• Barb_N on November 02, 2014

  I have the 1975 edition and can't find my favorite recipe in EYB- it didn't make the cut I guess. "Simple-elegant cheese pie". It's really layered vegetables in any crust (pat-in rice is recommended in the book) topped with tomatoes and cheese. Very delicious and adaptable to what you have in the fridge. I often saute components (greens, onions) in advance to speed up the prep after work. I have schmeared pesto or kalamata paste on the crust first to amp up the flavors.

• susan g on July 12, 2010

  This book really did change my life -- and I still cook with the recipes. I have at least 3 editions...

• robinorig on February 05, 2010

  I have the 1971 edition. This was one of my very first cookbooks. Way ahead of it's time, everything turned out to be correct! I saw her speak recently and she's very inspiring!

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Mushroom Stroganoff

  • Barb_N on October 06, 2014

    I have been making this since the 70's- it is a vegetarian stand-by in my house. I usually make it with just yogurt, sometimes thinning the sauce with the pasta water. Tonight I made it with cremini and some Maitake. I added a little smoked paprika, because I saw paprika on Nigella's ingredient list.

• Greek cheese and spinach wedges

  • Barb_N on August 21, 2014

    I have made this on a regular basis since college (in the 70's) when I was doing molecular research using spinach and didn't want to throw the rest away. I then made it so my small kids would eat their greens, nicknaming it "Spinach Num Nums"- hey it actually worked! A simple tasty recipe that can be a vegetarian main or a side- I'm sure it could be tarted up with herbs but I never felt the need.

  • LumiCooks on January 22, 2026

    I did not have many olives. It needed salt, so next time I’ll add to mix before baking. Very easy to make and delicious!

• Garden vegetable pie

  • Barb_N on August 21, 2014

    I make some variation of this frequently- more an idea to build on than a strict recipe. Sometimes I make the Parmesan Rice crust (if I have left over rice) or use a pre-made crust, or a pat-in crust... and any kind of cheese that is lying around- it really lends itself to veggies and greens you have on hand. Sometimes I put a schmear of pesto on the crust first. Just make sure you drain the sautéed veggies/greens very well so it's not soggy.

• Lentils, monastery style

  • planetClaire on March 02, 2016

    Delicious first soup of the year.