Nigella Bites & Other Nigella Lawson Shows - General Discussion

[kieyra]

5 hours ago, vera charles said:

I don't know if anyone comes here anymore, but I stole kieyra's idea and played three hours of Nigella's Christmas Kitchen while I decorated my Christmas tree on Saturday. I'd love to have CDs of the music that was played in the shows. The jazzy familiar tunes really added to my decorating experience.

Nice! Yeah, I love the music. And her voice is very soothing. It gets me in the mood for holiday cooking (we usually put the tree up pretty early).

Sadly I cannot recommend the Christmas episode of Simply Nigella, which we tried this year (on Vimeo I think). The theme is Kansas City (I think? There's a BBQ thing going on) and the music seriously sounds like a Chevy commercial. None of the food seemed terribly appealing. 

[Athena]

13 hours ago, kieyra said:

Christmas episode of Simply Nigella

Yeah, it was alright. It opens with her in Kansas City and it's a bit confusing. That was her special from last year. I don't think she is doing one this year, but I'll update this thread if any new Nigella shows are released in the UK.

Last time I saw her was on Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unnown London episode filmed this past summer. They had lunch at a pub and later in the episode, she made him a post-hangover breakfast in what I believe is her actual kitchen. Brief insight. The BBC make it very seamless for you to believe that the cooking show kitchens are the actual homes. I saw a nice behind the scenes feature of Simply Nigella to see the set.

[grisgris]

I live in Kansas City.  I'll have to look that up.  I hope it did not show our city in a bad light. Thanks for the info.  

[vera charles]

grisgris, I finally saw the Christmas episode of Nigella Bites! It is online where someone has posted the entire season 2 of the series, all in one, so the Christmas show is at the end. I swear, I saw parts of it before, but that was the first time I sat through the whole thing. I didn't know there was a Christmas episode of Simply Nigella. KC barbecue and Christmas, who knew?

[grisgris]

Cool! Thanks. I know she was in Kansas City several years ago to do a book signing in December.  It must have been at the Barnes and Noble on the Country Club Plaza. She must have stayed at one of the hotels around there because I read something she wrote about eating a meal there that inspired one of her recipes, as well as she commented on the beautiful holiday light display on the Plaza.  I'm glad she enjoyed herself here and I will have to look for that episode. Right now, I've had my fill of shows of FN Christmas past, between YT-ing Nigella and Aunt Sandy.

Maybe I shall wait and have a "Christmas in July!"

[chessiegal]

I was watching Anna and Kristina's Grocery Bag this afternoon (Ion Life has started airing it), and they were testing 7 recipes from Nigella Express. The chef they invited to taste the recipes hated everything except the breakfast bars. They asked if it was their technique, and he said no, her recipes and instructions were bad. They made a chicken liver salad, where he said her cooking instructions resulted in overcooked and rubbery chicken livers. He like the chocolate dessert except for the canned pears that were in them, he called them tasteless. A signature dish in his restaurant is mac 'n cheese. He described Nigella's version as only slightly better than what comes out of the blue box (his biggest complaint was the sauce did not start with a béchamel sauce). Anna and Christina said they had high hopes for the cookbook, but found most of the recipes they tested as "fails".

[grisgris]

I saw that episode the other day and was quite surprised by the outcome.  (I think they use the dickiest chefs possible on that show to critique the final results). While I found some of the recipes such as the chicken liver salad (blecch) and the chocolate/pear combo doesn't appeal to me, the rest didn't seem that bad. I think the chef was purposely omitting the notion of "express" from his review. Nigella also isn't a trained chef so maybe a review by her peers would have been more equitable.

Oh, well ... I'm sure Nigella is crying all the way to the bank! I just stumbled upon that show a few months ago when I got Google Fiber. It's a great show. I also have PBS Create and am happy to see Ellie Krieger again.

Quote

 

[Quof]

Grocery Bag is is the stupidest "cooking" show ever created.  I put no stock in any of their results.  

[chessiegal]

I respectfully disagree. I find Grocery Bag to be an absolute hoot! I loved their show when they attempted Daniel Boulud recipes and he came to taste them along with some of his chefs. Great fun.

Edited April 27, 2017 by chessiegal

[Quof]

Not to go too OT from discussions of Nigella, but GB is hardly a fair test of any cookbook.  They make 6 or 7 recipes from scratch, in 3 hours. They haven't read the recipes before hand (who does that?) and so don't realize there are often steps they have to do in advance, like marinade something overnight.   How do they expect to make a cake, including baking, cooling and icing, in 3 hours?   They screw up at least one recipe per episode because they don't pay attention to what they're doing and have to remake it.  They're clearly doing it for entertainment because I can't believe they are that incompetent.  If I were a cookbook author, and they trashed my book based on such a test, I would be pissed.  

[grisgris]

I like the show. It is what it is. I especially like the part where A&C test products that are using in re-creating the recipes. They really helped me figure out what kind of kitchen scale to purchase. Maybe they should try another Nigella book, like "Forever Summer" and invite an UK chef to the final tasting!

[Qoass]

I confess, I buy Nigella's cookbooks mostly for the pretty, pretty pictures and because her writing "voice" very much follows her vocal delivery.  Occasionally I'll make a recipe from one of them.  Occasionally.

[LiveenLetLive]

Anyone else see the first episode of Nigella: At Home (airing Sundays on the BBC)? is that really her home? LOL. I was worried that she had gotten herself too skinny practicing "yoga" (which she claims has given her her svelte figure---as opposed to the "blow" diet she had been on in the past, haha) anyway, she looks very good. The recipes on this first show looked delicious (I was not impressed by her last series.) Glad that she is back--just her use of language in describing food is a treat IMO.

[Qoass]

I only get BBC America but you give me hope that a new series will find its way to me soon. Heck, I'd be happy if an old series popped up somewhere.

[Athena]

On 11/1/2017 at 10:45 PM, LiveenLetLive said:

Anyone else see the first episode of Nigella: At Home (airing Sundays on the BBC)? is that really her home? LOL.

Not sure if you are actually asking, but that place is a BBC studio kitchen they have used for her last few shows. I actually wondered what Nigella's actual home looks like and I think it was featured briefly in an Anthony Bourdain show. She made him food in her home kitchen which is larger than the one on the show.

[LiveenLetLive]

3 hours ago, Athena said:

Not sure if you are actually asking, but that place is a BBC studio kitchen they have used for her last few shows. I actually wondered what Nigella's actual home looks like and I think it was featured briefly in an Anthony Bourdain show. She made him food in her home kitchen which is larger than the one on the show.

I was being facetious about the house--clearly she can afford a much nicer/bigger place. Anyway, I really want to make Turkish eggs.

[Athena]

31 minutes ago, LiveenLetLive said:

I was being facetious about the house--clearly she can afford a much nicer/bigger place. Anyway, I really want to make Turkish eggs.

Indeed but I do love that set. I covet all her kitchen tools on it and that leather armchair. 

I think I will try the chicken and peas dish. 

[LiveenLetLive]

20 hours ago, Athena said:

Indeed but I do love that set. I covet all her kitchen tools on it and that leather armchair. 

I think I will try the chicken and peas dish. 

I don't eat meat but that did look good--I hope that Americans get a chance to see the series (those who would rather not use the "dark art" for access like I do.)

[grisgris]

Look what I found! This was featured in the latest email from Genius Kitchen:

http://watch.geniuskitchen.com/show/GKSN/Simply-Nigella/3794662/A-Nigella-Christmas/

This is the one that has b-roll shots of Kansas City. It was footage of the annual Plaza Lighting Ceremony that takes place on Thanksgiving evening. The ice rink shots were at the Crown Center Ice Terrace. I did not recognize the barbecue place, but there are tons of them around here. Kudos to Nigella for going to an authentic hole-in-the-wall place instead of one of the local chains. I have never been to the bar she was at but have heard of it.

I thought it was a good episode. I have seen the treacle glazed ham on other Christmas episodes and I am pretty sure about the triple chocolate cookies. I especially liked the "FU" (to those who harp on "room temperature" ingredients) gaze when she said she uses "Fridge cold" eggs in her cookie dough. I don't know if I necessarily agree, but it was funny.

I wonder if that young woman sitting at around the table at the final dinner was Mimi. The camera work was typical Nigella soft-focus, rimshots, but from what I could tell, Mimi was grown up to be very pretty like her mum.

I would give this episode a solid "B." For those of us jonesing for a new(ish) Nigella episode, it delivered. The recipes were much simpler than what we've seen in the past and the absence of youngsters kind of causes Christmas to lose its luster, but overall, I still enjoyed watching it.

I was happy that Nigella obviously liked it here enough when she was here for a book signing back in 2011 that she came back to film some footage and visit from some local eateries.

[LiveenLetLive]

Last night was a new Nigella Xmas episode on the BBC--kind of typical Nigella food--cookies, Duck for dinner, also super hot Deviled Eggs (I couldn't believe the heat she added, I am about her age and can not eat super hot foods anymore.) She supposedly rented a place in the country and went for a long walk with a dog, hasn't it been established that all the people playing her friends are actors? Is the same true about the dog I wonder, LOL.

[grisgris]

I found this on  You Tube and wanted to share in case anybody hasn't seen it . It's interesting. Nigella is quite charming but in parts, it seems like she's having difficulty moving her face.

[Athena]

1 hour ago, grisgris said:

I found this on  You Tube and wanted to share in case anybody hasn't seen it . It's interesting. Nigella is quite charming but in parts, it seems like she's having difficulty moving her face.

Yes, it looks like she's gotten some injections. I noticed during her new show she is looking slimmer. She admitted to a new fitness regime (pilates?). I wondered briefly if the weight loss affected her face as well but you can't tell too much since she probably has had some help to even anything out.

[chessiegal]

I belong to a group that meets once a month for a "Fun Lunch". A hostess picks a theme, and members bring food and wine. This month a member brought a Sticky Toffee Pudding that was a huge hit. Turns out it's from "Nigella Bites".

[grisgris]

How was it, chessiegal? I tried to make that for New Year's Eve a couple of years ago and it really didn't turn out.  It was a watery mess and I ended up having to throw it out -- a huge waste of dates and butter. I tried a different recipe this year and it was a bit too dry. I'm like the Three Bears!

[chessiegal]

grisgris - it was wonderful! Just what you think sticky toffee pudding should be. I got the next to last bite - no leftovers.

[chessiegal]

What a delight to see Nigella show up on Create this afternoon. They've started carrying Nigella: At The Table.

[tvchick]

On ‎12‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 3:40 PM, LiveenLetLive said:

Last night was a new Nigella Xmas episode on the BBC--kind of typical Nigella food--cookies, Duck for dinner, also super hot Deviled Eggs (I couldn't believe the heat she added, I am about her age and can not eat super hot foods anymore.) She supposedly rented a place in the country and went for a long walk with a dog, hasn't it been established that all the people playing her friends are actors? Is the same true about the dog I wonder, LOL.

My PBS station is showing this episode this afternoon.  I'm looking forward to it!

[fairffaxx]

"I have to be alone with my sandwich now" -- indeed! 

[LemonSoda]

It’s been rainy, dreary so I’ve been binge watching old Nigella Bites on YouTube. It’s amusing how much I enjoy the little filler bits on her shows that tend to annoy me on others. You know, the brief shots of her doing the nursery run, daily errands, things around the house, taking the kids to Brighton Pier.
I had forgotten how much I loved her old house. The massive bookshelves and books everywhere, the layout. 

I met her at Cherry Bombe’s jubilee. She was wonderful. A few others I spoke with seemed surprised how friendly, chatty she was. I think they assumed she’d be more reserved. 

[Spunkygal]

On 6/15/2020 at 2:55 AM, LemonSoda said:

It’s been rainy, dreary so I’ve been binge watching old Nigella Bites on YouTube. It’s amusing how much I enjoy the little filler bits on her shows that tend to annoy me on others. You know, the brief shots of her doing the nursery run, daily errands, things around the house, taking the kids to Brighton Pier.
I had forgotten how much I loved her old house. The massive bookshelves and books everywhere, the layout. 

I met her at Cherry Bombe’s jubilee. She was wonderful. A few others I spoke with seemed surprised how friendly, chatty she was. I think they assumed she’d be more reserved. 

I love her. I keep intending to make these forgotten cookies from a holiday special. So different from other cookies that I see at Christmas.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/forgotten_cookies_60368

[LemonSoda]

3 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

I love her. I keep intending to make these forgotten cookies from a holiday special. So different from other cookies that I see at Christmas.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/forgotten_cookies_60368

I’ve always wanted to make these too! 

[Athena]

Nigella's Cook Eat Repeat started recently on the BBC. It's Nigella's usual cozy goodness.

[Spunkygal]

1 hour ago, Athena said:

Nigella's Cook Eat Repeat started recently on the BBC. It's Nigella's usual cozy goodness.

Thank you. Will look for it on my usual viewing platforms! Love her!

[buttersister]

Watched a couple of episodes on YouTube tonight. The kitchen looked a little crazy, but it’s all good.