Oh, boy, what a ringing endorsement! Can you give a more specific example? I’m really curious now. We’ve had a few people consistently nominating this book for quite a while now. I’m hoping some of them have actually cooked from it and can chime in. Is it really annoying?
1 Like
OK, just looking through the recipes on EYB. I mean, there is the whole anchovy chapter. And then the first recipe after all the anchovy ones calls for banana peel. In a curry. I have actually cooked with banana peel. Once. Haven’t felt the need to repeat.
2 Likes
Yikes. I was all for this book until I read this thread.
You nail it with your subsequent post. Banana peel, FFS.
1 Like
While you’re in a voting mood, visit the BCOTM voting.
I find Nigella’s recent shows incredibly annoying, but her recipes to me are separate from that annoyance, and often successful and repeatable.
From Cook Eat Repeat I have the following bookmarked (have made the Fish Bharta several times already):
- Spaghetti with chard, chilli and anchovies
- Wide noodles with lamb shank in aromatic broth
- Gochujang pork noodles
- Fish finger bharta
- Spiced bulgur wheat with roast vegetables
- Linguine with wild garlic pesto and green beans
- House special slow-cooked peas
- Beetroot leaves with spaghetti
- Fennel gratin
- Crisp and creamy artichoke hearts
- Tuscan bean gratin
- No-churn cheesecake ice cream
2 Likes
I figured you had already cooked from it or at least read it. Haven’t you been nominating this book for months? You might have a look through the EYB recipe list (linked from title in OP). There are some recipes with simple ingredients. There is a lot of rhubarb. Which is fine, I like rhubarb, but I can’t get it this time of year. And a lot of the recipes call for “forced rhubarb” which I have never seen. Also not a very veg-friendly book (anchovies everywhere), but I can work around that. Anyway, not a book I would buy (I’m not a big Nigella fan even at her best), but there are multiple copies available at my local library. Hmmm… all the copies are available.
1 Like
I love anchovies. Kind of excited that there’s a whole chapter.
2 Likes
Nigella.com has 32 recipes from this book available. I really want to try the Chicken In A Pot with Lemon and Orzo but will probably have to wait several months until I don’t feel like I’m living in the bowels of hell to turn on the oven.
Here’s a direct link to the recipes. Only the ones with photos seem to actually be available.
2 Likes
Bear in mind, Lawson is British and primarily writing for a British audience. Forced rhubarb is common here. It’s big business in the north of England (mainly in Yorkshire which is the county next to mine). It’s rhubarb grown entirely in the dark so tender stalks are available early in the year.
3 Likes
Now I have to see this book! The other has a long hold list so I vote for Nigella, though I don’t eat anchovies or banana peels.
1 Like
A couple of months ago I requested that my library purchase I Dream of Dinner because it was showing potential as a COTM. I received it two days ago, and it’s much more than I expected. The concept isn’t new (minimal ingredients for maximum flavor), but I think some of her approaches and methods are. There’s a lot of room to expand or improve recipes just because you have the time and ingredients to tweak something – basically it’s full of ideas to either build off of or make as-is. Last night, for example, a recipe for cauliflower with harissa and cream caught my eye. I had cream to use up and plenty of everything else. I tweaked a bit and got a great dish that the family loved but I never would have come up with otherwise.
Anyway … that’s me making the case for the one book that I have in my possession.
About that cauliflower: it’s at least the second time I’ve bought cauliflower to make the turmeric-pickled version from Flavors of the Sun but got distracted by another idea.
5 Likes
Yeah, I DREAM OF DINNER is a super exciting book. I’d love to cook from it together. I am a Nigella fan, but we’ve done several of her books, which isn’t to say we can’t do another one, but I’m just not as excited about it currently.
1 Like
I also put I Dream of Dinner on my iPad when it looked likely to become COTM. I haven’t made anything yet, but I agree that there are a a lot of good ideas in there.
In addition to many of the dishes Saregama has bookmarked in ‘Cook, Eat, Repeat’, here are a few I’m considering:
- Anchovy Elixir, which is a versatile sauce, dip, or dressing
- Pasta with Clams and Bottarga
- Burnt Onion and Eggplant Dip
- Short Rib Stew
- Oxtail Bourguignon
- Blood Sausage Meatballs
- Chicken with Garlic Cream Sauce
- One-Pan Chicken with Apricot Harissa and Sweet Potatoes
- Brown Butter Colcannon
- Butternut with Beet, Chili and Ginger Sauce
- Rice Pudding Cake
- Pomegranate-Poached Quinces
- Green Mean, Dirty Martini
2 Likes
I tried to look up her book sales (without success), but I think it’s safe to say she’s a global food celebrity.
2 Likes
Definitely. Her books are popular in the US. Which is why my library has multiple copies of this one.
I haven’t watched many of Nigella’s shows, to tell the truth. I have BritBox, so I currently have access to Nigellissima, and I thought it was OK. For whatever reason, I’m not as annoyed by her as some people are, but don’t get me started on Rachel Ray. 
1 Like
This banana peel curry in ‘Cook, Eat, Repeat’ is totally gratuitous. I’ve read the comments on NYT. I’m not even tempted.
