Nigella Lawson’s new book, At My Table - A Celebration of Home Cookin g, is the companion to her current TV programme of the same name.
“This book, like all the books I’ve written and all the cookery books I’ve read, is not just a manual, but a collection of stories and a container of memories.
“Home cooking is about who we are, where we’ve come from and the lives that we’ve lived and what we say to each other when we invite people to sit at our table and eat the food we’ve made for them.
“I’m always stricken with fear that there won’t be enough food - my portions are generous, believing this is a happier way to be” One can hear Nigella’s voice on every page, her enthusiasm abounds.
“The theme of the book? I love cooking and I like eating. The book’s structure, or lack of it, reflects this. The messiness of having no chapters, no breaks in the run of recipes felt so much more like the way I actually cook and live.
“Of course there has to be some order; there is a flow to the recipes which, once the book was finished, I tried to impose without losing a certain random quality.”
The total lack of “intimidation factor” is a great strength of this book. The recipes require simple, readily available ingredients and offer a fresh, healthy approach to daily home cooking.
Easy to follow, they should be easy enough to execute. They cover a diverse range and should enhance your repertoire and impress your family and guests.
At My Table is an absolutely delectable delight.