Forever Summer with Nigella (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: other sea salt, soft unsalted butter, small bunch fresh mint, Middle Eastern, Triple Sec, Little Gem (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Setting the warm, relaxed tone befitting the season, U.K. food goddess Lawson (Nigella Bites) presents her newest volume as an ode to summer, to freshness, and, in gray weather, to a time to "conjure up the sun, some light, a lazy feeling of having all the wide-skied time in the world to sit back and eat warmly with friends." Befitting a book of simply prepared summer dishes, Lawson takes her inspiration from such warm climes as southern Europe, the Middle East and southeast Asia. For starters, Lawson offers Grilled Eggplant with Feta, Mint and Chilli, where the ingredients are rolled inside the thinly sliced eggplant, and then moves on to Flatbread Pizzas, whose dough is made with za'atar, a mixture of thyme, sumac and sesame. Her pastas and salads are innovative and wonderfully fresh, such as Linguine with Chilli, Crab and Watercress; Watermelon, Feta and Black Olive Salad; or Shrimp and Black Rice Salad with Vietnamese Dressing. Main courses include Keralan Fish Curry with Lemon Rice, as well as Porchetta, which is chopped pork shoulder cooked with fennel, garlic and rosemary and sandwiched within a ciabatta roll. Winding down the meal, Lawson serves such cooling fare as Figs for a Thousand and One Nights, which are broiled and then pulled open until they look like "young birds squawking to be fed worms by their mommy" before they are drizzled with rose water, orange water and sugar. As viewers of her shows will notice, the book's photos-of both Nigella and the food-are just as cool and luscious as the recipes themselves.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Review

"Brings to life the sensual aspects of cooking, helping you understand the pleasure of the journey." -- New York Times

"Nigella Lawson has done more than anyone recently to revive the art of cooking for the sheer fun of it." -- Bon Appetit

"Nigella is an icon." -- Gourmet

"Vivid and fresh." -- People --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Chatto & Windus (September 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0701173815
• ISBN-13: 978-0701173814
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,753,313 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Summer every day of the year, April 3, 2003

By	Kasey M. Moctezuma "parisgirl" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Forever Summer (Style Network's) (Hardcover)

I am an admitted fan of Nigella Lawson's cookbooks. I bought this one on ... months ago, and it has since become a faithful friend in the kitchen. While I cannot say that I use it as much as HOw To Eat, which is a virtual cooking bible, it has some fantastic recipes that have become instant classics, such as the seared mustard coated salmon, which is light, flavorful and so easy it makes you almost feel guilty to accept all of the compliments - or the figs for a thousand and one nights that is almost effortless, but so full of flavor, with rosewater, cinnamon, butter, orange and mascarpone. YOu just have to trust me on how good this tastes. This book is full of creative and flavorful salads and soup that borrow from a few different cultures (the beet and dill salad is very Russian). There are some very nice Asian style fish dishes, as well as plenty of meat recipes, on the grill and off. The book finishes with plenty of summery old fashioned ice cream recipes, shortbreads, etc. and the last chapter is full of fun cocktails, mostly fruit based, both classic and new. The fare in this book tends to be a little bit lighter (summer!) and there seem to be even more easy to prepare recipes (that do not sacrifice flavor!) This book will be a happy addition to your cookbook collection. :)

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy, breezy recipes for sunny days or the depths of winter, April 7, 2003

By	drdebs (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever Summer (Style Network's) (Hardcover)

Like the previous reviewer said, you probably already know if you like Nigella, or find her aggravating. I think she's marvelous--and one of the best cooking writers today. What this means is that this book is more than just a collection of delicious recipes: it is also full of Nigella's thoughts on memorable meals, the values of simplicity and canned broth, and suggestions for menus. Lawson has the ability to write about food in a way that makes you almost taste it. The recipes in this book are easy, many taking next to no time to cook and very few ingredients. There is plenty of ethnic cuisine (Moroccan, Mediterranean, Indian, Thai) as well as a scrumptious recipe for honey semifreddo (no ice cream maker required!) This would make a wonderful hostess or housewarming gift, but buy 2 copies since you'll want one as well. Mine arrived 7 days ago and has already got grease spots from use. With scores of cookbooks available, Nigella can be relied upon to write a book that is worth the cover price, and will get heavy use!

43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great addition to your Nigella arsenal, April 19, 2003

By	Michael T. Rognlien (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Forever Summer (Style Network's) (Hardcover)

My only criticism of Nigella Lawson's other cookbooks (a term that seems inadequate to describe her work) is that many of the recipes included are heavy in starch and not the greatest for low-carb eaters.

This book is a lot different. Whether it's because of the fact that most people eat "lighter" foods in summer or because she wanted a lower-carb addition to her impressive lineup of books, this book is GREAT. Lots of great salads, light desserts, fish/meat for grilling. As always, the pictures and overall production quality of the book are great as well.

This one is not as narrative as previous books she's released, but a must-have for Nigella fans and anyone who just wants to make some relatively simple but elegant meals in the summer.

For more traditional work/recipes try "How to Eat" and for the ultimate dessert manual, "How To Be a Domestic Goddess" ..