Author: eleanoreheavener
Nigella's been mocked for her simple dishes – but she's not alone
She’s mashed a tray of fish fingers, put banana skins in a curry and covered her bread dough in a leopard-print shower cap.
And viewers of Nigella Lawson’s new cookery show were left scratching their heads again this week when the TV chef spent a toe-curling 71 seconds instructing the nation how to butter a slice of toast.
But she’s far from the first celebrity chef to teach home cooks the most basic of culinary skills.From making tea to boiling eggs, here are the most blindingly obvious ones around. HANNAH FARMER gives her verdict and her advice on how to get them right.
Nigella Lawson (pictured) has been mocked for making a meal out of the simplest dish after spending 71 seconds telling the UK how to butter toast correctly
TEATIME WITH A MODERN TWIST
It might seem straightforward, but the everyday practice of making a cuppa has been elevated to a fine art.
Heston Blumenthal is so passionate about tea-brewing that he’s come up with a gadget — the £169.95 Sage Tea Maker — to get it just right.
He says the perfect cup is not about the tea but the temperature you brew it at (somewhere between 70c and 100c).Too hot and you burn the leaves, making it ‘bitter’ and ‘astringent’.
He prefers loose leaf Earl Grey or Darjeeling to builder’s tea, with skimmed milk added second.
Heston Blumenthal (pictured) is so passionate about tea-brewing that he’s come up with a gadget — the £169.95 Sage Tea Maker — to get it just right
Mark Hix, meanwhile, former executive head chef of The Ivy London, insists on loose leaf English breakfast tea in a China pot, ‘which must be pre-warmed for three-and-a-half minutes’.It’s then served in a mug, tea first, with a splash of milk.
When it comes to bags, chefs rate a strong blend such as Yorkshire Tea, brewed for a few minutes so that when milk is added it is the colour of a Werther’s Original boiled sweet.
MY METHOD: Heston’s right; boiling water does add bitterness, so switch the kettle off around 20 seconds before it’s boiled.
Put a teabag in a mug — I rate M&S’s Luxury Gold blend — pour the water on top and let it brew for 90 seconds.Remove the bag and add a splash of milk.
SUPERSIZE YOUR SCRAMBLED EGGS
Delia Smith educated the nation on boiling eggs in her landmark book, How To Cook, in 1999.Twenty-one years later, her method is still deemed fail-safe by both amateurs and professionals.
Bring a pan of cold water to the boil, gently lower in an egg (at room temperature; not chilled) and allow it to simmer for a minute.Take the pan off the heat, put the lid on and continue to cook the egg for six minutes if you like a runny yolk, seven if you like it firmer.
When it comes to scrambling and poaching, techniques differ wildly. Gordon Ramsay has a seven-step technique, taking the mixture on and off the heat repeatedly for three minutes to get the texture just right.He then adds seasoning and — controversially — a spoon of crème fraiche.
Jamie Oliver (pictured) once told the nation how to ‘correctly’ scramble an egg using nothing but butter, cooked until it’s frothy
MasterChef’s John Torode also uses crème fraiche in his scrambled eggs, while Jamie Oliver advocates nothing but butter.Heston Blumenthal goes low and slow, stirring his eggs in a bowl suspended over boiling water for up to 20 minutes.
As for poaching, while some chefs (Gordon Ramsay, Theo Randall and Prue Leith) advise adding vinegar to the water to stop the egg from separating, others (including Jamie, Delia and Mary Berry) say this is unnecessary.Nigella cracks her eggs into a tea strainer (to get rid of the stringy bits). Mary uses a saucer. While Jamie wraps the raw egg in cling film.
MY METHOD: For runny boiled eggs, it’s got to be the Delia method: simmered for a minute on the heat and then six minutes off.I scramble my eggs with nothing but butter in a saucepan over a very low heat; it can take up to ten minutes.
For poaching, vinegar makes no difference. Use fresh (not supermarket) eggs, swirl the water and simmer for three minutes exactly.
IT’S TIME FOR RICE, RICE BABY
Rice might not sound like it requires a recipe — surely all you have to do is read the back of the packet?— but it’s notoriously easy to overcook.
Jamie Oliver’s ‘foolproof, hassle-free’ method is the most complicated. He starts by boiling the rice for five minutes, draining it, then steaming it in a foil-covered colander suspended over a pan containing 2.5cm of water, for 8-10 minutes.
In contrast, Rick Stein opts for the simpler ‘absorption’ method: just 350ml of water, cooked for 10-12 minutes with the lid on until all the fluid has been absorbed.
According to Great British Chefs, an association of the country’s top culinary experts, the precise ratio is 1:1.5 rice to water.Put the grains in a pan of water, bring it to the boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer — it’ll take 12-15 minutes for the water to be absorbed.
MY METHOD: The absorption method is by far the best, producing soft, fluffy rice.
I measure out 75g per person, rinse the rice and PTS Terbaik ASEAN then put it in a pan of water, containing 150ml per portion (so a 1:2 ratio).Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer with a lid on for ten minutes. Fluff it with a fork and serve immediately.
SUPERCHARGE YOUR YOUR SPUDS
If you thought mashed potato was straightforward, think again. MasterChef’s Marcus Wareing tackles the nation’s favourite side dish in his book Marcus Everyday.
He starts by peeling and chopping the potatoes, before boiling them in salted water.When the potatoes are cooked, but not falling apart, he drains them and leaves them for five minutes. Then he puts them back in the pan, off the heat, and adds the butter before mashing.
Gordon Ramsay takes a different approach, heating a pan of butter, milk and double cream and then pouring the liquid over the potatoes once mashed.
When it comes to baked potatoes, Delia knows best: rub them with salt and olive oil and bake in the oven for two hours.
Antony Worrall Thompson pricks his with a fork and gives them just an hour, while Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall bakes his potatoes not once but twice, the second time loaded with cheese.
As for roasties, all chefs boil their potatoes first — around eight-ten minutes until tender.Jamie Oliver roughs his up in a colander and adds goose fat and garlic; Raymond Blanc, Rick Stein and Tom Kerridge use vegetable oil and sea salt — and Nigella adds semolina for crispness.
MY METHOD: Mash is best made with nothing but butter and seasoning, and I like to add a splash of potato water for an ultra-smooth consistency.
Baked potatoes are better the longer you leave them; rub them in oil and salt, prick with a fork and bake for two hours.
When it comes to roasties, I boil mine first, sprinkle over a handful of plain flour, and then put them into a tray of hot vegetable oil with salt, garlic and rosemary.
Gordon Ramsay swears he has the recipe for ‘perfect pasta’ (stock image)
THE SECRET TO SPAGHETTI
He may not be Italian, but Gordon Ramsay swears he has the recipe for ‘perfect pasta’.
His video tutorial for cooking angel pasta (like a thin spaghetti) has been watched more than seven million times.
First, you need a large pan of water, to which you add plenty of salt and olive oil — ‘that stops the pasta from sticking together’ — before bringing it to a rolling boil.Swirl a handful of dried pasta into the water using tongs and cook for three to four minutes.
Other chefs — such as Italian TV cook Gino D’Acampo and Jamie Oliver — shun Gordon’s excessive use of oil.
Nigella agrees; in her 2012 book Nigellissima she says: ‘If you have enough water, then oil should not be necessary.’
To check if it’s sufficiently cooked, she advises tasting it: ‘The pasta should still be firm, though not hard or chalky in the centre.’
Jamie puts a lid on his spaghetti as it cooks to keep the water boiling and always conserves a cup of cooking water to pour over it once drained: ‘A few swigs of that starchy water will really help to loosen the pasta up,’ he explains.
MY METHOD: A few drops of olive oil (not a Gordon-esque glug) in the pan with the pasta will stop the strands from sticking together.All it needs is five to six minutes; the taste test is the best way to check if it’s cooked to your liking.
The trick is to eat it immediately — leave it for longer than five minutes and it’ll go claggy.
SAY HELLO TO HEINZ
Forget tipping a tin of Heinz baked beans on to a slice of toast…several top chefs have had a go at turning the ultimate comfort food into a gourmet dish.
Jamie Oliver’s recipe, from his book Comfort Food, requires cannellini beans and tinned tomatoes, heated in a pan and served on thickly-sliced sourdough.
He’s been serving up beans for years: his London restaurant made headlines in 2004 when it started selling posh beans on toast (made from Heinz beans with cherry tomatoes, spices, rocket and cheese) for £7 a portion — a 2,000 per cent mark-up on a 30p tin.
Jamie Oliver’s recipe, from his book Comfort Food, requires cannellini beans and tinned tomatoes to recreate Heinz baked beans (stock image)
Gordon Ramsay makes baked beans for his family every Sunday.His bean of choice is the haricot, cooked with passata, Worcestershire sauce, onion, sugar and sherry — but the end result looks identical to what comes out of a tin.
Tom Kerridge also uses haricot beans, served on toasted soda bread, as does Mary Berry, who adds golden syrup, black treacle and muscovado sugar to her ‘Boston baked beans’ dish.
MY METHOD: Plain old beans from a tin will do but, if you’re determined to make your own, cannellini beans are best as they soak up all the flavours from that tomato sauce.
When it comes to toast, forget fancy sourdough or soda; thick-cut white is by far the most delicious.
Kim Kardashian's son Saint fears she is going to DIE
She had to look after her four children while her husband Kanye West quarantined while battling the coronavirus earlier this year.
And tensions in Kim Kardashian’s household reached fever pitch as she tried to keep daughters North, seven, and Chicago, two, and her sons Saint, four, and 18-month-old Psalm entertained while stuck in the house due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, 40, admitted her kids were ‘driving her up the wall’, as she tried to hide from them while filming a make-up tutorial because they would not ‘leave her alone’.
Losing it: Tensions in Kim Kardashian’s household reached fever pitch as she tried to keep daughters North, seven, and Chicago, two, and her sons Saint, four, and 18-month-old Psalm entertained during lockdown
Kim threatened to ‘cut herself’ if she didn’t get some peace and quiet while in lockdown, yet this only caused a meltdown from Saint who worried that she would ‘die’ and no longer be around for them.
Admitting she was struggling with it all, Kim revealed she said to her children: ‘You guys, PTS Terbaik ASEAN I’m actually gonna die if you don’t leave me alone.’
However this prompted North to scream: ‘You hate me!’
Taking a moment away to reflect, Kim said: ‘I’m so used to working a lot and being away from the kids, I love spending this much time with them, but it’s just such a change.’
Kim’s daughter North walked into the bathroom as Kim was shooting the makeup tutorial, and Kim whispered to the camera” ‘My kids will not leave me alone.’
Quarantine challenge: After husband Kanye West, 43, was diagnosed with the virus, Kim, 40, found herself stuck at home with four kids, homeschooling classes, a pile of work, and little help
‘Hey, that’s mean!’ North said.
While Kim fretted: ‘My kids are driving me so up the wall, I literally don’t know what to do. Today they all were crying and everyone’s antagonizing each other.They want to be up my a**hole.
‘I was just like, ”Okay guys, I’m gonna cut myself in fours”, and then Saint starts crying, ”You’re gonna bleed! And you’re gonna die and you’re not gonna be here with me,” and I’m just like, ”You guys, I’m actually gonna die if you don’t leave me alone.”
Not nice: Kim while trying to apply makeup complained that her children would not leave her alone and her daughter North replied, ‘Hey, that’s mean!’
‘I did.And then North is like, ”You hate me!” and she’s falling on the floor, and I was just like, I couldn’t take it today.’
Kris offered to let her daughter hide out in her house.
‘You know, Kim is Superwoman,’ the momager said in a confessional.’But this is a truly stressful, serious, unprecedented, confusing time for everyone.’
After husband , 43, was diagnosed with the virus, Kim found herself stuck at home with four kids, homeschooling classes, a pile of work, and little help.
Major change: ‘I’m so used to working a lot and being away from the kids,’ Kim admitted.’I love spending this much time with them, but it’s just such a change’
Confusing time: ‘You know, Kim is Superwoman,’ Kris Jenner said in a confessional.’But this is a truly stressful, serious, unprecedented, confusing time for everyone’
Feeling overwhelmed: ‘My kids are driving me so up the wall, I literally don’t know what to do,’ Kim fretted
Kim maintained her work commitments while watching the kids, and even made time to talk to a college criminal justice class.
As she started speaking to them online, she saw her daughter Chicago run to the pool outside.
‘Gimme one sec—I have to grab her,’ she told the class, taking off.
College class: Kim maintained her work commitments while watching the kids, and even made time to talk to a college criminal justice class
Kim prioritized her daughter’s safety but said it was embarrassing’ to interrupt the call.
She phoned pal Khadija Haqq-McCray, 37, a mom of three, for support.
‘I literally hear Chicago crying in the other room, and I don’t care,’ Kim shared.’I am literally feeling like an awful mom, just like letting her cry in the other room and figuring it out. Just like, I can’t.’
Call interrupted: The reality star prioritized her daughter’s safety but said it was embarrassing’ to interrupt the call
‘Last week, I legit was crying,’ Khadija replied.’All the moms I speak to are trying to talk each other off the ledge.’
Kim told Khadija that North was babysitting her cousin Penelope Disick’s dog, and she warned her daughter that if the dog peed on the rug, ‘I’m gonna shave her off.’
‘You’re gonna shave her off?’ North cried, as Kim promised not to cut the dog’s hair.
Duly warned: Kim told Khadija that North was babysitting her cousin Penelope Disick’s dog, and she warned her daughter that if the dog peed on the rug, ‘I’m gonna shave her off’
To Kim’s relief, Kanye finally tested negative for COVID-19 and took the kids to Wyoming for five days to give Kim a break.
She rode around her house on a motorized suitcase, saying, ‘They are so excited to go to Wyoming.And I am even more excited for them to go.’
‘Do you guys hear that?’ she asked the cameras. ‘The sound of absolutely nothing.’
Quiet house: ‘Do you guys hear that?’ Kim asked the cameras.’The sound of absolutely nothing’
She slid on the floor in her pyjamas, and realized she hadn’t been alone in the house since North was born.
‘I wanna watch a movie in my house, I wanna do my nails, I want to just do nothing,’ Kim said, showing off a foot peel.
Just 24 hours later, she said she was ‘so bored,’ and had no idea what to do without the kids.
So bored: Just 24 hours later, Kim said she was ‘so bored,’ and had no idea what to do without the kids
‘Kanye’s been sending me clips of the kids, and it’s so cute,’ Kim explained.’As much as I needed a break, I miss my kids so much… I cannot wait for them to come home.’
While Kim remained active, Khloé Kardashian, 36, was incredibly sick from the coronavirus, shaking with weakness and quarantined in her room for 14 days.
‘It sucks because True will come to my door and say, ”Mama,” and I have to pretend I’m not here,’ she said, referring to her two-year-old daughter.’She doesn’t understand why I can’t be with her right now.’
In quarantine: While Kim remained active, Khloé Kardashian, 36, was incredibly sick from the coronavirus, shaking with weakness and quarantined in her room for 14 days
As the days went on, Khloé also grew bored and was seen constantly cleaning, making her bed, watching TV, ‘stalking’ her daughter, and doing her makeup.
She asked Tristan Thompson, True’s father, to get her some puzzles, and he brought one that featured the two of them in an intimate moment.
On Day 16, a lonely Khloé made herself an ‘imaginary friend’ called ‘Quarantina,’ which she fashioned out of a neck pillow with red sunglasses, and a necklace.
Imaginary friend: On Day 16, a lonely Khloé made herself an ‘imaginary friend’ called ‘Quarantina,’ which she fashioned out of a neck pillow with red sunglasses, and a necklace
She called her brother Rob Kardashian, 33, to check it out, and he said, ‘So, you went crazy.’
‘Quarantina is saving me right now, because I need something to do all day long,’ Khloé told the cameras, as Tristan compared it to Wilson the volleyball from the 2000 movie Castaway.
‘If you ever need someone to talk to, I’ll stand outside your window,’ Tristan offered, as Khloé reflected on how thankful she was that he’d been there to watch True.
Saving her: ‘Quarantina is saving me right now, because I need something to do all day long,’ Khloé told the cameras, as Tristan compared it to Wilson the volleyball from the 2000 movie Castaway
‘Tina, keep Koko safe,’ Tristan told the pillow, before asking it, ‘Threesome?’
On Day 17, Khloé tested negative for the coronavirus.
Excited, she went to get True up for the day, and the baby just looked at her.
Together again: After testing negative, Khloe went to get True up for the day, and the baby just looked at her
‘True I don’t think even noticed that I was gone,’ Khloé said.’I’m grateful that Tristan’s been here. But I’m the mom! Give me something!’
‘Having corona has been really tough on me physically and mentally,’ she went on, ‘but having Tristan here to help take care of me, bring me meals when I needed them, just make sure the house was okay, make sure True was okay, it’s meant the world to me.’
She and Tristan sat in True’s playroom planning their daughter’s April birthday party, which would have an Easter theme.
Party plans: She and Tristan sat in True’s playroom planning their daughter’s April birthday party, which would have an Easter theme
‘It’ll be the most turnt two-year-old quarantine Easter birthday party in America,’ Tristan said.
Elsewhere on the show, sisters Kylie Jenner, 23, and Kendall Jenner, 25, squashed a long-simmering beef.
Earlier in the season, a night out led to a fight over whether Kylie was driving Kendall back to Beverly Hills, and the two had ended up slapping each other.
A month-and-a-half later, they still hadn’t spoken, despite their family begging them to do so.
Virtual meeting: The family caught up virtually and learned from Kendall Jenner that she had not spoken with her sister Kylie since their fight
On Instagram, Kylie posted a photo of the two of them together, and Kendall wrote, ‘I thought we were mad at each other.’
‘Yes,’ Kylie wrote back, ‘but my t***ies are sitting nice in this pic.’
Kris called Kylie, who told her that she wanted to donate a million dollars to a doctor they knew for personal protective equipment.
Social media: On Instagram, Kylie posted a photo of the two of them together, and Kendall wrote, ‘I thought we were mad at each other’
She ignored her mother when she urged her to get in touch with Kendall.
For her part, Kendall was reading a book called Only Love Is Real, which bore a passage on pride being an extension of fear.
‘It just really reminded me of my sister,’ she said, ’cause we both are alpha and tough girls.’
Tough girls: ‘It just really reminded me of my sister,’ Kendall said, ’cause we both are alpha and tough girls’
She reached out to Kylie, who finally called her back, apologetic.
‘I just wanna say that the other night got completely out of control,’ Kylie offered, saying she hadn’t known Kendall wanted a ride home.
‘I think it was just miscommunication, and obviously I would never do anything to hurt you.It just shouldn’t have ever gotten to that point.’
Kendall agreed that neither of them had been acting rationally.
Control lost: ‘I just wanna say that the other night got completely out of control,’ Kylie offered, saying she hadn’t known Kendall wanted a ride home
‘I’m just ready for it to be over,’ she said in a confessional.’Sisters are sisters. We can fight all we want and say crazy things to each other, but at the end of the day we’re a family and we love each other so much. She’s my partner-in-crime, always has been my entire life, and that will never change. So her not being in my life for a month-and-a-half was not ideal.’
‘I love my sister, and there’s no need to ever not talk for that long,’ Kylie agreed.
In a preview of next week’s episode, the Kardashians agreed that Khloé and Tristan had recently slept together, and Tristan told Khloé, ‘I want you in my life.’
Keeping Up With The Kardashians will return next week on the E!network.
In agreement: Kendall agreed that neither of them had been acting rationally
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