Nigella Lawson and the New York Times

[SobaAddict70]

Why can't we have more writing like today's article by Ms. Lawson?  Amanda Hesser (of Food Diary fame), eat your heart out.

Some tidbits:

"The kitchen should not be a fearful place, hot with menace."

"good, juicy, flavorsome loin meat, an extravagant six and a half pounds of it."

"it is only the French who affect disdain for the boullion cube; the Italians, no slouches in the cucina, after all, are unapologetic about using dadi and so am I"

"makes one feel about as near to sensation heaven as it's possible to get at lunchtime"

My only quibble is her product placement within the article.  As if we needed a subtle reminder to GO BUY HER BOOK!!!  Otherwise, a refreshing piece of writing from The Sultry Chef.

Menage a Lawson

[bourdain]

Nigella is strange--and fabulous and the Times piece was an absolute ringing bell--pointing up not only how good recipe-driven food writing can be but how bad it has been since Hesser began inexplicably morphing into Amy Sohn Lite. Count me among the many who have fallen under Ms. Lawson's spell. Her show is as much about the pleasures of eating what's good as it is about cooking.  Don't let the inevitable, sexy photos of her nibbling provocatively at asparagus tips put you off. She's the real deal.

Why do I think  Simon might  care to weigh in on this burning issue?

[Wilfrid]

Yeah, I've been telling people for years that she wrote a pretty decent restaurant column in The Spectator, even before the public had noticed her chest.  Good to see her writing recognized.

[Steve Klc]

Tony, funny you should mention Simon--he did already have something to say about her. Here's the link to our previous thread on the "Sultry Chef from Britain":

http://forums.egullet.org/ikonboa....27;st=0

Seems there are fewer seats left on her bandwagon every day.

[thefoodhunter]

I'd rather watch Nigella nibbling an asparagus tip than Joel Robuchon.

[mamster]

I don't want to watch anyone nibbling Joel Robuchon.

[Jinmyo]

mamster, that's why you're a coordinater and we're not.

[stellabella]

i read the Times food section in the newark airport this morning and was hoping someone would have something positive to say about her.

i glanced thru her cookbooks a while back and didn't find them interesting enough to buy--but that doesn't mean they aren't interesting or useful--i just don't have room on my shelf for anything less than an i'll-ALWAYS-consult-this-one.

that said, i love the way she writes--and soba addict--i loved the bit about child labor and making her grammar-school aged kids snip the ends off string beans.

she can't help it that she's beautiful--occasionally people are both nice-looking and smart, and we shouldn't doubt thier credibility as a result of their outward appearance.

i think she's got it going on--and i think she's perhaps a better food writer than cookbook writer--i'd  love just to read  accounts of her dinner parties.

[jaybee]

For some reason that escapes me, the article caught my eye.

I spent about ten minutes on the photos and then the train came to my stop, so I didn't get to the text.  I'll save that for later tonight.  I seem to be way behind the curve (so to speak) in discovering Nigella.  Shame on me.

[Andy Lynes]

What we should remember about Nigella is that, as the daughter of a former Chancellor of the Exchequer, she is a well educated, middle class woman and as such be expected to be able to string a few words together in a pleasing manner and bring an intelligent approach to her chosen subject.

I personally found the article over written and too deriviative of Nigel Slater, her good friend and forerunner in both books and TV of the "stop pretending to be a professional chef and talk to your guests more, real fast food in five minutes, I never reduce a sauce, lets all buy frozen food, oh look a canned thing thats good, not bad, don't you love Ben and Jerrys, you can't beat boiled asparagus in spring time, strawberries in summer, comfort food in Autum, big lovely stews in winter, aren't home baked cakes nice, lets write in first person singular present tense all the bleeding time" school of thought.  

Her ace in the hole is of course her looks and her slutty ways in the kitchen which are provocative to her male viewers and liberating for her female viewers. She has freed the incompetant and the lazy from the strictures of Delia-ism and taught them that greed is not only good, but essential to a proper understanding of food.

As with all 6 part cookery shows, 1 series is more than enough to get the idea, and a second and third are simply there to build the brand and sell the books, videos and CDs. Nigella has conspired to reduce herself to a pair of breasts illuminated by the fridge light as she licks something white and sticky from her fingers. But thats ok by me.

[Miss J]

Isn't it interesting how two people can view the same subject and have a completely opposite reaction? I've loved Nigella's writing style since I first stumbled across it, while Slater's has always felt a bit overly mate-y. I don't dislike his work, it just doesn't do it for me like Nigella's does.

Ah, different strokes, etc etc...

Miss J

[Andy Lynes]

Lets not bring strokes into this........

I don't like Slater either, his articles are car crash reading for me. I usually end up reading the most stomach churning passages in his Observer articles aloud to my wife in a disbelieving sort of voice. I think I've said this elsewhere before, but a lot of his ideas seem to come directly from Simon Hopkinson.

A recent example was in an article about Aubergines. He gave a recipe using cream and said something to the effect that "yes I know you should never use cream with Aubergine, so shoot me, I'm just so wild and crazy, it works, believe me, (aren't I a real rule breaker)". On referring to the Aubergine chapter of Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Sinom Hopkinson published in 1994, what did I find but no less than 2 recipes with cream in the title and with no mention of the fact that it might be an unusual or previously unheard of combination.

[Ron Johnson]

It is interesting to witness the disdain that most have for Amanda Hesser and the appreciation that those same individuals have for Nigella Lawson.  What's the differece?  They both have the same concept:  they write about themselves, their friends, themselves, their lovers, themselves, their family, and then themselves some more.  At least Hesser calls her column a food diary so as to explain the abundance of first person prose.  Although, I do think Mr. Bourdain did nail it with the Amy Sohn lite comment. (BTW, what's she look like?)

No, I think the primary difference is that Nigella feigns common and slutty mannerisms, whereas Amanda is trying to fit in with the NYTimes asthetic.  Both are equally ridiculous and offensive to certain groups of people.  Isn't it really just two sides of the same marketing coin?   "Don't hate me because Tad is marrying me"  or "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful and just spilled all this chantilly cream down my cleavage."  You say pOtato, I say potAto.

[B Edulis]

Speaking as an amateur, I thought the article was okay, and I plan to try the fool, tho' with other fruits. And I like her casual hand, the graph near the end about the ingredient amounts as guidance, not law, was something I wish I had read 25 years ago, instead of figuring out 15 years ago.

There's one thing I love about Nigella, and I suspect other women do, too -- she's carries some weight. Sure, great breasts. And I bet she wears a waist cincher of some sort. But she's Rubenesque -- what a contrast to that boney-looking  Hesser! And that flesh is sexy. She's one of a few attractive women prominent in the media who's not a size 8 -- or less.

Let's hope she starts a trend!

[Steve Plotnicki]

Ron - I think you're right. The difference is that Nigella does it all within the framework of being naughty posh. A type of woman that we don't have in the U.S.  We are used to Ivy Leaguers like Hesser and they are a dime a dozen and sort of boring by now (sorry Amanda, don't take it personally.) In fact, I think that any American woman who acted like Nigella wouldn't be given anywhere the same level of respect she is given. Ultimately she gets away with her schtick because underneath it all there is an air of superiority about her. She is intimate yet aloof. Sexy yet not attainable for mere mortals. She can be the biggest screwup in the kitchen but in the end of the day when the camera has gone, she is still in her posh kitchen (and her posh bedroom) and you are not. That is what makes you want to see her the next time.

Personally I can't watch her for more than 2 minutes before switching channels. Not that she isn't pleasing to the eye and fun, I just don't see what she adds to the hobby of cooking. To me, most TV chefs don't add anything because they are poor communicators about food. Even someone like Emeril who is a great communicator really projects more of his own personality and not great detail about the food. For my money, Mario Batali and Gary Rhodes are the best at communicating the essence of what makes a dish tick. They dig into the ingredients and how they play against each other in a way most other chefs aren't able to. But it will be interesting to see if Nigella is able to become a TV personality in this country. I have my doubts. Although I must say the response on this thread towards her has been mostly favorable.

[stellabella]

There's one thing I love about Nigella, and I suspect other women do, too -- she's carries some weight. Sure, great breasts. And I bet she wears a waist cincher of some sort. But she's Rubenesque -- what a contrast to that boney-looking  Hesser! And that flesh is sexy. She's one of a few attractive women prominent in the media who's not a size 8 -- or less.

Let's hope she starts a trend!

I'm with YOU, M.

I don't know the other food writers of whom ya'll speak--since I only happen to see a paper occasionally.  Personally I thought the best bit about the story was the I'm-serving-a-superb-cut-of-meat-with-canned-peas-and-my-story-is-on-the-cover-of-the-Tim

es-ha.  

Andy, tho I love you and know we'll always be bound by our mutual affection for KKChunkys, I have to admit that I am one of the incometent lazies of whom you speak.  I have never reduced a sauce, much less cooked a cut of meat.  I've made chocolate mousse and serve a pan of mac&cheese that brings my guests to their knees.  I bake beautiful loaves of bread and I get to cook with my own home-grown, canned organic tomatoes in dead o'winter.  I also like to write about myself.  But I am totally incompetent in the kitchen compared to many of the really accomplished cooks and chefs who post here and read the Times.

So what?  Nigella is a celebrity.  Of course she is.  And her story was edited [let us not forget].  But it was very entertaining.  She's good to look at.  She likes real food, even if she takes short-cuts, which my guess is that MANY of us here do as well.  And ya know, I like to be able to read about something I can personally relate to now & then, rather than something to which I can only aspire.  S'nice.

[Andy Lynes]

I have to admit that I am one of the incometent lazies of whom you speak.........I bake beautiful loaves of bread and I get to cook with my own home-grown, canned organic tomatoes in dead o'winter.

IMO, anyone who bakes their own bread with success or cans their own tomatos cannot be incompetant and is certainly not lazy.

[Simon Majumdar]

Can I just add, apropo of nothing that when my ex-wife submitted the papers for our divorce based on unreasonable behaviour ( moi, unreasonable ) she cited an occasion where I had called her "Rubenesque".  And I thought it was a compliment. Women, go figure?

I have no great feelings either way about La Lawson.  I think Steve P hits it on the nail when he says she adds nothing to the hobby of cooking but she does no great harm and she is a ways less irksome than the fat tongued one.

I am sorry Tony, she is not the real deal.  She is a one trick pony, again as Steve P puts it, she is Naughty Posh and while she could give me a stern telling off any time.  I wouldn't respect her at dinner time  

[Bux]

It is interesting to witness the disdain that most have for Amanda Hesser and the appreciation that those same individuals have for Nigella Lawson.  What's the differece?  They both have the same concept:  they write about themselves, their friends, themselves, their lovers, themselves, their family, and then themselves some more.  

I'd have thought the difference was obvious. When I read Nigella, I get the impression she loves her friends and loves being with them more than she loves cooking. Her cooking instructions seem to be about how to cook well enough to make your friends happy to be at your home and how to spend more time with your friends than in your kitchen. Most of all, Nigella does't gossip about her friends and relative and I've yet to hear an iota of criticism about them. Amanda sends a very different message. Her diaries are so full of put downs of her "friends," family and people the rest of us have come to respect over the years, that I'm embarrassed to be part of the social situation even though all I'm doing is reading about it. There's been such a mean spirit to so many of her diaries that I'm glad I don't know her or her friends. On the other hand, I feel I'd be richer for the company of Nigella and her friends.

Nigella spends time with her daughter and still seems to find the energy and spirit to entertain her friends and enjoy doing it. She's learned how to entertain with less stress and it's probably a lesson I could use. Amanda often gives me the impression that she has more important things to do than worry about her guests and sets off to follow a recipe that she knows, or should know, in advance she will not have the time to do properly. The kicker is that she lets us know her guest probably won't know the difference if she screws up.

Nigella is not a chef and she's not a great cook, but she's got a lot to teach those who can't cook and, I suspect, those of us who spend too much time cooking to the detriment of our ability to entertain gracefully.

[Ron Johnson]

Nigella likes her friends and Amanda does not?  A difference?  Perhaps.  A distinction?  Not really.  Self-absorption is still the commonality.  That coupled with marginal ability and a savvy (or not) marketing angle get you on TV or a column in the NYTimes.  Nigella as food-porn.  Amanda as food elitist.

No wonder Fat Guy isn't NYTimes material   He is the real deal.  Although the fact that cool and smart people like Mario Batali and Alton Brown have made succesful TV shows gives me hope that Fat Guy will soon have his own on-air gig.

One thing about Hesser that does irk me considerably is her new status on the wine tasting panel of the Times with Asimov, Grimes, and Prial.  Some of her comments regarding wine are absolutely hilarious.  Her tasting notes are even worse.

[Simon Majumdar]

She speaks very well of you though, Ron

[Ron Johnson]

She speaks very well of you though, Ron

She should, as I have been her most ardent defender on egullett.  As I stated before, I, for one, enjoyed the food diary thing.  My only point was that I do not believe it is fair to champion Nigella and belittle Amanda when their modus operandi is so similar in essence.

Of course, that was before she undertook wine tasting.

[mamster]

What we should remember about Nigella is that, as the daughter of a former Chancellor of the Exchequer, she is a well educated, middle class woman and as such be expected to be able to string a few words together in a pleasing manner and bring an intelligent approach to her chosen subject.

I know plenty of well educated, middle class people who can't write at all, and I expect most people who have to read writing samples would agree.  It's not something that comes automatically with a college degree or a mortgage.

[SobaAddict70]

My attraction to Madame Lawson stems not from her photogenic qualities but from the quality of her writing, which for me seems closer to Ruth Reichl, another fan fave of mine.  Amanda occasionally comes close but some things like her ongoing relationship with her boyfriend/fiance/family/relatives/immediate friends strikes me as something us Gentle Readers have no business knowing.  I don't know.  When I see Nigella, I think -- poetic, descriptive without being cliched or burdensome.  I mean, Nigella just blows Amanda's writing away -- and previous to the divine Madame L., I vastly preferred Amanda over William Grimes or Regina Schrambling.  Now, there's no going back.  *sigh*

Now if only the NYTimes could entice Nigella to be Grimes' replacement.

Of course, I have no experience with Mr. Nigel Slater, so any links to his material would be helpful in helping moi form a more nuanced opinion.

[Andy Lynes]

http://search.guardian.co.uk/search97cgi/s97networkr_cgi?QueryText=nigel+slater&Action=Search&Collection=Archive&ResultTemplate=ArchiveFull.hts&SortSpec=VdkPublicationDate+Desc