How to be a domestic goddess
How to be a domestic goddess
How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking
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Oh. My. Gosh. This is the definitive book for me. Nigella is not a «chef»—she is a home cook, just like me, like most of us out there. But she is brilliant—funny, mildly goofy (though not over-the-top the way gals like Rachael Ray can be), and extremely intelligent. Her writing is breathtakingly beautiful—these cookbooks read as deliciously as the recipes they serve up.
And as for the title. I’ve had all sorts of reactions, mostly from women, which astound me. I find that some kinds of wome Oh. My. Gosh. This is the definitive book for me. Nigella is not a «chef»—she is a home cook, just like me, like most of us out there. But she is brilliant—funny, mildly goofy (though not over-the-top the way gals like Rachael Ray can be), and extremely intelligent. Her writing is breathtakingly beautiful—these cookbooks read as deliciously as the recipes they serve up.
Lawson is a real woman. She eats. bad things and good things. She makes cakes for her children that look like a real cake. She invents things, avoids prepackaged foods and best of all she has hips.
Her recipes are British which is very obvious, but they are not too weird to try once. Her cakes are delicious. The Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake is our favorite. its been made for gifts..for cravings and for the hell of it. Pair this with some really good raspberry jam and its is divine.
I especially enj Lawson is a real woman. She eats. bad things and good things. She makes cakes for her children that look like a real cake. She invents things, avoids prepackaged foods and best of all she has hips.
Her recipes are British which is very obvious, but they are not too weird to try once. Her cakes are delicious. The Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake is our favorite. its been made for gifts..for cravings and for the hell of it. Pair this with some really good raspberry jam and its is divine.
I especially enjoy her wit, humor and realism. Rachel Ray fans may be disappointed that she doesn’t smile the whole time. But she makes cooking and eating sexy. and a part of real life.
I’ve actually read this book twice, with a five year gap between. Five years ago, I thought, «Wow, this stuff looks incredible—and there’s absolutely no way I’ll ever be able to cook like this.» This time around, I threw together three recipes before the book was due back at the library. All three turned out fantastic, and they were pretty easy.
As you might surmise, I don’t recommend this book for those just starting out in the world of cooking. It’s not that the recipes are particularly hard. I’ve actually read this book twice, with a five year gap between. Five years ago, I thought, «Wow, this stuff looks incredible—and there’s absolutely no way I’ll ever be able to cook like this.» This time around, I threw together three recipes before the book was due back at the library. All three turned out fantastic, and they were pretty easy.
Five stars for the burnt butter cupcakes.
Burning butter is a flammable escapade.
The pyro in me is pleased.
Within the first fifteen minutes of reading this cookbook, my stomach was growling like a bear out of hibernation, and I was salivating like I’d lost control of my jaw. Halfway through the book and I was ready to get arm-deep in pastry.
This book, in case you couldn’t tell right away, is about baking. She sets it up in several categories: cakes, cookies, bread, pies, Christmas, etc. The pictures are wonderful. But the writing? Wow. It’s hard to tell you just how bad it is. So here’s an example.
This book, in case you couldn’t tell right away, is about baking. She sets it up in several categories: cakes, cookies, bread, pies, Christmas, etc. The pictures are wonderful. But the writing? Wow. It’s hard to tell you just how bad it is. So here’s an example.
«Coconut Macaroons. These are a very English kind of macaroon, the sort you always used to see displayed in bakers’ shops alongside the madeleines (those sponge castles dipped in luminous strawberry jam and dredged in throat-catching grated coconut, and so very different from those that inflamed the memory of Marcel Proust). The difference with coconut macaroons is that you need neither to be ironic or self-consciously retro-cool to enjoy them.»
I have SO many problems with this paragraph. First of all, I am reading a cookbook. I do not need references to Marcel Proust. Second, don’t just assume I am English. I’m not. I have no idea what you are talking about. Third, I have never in my life worried about being ironic when I ate a cookie. (My daughter wondered if perhaps she referred to the IRON CONTENT of the cookie. But no.) And finally, I don’t have any idea what ‘self-consciously retro-cool’ means.
So the writing is bad. Horrible. But if the recipes were good, you could just skip the writing and get straight to the recipes. Well, the recipes aren’t bad exactly, but every recipe assumes that you already know what she’s talking about. She doesn’t explain things for a beginner.
Then there are some rather weird recipes. I don’t plan on ever making persimmon or passionfruit curd. And I definitely will not touch a gin and tonic gelatin mold. Several of the recipes, most, in fact, call for ingredients that I would have a hard time tracking down. Like rosewater and some specialty jams. She also uses special equipment, but doesn’t give you a picture of it or really describe well how to use it. I know most English cooks know what a pudding basin is. I don’t.
How to be a Domestic Goddess
For thousands of years, Greek goddesses have inspired women to develop their inner strengths. Aphrodite (Venus) was the goddess of love, romance and beauty; Hera was the goddess of marriage, women and childbirth and Hestia was goddess of the hearth and home. These goddess are believed to have influenced the issues of domestic life…they are our mythological domestic goddesses.
The Chief of the Greek goddesses, Hestia was the most influential and most revered. Hestia, which means ‘the essence’, the nature of true things is associated with the warmth and comfort of a home’s fireplace, providing security, comfort and peace. Hestia’s vision was that every house was a home.
In ancient times, Greek goddess Hera – meaning “Great Lady” — was known as the only Greek goddess to accompany women throughout their lives. She blessed and protected a woman’s marriage and Juno, her Roman name, was used to name June, a popular month for weddings. Her other duties included giving a woman fertility; protecting children and helping women find financial security.
Aphrodite, the goddess of romantic love is the original golden girl. With breathtaking beauty and impeccable taste, a new standard of goddesses was set. Her one and only divine duty was to bring love into the world.
So, if the domestic goddess was actually a combination of Goddesses, why do women today feel they have to embody all three Goddesses rolled into one? An impossible, unachievable task, perhaps…
Being a domestic goddess suggests a woman who is able to manage the household and be adored, as well as most likely holding a job down. Yet after a jam-packed day of being goddesses Hastia and Hera — looking after the children, cooking and cleaning — it’s all a woman can do not to crash out, never mind grabbing their hair straighteners, slicking on the lip gloss and getting ready for a bit of Aphrodite loving!
The key is not to aim for perfectionism – most men won’t notice if there’s a bit of dust on the TV or the pasta’s slightly overcooked! And if they do, then they can always learn for themselves where the duster lives!
In addition, being kind to oneself is crucial to one’s wellbeing. By indulging in a bit of ‘me-time’, women are then better able to look after others and manage busy lives. Try putting aside some time every day for a little something that’s just for yourself – make an appointment for a long, candlelit bath, go for a solitary walk in the park, indulge in a pampering massage, or even have half an hour curled up on the sofa with a good book. It can take quite a lot of discipline to give yourself that space, but by doing so, it will enable you to feel mentally and physically refreshed.
It’s a well-known fact among women that they strive for perfection, but instead of trying to be the perfect domestic goddess, try and remember that if everyone was truly perfect, life would be very dull!
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How To Be A Domestic Goddess
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‘This is for those days or evenings when you want to usher a little something out of the kitchen that makes you thrill at the sheer pleasure you’ve conjured up.’
The classic baking bible by Nigella Lawson (‘Queen of the Kitchen’ – Observer Food Monthly). This is the book that helped the world rediscover the joys of baking and kick-started the cupcake revolution, from cake shops around the country to The Great British Bake Off.
How To Be a Domestic Goddess is not about being a goddess, but about feeling like one. Here is the book that feeds our fantasies, understands our anxieties and puts cakes, pies, pastries, preserves, puddings, bread and biscuits back into our own kitchens.
With luscious photography, easy recipes, witty food writing and a beautiful hardback design, this is a book you will treasure for many years as well as a delicious gift for friends and family.
Cakes – from a simple Victoria Sponge to beautiful cupcakes
Biscuits – macaroons, muffins and other indulgent treats
Pies – perfect shortcrust and puff pastry and sweet and savoury recipes
Puddings – crumbles, sponges, trifles and cheesecakes
Chocolate – luscious chocolate recipes for sharing (or not)
Children – simple recipes for baking with kids
Christmas – pudding, Christmas cakes, mince pies… and mulled wine
Bread – finally, the proof that baking bread can be fun, with easy bread recipes
The Domestic Goddess’s Larder – essential preserves, jams, chutneys, curds and pickles that every cook should have
