November Potluck!

Welcome to November's I Heart Cooking Clubs Potluck!!

One week a month we celebrate a cooking free-for-all, cooking up any of Nigella Lawson's dishes that tickles our fancy and sharing it up with the rest of the group.

What will it be? Romantic dinner for two? Treats for the office? Delicious Friday night feast? The choice is yours.


So look through Nigella Lawson's recipes in her books or online, cook up something that looks great to you, post it by November 22nd and link up to Mr. Linky so that the rest of us can share with you!

And hey, did you get a chance to check out all the delicious Man Food from last week? Mmmm, makes me hungry just thinking about it! (The food, I mean!)

Link your I Heart Cooking Clubs post of the week's permalink with Mr. Linky, below, so we can all see your fabulous cooking club creation! Please leave a comment after, each week that you use Mr. Linky to link your post, just to be sure we don't miss anyone.
Not sure what a permalink is? Check out our Welcome post.

Happy cooking, see you at the potluck!

"Man Food!"

It looks as though a wonderful "Autumn Harvest" was had by all. Check out the many delightful dishes shared last week here.

This week we bring you "Man Food" and we promise we are not trying to be sexist here at I Heart Cooking Clubs. But there are some foods that men just love (and many women too of course!).

"Man Food" is usually thought of as being simple, hearty, big flavor and filling--think meat and potatoes, hearty vegetables, filling stews, anything grilled or really whatever suits your (or your man's) food fancy.

Nigella has plenty of "Man Food" style recipes to chose from online (see the links to her website and the Food Network on the side bar), or in her books, so join us for some fun this week!

Although Alton Brown defined "Man Food" on "Good Eats" once as "Food best consumed in a La-z-boy", you don't need to have a man or a recliner sitting around the house to take part in this one.

What you do need is a Nigella Lawson recipe to post on your blog by November 15th...and to link the permalink of your I Heart Cooking Clubs post for this week with Mr. Linky, below, so we can all see your version of "Man Food." Please remember to leave a comment after each week that you use Mr. Linky to link your post, just to be sure we don't miss anyone.

Autumn Harvest

I hope everyone had a safe and spooky Halloween! Check out our Spooky Treats and Spirits here.
This week's cooking club theme is Autumn Harvest.
A celebration of the bounty of the earth, generally before the cold or cooler weather sets in. Autumn harvest may mean something different in your part of the world, and we look forward to learning about it!

Eat the Seasons lists the following produce as being in season in North America now:

VEGETABLES
bell peppers, beet, broccoli, broccolini, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cauliflower, celery root, chard, collards, fennel, garlic, leeks, parsnip, potatoes (maincrop), pumpkin, rutabaga, salsify, spinach, sweet potatoes, sunchoke, wild mushrooms

FRUIT & NUTS
almonds, apples, chestnuts, cranberries, pears, persimmon, pomegranate

There may be more in your area, check your local resources if you are unsure.

"Our deep respect for the land and its harvest is the legacy of generations of farmers who put food on our tables, preserved our landscape, and inspired us with a powerful work ethic."
James H. Douglas

So come celebrate the fruits of the land's long labours and cook up an Autumn Harvest dish from one of Nigella's books or online recipes.

Be sure to post them on your blog by November 8th...and then link your I Heart Cooking Clubs post of the week's permalink with Mr. Linky, below, so we can all see your fabulous cooking club creation! Please leave a comment after, each week that you use Mr. Linky to link your post, just to be sure we don't miss anyone.

Spooky Treats and Spirits!

Fog...mist...dense, old trees...light of the moon...owls hooting...teeth chattering...leaves rustling... ...costumed bodies...outstretched arms...nervous giggles...eyes darting...bones rattling...cauldrons bubbling... ...distant cackling...black cats slinking...potions brewing...eery eyes glowing...teeth aching...arriving home to find...Yes!! Our theme this week is Spooky Treats & Spirits! So, put on your thinking caps...step outside of the box and whip up something SPOOKY!! What fun ideas will you come up with to twist a Nigella Lawson recipe into something fitting this time of year? We are eagerly awaiting your creations!!

Be sure to post them on your blog by November 1st...and then link your I Heart Cooking Clubs post of the week's permalink with Mr. Linky, below, so we can all see your fabulous cooking club creation! Please leave a comment after, each week that you use Mr. Linky to link your post, just to be sure we don't miss anyone.

Did you make it to our Potluck last week? We had some fabulous treats...be sure to go check them out if you missed it!

October Potluck!

A potluck is a gathering of people where each person or group of people contributes a dish of food to be shared among the group. The original meaning was "food given away to guests", probably derived from "whatever food one is lucky enough to find in the pot" Wiki.

I Heart Cooking Clubs will be hosting a potluck once a month and you decide what to bring!

A gorgeous stew to keep us warm? Big pitcher of margaritas to keep us festive? Leg of lamb with lots of veggies? Potlucks are the ultimate wildcard - you decide what to make. So look through Nigella Lawson's recipes in her books or online, cook up something that looks great to you, post it by October 25th and link up to Mr. Linky so that the rest of us can share with you!

In the meantime, make sure you have had a chance to check out all the delicious Midnight Sneaks from last week. Mmm, well worth sneaking a second helping!

Link your I Heart Cooking Clubs post of the week's permalink with Mr. Linky, below, so we can all see your fabulous cooking club creation! Please leave a comment after, each week that you use Mr. Linky to link your post, just to be sure we don't miss anyone.

Happy cooking, see you at the potluck!

Midnight Sneaks!

In tribute to Nigella's famous late night trips down to her fridge to steal a bite of something delicious she made, this week our theme is "Midnight Sneaks". So what qualifies as a Midnight Sneak? Well...pretty much anything! A Midnight Sneak is any Nigella recipe that you would get up in the middle of night for, just to have another bite (or bites!) of it.

It might be savory, it might be sweet or even spicy. It could be a shared plate of pasta or a gooey creamy dessert--it's all up to you! Utensils are optional, in Nigella's world, fingers will do just fine!

So take a look through your Nigella cookbooks or online and find a Nigella recipe that you think is worthy of a stealthy late night visit to your refrigerator and post it on or by Sunday, October 18th.

Can't wait to see your late night crave-worthy selections!

If you haven't yet, take a look at all the amazing "One Dish Wonders" from last week--some truly wonderful choices!

Happy Cooking!

Link your I Heart Cooking Clubs post of the week's permalink with Mr. Linky, below, so we can all see your fabulous cooking club creation! Please leave a comment after, each week that you use Mr. Linky to link your post, just to be sure we don't miss anyone.

Don't know what a permalink is? Please refer to the Welcome page.

One Pot Wonders!

For many of us the days are getting shorter and there is a chill in the air.
This is a perfect time to pull out that big pot or pan and make a One Pot Wonder. What is a one pot wonder? A dish in which all the elements are made in the same pot or pan. It can be cooked on the stove, in the oven, or even the slow cooker. One pot wonders are generally comfort foods, family friendly, and warming to the soul.

Look through Nigella's books or recipes online, find the perfect one pot (or one pan) recipe for you and your family this week and post it on or by October 11th.

Can't wait to see what everybody cooks up!

(Have you had a chance to check out all the awesome dishes from last week's Baker's Delight theme? Truly delicious!)

Link your I Heart Cooking Clubs post of the week's permalink with Mr. Linky, below, so we can all see your fabulous cooking club creation! Please leave a comment after, each week that you use Mr. Linky to link your post, just to be sure we don't miss anyone.

Don't know what a permalink is? Please refer to the Welcome page.