Super speedy suppers, nice one Nigella

Kitchen: Recipes From the Heart of the Home,
by Nigella Lawson, Random House, $75
Nigella Lawson sat on my desk for a few days this week ... and as people passed they stroked her. I can understand why; she's a goddess, after all. A domestic goddess. She looks gorgeous in her apron, and no matter how many leftovers she scoffs she still looks gorgeous ... and, more importantly, she can cook.
It was the cover of her latest book they stroked of course. And then they oohed and aahhed as they leafed through the recipes, some even snuggled the book up to their cheeks.
Lawson describes her latest release Kitchen: Recipes From the Heart of the Home as "... simply the story of my love affair with the kitchen. Whatever the opposite of the currently still fashionable genre, the misery memoir, might be, this is it: a comfort chronicle".
It's a beautifully presented hard-covered book, running to almost 500 pages, with a ribbon to mark your page. It sits open on your bench ... it's not one of those you try to balance a jug of milk on one corner and a heavy utensil on the other to keep open.
Recipes are divided into two parts, Kitchen Quandries and Kitchen Comforts, and each has its own little story as though Lawson is in your kitchen chatting as food is prepared.
The Hurry Up I'm Hungry chapter gives you dinner on the double, ideal for the workers. Despite being speedy recipes, they are a work of art and could easily be served to dinner guests ... my favourites were tarragon chicken, perfect served with new potatoes and asparagus (now in season and a decent price!); and redcurrant and mint lamb cutlets - dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes.
I love the Asian braised shin of beef under Kitchen Comforts ... or the bone collection - delights for the die-hard carnivore. I didn't use shin beef I just picked up some stewing steak, but it was still so tender and the sauce is just the best. The second time I made this I did enough sauce to have on good old sausages the next night.
In a couple of weeks I am preparing my blackberry vodka.
It should be ready for Christmas and the fruit retrieved from the alcohol will be used in my drunken fool ... a Christmas dessert of cream, meringues and those little tipsy berries.
One thing I must mention is leftovers. In this book one recipe nearly always leads to another, with Lawson using the leftovers to make another meal.
Fabulous book, fabulous recipes, fabulous woman.