In the latest post of her exclusive #NadiyaBakes blog, Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain talks about the very special process of writing her first cook book...
Since winning Bake Off my life has been something of a whirl wind. Awards ceremonies, red carpets and television appearances to name a few - but throughout these last few very life changing months I have been secretly pottering away on one particularly special thing in my kitchen.
I have been creating (usually a mess), writing (unrecognisable doctor scribbles) and learning as I wrote my first ever cookbook. It has been a creative process that I knew nothing about, but writing my book really made me explore my life through a view of food.
"This has meant that these last few weeks have been the most intense that I have experienced since winning Bake Off."
It's pretty safe to say that everything about my life revolves around food and my kitchen. If I didn't think so before I wrote the book, I do now! So the name of the book naturally had to be Nadiya's Kitchen. I wondered whether it should be a baking book, what I am better known for, or cooking dishes that I grew up with - but that felt a little obvious. So I decided that I would write a book that better reflected how I cook for my husband and children. The different chapters show best how we like to eat with titles such as Dinner Date, Midnight Feasts, Lazy Sunday Mornings and so much more.
The book has an autobiographical feel to it giving the reader an insight into my life, filled with little anecdotes and beautiful pictures of my even more beautiful children and my lovely husband.
"This book by far is my greatest labour of love (aside from my kids)"
This has meant that these last few weeks have been the most intense that I have experienced since winning Bake Off. I have been proud of all of my achievements and they have all tested me in so many ways. But this book by far is my greatest labour of love (aside from my kids). I wanted the book to be an extension of me, I would love for people to pick up the book and hear my voice and experience my kitchen through my book.
To top off the celebrations of the new book being released we held a launch party where I was able to celebrate with friends and enjoy the night before becoming a fully-fledged cook book author. Since the release of the book I have spent most of my time recreating the recipes every few nights. You would think I would be bored of it by now but I think I'm just getting started.
