Nigellissima - Third Helpings!

Here is a bumper  round up post for my cooking from Nigellissima, that I’ve not blogged so far.  Been a while since Nigellissima by Nigella Lawson published by  Chatto & Windus 2012 came out.  Whilst it isn't my very favourite book of hers, we have eaten a number of good meals from it.   As an aside I am so looking forward to her new book Simply Nigella due out October 2015! Not long to wait now….   Roll on October…..

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

I first ate this cake at my friend Anna’s house. It was really good. I then made it myself, but I used too strong an olive oil and it was ok-ish, but you could taste the olive oil.  Still my friend’s cake was great, so it has potential with the right oil!

Italian Roast Chicken with Peppers and Olives

This was good, lovely Summery roast.

Vanilla Mousse with Berries and Pistachios

A nice simple pudding for when the berries are perfect.

Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Marsala and Mascarpone

I used spaghetti as we as a family aren’t that keen on Fettuccine. A rich vegetarian pasta.

Instant Chocolate-Orange Mousse

I halved this recipe, and it worked out just fine.  Chocolate and orange is one of my very favourite flavour pairings.

Chicken with Tomatoes and Peppers

I pepped this one up with some olives, bit of pancetta or bacon would have been good too.

Figs with Honey-Cream & Pistachios

I don’t think the figs I had were up to much to begin with, so even sweet cream wasn’t enough to perk them up.  However if you have some great fresh figs go for it.  I’d double the sauce.

Mock Mash

I was in two minds if or not I’d post this one, as if I really don’t like a recipe my usual stand is just not to post it.  Quite simply awful! Waste of good ingredients! At least to our tastes anyhow.  I’d imagine this is a marmite recipe love it or hate it, no middle ground.   

One-Step No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream

Amazing! Make it soon….

Mountain Macaroni

I’ll come clean and tell you that although this is a pasta and potato recipe, I dispensed with the potatoes. The reason for doing this was twofold. One although it was a cold, cold Winter’s night when I made it, I’d not been skiing or clearing snow, so didn’t need the double carb hit, and secondly my daughter would not have eaten the pasta if she found a potato bit in it, and as it was she ate it happily!  Still, it was comforting and delicious, so result.

Peas with Pancetta

Can’t go wrong with this one, peas, bacon, mint, wine, garlic…

Pasta with Courgettes

I made half of this recipe one lunch time for just me, I really liked it, but I love courgettes, alas my family don’t.  Going to add in some cream or crème fraiche next time, just a touch. 



Second Helpings from Nigellissima

Cappuccino Pavlova

It’s been a while now since I did my first post about Nigellissima Instant Italian Inspiration by Nigella Lawson 2012, but I’ve been cooking steadily from it so here is a second helping.

I was so happy last month when a friend who was going to one of Nigella's book signings offered to get a signed one for me. Thanks again, you know who you are!

Beef Pizzaiola

I made this one Sunday night for hubby and myself, it’s easy and delicious. Beef with pizza style sauce.

Farro Risotto with Mushrooms

Farro is worth picking up if you see some, it has a nutty deeply savoury taste that I just loved. This was my first time cooking farro, but not the last. Maybe in time it will become more easily available.

Pasta Risotto with Peas and Pancetta

A really fast weeknight supper this one, I’ve made this a good few times now, but always with chicken stock instead of water.

Iced Berries with Limoncello White Chocolate Sauce

Boozey, creamy and not overly sweet, very pretty too.

Green Beans with Pistachio Pesto

What a delightful combination this is, a special way with green beans.

Cappuccino Pavlova

This was a good pavlova, a bit different with the coffee and no fruit. I used grated chocolate instead of cocoa powder for the top. I used decaf, and we thought it worked well.

Romanesco with Rosemary, Garlic, Lemon and Peccorrino

Another new edible here for me, I happened upon romanesco at a deli not so far from me, and I’m so glad I bought some. It seems to take the best parts of broccoli and cauliflower together and it’s a great vegetable. Of course it’s stunning good looks helps too! Another lovely veggie dish from Nigella.

Chocolate Nougat Cookies

Now, Nigella suggests to use nougat or white chocolate chips for the add-ins to these chocolate cookies. I couldn’t decide, so used half of each. These were yummy. The nougat goes crispy.

Chocolate Salame

I like refrigerator cakes, and also chocolate salamis. I’ve tried a number of chocolate salami recipes, but this one is easily the nicest I’ve made. It positively melts in the mouth with a warm cup of coffee. On the Nigellissima Christmas Special the bit at the end shows Nigella with a fit of the giggles when making this, there is something comical about shaping it, I was giggling too! This one has raw eggs in it, so do be aware of that.

Italian Christmas Pudding Cake

This one is like a trifle in cake form. I had the Tuaca (plus Marsala) suggested for the recipe, and a lovely liqueur it is too. I didn’t use the Italian breads suggested, as they are both yeasted (I’m allergic to yeast) so used a light vanilla cake instead. I forgot to remove some of the creamy mixture for the top layer before folding in the bits and pieces (duh!), so sprinkled the top with chocolate flakes instead of more chocolate chips. Also I had a couple of candied chestnuts left so sprinkled them over as well.

Well this is my last post for 2012, this year has had many ups and downs for so many people, me included, so here’s to an even better 2013. Happy New Year.

Next Up: Pig Cooking with a Passion For Pork by Johnnie Mountain

Nigellissima, Review and First Makes

Being a big Nigella fan I was very happy when I had my copy of Nigellissima Instant Italian Inspiration by Nigella Lawson Chatto & Windus 2012 in my hands.

It is a relatively slim book for Nigella, but as she says in the introduction there are lots of her Italian recipes in her other books, and this book is full of new recipes. Chapters are: *Introduction* Pasta* Flesh, Fish & Fowl* Vegetables & Sides* Sweet Things* An Italian Inspired Christmas* Notes*. The notes one at the end gives make ahead and leftovers advice for some of the recipes, where this is appropriate.

The photography is stunning and Petrina Tinslay needs a mention here as she manages that hard to capture thing where the food photography is both something that you would like to cook and eat; but somehow art at the same time (David Loftus is another star at this). The recipes are easy to follow and well laid out, all preceded by chatty introductions from Nigella.

You can feel Nigella’s love for Italy in her words, and it is a book that inspires you to the cooker. The only thing I don’t like about this book is the weird cover. When I think of Italian food nowadays I imagine a cornucopia of good things or a fantastic beautiful and great tasting ingredient. This cover doesn’t sit well with that image for me, but hey ho. There are a good number of pasta dishes, but there is a lot more besides. I particularly like the Italian-Inspired Christmas chapter, which is full of good things.

It is Italian inspired though, so don’t be expecting a book of truly authentic Italian Mama’s recipes. I’m not as hung up on authenticity as some are. My base point is I like to know what is actually authentic about cuisines that are not my own; but I tend to then alter them to what I like and my own family will eat anyway, - is that not just what Nigella has done here? If the results are as good as the prawn pasta rose and nutella cheesecake below – I can cope with a bit of inauthenticity!

So how about a little taster of the recipes? Tortelloni Minestrone, Pasta Risotto with Peas & Pancetta, Farro Risotto with Mushrooms, Italian Roast Chicken with Peppers and Olives, Beef Pizzaioli, Tagliata for Two, Iced Berries with Limoncello White Chocolate Sauce, Romanesco with Rosemary, Garlic, Lemon and Peccorino, Chocolate Nougat Cookies, Chocolate Salame, Cappuccino Pavlova and an Italian Christmas Pudding Cake.

My friend Anna G has also had great success with the Chocolate Olive Oil Cake, so it is now also on my long list of to-makes as well. Here are the dishes I’ve cooked so far:

Chilli Crab Risotto

There are a number of risottos in Nigellissima, but this is the only rice one. It’s light, delicious and very filling.

Vanilla Panna Cotta

Silence reigned when I put this one out, and I’m not surprised it was a perfect panna cotta. Rich, dreamy, and vanilla scented. Nigella has three panna cottas in the book - this one, a Nutella one and a coffee one – we will try them all eventually.

The strawberries here have a teensy bit of balsamic vinegar added. I bought a high end bottle of balsamic last time I was in Valvona and Carolla in Edinburgh, and it added a pleasant depth to the berries. You do need a good vinegar though, because I have tried this berry / balsamic thing with cheaper vinegar and it just doesn’t do.

Meatzza

This is meatloaf by another name. It was ok, needed a bit of help I thought, maybe some crispy bacon through the base and olives on top. This is the only recipe here I wouldn’t try again.

Tiramisini

A cheeky little tiramisu, made in moments. I halved the recipe to make just two. Although I do think hubby felt a bit robbed that there wasn’t a big dish to have seconds from!

Cherry Tomatoes with Olives

Gosh, this was so good, simple and not for children (alcohol), but hubby and I had this as a side dish and little one had just tomatoes and olives, so that worked out well. It’s a simple dish, but very good.

Gnocchi Gratin

Unusual this one, but we all liked it, fastest potato gratin ever.

Prawn Pasta Rosa

We all loved this one, I changed the method slightly and added the chilli at the end after removing little ones portion so everyone was happy. Creamy tomato kissed pasta with prawns, yum yum. I’ve made twice now, once with the pasta suggested and once with spaghetti. Spaghetti gets our vote.

Sicilian Pasta with Tomatoes, Garlic and Almonds

I halved the anchovies here, and I really liked this alternative pesto. I’ll make it again just for me, I found it’s sweet – sour pull good. My little one took such an aversion to the telephone cord shaped pasta that she had to be bribed with pudding to eat it (well she couldn’t have just Nutella Cheesecake for tea!). I’ve heard before of children who will eat say spaghetti but not other shapes of pasta as it doesn’t taste the same, but so far I’d managed not to experience that first hand. I get off very lightly really!

Nutella Cheesecake

This is an amazing dessert, simple to pull together and so good to eat. As a general rule I like sweeter puddings than this, but the base is sweet and the filling not so much, together they are fabulous! If you like Ferrero Rocher give this one a go. I would have expected my daughter and myself to like it, but even hubby who would never eat Nutella normally, was won over by it too. This is the one I’m making to take to events this party season. You can find the recipe here.

Next Up: Under the Walnut Tree