Being Nigella

Domestic goddess, me?

[beingnigella]

Beautiful Shortbread

As a child I was lucky enough to have a Grandparent living with me. My Scottish Grandfather. He was beautiful, elegant, funny, and ever so slightly deaf, which he regularly used to his advantage. When ladies from the Derby and Joan Club telephoned, he would politely let them speak, pull the telephone away from his ear and shout, ‘I’m really sorry, I cannae hear a word you’re saying’, place the…

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Goan Fish Curry

Did you know there are some people in the world that have NEVER eaten a fish curry?  I know, I, too, am flabbergasted. Fish curry, for those of you uninitiated in the experience, is one of the most delightful curries you will ever devour.  Providing, of course, you love a curry and are partial to fish.  I have noticed, coming from a fishing family, that those who have not been lucky enough to…

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Bottled Water

We keep bottles of distilled water in the fridge.  The bottles are beautiful, flip top ones, bought from a well known Swedish retailers (Ikea) and make that glorious ‘glop’ sound when popped.  Recently, and by recently I mean in the last 18 months or so, which I realise to someone relatively new to life may seem a long time ago, but to me feels like a mere drop in the ocean of life, the fridge…

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Hedgehog Potatoes

I am a self confessed lover of potatoes.  They are, in my humble opinion, one of the most diverse vegetables to cook with, and always taste delicious.  Especially when you find a different way to cook them.  Enter the hedgehog potato. This simple twist on a baked potato has just found it’s way onto my top ten cooking list. They look beautiful, need hardly any attention, and taste absolutely…

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Duck Eggs

Duck eggs are absolutely beautiful.  They have this almost translucent shell which looks so fragile and yet is very tough.  Harder to crack, I think, than a hen’s egg.  Moreover, they have an elegance to them which is captivating.  Rather like the difference between DIY store and Farrow & Ball paint.  And, being that little bit larger than a hen’s egg, they fit into the palm of my hand…

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February 29th

I am very old school when it comes to the seasons.  For me, the various equinoxes dictate when the following season begins, so although tomorrow is the beginning of March, and meteorologically is the start of Spring, I am not even entertaining the idea that Spring is upon us until at least March 20th. That said, nothing trumpets that Spring is round the corner quite like the daffodil. It’s…

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Rainbow Cake

It has been another one of those unexpectedly busy weeks where, despite trying to do very little above and beyond what was necessary, the hours have flown by at a very alarming rate. The week started with us making a rainbow cake.  As some of you may recall, the wee boy has been talking about this for quite a while now and I had promised him, in the half term holidays, that we would give it a go,…

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Onion Bhaji

We are all brought up with different ‘staples’ in our diet.  Indian food was never a staple for us, more a take away treat, like many children of my era.  However, as a nation, we seem to have completely embraced the delicately spiced nuances which are associated with asian cooking, although I would suggest that, in the main, it is still experienced via the restaurant or take away.  And I include…

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Mushy Peas on Toast

Mushy Peas on Toast

Before you say anything, try it.  I know it looks decidedly vibrant and slightly unctuous, but you have to trust me when I say that warmed, tinned mushy peas on toast with a sprinkling of black pepper and a drizzle of mint sauce is one of the most comforting foods you could possibly wish to eat. Obviously this comes with the caveat that you must love all the various ingredients in order to even…

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Yorkshire Pudding

One of our weekend family favourites, especially in the winter months, is Yorkshire Pudding.  There is a light, crisp warmth to it that, if food could speak, would say, family.  Not just my family, but many families.  Partly, I think, because it is a shared dish, but partly because there is something synonymous with the anticipation of sitting around the table awaiting Sunday dinner, invariably…

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Ice Cream

See these cream clouds of fluffy ice?  I made them.  Well, to be honest it was the ice cream maker (bought for us by some of our favourite people) that did the hard work, I just threw all the ingredients together with an insouciant flair. *takes small bow* The thing to remember about making ice cream is that you need time and patience.   You cannot start the process in the morning and expect it…

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Butterfly Buns

This weekend I made a decision to bake.  Partly because I have fond memories of winter weekend baking afternoons and partly because the wee boy is quite keen to make a rainbow cake – having watched a youTube video of it endless times – so feel I’d better get the practise in before attempting said cake.  I have until February half term, which is when I have promised we will try it. Meanwhile, I am…

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Winter Warmer

One of the many wonderful things about having a dog, and there are many, is the excuse it provides for the whole family to don wellington boots and partake in a Sunday constitutional. Of course there is a small amount of mental preparation that goes on prior to said constitutional consisting mainly of me talking about us all going on a walk together, for at least 24 hours beforehand.  This…

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Huevos Rancheros

This, my friends, is my new breakfast obsession.  Simple, refreshing, apparently very good for a hangover, and an absolute doddle to make. However… Before anyone starts jumping on my case blithering on about how this is not a traditional recipe and really you should be using blah blah blah cheese etc. etc. etc. as they have done with Jamie Oliver, may I remind you of two things. Thing 1.  All the…

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Gingerbread

This is one of the most delicious gingerbread experiences you will ever have.  It is moist but not soggy, gloriously gingery but not overpowering, and has a dark alluring stickiness that is simply more-ish.  So however restrained you think you may be, you will always at least consider that one piece was just not enough. Of course it isn’t my recipe but that of the lady herself, Ms Lawson. …

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Waffles

Guess what I got for Christmas?  And what a piece of glory and wonder it is.  A fabulous, on the hob, no nonsense, edible heart maker.  Otherwise known as a waffle iron. So himself and I, whilst others may have begun the arduous task of stuffing birds, rolling flesh and peeling for all they’re worth, spent Christmas morning endlessly scraping waffle mixture from very irritating metal peaks, until…

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Bramble & Blueberry Jam 

   The most amazing thing happened the other day.  Well, let’s put this slightly into context.  Amazing for an inner city jam lover.  Not so blow me down with a feather incredible for those of you who live in villages or small towns, but anyway… Our jam supply has finally run out, and although I had bought a jar of cherry jam recently, that, too, was rather deplete.   Now the thing with a jam…

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