How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking
How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking The trouble with much modern cooking is that the mood it induces in the cook is one of skin-of-the-teeth efficiency, all briskness and little pleasure. Sometimes that’s the best we can manage, but at other times we don’t want to feel stressed and overstretched, but like a domestic goddess, trailing nutmeggy fumes of baking pie in our languorous wake…. –from How to Be a Domestic Goddess
How to Be a Domestic Goddess is not about being a goddess, but about feeling like one. What this deliciously mouthwatering cookbook demonstrates is that it’s not actually hard to bake a pan of muffins or a sponge layer cake, but the appreciation and satisfaction they bring are disproportionately high. Filled with over 220 gorgeously illustrated recipes, this book understands our anxieties, feeds our fantasies, and puts cakes, pies, pastries, preserves, puddings, breads, and cookies back in our own kitchens. The domestic goddess has to maintain her (or his) cool when faced with pastry, of course — but with Nigella Lawson’s guidance, even puff pastry can be pain-free.
Customer Review: Cakes, cookies, and mince-pies…oh my!
There’s no way I could resist buying this cookbook when I saw that it had a giant cupcake on the front cover! I am pleased to say that it delivers on all accounts. I bought the paperback version and am quite happy with the construction. The binding is thick but does not pose difficulty in keeping the book open (and I’ve had no problem with the binding breaking or cracking).
The recipes are divided into 9 chapters including cakes, cookies/scones/muffins, pies, desserts, chocolate, children, xmas, bread & yeast and the domestic goddess’s pantry.
The font Nigella chose is clear and easy on the eyes and the ingredient list for each recipe is in bold so I have no problem finding the ingredient list on the page when going back and forth from the list to what I am doing.
The pictures are absolutely beautiful. They are glossy, colorful and very well presented and each chapter is divided with sparkling gold pages.
The recipes themselves are nicely chosen and are evocative of both the English country-side and the glamor of London (and beyond). Examples include:
Chocolate cherry cupcakes
Pain-au-chocolate pudding
London cheesecake
Gateau Breton
Fairy Cakes
Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Peach Cream Pie
Espresso Cupcakes
Granny Boyd’s Cookies
Snickers & Peanut Butter Muffins
Jam-Doughnut Muffins
Fresh Gingerbread with Lemon Icing
Finally, the best aspect of the cookbook is the fact that Nigella includes a little paragraph with each recipe. If you’ve ever seen her cooking show, you will know that she is quite sensual, a quality that is also very evident in the recipes and the accompanying, mouth-watering descriptions she provides.
For anyone who loves to bake, I’d recommend that you add this to your library of cookbooks!
Customer Review: Love it!
I absolutely love Nigella and her recipes are so delicious. This book is wonderful, I have cooked my way through it and made almost all of the recipes, everything is very delicious. I love the savory recipes! And the cakes are superb. Highly recommend, if you like simple, delicious food, this is a great book for you!
Tags: Wine book, Food book, Cooking book, cheap Food book, cheap Cooking book, cheap Wine book
