Cookbook? Memoir? Food writing? Check, check, check. If you go into this book just looking to add a new cookbook to your collection, you might be disappointed with what you find because the beauty of this book is that you actually have to read it — or at least focus on a chapter that interests you and read that one.
Nigella Lawson has created something uniquely hers. Yes, the recipes look tasty (and I plan to recreate some of them in my kitchen) and the stories about her life and family are interesting, but it’s her focus on ingredients that really makes this special.
Nigella Lawsons’ passion is cooking. That’s very clear from her writing. But it’s also very clear that at the end of the day, writing down recipes in a book is her way to earn a paycheck. (And I’m not saying this is in a negative way.) The way she writes about the actual ingredients — and how to use them and respect them and to turn them into something magical in any number of different ways — strongly demonstrates her actual love of being in a kitchen and creating something delicious with whatever ingredient she’s handed. I feel lucky to have gotten a glimpse into her mind and how she approaches cooking.
Especially for those of us stuck inside for the last year due to Covid protocols who were doing a lot more cooking with potentially a lot fewer ingredients, this book reminded me about what I love about cooking and gave me some useful tips and inspiration besides.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.