49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
Super Christmas Present, at RRP, from Amazon
a SIGNED copy.
'This is, as the title makes clear, a book about fast food, but it is a book about fast food for those who love eating. Perhaps that's self-evident: How could I write any other sort? .......
But, here's the problem: the day doesn't have enough gaps in it for me to do much shopping and the evening - what with the battles over homework,...
95 of 120 people found the following review helpful:
Views from a half arsed cook
A misssed opportunity. I think that this book demonstrates Nigella's complete lack of awareness of the pressure of most people's daily and working lives. Many of the recipies are lovely and probably very time saving if you happen to live in palatial surroundings in central London and are married to one of the richest men in the UK. If however like me you are staggering...
'This is, as the title makes clear, a book about fast food, but it is a book about fast food for those who love eating. Perhaps that's self-evident: How could I write any other sort? .......
But, here's the problem: the day doesn't have enough gaps in it for me to do much shopping and the evening - what with the battles over homework, the still unchecked-off list of things I was meant to do, the calls I was supposed to return - doesn't yield much time to cook. But I must eat, and I must eat well - or else what is the point of it all?.......
I could go on, but in the interest of brevity and the `Express' spirit, it seems only right to cut straight to the chase.
The recipes that follow are not simply quick to cook, they attempt to make the whole of your cooking life - and as a consequence, all of your life - easier.
They are arranged in chapters, but please don't feel confined by these.
Read, browse, sample, fiddle about as you see fit.
As in cooking, so in life: we muddle through as best as we can and this is what `Nigella Express' is all about.
Good Food Fast.....'
Nigella is the author of a number of best-selling books....but this is, arguably, her best to date. In it you will find the likes of everyday favourite recipes, such as `High-Speed Hamburger with Fast Fries', `Quick Chilli`, `Macaroni Cheese', `Butterfly Cakes' and `Roly Poly Pudding', mingling with the lesser well-known, but intriguing:-`Red Prawn and Mango Curry', `Green Apple Martini', `Red-Leaf, Fig and Serrano Ham Salad', `Chopped Ceviche and Mexicola', `Roquamole' and `Hokey Pokey'.
Launched to coincide with her latest BBC TV series, this chunky tome has 390 high quality pages, split over 13 chapters:-
(1) Everyday Easy - speedy suppers, day in, day out
(2) Workday Winners - weekday entertaining made easy
(3) Retro Rapido - time-warp favourites given the express twist
(4) Get Up and Go - breakfast at breakneck speed
(5) Quick Quick Slow - prepare ahead to save time later
(6) Against the Clock - no time? No problem
(7) Instant Calmer - super fast soul food
(8) Razzle Dazzle - give a party pronto
(9) Speedy Gonzales - Mexican-inspired moments
(10) On the Run - food for eating on the hoof, packed lunches and picnics
(11) Hey Presto - instant Italian
(12) Holiday Snaps - Christmas quickies
(13) Storecupboard SOS - how to cope when there's no time to go shopping
sandwiched between an introduction and a full index.
Handy ribbon bookmark.
Each chapter opens with the famous Nigella banter, as does each recipe, e.g. :-
'Lamb Olive and Caramelized Onion Tagine
Nearly all stews start with chopped onion. Here is the lazy person's version, which uses some caramelised onion out of a jar instead..........
And I add to the desirable idleness by not even searing the meat. I just tip everything into a big pan and let it do its own sweet thing without any interference from me.
I don't actually cook this recipe in 'a tagine' - though often serve it in one - but ever since someone told me that in Morocco most tagines are made in pressure cookers, I have felt unembarrassed by calling something cooked in a pan - 'a tagine'.
The recipes are clearly laid out with the list of ingredients, an easy to follow numbered method and the number of servings and, if applicable - notes on accompaniments and/or a footnote.
Mouth-watering full colour photography throughout.
A very small taste of the other recipes contained within:-
Anglo-Asian Lamb Salad
Mustard Pork Chops
Rapid Ragu
Naan Pizza
Caramel Croissant Pudding
Potato and Mushroom Gratin
Eton Mess
Cheese Fondue
Crepes Suzette
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Go Get 'Em Smoothie
Frittata Party!
Croque Monsieur Bake
Maple Chicken `N' Ribs
Gravlax Sashimi
Irish Cream Tiramisu
Totally Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sweetcorn Chowder with Toasted Tortillas
Amaretto Syllabub
Holiday Hot Cake with Eggnog Cream
Hot Toddy
Curry in a Hurry
and
Instant Chocolate Mousse - (see above image) - a shockingly easy recipe which is simply delicious...don't forget some white chocolate shavings on the top!
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'This is, as the title makes clear, a book about fast food, but it is a book about fast food for those who love eating. Perhaps that's self-evident: How could I write any other sort? .......
But, here's the problem: the day doesn't have enough gaps in it for me to do much shopping and the evening - what with the battles over homework, the still unchecked-off list of things I was meant to do, the calls I was supposed to return - doesn't yield much time to cook. But I must eat, and I must eat well - or else what is the point of it all?.......
I could go on, but in the interest of brevity and the 'Express' spirit, it seems only right to cut straight to the chase.
The recipes that follow are not simply quick to cook, they attempt to make the whole of your cooking life - and as a consequence, all of your life - easier.
They are arranged in chapters, but please don't feel confined by these.
Read, browse, sample, fiddle about as you see fit.
As in cooking, so in life: we muddle through as best as we can and this is what `Nigella Express' is all about.
Good Food Fast.....'
Nigella is the author of a number of best-selling books....but this is, arguably, her best to date. In it you will find the likes of everyday favourite recipes, such as `High-Speed Hamburger with Fast Fries', 'Quick Chilli', 'Macaroni Cheese', 'Butterfly Cakes' and 'Roly Poly Pudding', mingling with the perhaps lesser well-known, but nevertheless intriguing:-'Red Prawn and Mango Curry', 'Green Apple Martini', 'Red-Leaf, Fig and Serrano Ham Salad', 'Chopped Ceviche and Mexicola', 'Roquamole' and 'Hokey Pokey'.
Launched to coincide with her latest BBC TV series, this chunky tome has 390 high quality pages, split over 13 chapters:-
(1) Everyday Easy - speedy suppers, day in, day out
(2) Workday Winners - weekday entertaining made easy
(3) Retro Rapido - time-warp favourites given the express twist
(4) Get Up and Go - breakfast at breakneck speed
(5) Quick Quick Slow - prepare ahead to save time later
(6) Against the Clock - no time? No problem
(7) Instant Calmer - super fast soul food
(8) Razzle Dazzle - give a party pronto
(9) Speedy Gonzales - Mexican-inspired moments
(10) On the Run - food for eating on the hoof, packed lunches and picnics
(11) Hey Presto - instant Italian
(12) Holiday Snaps - Christmas quickies
(13) Storecupboard SOS - how to cope when there's no time to go shopping
sandwiched between an introduction and a full index.
Handy ribbon bookmark.
Each chapter opens with the famous Nigella banter, as does each recipe, e.g. :-
'Lamb Olive and Caramelized Onion Tagine'
'Nearly all stews start with chopped onion.
Here is the lazy person's version, which uses some caramelised onion out of a jar instead..........And I add to the desirable idleness by not even searing the meat. I just tip everything into a big pan and let it do its own sweet thing without any interference from me.
'I don't actually cook this recipe in 'a tagine' - though often serve it in one Le Creuset Tagine, Cerise- but ever since someone told me that in Morocco most tagines are made in pressure cookers, I have felt unembarrassed by calling something cooked in a pan - 'a tagine'.
The recipes are clearly laid out with the list of ingredients, an easy to follow numbered method and the number of servings and, if applicable - notes on accompaniments and/or a footnote.
Mouth-watering full colour photography throughout.
A very small taste of the other recipes contained within:-
Anglo-Asian Lamb Salad
Mustard Pork Chops
Rapid Ragu
Naan Pizza
Caramel Croissant Pudding
Potato and Mushroom Gratin
Eton Mess
Cheese Fondue
Crepes Suzette
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Go Get 'Em Smoothie
Frittata Party!
Croque Monsieur Bake
Maple Chicken `N' Ribs
Gravlax Sashimi
Irish Cream Tiramisu
Totally Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sweetcorn Chowder with Toasted Tortillas
Amaretto Syllabub
Holiday Hot Cake with Eggnog Cream
Hot Toddy
Curry in a Hurry
and .....not forgetting MY FAVOURITE:-
Instant Chocolate Mousse - (please see above image) - a shockingly easy recipe which is simply delicious - but I do add some white chocolate shavings on the top of mine!
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I am a huge fan of cooking and I'm at my happiest when I am in the kitchen, whizzing up gourmet meals for ten dinner guests. However, I also have a toddler, baby and husband to feed every evening. Not only is time precious, but the food has to be tasty to be accepted!
Cue Nigella Express.
I have made dozens of recipes from this book and so far every single one of them has worked, and has been praised and revered by all who have sampled them. The Tiramisu is one of the best I have ever eaten, and it's one of my favourite desserts. The black beans with tuna is to die for, as are the chickpeas with rocket and sherry. I have to admit that my husband and toddler looked at me like I'd gone mad when I presented them with a bowl of chickpeas for dinner. But ten minutes, and two full bellies later, they admitted that it was stunningly good.
Fab, fab, fab is all I can say. Don't even think about not buying it!!!
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We all adore (or want to be) Nigella in our house! We love time spent fiddling around with a zillion ingredients, gallons of cream and a dozen eggs BUT this is fabulous too!!
I have two children who love tasty food (who doesn't?) and I needed some new ideas for quick meals! You will find plenty of them in this book and your kids will love trying out some new flavours!! Popular with my two are the white bean mash, chicken schnitzel with bacon and green eggs and ham (frequently accompanied by the Dr Seuss story of the same name!).
Don't be put off by the "Express" element of the title! This is a great book with just enough Nigella chat to also make it a good read when you're not cooking.
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Yet another fantastic book from Nigella! Apart from the beautiful grey/pink presentation complete with retro pictures, the actual content is superb! It is different from her previous books in the way that the friendly chat she introduces each recipe with is cut down considerably. So although you still have a comforting narrative to guide you through each recipe, it's short and sweet and cuts to the chase. Also, in keeping with the 'express' theme, there is a recipe per page with bullet point methods. This makes it particularly easy to read when in a hurry. There are beautiful photos to drool over too!
I am very impressed with this latest book of Nigella's. I always thought 'Feast' would be incredibly hard to beat in all aspects. And although 'Express' deals with a different type of cooking, it is just as good and definitely up to the very high standard she has set for herself.
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My husband and I love to cook, but with two kids and both working full-time, we either end up using convenience foods or not eating until about 9 o'clock if we want to make something tasty - by which time we're falling asleep in our dinner.
I bought this book on the strength of just the first episode of Nigella's series and I was not dissapointed with the other recipes!
I'm not too impressed with the chapters as it doesn't make it particularly easy to search by ingredient or food type but the recipes are quick, easy and tasty.
I made the chilli recipe for all the adult guests at my son's 3rd birthday party and they were all suitably impressed - it's fantastic...but simple!
I wouldn't be without this book now - I even photocopied some of the recipes when I went on a self-catering holiday to Portugal.
A must buy for busy people who love food!
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I was wary of buying this. How many Nigella cookery books does one need? (I have them all.) But this is brilliant. Because they're all quick recipes, you know you can just read them before making and won't get to the end of the recipe and find it says "best made 24 hours before eating". Some of the recipes aren't super healthy, but if you like to eat healthily just avoid them. I've heard some (the croissant pudding) don't work, but all the ones I've tried have. There's a superb smoked trout pate recipe in there, ditto mirin glazed salmon that I've made many times. And a lovely loaf recipe that's wholesome, uses yeast but involves no proving. Genius! I really recommend this book to everyone, but especially those with little time on their hands as this is fab, fast, food.
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A misssed opportunity. I think that this book demonstrates Nigella's complete lack of awareness of the pressure of most people's daily and working lives. Many of the recipies are lovely and probably very time saving if you happen to live in palatial surroundings in central London and are married to one of the richest men in the UK. If however like me you are staggering through daily life and the thought of entertaining people on a Wednesday night would make you reach for the machete then this is not the book for you. I feel that this book was a missed opportunity - there are plenty of inspired time saving recipies out there (I know, I have nicked them all from my mother!). Nigella has made the mistake of assuming that her readers share her rarefied world and her budget - is it really helpful to suggest that you too can save time when providing a feast for friends by going to your local deli and spending hundreds of pounds? More emphasis on quick meals using store cupboard faithfuls would have made far more impact on my domestic routine.
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One word describes this book for me...YUM. From the gorgeous design to the mouth-watering photos to the chatty style of Nigella Lawson's writing...this is a book to sit and read for pleasure, as much as it is a 'recipe book' to be instructed by.
There are thirteen sections to the book, with chapters covering speedy entertaining, breakfast in a hurry, superfast soul food, instant Italian etc. There's a good range of recipes with starters, snacks, drinks and puddings all getting plentiful coverage. (The desserts - including Irish Cream Tiramisu, Totally Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies, Ginger Passionfruit Trifle and many more make this book worth the cover price alone!)
The one thing I'm not keen on is the occasional snap of Nigella in her pjs but I'm still going to give it five stars. Delicious!
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Simply the best of the September 2007 launch of cookbooks - like the tv progs - too many and some not as good others!
Like the lady herself, a classy publication which does take shortcuts and yes we know she likes Le Cruset cast iron and shops in Waitrose - loads of money, me dear! Who can blame?
Love the pantry shelf - bigger than my study at home, but who am I to dictate - that is her priority - fishing is mine!
Instant Chocolate Mousse - an egg-free recipe to die for!
John Chipperfield, Yorks. 09/12
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