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 208: an essential duo
Key for the main event and essential for the many leftover-based feasts and sandwiches that follow: Day 208 is Nigella’s Redder than Red Cranberry and her Mother's Bread Sauce.
Day 207: merry christmas and happy holidays
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays with Day 207: Nigella’s Spruced-Up Vanilla Cake.
Day 206: festive exuberance
Fabulously festive and gorgeously short: Day 205 is Nigella’s Christmas Chocolate Biscuits.
Day 205: core-collapsing comfort
Core-collapsing comfort: Day 205 is Nigella’s Tuscan Bean Soup.
Day 204: refreshing winter eating
Most refreshing winter eating indeed: Day 204 is Nigella’s Hake with Bacon, Peas and Cider.
Day 202: Christmas spirit
Finally felt the Christmas spirit yesterday as we decorated the tree, pranced festively about the house to Christmas music and sipped through a vat of Nigella’s Mulled Cider.
Day 201: pillowy and crisp
A pillowy, crispy-shelled tray of happiness: Day 201 is Nigella’s Toad In The Hole.
Day 199: slick sprouts
A glorious bowl of green: Day 199 is Nigella’s Brussles Sprouts with Chestnuts, Pacnetta and Parsley.
Day 198: cheesy leeky heaven
Tubes of pasta nestled in a heavenly sauce of soft, sweet, squidgy leeks and tangy, salty cheese: Day 198 is Nigella’s Leek Pasta Bake.
Day 197: *exceedingly* good
Day 196 is Nigella’s No-Knead Black Bread. And it is exceedingly good.
Day 196: next-level gravy
Took the gravy option on last night’s hangover-nursing sausage and mash to the next level: Day 196 is Nigella’s Cumberland Gravy.
Day 195: more oven madness
In the spirit of honesty, I’m afraid I kind of messed this one up. But, it does look lovely and it tastes delightful: Day 194 is Nigella’s Thyme and Lemon Bundt Cake.
Day 194: happy-making magic
Transforming frost-bitten leftovers into something truly scrumptious: Day 194 is Nigella’s, or rather Ed's, Victorious Turkey Hash.
Day 193: even more joy forecast this christmas
This needs to mature in jars for a month now and will be ready just in time for the cold meat - and cheese - platters of Christmas: Day 193 is Nigella’s Mostarda Di Venezia.
Day 192: amore
Food that you can’t help but eat with a smile of utter content on your face: Day 192 is Nigella’s Pasta e Fagioli.
Day 191: suet: the conduit
A whole cluster of joyful dinnertimes at the table with my grandparents came flooding back tonight: Day 191 is Nigella’s Steak and Kidney Pudding.
Day 190: warm whispers
An easing wave of intense comfort and happy feelings: Day 190 is Nigella’s Mughlai Chicken.
Day 189: sweet grazing
Grazed through a good plateful of these at lunch with friends today: Nigella's Double Chocolate and Pumpkin Seed Cookies.