We went to see Nigella Lawson talk to Annabel Crabb at the Sydney Opera House last night. And it was all kinds of wonderful. Here's what we discovered
1. She eats in bed so often that she’s mocked up a pantry in her bedroom, “I keep a collection of condiments by the bed,” she says, “Maldon salt, Tabasco and soy sauce.”
2. She really doesn’t just sit and eat junk food all day long. She actually has work to do: “People think all I do is sit around and eat chocolate cake.”
3. We spotted her supping a vodka Martini at Bennelong before the show, and she has a pouch of Murray River Salt in her bag to take back to London. “I love that pink salt, it’s so soft!” We take this to mean that she loves all things Australian and everything we stand for.
4. She stole from the Masterchef test kitchen, “Not only did I take the Murray River pink salt, but I also took some wonderful Tasmanian salt.” #badass
5. She has developed an addiction to pickling, “I feel this great need to pickle at the moment,” she says, “I can’t stop pickling everything. I am a toursimaniac.” (Toursi is the Greek word for vegetable pickles, because Nigella uses Greek words in light conversation because she’s amazing.)
6. She’s not into fads. She just likes to eat food that tastes nice. “The unquenchable desire for novelty can make for suppers you don’t want to eat.” (Just listen to that turn of phrase! So fancy! Swoon…)
7. Remember the controversy over the New York Times recipe for peas in guacamole last year? Nigella came up with it first! “Excuse me, I had that recipe in Nigella Express many, many years ago, and I have to say, I used tinned mushy peas for it.”
8. Having witnessed her mother’s eating disorder and had loved ones pass away from terminal illnesses, she doesn’t think skinniness is beautiful. “I don’t equate thinness necessarily with health,” she says, “The human race want eternal life. But you may as well enjoy eating in this one, I think.”
9. She loves quasi-useless office equipment: “Laminating is great fun.” Nigella Lawson; 2016.
10. She’s all about Instagram, photographing her food religiously, but her favourite thing to cook is ugly as sin: pot-braised chicken with veggies. “Un-photogenic food is often the most delicious,’ she says.
11. She got takeaway from Mr Wong after the show, because she’s a boss who eats Chinese food at midnight.
To see the full talk for yourself, check out the video below.
