It’s not that crazy, though; Nigel Slater is known his witty prose, unpretentious cooking style and recipes that really work, so collecting his books isn’t exactly a foolhardy exercise. My copy of The 30-Minute Cook actually belongs to my boyfriend, but as I’m the head chef around here, I get to enjoy it most often. The premise is simple: delicious meals that can be made in a maximum of 30 minutes- perfect weeknight fare.

Visually, The 30-Minute Cook  is lovely- a modestly sized paperback with an illustrated cover. Inside, there are a few sections of full-colour photos, but for the most part it’s straightforward text. Ingredients are simply listed and instructions, while in a paragraphical rather than numbered style, are clear and easy to follow. Truly, you wouldn’t want Nigel to write in numbered steps; part of his appeal is his wonderful writing and dry sense of humour. For example, his views on serving Asian-style noodle dishes:

If you are unfettered by tradition then use Italian fettucine or spaghetti. No one will notice. No one will care. Unless they are purists, in which case you would do well to serve the proper thing. Otherwise they will only talk about you afterwards. (pg. 107)

Divided into nine chapters, the book covers Vegetables, Salads, Pasta and Noodles, Fish, Shellfish, Chicken, Game and Other Good Things, Lamb, Pork and Other Meats, Grains, Beans and Lentils and Snacks, Cheese and Puddings. The sections are generally well-balanced, and contain a nice mix of British, European and Asian influenced recipes. Happily for me, the meat in this book generally stays where it belongs, and Nigel seems able (for the most part) to fight the urge to throw bacon, pancetta and chorizo into any old dish. 

I’ve been cooking from The 30-Minute Cook  for almost two years now, so trust me when I say there are some real recipe gems here. Back in my meat-eating days I was partial to the delicious Sausages Braised in White Wine (pg. 196) and the Coconut and Coriander Chicken (pg. 152). Nigel’s Leek, Tarragon and Mushroom Risotto (pg. 212) is the best (and simplest) recipe for mushroom risotto I’ve found, and Red Lentils with Turmeric and Mustard Seeds (pg. 232) is so good that I’m sitting here wondering why on earth I haven’t made it in months.

There are a few places where The 30-Minute Cook could go a bit further. While I like most of the recipes, it isn’t exactly exhaustive, particularly where the Puddings chapter is concerned. It’s admittedly quite sparse, but there’s a reason for this; Nigel has another book, Real Fast Puddings, which along with its companion Real Fast Food delves further into the speedy food genre. I know that I should be concerned that more wasn’t covered here, but truthfully, I just want the other books.

Some people might also like The 30-Minute Cook to have a few more photos, and while I like visuals in a cookbook, I don’t mind that much. The recipes are so simple, with such descriptive titles, that you don’t really need photos to picture the outcome.

What The 30-Minute Cook does, it does well. There are some wonderful recipes here, and yes, they’re all quick and easy to prepare. It could do more in some areas, but I still think this is a wonderful book to have around, especially for anyone looking for a little inspiration in the weeknight meal department.

See, up to that point in my life, I thought of cookbooks as, well, books you looked in when you wanted to cook. Purely and simply resources. It never occurred to me that food writing could actually be exciting. But here was Nigella in all her glory, her gorgeous face and her even more gorgeous food, luring me into her world, where pasta was slurped with wild abandon and chocolate was consumed guilt-free. All of a sudden there was a cookbook that I wanted to read- on the couch, in the bath- and to cook from. Imagine my excitement when I discovered that Nigella was also a contributor to the British version of my favourite magazine, Vogue. 

So, for many years, I was a Nigella disciple. There were more books, there were afternoons spent cooking with my sister, there were memories. But, as people do, I grew up and moved on, finding new books and new writers to enthuse about. My rediscovery came about last Christmas, when my cousin received Nigella Express as a present. I spent the better part  of the afternoon pouring through it, reacquainting myself with an old friend. As soon as I arrived back in Britain (for by now I had moved here myself), I was off to Waterstone’s to purchase my own copy.

Since, then, Nigella Express has become a fixture in my house, both by my couch and in the kitchen. A collection of quick recipes for time-pressed cooks, the book is organized into chapters with titles like “Workday Winners” and “Get Up and Go”. This approach, rather than the more usual organization-by-type, allows for Nigella’s own cooking style to come through. For instance, “Instant Calmer” contains recipes for quick versions of the comfort food for which Nigella is known, and “Holiday Snaps” features her own brand of impressive party food at breakneck pace. 

These dishes are fast, but not necessarily because of quick cooking times. The time-saving secret of this book lies with the ingredients. Nigella calls into service a wide variety of shortcut products, from pre-chopped vegetables to garlic- and ginger-infused oil (sold as Wok oil or Stir-fry oil here in the UK) to various condiments and, in one case, dried mashed potato granules. The problem with these specialty items is that they’re a) unnecessarily expensive, b) often unhealthy, and c) difficult to find, depending on where you live.

Luckily for me, I don’t care about speed in the kitchen. While I don’t want to be standing over the stove all day, I’m much more concerned that a meal be delicious than quick to prepare. After all, I like being in the kitchen. So, where Nigella reaches for a quick-fix ingredient, I just reach for the real thing. Soaked and simmered chickpeas rather than canned, raw prawns rather than precooked, lettuce that you actually have to wash and trim yourself- you get the picture. (Confession: I did try the infused oil, but it didn’t pack enough of a flavour punch for me, so I ended up adding extra garlic and ginger, somewhat defeating the point.)

Among these are some real gems: Spaghettini with Prawns and Chili (pg. 293) is delicious, as is White Bean Mash (pg. 140) and Sesame Peanut Noodles (pg. 261). The Tuscan-influenced Tuna and Beans (pg. 284) has become a weekend lunch staple for me, and the Caramel Croissant Pudding (pg. 23) is so delicious that my boyfriend rarely requests another dessert. 

Of course, Nigella Express isn’t all winners. In true Nigella style, the ratio of sweets to mains is rather high, some might say inappropriately so for a book about quick meals. (I was always under the impression that eating “real food” should be the priority, and dessert should come after, if one has time and room.) Similarly, the focus on entertaining and starters seemed odd to me- or am I the only one not regularly having company over on weeknights? Some recipes barely seem to count as recipes at all, merely suggestions for ingredient combinations (Naan pizza, pg. 19). Add to this the abundance of meat dishes that I can’t eat, and those dishes I just plain don’t want to eat (New Orleans Coleslaw, pg. 277), and I  have to admit, this isn’t my favourite Nigella book. 

Don’t let that dissuade you, though. There are plenty of great ideas in Nigella Express, and most of the recipes are the kind that are easily adaptable to what you have on hand. Of course, if you’re a Nigella-junkie like me, you’ve probably already got it anyway.