I can say, without embarrassment, that it took Nigella Lawson to get me to cook. Through her words, wisdom, and her book "Forever Summer" - with it's abundance of lamb, mint, and lemon - Nigella not only introduced me to the ease of cooking, but also to the mystery of spices and spice mixtures such as Sumac and Zatar. And perhaps, more importantly, Nigella and "Forever Summer" provided me with a healthy portion of reliable recipes to cook, eat, and enjoy with friends. "Feast," is like part two of my culinary education. "Feast" is full of recipes for good food, cookable food, the kind of food you want to eat. The kind of food you want on your table when you celebrate, entertain family and friends, or when it's just dinner for two or even one. True to Lawson's style, nothing is to fussy or labor intensive. Whatever labor you put in you get back ten-fold in the results. While Lawson does occasionally borrow from her earlier books like "How To Eat" and "Nigella Bites," it's only to offer up a different version of the dish, and it's often even better. And, it's refreshing that when Nigella uses a recipe found in another cookbook, she gives credit to the chef and the book. Then of course she twists and tweaks the recipe: making it even better.
