Nigella Bites: From Family Meals to Elegant Dinners: Easy, Delectable Recipes for Any Occasion

by Nigella Lawson

With her charming style, delicious recipes, bestselling cookbooks, and popular cooking show, Nigella Lawson has become a household name--symbolizing all that is sumptuous and pleasurable about food. In Nigella Bites, Nigella shares her favorite recipes that are easy to make after a busy day at the office, perfect to linger over during a lazy weekend, or fun to make with kids on a rainy afternoon. All the recipes are delectable to read, dreamy to look at, and, of course, delicious to eat. Whether cooking Pasta E Fagioli or baking Orange Breakfast Muffins, Nigella knows just how to achieve maximum flavor with minimum effort.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Foodie, Culinary

254 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2001

About the author

Nigella Lawson is the daughter of former Conservative cabinet minister Nigel Lawson (now Lord Lawson) and the late Vanessa Salmon, socialite and heir to the Lyons Corner House empire, who died of liver cancer in 1985. Lawson attended Godolphin and Latymer School and Westminster School before graduating from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, with a degree in Medieval and Modern Languages.
Lawson wrote a restaurant column for the Spectator and a comment column for The Observer and became deputy literary editor of the Sunday Times in 1986. She became, among other things, a newspaper-reviewer on BBC1 Sunday-morning TV programme 'Breakfast with Frost'. She has also co-hosted, with David Aaronovitch, Channel 4 books discussion programme 'Booked' in the late 1990s, and was an occasional compere of BBC2's press review 'What the Papers Say', as well as appearing on BBC radio.
Following slots as a culinary sidekick on Nigel Slater's 'Real Food Show' on Channel 4, she has fronted three eponymous TV cookery series broadcast in the UK on the channel. She has had two series of 'Nigella Bites' in 1999-2001, plus a 2001 Christmas special, and 'Forever Summer with Nigella' in 2002, both of which yielded accompanying recipe books. Her style of presentation is often gently mocked by comedians and commentators, particularly in a regularly-occurring impersonation of her in the BBC television comedy series 'Dead Ringers', who perceive that she plays overtly upon her attractiveness and sexuality as a device to engage viewers of her cookery programmes, despite Lawson's repeated denials that she does so.
She was voted author of the year at the 2001 British Book Awards. More than 2 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide.

Reviews

[else fine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will never forget the first time I saw Nigella Lawson - flipping through channels on a late, rainy night, I was stopped short by the sight of this curvaceous, gorgeous woman holding a stick of butter in each hand, extolling the virtues of bacon. Oh, the gleam in her eye, like some ancient goddess of bounty, inviting us cold and dieting masses to stop denying ourselves the oldest of pleasures. I was mesmerized. I feel the same way - enchanted - whenever I read one of her delightful cookbooks. Do the recipes turn out well? Not so much, to be perfectly honest, but if this book is a failure as a technical manual, it is a success as a guide to inspiration.

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really like Nigella Bites. I've never seen Nigella's show, but I checked this book out from the library after reading (and liking) Nigella Express. When I was finished with Nigella Bites, I compared the publication dates for the two, and Bites was published in 2002 while Express was published in 2007.

This could account for some of the reasons I didn't like Nigella Bites. It was much less polished and seemed to lack focus. The book was divided into sections with titles such as "Comfort Food", "TV Dinners", "Party Girl" and "Trashy" that are drawn from her television show (as noted in the preface). But when transferred to book form, the result is a jumbled heap of recipes that range from the simplest recipe (for mashed potatoes) to the most retro (for pigs in blankets) to the most complex (soft and sharp involtini) to the most artery-hardening (deep fried candy bars with pineapple).

There were a couple of recipes that I'm interested in trying, but that's barely enough to justify purchasing this book (thanks again, library!), especially when they seem to be particularly easy to find on the internet.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely nice recipes, but very quick and simple.
Already tried many of the recipes.

[Aurelia Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really padding my yearly count with this one

[Fostergrants · Rating 4 out of 5]

the unpretentious way she talks about food makes me want to park my butt at her kitchen table and just watch and wait. this is not a sterile instruction book. she takes you into her messy kitchen that smells delicious and her sleeves probably have egg on them but she tells you to eat and enjoy the company and leave the dishes for tomorrow. i have tried quite a few of the recipes..but the 24 hr pork has to be my favorite. it is amazing. i left one star off because quite a few of the recipes were not ones i wanted to try, although i enjoyed reading them anyway. she includes recipes from different cultural backgrounds...not a lot of stodgy english food. there are blank lined pages in between each section for "NOTES" which i thought was considerate.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to read cookbooks. Not recipes, but the little intros that some food writers will include. And Nigella's great. Her attitude is breezy, you can tell she's brilliant and fun, appreciates delicious, uncompromised dishes, and sees her curves as a badge of honor. Plus the photographs are beautiful, typical food porn.
Highly recommend the recipes for bread and butter ginger jam pudding and the toffee dessert.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful book but the food is horrendous.

[Nouvel Diamant]

Dieses Kochbuch hat mir nicht so gefallen:
Die Beilagen fehlen fast durchwegs, das scheint mir unpraktisch
Für meinen Geschmack viel zu viel frittiertes / in viel Öl gebratenes

[K.S. Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love watching Nigella Lawson cook. Her show is lush and sexy and fabulous. Everything she prepares in her gorgeous kitchen looks absolutely scrumptious. Just take a moment and say "muscovado sugar" out loud three times. Doesn't it sound divine? Were it not for Nigella, I would never have known it existed.

I found this book in the bargain section of a local shop and snapped it up solely for the Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts recipe. I think that may have been the only recipe I actually summoned up the energy to make, but it was so irresistible that I made it several times.

Sadly, when I made the decision to downsize my stuff three years ago, I temporarily lost my mind and unhauled this beautiful book. What I could have possibly been thinking is beyond the scope of my comprehension. All I can hope is that wherever it is, someone is enjoying the hell out of it. I would definitely buy it again.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first Nigella Lawson book I ever read, because I'd seen her recipe for ham in Coca Cola on the TV show of the same name and was dying to try it. I've made it several times since, along with many other of her recipes. In fact, every recipe I've tried (which has been most of them) has had fabulous results, most especially the orange breakfast muffins, lemon risotto, italian sausage with lentils, slow-roasted pork shoulder, and sticky-toffee dessert. The book isn't perfect, though it's not because of the recipes. There are massive (albeit gorgeous) pictures, tons of white space, and whole pages, sometimes two, devoted to recipes when only a quarter was needed (asparagus in a soft-boiled egg? mashed potatos? watermelon daquiri?), making one feel a bit cheated, considering the book's price. Still, I've used it enough to make up for the extra cost.

[Giki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a real favourite of mine that I come back to again and again. It has turned me into the sort of person who will sit down and read a recipe book from cover to cover rather than flick through the index looking for one recipe. There are a lot of superb recipes in here – ones that really work. You are not going to lose weight or save money cooking these but they well well explained, simple to follow and the results are very worthwhile. Ham in coca-cola is a real favorite of ours and way better than it sounds, the spaghetti and meatballs is sublime. There are a lot of photos in this book, but they are mostly of the food, and that is fine by me – I like to see what I am going to eat. I have learnt by bitter experience not to judge a recipe book by the volume of recipes crammed in, but, by the clarity of explanations and the quality of results – this on ticks the boxes for me.

[Bevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Nigella. Her casual elegance is easy to identify with. She's like the friend you always wanted- one who cooks well and loves to share! In this book based on the show of the same name, we get a lot of little tidbits about each dish and a beautiful colour photo as well. Why don't more cookbooks include a photo for each dish? It is an invaluable resource for the home cook.

As a vegetarian, there are many dishes I cannot try but several that just need a bit of a tweak. I'm most excited about her deserts and cakes. Nigella makes baking seem within my usually clumsy grasp.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read because saw a recommendation somewhere, but was not impressed. The pictures were done oddly, to me. Full page, but only one spot in photo was in focus, the rest blurry. Repeatedly. And everything was just browns. Strangely organized… not entrees, desserts, seafood etc. just all over the place. Also, for a full-size large book the print was very small. All crammed to center of page with large white border. Print could have filled whole page and then would have been readable for me.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not for you if you're eating light and lean. This book is very much about comfort food in various shapes and forms and if you like to eat, well this works! The recipes work well (as all cookbooks should) and my favorites are probably the lemon risotto, the mozarella sandwiches and the cream cheese brownies!!! Yum. As usual Ms Lawson chatters away entertainingly and I think this is one of her better books.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Nigella Lawson,and I love this book.
(Although she had me at the cover.)
t's just a fun book to curl up with,and bring a cup of tea,and add a rainy day and it's a soothing wonderfull book.
Nigella's unpracticed amateur prose puts a kind of personal funky layer to this that makes it a lovely read.
I reccomend this very much,and also,it's just got some damn good simple recipies.
I would buy this as a gift for a new couple.

[Celia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably the least dense of Nigella's cookbooks, and I think I prefer her enormous volumes. Bites is pretty simple, but well organised (I always like the way Nigella arranges her books) and contains some interesting recipes. I think her bigger books (Domestic Goddess and How to Eat) are always going to be my favourites though.

[Bittersweet · Rating 4 out of 5]

My copy is naked and singed, after an accident with a gas burner.

This is a kooky book - many ODD recipes, but still good ones. On first read i thought i would never use it again, but the Ham in Coca-Cola is a perfect dish, and the chocolate-chestnut fridge cake is, as Nigella says, dangerously compelling.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Nigella Lawson. Although I don't think I will be trying to make her recipe for "Spatchcoked Birds" I love reading all her cookbooks. She writes with wit, humor and true SASS about food, ingredients, cooking and life. I am thoroughly enjoying this books. I can't wait to rustle up the roasted vegetable & halloumi cheese bake.

[Jessica - How Jessica Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love her extravagant use of adjectives. And the fact that she's an unabashed chocoholic. Some of her recipes are a little weird/too British for me (asparagus dipped in runny eggs?) but the desserts are fabulous.

[Tuyet Duong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this cookbook generally all the way through, skipping the more cheesy recipes. I have not tried any of the recipes out, but I will probably be storing some away from a couple holiday dinner parties. Great delectable writing and tasty blownup pictures.

[R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nigella Lawson herself gets five stars from me, as does her writing style. The recipes in this book, however, earn two stars. Each dish is either too complicated for me, too unhealthy, or just unappetizing. "How to Eat" is much better.

[Malina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun Nigella cookbook. The pictures, organization and writing made it a fun read and we're planning to try out some recipes this week, though I'm sure their good or she wouldn't be so popular right?

[Aaronichi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my favorite Nigella book. Good, easy recipes for a variety of occasions. Great for people that need this kind of direction in their cooking, or just want some fresh solid ideas.
I'm not a fan of her writing style, though. Her writing is a little too verbose for a cook book.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to review, in essence, a book of recipes. I absolutely love Nigella. She's so real, whereas a lot of "TV chefs" are full of it and themselves. If she says use real butter, she's not kidding. She's exceptionally down-to-earth and her cookbooks show that.

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love looking through this cookbook. Some recipes are a little different, but she makes everything seem so comfortable. I used to watch her show and it was as if she just opened her home to you. Good comfort food recipes

[Constance Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good I bought it twice! (A friend permanently borrowed my initial copy so I had to replace).

There are a number of recipes in here I couldn't live without. I adore the Coca-Cola ham, Egyptian Tomato Salad and the American Pancakes.

Easy to follow and fun! Something for everyone.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nigella doesn't prepare meals for the working mom. Many of her recipes are for special occasions and require tons of prep work. There are several items I want to make when I have time...but not for a dinner party.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book for learning to cook basics and some fun britofile meals (like yorkshire pudding!). Good in pinch when you want to make something yummy but have absolutely no idea what to make.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have made almost everything in here and it is all wonderful! the cloud cake and lemon risotto are my favs!

[Dvoshe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because I just like looking at any picture of Nigella. I have the UK edition so that takes the easy out of the recipes. but so what! the ones I've made have been scrummy!