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lucyknitsandreads 's review for:
The first book I have ever downloaded from Netgalley was a sampler of Nadiya’s British Food Adventure. As I adore Nadiya Hussain, ever since her Great British Bakeoff days, I was delighted to be able to read even just a small piece of her book. And, well, the other reason is quite simple: her scone recipe was delicious, easy to follow and easy to devour!
When this summer Penguin Random House contacted me to ask if I was interested in reviewing Nadiya’s new book, Nadiya’s Family Favourites, I was ecstatic! I couldn’t believe I got to hold the actual book in only a few days’ time, but the book came and ever since I was anxiously waiting for the right time to be able to read it and try some of the recipes.
The time has finally come, and I got to make not only one but FIVE of the dishes! But before I show you all the food I’ve made, let me tell you a bit more about the book.
Just like that other book, Nadiya’s British Food Adventure, this one, too, is full of lovely pictures and delicious foods. It starts off with Nadiya’s ode to food.
“For me, food is all about the people we love, and the family memories we make with them, the things we eat as vivid in our minds as the moments and milestones that inspire them.”
She then illustrates this by showing snippets of food-related memories of her family, her husband and three children. I can imagine their everyday life, filled with love and laughter – and probably the gorgeous smell of a decadent meal as well. Even though food means different things to all of them and they like different things, it’s something that ties them together.
“Food, home, family: for me, all three go hand in hand.”
The book is structured in a way that makes finding a recipe for “every kind of day”, as the title says, super easy. There are 6 sections, all separated by full-page pictures of a very gorgeous looking Nadiya, making cooking and baking seem incredibly fun and easy. She also introduces each chapter with a few words. The chapters, in this very order, are the following: breakfast, lunch, sides and shares, dinner, something sweet, and cake. Yes, cakes have their own chapter, like they should have!
I thought that reviewing this amazing book would be only complete if I tried some of the recipes because who would want to hear me rambling about food without actual photos of the dishes tried?! So I chose several recipes, trying to cover as much of the chapters as I could, which left me with 5 dishes!
One of the things that had attracted me to Nadiya’s cookbooks in the first place is that our culinary backgrounds are very different. She is from a British Bangladeshi family while I am Hungarian through and through. Our people use very different spices, seasonal greens result in distinct dishes. Through her recipes I get a look into a part of the world that otherwise I wouldn’t be able to experience from the comfort of my home. This, of course, means that there were some recipes that I had to discard because I just couldn’t find the ingredients. But that still left me with plenty to choose from, so choose I did!
First, I tried the rice-flour gnocchi with sesame pesto. An easy yet filling lunch, I must say! At first, I was worried that it wouldn’t be enough for my parents and myself – because they were happy to take part in this experiment and try these dishes. Safe to say, I couldn’t eat a whole plateful of gnocchi, so my fears
were unfounded.
For breakfast, I tried two different recipes, although one was supposed to qualify as lunch, but what can I say, I like to eat a fair amount. So I made radish ceviche with avocado and toasted sourdough. This was such a divine and lush breakfast! Crunchy and soft, sweet and salty. Definitely a family favourite for us, as well!
The other thing I made for breakfast, with a nice toast and some homegrown tomatoes, was the cauliflower hummus. These easy breakfast recipes will undoubtedly come handy in the future.
As Sunday lunch – which is the big family meal in Hungary – we tried the chicken and rice bake. Very simple, but delicious and filling. We have something similar in our cuisine as well, rice and peas, which made this dish familiar. The kick of cardamom was a welcome novelty, though.
I couldn’t have rightfully reviewed this lovely cookbook without trying one of the cakes. As it’s summer, there was no way we could have chosen anything but the raspberry ice cream cake. It was refreshingly cold, super soft and creamy. Perfect on hot summer days. And nights. The 3 of us ate the whole cake in 2 days. That says it all!
I have to admit, a month ago or so, when I first received the book, I couldn’t keep my excitement at bay and had to try a very simple recipe. As a bonus, let me show you how epically I failed at presentation. If you think this is bad, let me tell you that the recipe is called ham and cheese crown. Mine turned out to be a gigantic log at best, but super far from a crown whatever you want to call it. I blame it on my cockiness, wanting to bake at 10pm… Because it definitely wasn’t the store-bought puff pastry, or the ketchup filling, or the cheese, or the ham. Meaning I had only one job, to assemble all this into a fancy looking crown… and I failed horribly!
Joking aside, this is the thing I love most about Nadiya’s recipes: they are easy and quick and don’t require you to slave away for hours. They have simple and often pre-prepared ingredients when it comes to pastries and some sauces, which saves you a lot of time – and lets you spend it with those you love instead. Perfect for those who are learning how to cook, those who want to ring new flavours into their lives, and most definitely those who want a cookbook made with a big heart and lots of love!
I would like to thank Penguin Random House for sending me the book in return of an honest review.