Nigella....at my table

Never watched her. Do you like cooking Shirley?

Lol yes I do Alima, but I do agree with you that their are too many cooking programmes on now...All much the sameness, the hairy bikers and Rick stein also have new programmes and books out.....don't intend to buy any of those now though lol.....

Mary Berry is the only tv cook that I bother to watch and I have a few of her recipe books too. Her recipes are straightforward, no fiddly ingredients to track down and, so far, I've had no disasters!
For some reason I can't fathom, Nigella irritates me.

Well apparently the kitchen she cooks in and the stairs she was sitting on in her sexy dressing gown are situated in the middle of a warehouse/studio somewhere which kind of ruins the idea that she had just rolled out of bed complete with full makeup and false eyelashes

Gillybob are you saying that you don't roll out of bed with the full make up and false eye lashes on? I'm shocked!

Her chicken thighs and frozen peas traybake sounded ideal for visiting DGCs as children can usually be relied on to eat a) chicken and b) peas. However I tried it out while we were at Paws blood test the other week and it was inedible.
Peas add nothing to the flavour of chicken, and despite the slug of vermouth, you cannot cook frozen peas uncovered for 45 minutes at a sufficient temperature to ensure the chicken is coked through, with the peas DRYING OUT.
Straight in the bin, not even via the dog.

I roll into bed like that but it all stays in the bed when I roll out again! I don't really like Nigella but don't know why as she does some good food, she always has her face in the fridge eating in the middle of the night which I just couldn't do so maybe that's it

MawBroon I also made the chicken and pea traybake thinking it would be an easy win and it was not very tasty at all! It lacked "zing".

Thanks for the warning. I saw it in a magazine and thought about it for family visits but wondered whether it would differ much from roast chicken pieces and peas on the side. I now know that it will but dryer and nasty. I will stop thinking about it.

Mary Berry slightly annoys me - I think she has started to become bossy.

On the other hand, I use Nigellisimo (??) quite a lot. I have serious kitchen envy (even if it isn't real!) and love the way her table looks - I'm too hide bound by being taught to lay a table by the miserable Miss Holmes when I was 11.

My husband wanted to watch Nigella (he NEVER cooks so I can't think why?) and I have to admit I quite enjoyed it because of the beautiful kitchen (!!) and the way she makes cooking seem desirable. I was even thinking about getting a dressing gown like hers to make me look a bit Nigella like - (some hopes! )But now I know it's all fake I'll stick to my old, baggy dressing gown and go back to watching the wonderful Mary Berry

BTW 'that' dressing gown is SOLD OUT

There's a bit in the article about Nigella's kitchen being a set in a warehouse that says fans create the waving plants surrounding the table on her terrace (posh people don't say patio, do they?).

Silly me. I didn't for one moment consider the use of electric fans. I thought some daft people had queued up half the night for the privilege of crouching outside Nigella's kitchen and wiggling the bamboo at exactly the right moment.

I haven't liked Nigellas previous programmes and find her cooking rather rich for my taste but my daughter loves her even tough she does do a brilliant impression of her. So I thought |I will try and watch the new programme. Ten minutes in I felt as though I had eaten a big rich gooey cake - nauseated with all the gushing and smirking. Not for me!

I can't stand all the pouting and posturing. My daughter and I used to watch her just to have a laugh.

I didn't fancy the idea of the chicken and pea traybake because I like peas to be fresh looking and bright green on the plate - not khaki coloured but her Indian spiced chicken traybake is delicious and so are the salt and vinegar potatoes.

She irritates me so I can't bear to watch her. Give me Rick Stein any day.

Can't stand the woman. All that posing and pouting and everything is fake.

Both our DDs love her and to be fair there are so many cooks/chefs on the telly it's good that there's something for everyone.

As DD2 said, 'I'm so over Mary Berry and all things home-spun. I need some bling in my life.'

We all know it's not real and not all her recipes work but her programmes make us chuckle. I definitely don't take her seriously.

I see her as entertainment rather than cookery. I think she’s good fun, and enjoy the lifestyle element. I’ve never made one of recipes.

One of her recipes...I meant.

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The whole things is so contrived. I think she is so fake and dislike the way she pouts, uses innuendo and makes eyes at the camera. I am not keen on her recipes either.

I have had Delia Smith's books for decades (including one paperback from the '70s when she worked for the Evening Standard, and they are all I need. Her recipes never fail and I can tweak them easily if the occasion demands.

Never watch her. Was so shocked to learn she was having an affair with husband no 2 to be when she was filmed being the devoted wife to the great John Diamond when he was dying of cancer

OK. We were going to have chicken thighs today anyway so the devil in me has sent DH into the garden to fetch some leeks and I've scraped the last of the frozen peas out of the freezer. I have halved the quantities and found a tin to match. Wish me luck!!

I will photograph the results if only to have Maw say, 'I told you so!'

I am cooking extra veg to compensate for any disasters and the leftovers can go in tomorrow's khaki coloured soup.