Nigella's Peas & Qs

A little bit naughty and most definitely nice, Julia Braybrook talks to saucy celebrity chef Nigella Lawson prior to her tour of New Zealand

In the two decades since Nigella Lawson released her first book, the best-seller How to Eat, it’s an understatement to say the ironically self-dubbed ‘domestic goddess’ has revolutionised the food scene. Far from trying to recreate the elaborate platings of restaurant meals, Nigella espoused the simple joy of cooking in a relaxed fashion, introducing legions of time-poor home cooks to delicious, laid-back food through her many books and TV shows. “I am a home cook myself, and I think a lot of home cooks have been intimidated over the years by professional chefs,” she explains. “But, of course, what a chef is doing in a restaurant is actually right for that – it’s a theatrical arena. But at home you don’t want that drama in the kitchen, it should be more approachable and more welcoming.”

Calling from Sydney after appearing at the Australian food festival, Margaret River Gourmet Escape, Nigella adds, “When I started off writing, people felt that they should cook at home as if it was a restaurant and I think that’s changed a bit. I hope so, I certainly have done my bit to change that.”

Nigella will continue to influence us when she tours An Evening With Nigella Lawson in New Zealand this January. Anyone lucky enough to see her at the Auckland Writer’s Festival last year will know that the 58-year-old, in person, doesn’t disappoint – elegant, warm, witty, with an age-defying complexion, she’s just the woman we want to discuss our food experiences with. And she hopes to have a few new experiences to share.