It is the holiday season, and nobody does it better than Nigella Lawson and her fun approach to cooking and entertaining in her books and television shows. Lawson traditionally doesn’t sweat the small stuff like calories, fat, and cholesterol. Her philosophy is to jump into life an celebrations with both feet.
“I don’t feel like me when I don’t cook.” @Nigella_Lawson shares her love of food w/ @elipworth #EntertainingIssue https://t.co/IV6IZyEqxX
— Stellar (@StellarMagAU) November 28, 2015
The Los Angeles Times refers to Nigella Lawson as their favorite Domestic Goddess . First and foremost, Lawson likes to be comfortable and wants her guests to be comfortable.
“When she entertains at home, she follows a few simple rules, paramount among them: ‘I can’t invite people over to eat if I wouldn’t be comfortable were I in my pajamas and no makeup.’ “
Lawson also stresses that there is no such thing as perfect, and a drive for perfection can ruin a get together for everyone, especially the host.
“The perfectionist drive makes life hell for host and guest alike,” she writes in the book. “An informal atmosphere is not only the most welcoming one, but — for me — the only way to ensure that I don’t regret inviting people over in the first place.”
Nigella Lawson’s holiday hosting advice? Keep things relaxed and informal: The holidays are frantic times, ful… https://t.co/SKNRZEbHt9
— Nicholas Carlson (@AnaheimNews) December 2, 2015
And Nigella Lawson is also a hero to many because she doesn’t think thin equals healthy, according to the Daily Mail. Lawson is not advocating gluttony, but she does believe in eating what you want.
“When people come to my house for supper, I would never expect anyone to eat something sweet if they didn’t want to, but I’ve noticed how all the people who say, ‘Oh no, nothing for me’ – and, sadly, this is nearly always women – get a fork out and start picking at the cake. In the end, they’ve eaten much more than everyone else! So, if I feel like chocolate cake, I’ll have a slice.”
Lawson also stresses that having grown up with a mother that had an eating disorder, and losing three close family members who wasted away from cancer made her see food differently than many. It’s a life is for the living, and food nourishes more than just the stomach, it’s good for the soul.
“You know, my mother had an eating disorder, so I felt very strongly that I was not going to be tyrannised in that way. Also, if you’ve known three people you love very much die of cancer, you do not equate extreme thinness with healthiness.’
“Nigella Lawson makes breakfast bars using expensive chia seeds.”
Get ahead of the holiday craziness today with #TheChew and guest @Nigella_Lawson ! pic.twitter.com/V8ySv2KbXd
— The Chew (@thechew) November 30, 2015
But during the holiday season, the cookbooks are jumping off the shelf, and one of the big sellers right now is Nigella Lawson’s Simply Nigella: Feel Good Food, along with Jamie Oliver’s new book. Both of these have edged out the new Great British Bake Off baking book. Fans have been awaiting a new book from Lawson, according to the Mirror .
“It’s also great to see Nigella back at the top of the book charts with a book full of feel good favourites.”
You can find Nigella Lawson’s cookbooks in stores everywhere, and her holiday cooking series online and on Acorntv, plus the Food Network.
Are you a fan of Nigella Lawson? Will you pick up a copy of her new holiday entertaining book for yourself or a gift?
[Image via YouTube]