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.
Day 89: a clumsy, but rewarding, bake
Despite being a bit of a klutz in the kitchen on Sunday (dropping a bag of flour, losing an egg, cutting myself, AND forgetting the vanilla), I am delighted with how this turned out. Day 89 is Nigella’s Yogurt Pot cake.
Day 88: warp-speed down memory lane
Exemplary of the evocative power of Cook Eat Repeat: Nigella’s Chicken with Garlic Cream Sauce.
Day 87: misconceptions gone
Thanks to Nigella’s Sweet and Sour Chicken (here with pork), gone are my misconceptions that sweet and sour only existed in the form of that unsettlingly radioactive-orange gloop from my uni days.
Day 86: what heaven is to me
I paced about the house with childish excitement, in anticipation of making (and eating) this. Day 86 is Nigella’s San Francisco Fish Stew.
Day 85: minestrone for the miles
Stopping halfway on our countryside walk to sip cold beers and slurp on cupfuls of Nigella’s Minestrone in Minutes bolstered waning legs and replenished energy levels with much needed carbohydrates for the uphill walk back.
Day 84: a bitter imposter
Despite being bitterly sieged by some horribly acrid shallots, I was so happy to finally make Nigella’s Golden Egg Curry. I had long-admired its concept and picture in At My Table and cannot wait to make it again.
Day 83: winding down
I (rather unnecessarily) got myself into a bit of a two and eight trying to get a photo of it, but the eating of it ensured rapid reversal of said emotional distress! Day 83 is Nigella’s Pollo Alla Cacciatora.
Day 82: divinely fragrant
What better welcome back to the kitchen could I have asked for than cooking Nigella’s divinely fragrant Tarragon Salmon! I used light-smoked salmon fillets and the first of the French Tarragon to come through in the garden.
Day 81: sweet memories
Everything about this sent me back to my childhood: Nigella’s Creme Caramel For One. Relief, comfort and sweet memories were found in the unmoulding and eating of this jiggly little custard pud.
Day 80: vinegar on your sunday dinner
Another party I arrive late to, but one I arrive very happy to. Day 80 is Nigella’s Salt and Vinegar Potatoes.
Day 79: springtime basking
A creamy, tang-spiked avocado dip, springtime sun and a jug of punch: the perfect ending to a lovely weekend. Day 79 is Nigella’s Roquamole.
Day 78: bliss
A little shot of bliss that has just completely transformed salad-eating in this house: Nigella’s Creamy Garlic and Anchovy Dressing.
Day 77: inviting comfort
Introduced (and pictured) so invitingly in Cook Eat Eat Repeat, Nigella’s Soupy Rice with Celeriac and Chestnuts is the pure essence of comfort: everything uniting to form one great big bowl of feel-good reassurance.
Day 76: a side of sunshine
The golden creaminess of Nigella’s Saffron Orzotto makes it a perfect side of sunshine; it smells divinely fragrant and I love the chewy bite of the saffron-stained barley grains and the salty sharpness of the parmesan.
Day 75: a prepping challenge
Despite an unforeseen squid disaster, Nigella’s Smoky Squid with Beans was a wonderful bowl of goodness! I look forward to making it again, and trying the mussel and/or clam and chickpea version in particular.
Day 74: carbonara day
I’ve never made a pasta sauce with raw eggs before, but I was very happy to do that today for the first time with Nigella’s Spaghetti Carbonara from How To Eat. And it was exceedingly good.
Day 73: a nigella easter: part 2
I might not have mastered that frilly edge yet but Nigella’s Sunken Chocolate Amaretto Cake made silent mouths and euphoric faces around our Easter table.
Day 72: a nigella easter: part 1
Our centrepiece for Easter this year was Nigella’s Herbed Leg of Lamb: beautifully tender and sweet with garden-fresh flavours from a herbily-fragrant verdant rub.
Day 71: unexpected woodsiness
A true homage to the colours, scents and flavours of autumn, but one I could (and indeed will) eat all year round: Nigella’s Chicken with Red Grapes and Marsala.
Day 70: a song of praise to springtime
A vibrant burst of Springtime colour: Nigella’s Asparagus, Radish and New Potato Salad: velvet-soft new potatoes, crunchy radishes and asparagus with bite, glossed in an aromatic, herb-laden dressing.