# Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers



## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

Anyone catch this?  Was on a couple of nights ago.

I fucking _adore_ Nige, his attitudes and feelings about food match mine completely.  

He did this roast garlic puree spread on toast, with grilled goats cheese on the top for one of them and I nearly melted off the couch


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## Badger Kitten (Sep 11, 2009)

Have we switched our allegiances from the divine Nigella then? What about when she starts slinking about in her red satin dressing gown, hmmm?


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

Badger Kitten said:


> Have we switched our allegiances from the divine Nigella then? What about when she starts slinking about in her red satin dressing gown, hmmm?



I don't actually rate Nigella's cooking tbh.  I just fancy her 

Nigel on the other hand I don't fancy, but I do completely worship for his foodie knowledge/desires


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## Badger Kitten (Sep 11, 2009)

Nigel's 30 Minute Meals is in my kitchen, splattered with oily fingerprints and greasy stains. It is my most-used cookbook ever.


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## Strumpet (Sep 11, 2009)

Getting into cooking progs lately and more home cooking so will look out for this.
Thanks.


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## foo (Sep 11, 2009)

Nigel is god. 

i'm not much of a foodie tbh, but after reading Toast, i bought one of his cook books. 

i'll look out for this programme, cheers soj.


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## Badger Kitten (Sep 11, 2009)

I fancy Nigella as well. Or perhaps I just want her waist and her hair and her house.


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

Badger Kitten said:


> Nigel's 30 Minute Meals is in my kitchen, splattered with oily fingerprints and greasy stains. It is my most-used cookbook ever.



He kept emphasising how recipes are only ever a base from which to spring - how you don't have to put stuff in if you don't like it, and how it's YOUR meal after all, so why shouldn't you add/remove certain ingredients according to your tastes

He really gets to the heart of how food should be viewed and eaten


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## foo (Sep 11, 2009)

i'd chuck that fuckin denim jacket she wears away though, it always seems grubby of her to cook in a coat....


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

foo said:


> Nigel is god.
> 
> i'm not much of a foodie tbh, but after reading Toast, i bought one of his cook books.
> 
> i'll look out for this programme, cheers soj.



Toast is a brilliant book.  I picked it up in a secondhand shop last year and was completely bowled over by it 

No worries foo - I watched it on catchup, if you have that, but if not, it's a BBC prog so should be on iplayer


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## Badger Kitten (Sep 11, 2009)

sojourner said:


> He really gets to the heart of how food should be viewed and eaten




Yes. he is greedy, like me.


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## fen_boy (Sep 11, 2009)

Love his recipes, but on telly there's something creepy and reptilian about him.


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

Badger Kitten said:


> Yes. he is greedy, like me.



And me


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## Badger Kitten (Sep 11, 2009)

fen_boy said:


> Love his recipes, but on telly there's something creepy and reptilian about him.



<Tony Gosling>He's an Illuminati. He does all the chefing for the Bilderberg group</Tony Gosling>


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

fen_boy said:


> Love his recipes, but on telly there's something creepy and reptilian about him.



  Not to me


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## fen_boy (Sep 11, 2009)

*Nigel on the way to bed*


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## fen_boy (Sep 11, 2009)

sojourner said:


> Not to me



No? I hear his voice when I read his recipes now and it puts me off.


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## Badger Kitten (Sep 11, 2009)




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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

fen_boy said:


>



Can't be

He's not carrying a plate of something scrummy


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## fen_boy (Sep 11, 2009)

@Badger Kitten


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## Badger Kitten (Sep 11, 2009)

I have just found a lizard thing so great it needs its own thread.


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## fen_boy (Sep 11, 2009)

Badger Kitten said:


>



That looks more like instructions on how to inflate a damp lizard.


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## fen_boy (Sep 11, 2009)

Too slow.. hahaha


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## Badger Kitten (Sep 11, 2009)

Aha, well it has its own thread as well.


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

Stop derailing my Nige thread 


(yes yes I know, I do it all the time )


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## tarannau (Sep 11, 2009)

Love his books and writing, but he's a simpering creep who can even make a cup of tea seem unpalatable when he's on screen. 

Has he got better since his last programmes Soj?


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## Badger Kitten (Sep 11, 2009)

I don't think Nigel is lizard-like really.

My favourite Nigel recipe is his cider chicken in a cream and garlic sauce thing.
What is your favourite Nigel recipe?


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## Santino (Sep 11, 2009)

fen_boy said:


> Love his recipes, but on telly there's something creepy and reptilian about him.





fen_boy said:


> No? I hear his voice when I read his recipes now and it puts me off.



This is what missfran says about him too.


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

tarannau said:


> Love his books and writing, but he's a simpering creep who can even make a cup of tea seem unpalatable when he's on screen.
> 
> Has he got better since his last programmes Soj?



I never saw his last programmes tbh, I only really got into him last year after reading Toast, and then another book by him

I don't find him a simpering creep though.  And the way he enthuses about the food he's cooking/cooked is ace


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## fen_boy (Sep 11, 2009)

His recipes are very much soul food... but in the Cthulhu sense.


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## sim667 (Sep 11, 2009)

I always remeber the recipe (if you can even call it that) which involved melting butter, garlic and herbs in a pan then dunking bread in it....

now that is the kind of healthy eating we should be teaching kids!


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## sheothebudworths (Sep 11, 2009)

sojourner said:


> Anyone catch this?  Was on a couple of nights ago.
> 
> I fucking _adore_ Nige, his attitudes and feelings about food match mine completely.
> 
> He did this roast garlic puree spread on toast, with grilled goats cheese on the top for one of them and I nearly melted off the couch



That was the exact same one that got me too, soj!

The one where I said to myself 'Oooooh I'm _definitely_ gonna be making that for me!!!    '


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## sheothebudworths (Sep 11, 2009)

I have to agree about his manner though.  He just _doesn't quite work_ on telly!


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## Badger Kitten (Sep 11, 2009)

He writes better than he films, TBF.


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## sheothebudworths (Sep 11, 2009)

Yes, defo. I love his books. And his food. But I don't love him on telly.


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## Pieface (Sep 11, 2009)

His writing does my head in.  That indulgent combination of nostalgia and cream.  Bleurgh.

His food does seem good however - I just can't stand the timewarping.   Sort of person who you'd hand a cupcake to and he'd start weeping for his lost innocence.  Well, that's the impression I get anyway - I've never seen him on the box.


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## tarannau (Sep 11, 2009)

It's slightly depressing that he's so wet on telly to be honest. On paper his words often make me nod sagely in agreement, coo and go off to cook inspired.

On telly I get a urge to slap his simpering face, steal his dinner money and munch his food whilst kicking sand in his face. Not that I've even done any of those things, but you've got to start somewhere


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

sheothebudworths said:


> That was the exact same one that got me too, soj!
> 
> The one where I said to myself 'Oooooh I'm _definitely_ gonna be making that for me!!!  '





He can go a bit overboard sometimes on flavours - I mean, that really didn't need the additional parma ham, but the lettuce idea was good 

Mmm, though - roasted garlic


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

Badger Kitten said:


> I don't think Nigel is lizard-like really.
> 
> My favourite Nigel recipe is his cider chicken in a cream and garlic sauce thing.
> What is your favourite Nigel recipe?



Hurrah - I'm not alone then!  I'm a bit surprised by all the haterz tbh 

I don't have a favourite recipe by him - I just love how he feels about food


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## foo (Sep 11, 2009)

i'm with ya soj, all the way. 

on a not really related note, does Nigella's jacket wearing while she's cooking get on your nerves? i'll admit it's put me off watching her cos it irritates me so much.


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## yardbird (Sep 11, 2009)

I'm just downloading him on iplayer.


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## Mr Retro (Sep 11, 2009)

tarannau said:


> Love his books and writing, but he's a simpering creep who can even make a cup of tea seem unpalatable when he's on screen.
> 
> Has he got better since his last programmes Soj?



No he hasn't.

Smug arsehole with a constant mouth full of spit.

His food isn't up to much either in my opinion


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## tarannau (Sep 11, 2009)

Blimey. And people think I'm harsh.

I'll stick up for his recipes tbh. What's not to like about his description of cooking the perfect sausage or his recipe for massala gravy?  I like the fact that they're often flexible bases rather than overplanned and rigid tomes - he gives a genuine sense of the enjoyment and importance of the cooking process and common sense rather than relying on dry measurements. Of all the cookery books I own, the Slater's are probably the most battered and used in actuality.

It's a shame that he's a right irritating Cuthbert on screen, but I try to not let that affect my enjoyment of the books.


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## fogbat (Sep 11, 2009)

fen_boy said:


>





sojourner said:


> Can't be
> 
> He's not carrying a plate of something scrummy


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## sheothebudworths (Sep 11, 2009)

Pieface said:


> His writing does my head in.  That indulgent combination of nostalgia and cream.  Bleurgh.
> 
> His food does seem good however - I just can't stand the timewarping.   Sort of person who you'd hand a cupcake to and he'd start weeping for his lost innocence.





tarannau said:


> It's slightly depressing that he's so wet on telly to be honest. On paper his words often make me nod sagely in agreement, coo and go off to cook inspired.
> 
> On telly I get a urge to slap his simpering face, steal his dinner money and munch his food whilst kicking sand in his face. Not that I've even done any of those things, but you've got to start somewhere



LOL 



sojourner said:


> He can go a bit overboard sometimes on flavours - I mean, that really didn't need the additional parma ham, but the lettuce idea was good
> 
> Mmm, though - roasted garlic




Nah - I pondered on that but then decided that for _a meal_, rather than a snack, the parma ham was also a welcome ingredient!  

God I'm craving it now. 










Let's hope the fish _has_ gone off after all, eh?!


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## vauxhallmum (Sep 11, 2009)

I made his Bean thing with the parmesan rind in it yesterday.

It was the best thing I've cooked in ages.


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## Mr Retro (Sep 11, 2009)

tarannau said:


> I'll stick up for his recipes tbh. What's not to like about his description of cooking the perfect sausage or his recipe for massala gravy?  I like the fact that they're often flexible bases rather than overplanned and rigid tomes - he gives a genuine sense of the enjoyment and importance of the cooking process and common sense rather than relying on dry measurements. Of all the cookery books I own, the Slater's are probably the most battered and used in actuality.
> 
> .



Fair enough - this program is a bit different. It's a make and do with what you have but in no way inspiring. This week he had some veg from an allotment which he bunged in a pan and fried up in too much oil. 

Then he had some suasage and potato and cabbage left over in the fridge. Which he bunged in a pan and fried up in too much oil.

Gee Nige who would have thought to do that?


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## Pieface (Sep 11, 2009)

I feel a bit mean now.  

Good luck Nigel Slater!


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## Looby (Sep 11, 2009)

foo said:


> i'd chuck that fuckin denim jacket she wears away though, it always seems grubby of her to cook in a coat....





foo said:


> i'm with ya soj, all the way.
> 
> on a not really related note, does Nigella's jacket wearing while she's cooking get on your nerves? i'll admit it's put me off watching her cos it irritates me so much.



It's because of her bingo wings.


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## El Jefe (Sep 11, 2009)

Pieface said:


> His writing does my head in.  That indulgent combination of nostalgia and cream.  Bleurgh.
> 
> His food does seem good however - I just can't stand the timewarping.   Sort of person who you'd hand a cupcake to and he'd start weeping for his lost innocence.  Well, that's the impression I get anyway - I've never seen him on the box.



"When I was a youth, I used to weep in butchers shops"


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

vauxhallmum said:


> I made his Bean thing with the parmesan rind in it yesterday.
> 
> It was the best thing I've cooked in ages.



  ooo excellent.  I forgot about that, but when I watched it I was like 'that is SUCH a good idea to use up the rinds'


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

foo said:


> on a not really related note, does Nigella's jacket wearing while she's cooking get on your nerves? i'll admit it's put me off watching her cos it irritates me so much.



Yes it does foo

The dirty mare - all that friggin money and she wears the same tatty jacket - in the KITCHEN 

ewww

she bored the pants off me last time I watched her actually.  It's turned into a soft porn show now


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

Mr Retro said:


> Gee Nige who would have thought to do that?



Point is, lots of people DON'T think to do that

Lots of people have no fucking idea about what to do with food, and instead eat shite or stress themselves out rigidly following recipes

You've kinda missed the point eh?


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## Badger Kitten (Sep 11, 2009)

I put parmesan rind in rissotto.

Fish it out before you serve it, obviously.


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## fogbat (Sep 11, 2009)

El Jefe said:


> "When I was a youth, I used to weep in butchers shops"



Me too! 

Oh, wait. Weep. Sorry. Misread


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## Mr Retro (Sep 11, 2009)

sojourner said:


> Point is, lots of people DON'T think to do that
> 
> Lots of people have no fucking idea about what to do with food, and instead eat shite or stress themselves out rigidly following recipes
> 
> You've kinda missed the point eh?



Lolz have I upset you by not creaming myself over your Nige?


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

Mr Retro said:


> Lolz have I upset you by not creaming myself over your Nige?



No, I'm just pointing out that you missed the point


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## May Kasahara (Sep 11, 2009)

fen_boy said:


> Love his recipes, but on telly there's something creepy and reptilian about him.



Definitely. I also used to quite enjoy his writing but over time it has started to leave a sour taste in my mouth. The taste of scorn.

His attitude to food is spot on but I can't be doing with all that lexical wanking.


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## Pie 1 (Sep 11, 2009)

He is an odd bloke tbf. 
I worked with him a few times a few yrs ago. Nice guy but quite wet IRL too - actually painfully shy springs to mind more actually. 
Someone's finally talked him into doing telly - He swore it wasn't his thing back then & said he was being hassled to do it all the time, but wouldn't.

One of my faves is his stupidly simple linguine tossed in parmasan, olive oil basil & lime juice - from the Kitchen Diaries book. 
Fucking sensational


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## janeb (Sep 11, 2009)

By far my fav writer and I adore his books, they are knackered with pages falling out, plus there are loads of torn out recipes from Observer tucked in - but I'm with the 'not to keen on him on telly' brigade.

I watched this and loved the food (and his house and his garden  - which I think is really his as it looks really like the photo's in kitchen diaries, not that I've studied them in great detail or anything ) but I just felt sorry for him.  I do think Pie 1 is right, he's really shy and so that over the top presentation style makes him come across as false


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## Infidel Castro (Sep 11, 2009)

sojourner said:


> Anyone catch this?  Was on a couple of nights ago.
> 
> I fucking _adore_ Nige, his attitudes and feelings about food match mine completely.
> 
> He did this roast garlic puree spread on toast, with grilled goats cheese on the top for one of them and I nearly melted off the couch



I've got to say, I've gone right off of Slater.  He's too airy-fairy.  I bought a book recently which followed him through a year of seasonal cooking, and it sounds like he's rubbing himself off when he writes.  Too much namby-pamby liberal guff comes out of him for my liking, and my opinion of him stretches to the Observer Food Monthly which I used to love.  The whole world is going to hell in a handcart, etc...


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## Orang Utan (Sep 11, 2009)

i like his style, esp his use of the word unctuous


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## Santino (Sep 11, 2009)

Nigel Slater uses children's tears as salad dressing.


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## chainsaw cat (Sep 11, 2009)

sojourner said:


> Anyone catch this?  Was on a couple of nights ago.
> 
> I fucking _adore_ Nige, his attitudes and feelings about food match mine completely.
> 
> He did this roast garlic puree spread on toast, with grilled goats cheese on the top for one of them and I nearly melted off the couch



i am proud to associate myself with this post, now that the boss has wandered away from my desk.


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## Biddlybee (Sep 11, 2009)

Only caught the end of the first one, but set the others to record. I like his recipes.


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## chainsaw cat (Sep 11, 2009)

El Jefe said:


> "When I was a youth, I used to weep in butchers shops"



Sherry?


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

chainsaw cat said:


> i am proud to associate myself with this post, now that the boss has wandered away from my desk.


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## N_igma (Sep 11, 2009)

He's ok but he's no Rick Stein that's for sure! I prefer cookery shows that involve travel as well as cooking.


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## sojourner (Sep 11, 2009)

N_igma said:


> He's ok but he's no Rick Stein that's for sure! I prefer cookery shows that involve travel as well as cooking.



I loved Rick too, and his lil dog.

Same attitude to food, but Rick really does wind me up a bit.  He's too controlling


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## Badger Kitten (Sep 11, 2009)

Mr BK really hates him, he hates the way he writes( 'it's so OTT, it's just bloody food, not a poem')  and if he saw him on tv he would shout at the TV.

But he likes eating his recipes as cooked by me.

((poor Nigel))


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## brix (Sep 11, 2009)

Nigel's 'Real Fast Food' is the best cookbook evah!


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## Spark (Sep 11, 2009)

N_igma said:


> He's ok but he's no Rick Stein that's for sure! I prefer cookery shows that involve travel as well as cooking.



I always have liked the idea of a travel food book by nigel.  Rick just really irritates me, he's so gushy but at the same time seems quite insincere.

I love Nigel's books though.  They're more about learning about food and cooking than recipes.  I like the way in Appetite there is always a recipe followed by "here's some other things you can do with this sort of thing" so it encourages you to experiment or adapt and develop confidence in your own cooking abilities.


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## Mr Retro (Sep 14, 2009)

Looking forward to seeing what he smugly picks from his garden tomorrow and frys up whlie slobbering into it.

He is the savior of people who never knew what a frying pan was for!


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## Ms T (Sep 14, 2009)

vauxhallmum said:


> I made his Bean thing with the parmesan rind in it yesterday.
> 
> It was the best thing I've cooked in ages.



I made something inspired by that recipe - I think Nigel would have approved.  No parmesan rind, basically, or carrots but added bacon instead for that savoury hit.   

I think that Nigel's telly style has improved a lot since his first foray some years ago now.  Not nearly so nervy.


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## elevendayempire (Sep 14, 2009)

The show grated for me - "Oh, I'll just have a rummage around in the back of my fridge - why, look! A punnet of delicious berries hand-delivered by the Whole Foods company! Some Parmesan rinds, I'll just throw a bit of parma ham in, because why not... I'll just rummage around in my _massive fucking kitchen garden_ for some salady things..."

I went down to the supermarket and worked out that it'd cost about £8 to buy in the "odds and sods" for his bloody posh garlic cheesy toast thing.

I think real people should take photos of what's _actually in their fridges_ and send them to him - let's see him make something out of the bit of old cheese, yoghurt and can of Kronenburg in my fridge.

Which is annoying, 'cause he's a very good writer - I do use that Real Fast Food book of his quite a bit.


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## tarannau (Sep 14, 2009)

You can't help but feel that Slater's best days and recipes are behind him. His article in the Observer Food Monthly this month was preachy awfulness, cringey stuff that made me want to agree with Idaho more than I believed possible. He's gone from talking passionately about food to focussing on food production and the wider economy, like a wetter Hugh FW on an extra-greasy mission.



And Rick Stein was a patronising, insincere twatbag on his latest programme. Some great recipes and interesting journeys, but boy was he annoying. My other half couldn't stand him


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## fen_boy (Sep 14, 2009)

I find Rick Stein overly earnest and patronising and very very annoying.

This cunt, however...







.. is the single biggest cunt in the whole world.


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## tarannau (Sep 14, 2009)

What is the point of that Valentine twat? He's like the David Cameron of the food world, derivative and unconvincing.


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## Fedayn (Sep 14, 2009)

tarannau said:


> And Rick Stein was a patronising, insincere twatbag on his latest programme. Some great recipes and interesting journeys, but boy was he annoying. My other half couldn't stand him



He is a patronising twat, rubbing his hands with glee at the back breaking laboyur that people had to do in the Far eastern part of his programme but he offered me a job years ago so he's not all bad.


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## tarannau (Sep 14, 2009)

TBH I always liked Stein before, but once his insincere tendency has been pointed out to you it's difficult to ignore. Maybe I just used to cut him more slack because of the cute dog.

Either that or this programme, which featured some cracking meals and travels, made it all the more apparent. Maybe it's the sight of Stein interacting with (non English) others with a blend of seeming insincerity and slightly disdainful detachment.


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## sojourner (Sep 14, 2009)

fen_boy said:


> This cunt, however...
> 
> 
> 
> .. is the single biggest cunt in the whole world.



Oh, fucking totally.  I want to smack him harder even than Worral cunting Thompson


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## Infidel Castro (Sep 14, 2009)

You know what, having slagged off Slater in an earlier post, I now find myself using his recipe for a gooey chocolate cake with crushed almonds and coffee as part of the base mix.  I'm a fucking fraud.


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## Orang Utan (Sep 14, 2009)

so when's this programme on then?


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## tarannau (Sep 23, 2009)

I'm watching this programme for the first time now. Oh Nigel, poor wet Nigel.


I've rarely had such a disconnect between my mental image of the person and the reality. Not since Mike 'The Boss' Allen - the smooth talking hip hop dj of my childhood years - turned out to be a 50 year old hospital radio dj-a-like with buoffant hair and a string vest at UK Fresh '86

On the page you read a passionate cook, carefree - throwing things into the pan and experimenting eagerly.  On screen and he simpers slowly and primly through recipes, peering down at the food like a supercilious professor, something slightly laboured and unconvincing about his movement.

And it's not really his fault; he's clearly not that comfortable on screen. The voice doesn't help. But oh Nigel, I so loved your early books


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## Pip (Sep 23, 2009)

Yeah, I thought he was a bit of a knob too. Poor Nige.


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## Badger Kitten (Sep 23, 2009)

((Nige))


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## Pip (Sep 23, 2009)

I think it's mostly because he's just not comfortable in front of the camera though. He's actually gone up in my estimations for having such a nicely decorated drum.


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## Fedayn (Sep 23, 2009)

fen_boy said:


> This cunt, however...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



To be honest, imho, it's a close run thing between him and Slater.


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## Orang Utan (Sep 23, 2009)

fen_boy said:


> I find Rick Stein overly earnest and patronising and very very annoying.
> 
> This cunt, however...
> 
> ...



who's that? he looks well punchable


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## Schmetterling (Sep 24, 2009)

tarannau said:


> I'm watching this programme for the first time now. Oh Nigel, poor wet Nigel.
> 
> 
> I've rarely had such a disconnect between my mental image of the person and the reality. Not since Mike 'The Boss' Allen - the smooth talking hip hop dj of my childhood years - turned out to be a 50 year old hospital radio dj-a-like with buoffant hair and a string vest at UK Fresh '86
> ...



You mean s      l     ow         l                               y?

I still find it watchable though.  Cooked the tomato/cream/rosemary pasta with my son last week and it was tasty.


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## May Kasahara (Sep 24, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> who's that? he looks well punchable



Valentine Warner. I like him


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