365 Days of Nigella
374 recipes cooked; £6,100 (and rising) raised for FareShareUK; 1 Forever Family forged (2 dads, 3 kids, 2 dogs).
365 Days of Nigella has been devised, by me, to provide a much-needed escape from the worries of living with anxiety and the complexities they can bring to daily life. It’s a 365-day Nigella cookalong that will diversify our household palate and, at the same time, grant me the avenue to express my passion for food and write about the memories it can evoke. One of the best therapies for anxiety is to recall our feelings of love, positivity, serenity, and pleasure, and, for me, these are often - if not always – associated with food and cooking. And, of course, eating.
I define one day as one entry into this blog: it may comprise of multiple recipes, or a single recipe, but will feature my witterings of the day - at the time of posting. I aim to post every other day (3-4 times per week), so this journey will go on for considerably longer than a year - a realisation that makes me very happy indeed. The reason for not posting every day is that we do not waste food in this house and we will need the days between each cookalong to gladly enjoy leftovers.
A few pleasantries before we begin: I am not running for first place in a photo competition, and I am quite guilty of rather ignorantly throwing about punctuation, and for this (and my writing) I apologise. However, I don’t deny that there is great satisfaction to be had in capturing a dish in all its beauty. I don’t have any fancy equipment; just a phone, small windows, and a bread board and cheese board for a backdrop.
Above all, however, it’s a bit of fun and I would love for you to join me. Cooking is a joyous way to spread love and happiness and I hope you enjoy it as much as I am sure I will enjoy creating, writing and eating my way through this journey.
365 days of nigella on american radio!
My feature on American radio, NPR’s All Things Considered, WITH Nigella. Read on to listen!
365 days of nigella in the times
What I learnt from cooking Nigella Lawson’s recipes every day for a year - my interview with Clare Finney for The Times.
Day 364: my last cookalong
363 entries into this blog have been building up to this day: Day 364 is Nigella’s Ham in Coca Cola, Sweetcorn Pudding, South Beach Black Bean Soup and, to keep cool while cooking and provide dessert for afters, Watermelon Daiquiris.
Day 363: the elvis
Peanut butter, banana and toast meets hot, foaming pool of butter: Day 363 is Nigella’s Elvis Presley’s Fried Peanut-Butter and Banana Sandwich.
Day 317*: filling in the gap
Amidst the chaos, I somehow skipped a day, so I’m filling that gap and settling the debt with this luscious creamy, sprat-spiked chip gratin: Day 317 is Nigella’s Jansson’s Temptation.
Day 362: the perfect soundtrack
Paprika and sherry-spiked sauce-slicked (home-slow-cooked) chickpeas with sweet, briny clams: Day 362 is Nigella’s Chickpeas with Clams.
Day 360: fruit-studded tender comfort
Escaping a wintry England with a taste of the Moroccan sun: Day 360 is Nigella’s Slow-Cooker Moroccan Chicken Stew.
Day 359: home
Four P’s my kitchen is rarely without: Day 359 is Nigella’s Pasta with Pancetta, Parsley and Peppers.
Day 358: Sunday spectacular
A butter-drenched, crisp carapace encasing a warmly-spiced, fragrant centre of soft courgettes, chickpeas and rice: Day 358 is Nigella’s Courgette and Chickpea Filo Pie.
Day 357: the last taste of summer ‘22
The last taste of Summer ‘22: Day 357 is Nigella’s Apple and Blackberry Kuchen; using the sweetest, sun-soaked blackberries picked during a family holiday forage last year.
Day 356: universal soother
Broth: the universal soother. Day 356 is Nigella’s Aromatic Chilli Beef Noodle Soup.
Day 355: welcomed warmth
Exactly what we needed waiting for us as we walked in the house after a cold, wet and muddy afternoon out with the kids at a farm: Day 355 is Nigella’s Slow-Cooker Lamb and Pasta.
Day 354: a different kind of Sunday roast dinner
With thanks to two queens, last Sunday’s roast chicken dinner came in a different form: Day 354 is Nigella’s/Claudia Roden’s Tagliatelle with Chicken from the Venetian Ghetto.
Day 353: lunch in the sun
Sun-soaked joy: Day 353 is Sameen Rushdie’s Panchphoran Aloo, via Nigella’s How To Eat.
Day 352: parcel form
We took our pancakes for Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday today in parcel form: Day 352 is Nigella’s Cheese Blintzes.
Day 350: otherworldly
Dense, sticky, spicy and otherworldly squidgy: Day 350 is Nigella’s Luscious Vegan Gingerbread.
