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Summary: Comfort in the Kitchen
Review: In direct contrast to books that make you feel like there's only one way to cook, this one puts you at ease with the concept of cooking, and converses you through the recipes. The tone is warm and accessible, as the author assumes the results of your efforts will be enjoyed in the company of friends, loved ones, small children and good conversation.I'm already very comfortable in the kitchen and with improvisational recipes, but the book is so engaging and well-written, with just enough of a hip, British tone, that it makes the simple seem adventurous and the adventurous seem simple. It made me want to try every recipe. With great sections on basics (like stock, roast chicken, sweet pastry dough, vinaigrette, etc.), making ahead and feeding kids, the book has tons of recipes and organizational "tips" that help seamlessly integrate the life-affirming and theraputic act of cooking good food with the essential role of mealtime as part of a good life well-lived.
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Summary: A book within a cook book
Review: I would probably describe myself as a cook book collector, so I guess it makes sense that 'How to Eat' finally found its way into my life. I really love reading the book. I have learned heaps about how to enjoy cooking for myself and friends.
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Summary: you'll never need to buy another cookery book.....
Review: There simply aren't enough words to describe how good 'How to Eat' is. Possibly the best cookery book ever written, for fans of Lawson and newcomers alike, it provides a comprehensive and guide to everything you could ever hope to make in your kitchen - for experienced cooks and complete beginners, goldfish and llamas... Without being bossy in the Delia Smith sense, her recipies are detailed yet leave room for improvisation - and the introductory paragraphs to each chapter should be read for literary merit alone. Without meaning to sound too corny, you'll never need to buy another cookery book.
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Summary: INCORRECT RECIPES
Review: Several of the recipes do not work. I think they needed more thorough testing and that Nigella Lawson should stick to subjects she knows about - not cooking! What a rip off.
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Summary: An accessible treat for lovers of food.
Review: Whether you're looking to bone up on basics (perfect your roast chicken or bechamel for example) or discover something new (sole with chanterelles, or mascarpone, rum and lime cream perhaps), Lawson's unpretentious descriptions ("moussy calf's liver," "chickeny juices," "thick, squashy root vegetable stew") and self-effacing tone, ("When I cook with too much of an audience, I immediately worry about what'll happen if something goes wrong,") give you the feeling you're learning from another lover of food, a partner in kitchen crime. I love her short "discussions" before each selection of recipes, where she gives tips, anecdotes or simple memories about the recipes that follow. Grab a glass of wine and get your notebook (or post-its) ready before settling down with this one!
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Summary: Such a good read! Oh and you can cook from it too...
Review: As all the other reviews mention, the quality of Nigella's recipes are second to none. Excellent and so easy to follow that even the most recalcitrant entrant into the kitchen can seem like a domestic demi-god. What really makes this book the treasure it undoubtedly is, is the quality of the writing. It is possible to read this book like a work of vastly compelling fiction. Her excellent prose draws you in and even the most jaded cynic can find themself staying awake just 'a few minutes more' to read the next few pages. Essential for anyone even vaguely interested in food.
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Summary: My New Fave Cookbook
Review: Buy this book just for Nigella's endearing and entertaining voice, and then you'll be more than pleasantly surprised that it also contains fantastic recipes. She is so down-to-earth and witty about food that I've even considered making recipes that contain ingredients I don't like! If you are a rhubarb lover, don't even hesitate.
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Summary: Delectable dining ideas laid out step-by-step.
Review: Nigella Lawson is a British food writer, raconteur, and gourmet who writes and comments on food with an unrivaled wit and wisdom. In How To Eat: The Pleasures And Principles Of Good Food we are treated to a compendium of delicious recipes that would please any palate and satisfy any appetite. From LiAnna's Chickpea and Pasta Soup, Baked Spiced Aromatic Plums, and Risotto-Inspired Rice Pudding, to Bakewell Tart with Fresh Raspberries, Grilled Pepper Salad, and Vegetable Curry in Vegetable Sauce, these are novel and delectable dining ideas laid out step-by-step from carefully layed out from ingredient list to final preparation.
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Summary: Cooking for the soul
Review: I bought this book for its low-fat section (or "Temple Food", as the author calls it) and its warm, conversational tone. I've ended up cooking from all parts of it, whether I'm whipping together something after work for myself or a posh "impressing my friends" meal for six on a Saturday night. Although I've been a life-long fan of 'good food', this is the best book I've used for taking 'real life' - whether it's kids, work, diet or special occasions - into consideration. It's like cooking with a friend in the kitchen, and for a Londoner like me (where kitchens are too small to accomodate more than one person) that's a fine recommendation!
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Summary: Charming, Brilliantly Written, Perfect Title!
Review: Like so many, I was drawn into the Nigella cult by her TV show, "Nigella Bites". It is rare to find such a combination of keen, sharp intellect, sophisticated yet girlish sense of humor, and sheer camp sensibility on TV, let alone in the guise of an English woman who looks like a full-figured, slightly unkempt Elizabeth Hurley. But she COULDN'T write well too, could she? Oh yes. She does. "How to Eat" sets as its goal exactly what the title says: To suggest that our relationship with food can be healthy and rich, and that the act of cooking can be as enjoyable as the act of eating. To that end, she explores her own relationship with food, showing us how she feeds herself and her children, family and friends. She shares recipes that she associates fondly with her late sister (the book is dedicated to the memory of this sister and her mother, as well as to her children and now-deceased husband); she drops a hilarious anecdote of a Florence restaurant she went to both for the salsa verde and its typical clientele of drag queens; she writes passionately and intelligently about feeding children so that they learn to love good food and don't develop bad food habits. The recipes certainly reflect both her English heritage and her love of Italy, but she avoids true exotica in favor of cooking that is manageable by everyone. As befits a working journalist, she carefully cites sources for her recipes and suggests vendors of less-available ingredients. Her writing style is chatty, yet every word is carefully and exactly chosen. The recipes work well-- and she lets you know when amounts are instructions or mere suggestions. The menu ideas she offers are delightful; she sets forth two- and three-course meals (starter, entrée and dessert), then explains what makes them work together, and when necessary gives a timetable for preparation. This is a brilliant book, and immensely enjoyable to read. It's good literature as well as a good reference source. Nigella Lawson has added a thoughtful, entertaining volume to the cookbook shelf, and it's well worth owning.
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