Nigella Express is exactly what a cookbook should be.

One of my favorite things in the world to do is cook. When I am in the kitchen cooking for my family, I am as happy and peacefully content as a human should be. So it’s no wonder, I suppose, that I collect cookbooks with a great and unbridled passion. I’ll pick up any cookbook that looks interesting, but I’m partial to those written by Food Network chefs. As a net junkie, they seem kind of like a family anyway!

Nigella Express: 130 Recipes for Good Food, Fast is the most recent cookbook added to my collection. It has also become one of my personal favorites. I try to cook a good variety of foods for my family and I love incorporating foods from all over the world into our lives. Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver (British celebrity chefs) are two of the best chefs on the planet, and each is as entertaining as they are brilliant. I will always buy whatever book either of you comes out with!

Nigella Express is Nigella’s best cookbook yet. I personally work at home so the express nature of the book is not the main advantage for me, although most people would love how quick and easy these recipes are. What I love most about the recipes found in this visually beautiful book is the fact that they are incredibly delicious and unique. They allow me to serve my family dishes that are unlike anything they can find anywhere else. I love that!

Below are some of my personal favorite Nigella Express recipes:

– Red Pepper Hummus (Delicious served with wheat crackers and chopped vegetables.)
– Golden honey mustard dressing (a must for grilled chicken salad).
– Spaghetti with Shrimp and Chile
– Linguine with mushrooms with lemon, garlic and thyme
– Mozzarella with Crazy Gremolata
– Hokey Pokey (A New Addiction!)
– Cloudy lemonade for a sunny day
– Mini meat loaves
– New Orleans coleslaw
– Ice Cream Cake (Amazing!)
– Roly-Poly Pudding (A syrupy pudding that looks difficult but is as easy as it is delicious).
– Grilled cheese and coleslaw (a big hit with my daughters).
– Cheese and cherry cake

The book is literally FULL of amazing recipes, cooking tips, and beautiful, conversational writing from Nigella. There are also brilliant photos taken from Nigella’s own home. Her ridiculously beautiful face greets you throughout the book with a smile that makes you smile back.

If you only buy one cookbook this year, make it Nigella Express.