Nathan Young-Ziolkowski

The sweetest gift from my husband this Christmas: my 365-day Nigella cookalong “blog” (very soon—if not already—offline) on life and becoming parents, lovingly scribed into book form — Volumes 1 through 3 — with a foreword handwritten with love. More snaps here >> www.instagram.com/p/DTF4IiRjN5...

Christmas turkey leftover essential: Fuchsia Dunlop’s Sichuanese turkey salad. Fiery, refreshing and delicious - excellent for helping blow the cobwebs away after yesterday’s shenanigans. Crushed cashews in absence of peanuts.

Sichuanese inspired sprouts. Simply slice and stir-fry with fiery, salty toban djan (fermented chilli bean sauce). Exquisite by the bowlful, as a side or incorporated accordingly into fried rice, with spiced chicken mince, pineapple and bean sprouts, as was for dinner tonight (poorly 📸 in pic 2).

Sweet, nutty crown prince squash, roasted with garlic, puréed. Madeira wine. Stock. Parmesan. Walnuts. Sage. Green, grassy and gorgeously bitter virgin olive oil. #risotto

Roast chicken with gnocchi, cream, mustard & bacon

Bowl of clear chicken broth with carrots and broken noodles

Roast chicken and gnocchi with cream, smoked bacon, wholegrain mustard, marsala, roasting juices, Parmesan, a pinch of chilli flakes for sass and a stray segment of Saint Agur for good measure (less isn’t always more). Leaves with extra virgin olive oil and lemon on the side. Rosół to start.

A meal at The River Cafe is always an unforgettable treat, each one a memory received with gratitude and treasured. Pizzetta, topped with taleggio, sage & rosemary; the iconic calamari, tender, just the right resistance, with chilli; and a heavenly tangle of spaghetti with vongole and bottarga.

As all meals start at Parsons, and I hope always will: Jersey Rock oysters and smoked cod’s roe with seaweed crackers. This visit, followed by plaice schnitzel with a sunny egg, excellent measures of tartare sauce and a bean and anchovy salad. Always a joy - and essential on every London visit.

Damson mousses.

Friday night rumpled goodness.

Calabrian Lasagne
📖 Nigellissima

Yum

Leaving the nest for a week tomorrow (well, in about 8 hours actually and still haven’t finished packing). Chicken in a pot with lemon and orzo for comfort and courage. #cookeatrepeat

Scrumptious Sunday dinner. Sirloin. Tarragon, garlic and anchovy potato gratin. Radicchio, radish, herbs, mustard dressing. Scant, but splendid, peppery sauce made from deglazing frying pan with lemon, marsala wine, lots of black pepper and a splash of cream.

Dreamy midweek treat: briny mussels, sweet butternut squash and creamy coconut milk with Thai green curry paste, Thai basil, fish sauce, fresh lime and spring onions. Ladled over rice, cooked pilaf style with lime zest and coriander seeds. A clattering, soothing delight.

8 years of marriage to this handsome man, who can neither stack/unstack a dishwasher, nor put the laundry back in the right place, but never fails to make me laugh, feel loved and safe. How much we’ve done together — most notably, of course, completing our family with this heavenly trio of cherubs 🩷

Yes I saw it on Instagram somewhere and thought I have to try (I shamefully don’t use my sumac as often as I should). Transformative flavours.

*good groaning, to clarify

Much groaning around the table!

Thank you!

Eaten with a fabulously green avocado, coriander & tahini sauce, sumac-dressed red onions, and raw courgette and herb salad.

Arayes, deliciously plump — just like me — and full of flavour. Turkey mince, spices & fresh herbs, red onion, raisins and egg stuffed into pitta halves, fried until golden, finished in the oven.

For me, unmatched in both beauty and deliciousness. Freshly picked blackcurrants, plump and still warm from the sun. @nigella.bsky.social’s liquorice and blackcurrant chocolate cake, from Simply.

Scrumptious bowl of Sichuanese fried egg and tomato soup for dinner. Got a little overly enthusiastic with the wok spatula—so it turned out more scrambled than broken omelet—but delicious nevertheless. Recipe from the wondrous Food of Sichuan by Fuchsia Dunlop.

One of my favourite things to eat as a family. Mess, giggles and deliciousness. (Bit of a pointless scattering of coriander but I had a small bowl chopped and couldn’t be bothered to wrap it for the fridge (still got eaten!). #buffalowings

Champion dinner as always at The Lazy Trout and with wonderful company. Dove straight into a roast (soft and tender pink beef for me) followed by a warm frangipane Bostock and pistachio cheese cake. #sundaydinner

I had a good gnaw 😂

Went out last night. Had (shared) a Tomahawk. Rare. Luxurious.

Sublime. Fried peppers, mushrooms and tofu stuffed with shrimp paste, served with black bean sauce, and my favourite Sichuan boiled fish.

Sunday dinner, and first bbq feast of the season: spiced pork shoulder steaks, soy and ginger chicken thighs, smoked and marinated kiełbasa, Nigella’s sweet and sour slaw, potato and egg salad with sour mustard & burger gherkins, bread and butter, bulgur wheat salad and a tomato, onion & feta salad.

A beautiful unity of land and sea: last week’s rich, meaty ragu hit with fresh mussels, shells bursting open, briny juices flowing into the sauce. Tossed through bucatini, finished with a glossy splash of EVOO and fresh dill. Exquisite.

Smoked cod’s roe with seaweed crackers; jersey rock oysters

Toasted Cornish crab sandwich with fries and mayo

Vibrant and rich sea buckthorn sorbet

Quick work trip to London—but lunch at Parson’s was non-negotiable. Smoked cod’s roe & seaweed crackers, Jersey Rocks, toasted Cornish crab sandwich, deliciously rich sea buckthorn sorbet. Flying solo meant some restraint, but still a joy. Usual window seat, breeze, people-watching, bliss.