Ok, so, a little disappointing news for you all...I forgot to take a pic of the delicious meal that Michael made last night.  He made this amazing sausage dish with the best mash I have ever had!  He really is SO good at cooking!

But the good news is: I am on leave from today for the next three weeks, and in that time, Michael and I will be filming a couple of cooking clips!  We will even be creating our own channel on youtube too...but will post this link when all is said and recorded!

I will probably only be posting again in the new year (if the end of the world does not come as predicted)...so have an awesome festive season and God bless you and yours!

So, an update...the chili worked wonders for the pleasures of eating!  I made the quick chili to such a glorious point that Nigella would have been thrilled!  I served it with some savory rice, which seemed to absorb some of the sauce from the chili (which was awesome).

So tonight...Michael cooks...and I know it is going to be awesome.  Will surely take a pic to share with you all!  :)

Happy cooking!

Tonight I am going to attempt Nigella's "Quick Chili", which is basically Chili Con Carne, but with a Nigella twist.  Neither Michael nor I are huge fans of burn-your-mouth-off chili, so I will be making it very mild.  I will be serving it with some colorful pasta.  :)
The devils's food cake is still doing VERY well, and we stick have some to pic at in the fridge.

Oh what a joy Nigella brings to this time of year!

Hello again...well, this weekend brought a dark side to our stomachs and table...:)  I made the devil's food cake I found in "Kitchen" from Nigella...and let me tell you...this cake can only be eaten like the devil would! I found myself wolfing it down like some kind of zombie!  Ok, weird, I know, but true.  What an awesome cake...gooey, thick and chocolatey...what could be better than that???

And by the way...if you are reading this blog, please be so kind as to become a follower...:)  Thanks!

Hello there!  Time for another Gary and Nigella blog post!  Yay...:)

Well, I have FINALLY been able to take a couple of pics of the food I have been making...so here is a pic of my pasta dish with chili and tomato...my chicken, bacon and mushroom pie from last night.  All were incredibly delicious and so so so easy to make.  :)
Michael loves the chicken pot pie...and I must admit, it is a comfortable pleasure to behold!

The pie recipe is available in Nigella Express...trust me, it is awesome!!

A major dive into the Italian life again last night...made some pasta with a tomato and chili sauce...then, for a slight difference, some vegan "chicken" patties on the side.  Weird I know, but as always inspired by Nigella.  I know I keep threatening to take pics...and I will, but want to amaze you with the writing first!  :)

Going to fly to Cape Town tonight, so no time for cooking...:(

Last night was potato time...I made the mushroom gratin which is found in the Nigella Express book!  Turned out SO well...if you do not have any garlic oil around the house, you can use the crushed garlic (as I did)...:)
I made some vegan sausages to go with, and it was very nice.  Not sure how it keeps, but I have some for lunch today.  I'm sure it will be fine.
Now, I still have more potatoes at home, will have to find something to do with them too, but luckily Nigella always has a plan.  :)

Hello everyone!  Time for my update on last night's feast!  I went the italian route as planned, and even added my own brand of panache to the mix!  :)  Pasta came out awesome, and the sauce was something to behold.  I found myself having more helpings than I should have had, but hey, you only live once right?  So the key for me is to make pasta with boiling water from the start...it cooks faster,and also makes the pasta less sticky...:)
I used tineed tomatoes (horrifying as that may sound to the purists), but they were delicious!  Add a little chilli sauce to the mix and the result is incredible!  I, like Nigella, am  huge fan of chilli, so I added some dry chilli flakes as well (one can never have enough chilli)...
Oh and I also added some oreganum...which always makes things taste like pizza.  :)

YUM!

Plans for tonight...I was thinking of making something Italian (inspired my Nigella's new Italian drive with Nigelissima)...so how about pasta with vegan mince and tomoatoes.  I am not a vegetarian right now, but I feel better about my health and the health of animals if I keep the meat consumption low.  Not sure if Nigella would approve, but at least I follow the recipe as closely as I can!  :)

I know I have promised pics, and again, I promise you, I am getting there...

So...the weekend turned out to be more savoury than sweet (much to my dismay).  I ended up making one of Nigella's famous bakes with brown bread, ham, cheese and mustard.  Turned out very well, and there was even enough to take for lunch the next day!  :)  I like the idea of baking things, and I have a load of potatoes at home that I need to do something with!  Luckily, Nigella has a bake for potatoes and mushrooms, so will be trying that very soon.  A handy tip that I can give you is searching the index of any Nigella cook book...there you can find the ingredient that you want to use, and there will be a list of recipies for you to try!        :)  Don't go looking for eel or anything now...

My plan for this weekend is to make something sweet and sinful...and who better to assist with that than Nigella?  Not sure if I should go the cheescake or trifle route...both equally sweet and sinful.  :)
Then again, I am a major cupcake guru (according to Michael, my extremely close friends and family), so I could whip up a batch of those.  I am always inspired to make something sweet when I watch the Nigella Feasts series on DVD.  You sure know how to talk a potential chef into anything Nigella!
So let's see.  I will wake on Saturday morning and allow the inspiration gods to guide me as I tinker about the kitchen...will add pics soon!

To those of you who have been following the blog, firstly...thank you!  Secondly...I will be adding some pics of the meals I cook very soon!  So keep following and try some of the recipes too.  :)

Last night, I decided to attempt the Nigella version of a chef's salad...and boy oh boy...what a super salad it turned out to be.  I couldn't find a can of sweetcorn (as amazing as that sounds), but I used baby corn instead...and it was super duper!  :)  And for a vegetarian alternative, just leave out the ham.  :)  Another tip, it keeps very well for lunch the next day...

So, I started the journey off with a brandy bacon chicken roast!  Turned out very well, but I decided (thinking I was a little chef boffen) to add baby potatoes into the mix...they turned out horrible!  So, note to self, stick to the recipe!  :)

The beginning of a journey...

I have always had a fascination with food.  Not only does food provide pleasure, but it also keeps us alive - now how could one not love all that?  :)  In my quest for pleasure (and staying alive), I came across the goddess of cooking...Nigella Lawson.  Her love affair with food has always been an inspiration to me, and I have decided to try every recipe she has ever suggested!  Looking through all of her glorious cookbooks, I intend to work my way through all the recipes, giving first-hand accounts of my experiences with each dish, and also the pleasures that obviously come with it all!  So much like the Meryl Streep film, Julie and Julia, I will be embarking on a quest of flavors, experience and a full stomach, to bring those of you out there who are willing to read this, a place to join me, and my partner, Michael Coffen, on this journey through the heart and soul of Nigella Lawson's food.  :)

Here we go...:)