Happy Birthday, Nigella!

The Original Domestic Goddess

The wonder that is Nigella Lawson came to me through an article in the now-defunct Gourmet.  The author seemed more than a little smitten with her, and who could blame him?  Those eyes, that hair, not to mention her out of fashion figure that was a throwback, a prototype for Joan Holloway Harris on Mad Men.  This was before she became a television sensation across the pond, before all the cookbooks save two, before she became known as the Queen of Food Porn.

No matter:  Nigella Lawson is a fascinating, gorgeous creature.  She’s a home cook who’s a little messy, who thinks you should have a little fun and a little drink in the kitchen.  She’s more concerned with making her guests feel welcome than with getting everything right.  That’s what I most admire about her:  I want to emulate her ‘domestic goddess’ in order to entice everyone to have a good time.

Hers is the banana bread I make for my husband, and the Pavlova that everyone exclaims over, never suspecting how easy it is.  More important, hers is the spirit I try to invoke when I entertain:  generous, fun-loving, and relaxed.  I don’t always succeed (especially the day before!), but I reach for the star that is Nigella.

So I break my “none of this wine nonsense” rule for Nigella, and raise a glass of Barolo to her!  Happy Birthday, my dear domestic goddess!