Nigella Express: 130 Recipes for Good Food, Fast Hardcover – October 30, 2007

I was actually surprised that Nigella came out with this new cooking concept, making her favorites with short cuts, suddenly being impatient and saving time while still having parties and cooking dinners ever night for her family. Honestly I never found her recipes hard, I enjoyed making everything the proper way but I have to say its fun to find way to cheat I guess, making mousses without all the fancy work, creams and cakes and stews with minimal effort, without hours of baking and slow cooking, using less ingredients ( saves tons of money) and still eating something tasty.Basically this book is filled with recipes one can make for any occasion, best yet for dinner after a hectic day of work, using 4-5 ingredients, simple and still having something to put on the table that is not the same old saver we turn to. Too often it's easy to fall into a comfortable rut and cook the same thing; with this book it is really easy to gently shake things up. Sometimes I read it at work, photocopy pages, stop at the store on my way home and make something new that's different and doesn't require me to spend 2 hours cooking and then washing lots of pots and pans. I think to write this book requires more effort, it's easy to make a complex dish using thirty ingredients, but hard to make something simple that takes the least amounts of effort but is edible. I often pick one recipe, and then make a side of my choice even if it's steamed veggies and dinner is on the table in no time.I have been using this book since last November and some of the my favorites are;Mustard Pork Chops page 11- any meat can be used but pair it with white cannolini beans, simplicity ( 5 ingredients! ) at its highest, actually writing about it now made me decide to make it for dinner tonight, yet again.Steak Slick with Lemon and Thyme - great on some toasted ciabatta bread the next day or as an elegant supper, lemon and thyme seems to be a classic combination, not I make all my steaks this way.Cheese Fondue - Gruyere, Brie, Emmental and Camembert melt into a spectacular and easy dip for anything you can find in the fridge. Some white wine in the sauce and then in the glass to drink with completes this fun dinner.Chocolate Croissants - more fun then I thought to make, sometimes I just make four, with this book there is no need to make thirty servings of something, I often make enough for just one day.Moonblush tomatoes page 126- sour, tangy, roasted and great side to savory dishes, my new favorite. I find it goes great with eggs for breakfast!Irish Cream Tiramisu - wow, interesting and make sure to reserve a nap after, packs a punch!There are stir-fries, galettes, cakes, burgers, all sorts of meats and pastas, each page has a tiny recipe with a gorgeous picture, and this book is actually very useful and makes cooking fun especially to see how the short cuts turn out. I mean if the short list of ingredients doesn't make one want to cook out of it then the pictures will, and it's nice to have a cookbook that is always used versus having one recipe in it that I have to turn to. Nigella throws things together in a beautiful way, after reading and cooking her recipes to me they are as natural as breathing and they pretty much always turn out perfect! Now that is a feat, I haven't had to apologize for making something new to anyone and it's easy to see that her ingredient pairing choices are well through out and put together. - Kasia S.

I couldn't wait. I was in London right after Nigella Lawson's newest cookbook was published, so I bought my copy immediately. The only real difference between the UK and American edition, I'm sure, is the measurements (grams versus ounces, etc.) so you get the benefit of the fact I've been cooking from this book for the last several weeks.This new cookbook, which accompanies Nigella's new series on the FoodTV network (at a really dreadful, inconvenient hour on Sunday), follows in the now-popular "make a decent sit-down dinner in half an hour" theme. Unlike Rachel Ray (to whom I have no objections, but also no particular tropism), Nigella's idea of "in half an hour" is not necessarily in consecutive minutes. That is, if something takes a short time in the kitchen, but bakes for an hour, it's fair game. That works just fine for me -- I telecommute full time, so slow-cooked fast food is compatible with my lifestyle -- but those who rush to the store on the way home from the office and still have a desire to get dinner on the table by 7pm may sometimes be a teensy bit disappointed.That might, however, be the only real disappointment in this rather exhaustive set of recipes. Because, based on the handful of things I've cooked from this book so far (and a careful reading of the rest of the book), these are just darned good meals. They aren't the special dishes she included in  Feast: Food to Celebrate Life  -- for holidays when spending all afternoon in the kitchen is part of the pleasure of the meal -- and they take a lot of shortcuts that Nigella admits freely *are* shortcuts. But they're far better than a takeaway meal, and it's good food, fast. (Duh.)Everything is organized in meals or moods rather than subjects. That is, there's no chapter for appetizers, another for desserts, etc. It works well given the theme of the book -- who has time to construct a whole menu during the week? -- and also because she can tell you that, while the meat is underway, turn your attention to the vegetables. So "quick food slow" collects recipes that can be prepared ahead to save time later; "instant calmer" offers super-fast soul food; "get up and go" is for breakfast at breakneck speed.So far, as I said, I've made a few things. Orange French toast is pretty simple -- your basic French toast, but with a syrup made with orange marmalade and juice -- but made a special brunch for visiting family. Her prawn and mango curry uses stuff that I mostly have in the house, such as frozen shrimp, a can of coconut milk, cilantro and bottled red curry paste. With some mango, lime juice, and butternut and sweet potato cubes (apparently available in pre-made packets in the UK, though I've never seen such things here)... in about half an hour we had a great dinner. Truly excellent. Her "sausages with sauerkraut" is a much simplified choucroute garnie and... well, that one was okay. It might have been excellent if I had made the trip to the German grocery for better sausages... or maybe some things shouldn't be simplified *too* much.There's plenty more here to try: chicken in Riesling (looks like under an hour to the table, with half that in chicken-simmer time), Swedish salmon (with dill and mustard, served with a cucumber salad and potato salad). She has lots of quickly-prepared desserts too, but since I generally shy away from refined sugar I don't pay that much attention to them; nothing personal, Nigella.Great cookbook. Recommended.

It's funny that so many people mention the mustard pork chops as that is the first dish from this book that I made Delicious, with the gnocchi. Also made a quick arugula salad--you can't go wrong! I actually purchased this cookbook after buying "Nigellissima" - which I love so so so so much. I see fewer recipes here which I would make straight as she suggests, but there are good ideas for quick meals. Hers are the first cookbooks where I don't hold my breath in trepidation. They are so darn clear to follow. I lovehow she doesnt just say cook the meat for five minutes but also what it should look like so you know if you should go a litltle longer or less--she does this in so many recipes and its so helpful to a less experienced cook (especially one like me who has shied away from meat in the past). Everything has been beyond delicious and often beautiful to look at and healthful. I would say that where she suggests a splurge ingredient, splurge, It is probably something, like a nice dry marsala, that will pop up again and again in her recipes and won't go to waste. Most of the ingredients are simple/easy to come by--which I love. Also, I love that many ingredients repeat from recipe to recipe.. This is GENIUS. As I move through her recipes we are eating different dishes with different flavors, but getting the most out of the tub of ricotta or carton of heavy cream I buy as it pops up again in a different recipe. last, I love her permission (and suggestions for subsitutions and accompaniments). Best cookbooks EVER. Thank you Nigella--I'm loving it!

I've just spent the morning looking through this fantastic book. I have quite a few cookbooks and this is the one i've been waiting for, for all of my life, i think. It's got so much in it, it's like a food bible. There will be lots of cooking and scoffing going on now. Thank you Nigella, and to the seller also. I bought this book 2nd hand and it's such a bargain, I can't tell you.

I have this in the hard back version, and as our last born is leaving the nest he wanted a good all rounder that was simple to use and thats Nigella Express, we love lots of the dishes in this book and i know he will recreate most of them.

My wife loves her cooking - and from time to time I buy her a new cookery book. I don't tend to stick with the same celebrity chef - I tend to buy her a selection.This was my first by Nigella and it's an absolute cracker. The book is full of wonderful recipes that you can do in say a half hr or so. Very easy to follow and beautifully illustrated. My wife has some firm favourites in there - Moroccan meatballs with pomegranate seeds...mmmm (may sound not nice but trust me - wonderful food when its cold outside). Having said that, as I think you have with all cookery books, there are recipes in there that are not attractive an so I can't see my wife using them. On the whole, we must have at one recipe or so each week - so a very worthwhile investment.If you like cooking, and want a book that you can pick up and knock something together quickly - this is an ideal book for you.Highly recommended.

This was my first Nigella book, but won't be the last. I have made quite a few recipes, 99% of which turned out really well and proved very adaptable (Nigella is also very good at suggesting alternative ingredients, which I found helpful and interesting). Nigella's prose can be a bit grating, particularly when she goes on about being so greedy she sometimes has to eat things straight out of the pan, etc... Only one word of warning: avoid the 'roquamole' recipe like the plague. It must be the worst thing that I have ever tasted - the guests I served it to all thought it was horrible too, as did other friends who also made it. However, don't let that put you off - there are lots of brilliant recipes, including the BEST rocky road you'll EVER eat.

This is my 2nd purchase and review update of this book having 'lost' the first one to a friend!Book arrived early and in great condition with no signs of ware and tare. Some great recipes and the one's I have tried so far have all worked. Yum!. A great addition to anyone's collection and my already packed cookery book shelf. Thanks Nigella.