramisini which is a quicker version of Tiramisu which mean you can eat Tiramisu without waiting a lot of time for it to chill. There is also Yoghurt Pot Cake (the Italian term for it is Ciambella) as all the measurements are via a yoghurt pot which I am considering making at some point. It's easy and pretty simple and can be served us a cake to serve to the family or something to eat the day after for breakfast if there is any left!
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| Tiramisini |
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| Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake |
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| Chocolate Olive Oil Cake |
I would give this book a 10/10. Wow, that is a first! This book is absolutely amazing! The photos look pretty damn amazing and the cooking style is very simple. I love simple Italian food so being able to cook it is perfect in my eyes and I also love Nigella for being simple recipes. If you're not a big fan of Italian food then you'll still like this book but some Italian purists may not. I do have to admit that the title of the recipes font colour does sometimes make them hard to read.
Simply Nigella is coming out in October and I can not wait to read it and watch the show that goes along with it especially as it's food that helps the mind and soul. The book shall be out and probably in Waterstones and other places on October 8th (I rhink?, please don't hold me to that.) There are some great recipes that are simple and amazing so watch out for that.
If you're in Leeds at any point then I urge you to check out Waterstones as it's a grand building which has 3 floors of books so if you love books then it's heaven for you. There's also a cafe if you want to relax and all of the staff there are friendly and sweet! The store holds quite a lot of book signings and such so go in and have a look!
I hope that you have enjoyed me rambling about food in a book. I hope that you have enjoyed this review of Nigellissima. Do you like the sound of any of the recipes mentioned? Have you been into Waterstones in Leeds before? Let me know down below! I shall see you next time for another blog post!
Video: https://youtu.be/GZQjOyJ3o-g
Buy Books Here: http://bit.ly/1ANyO6y
Waterstones Leeds Twitter: http://bit.ly/1ThOvg6
Nigella's Website for Recipes: http://bit.ly/1DAqiA1
Nigella's Twitter To Keep Up To Date: http://bit.ly/1f25ci2
Meow!
Jamie x
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