Nigella Lawson - live webchat - Tuesday 13th December 1 - 2pm

[RachelMumsnet]

It's time for our final Christmas cookery webchat, and you won't be disappointed.... We're thrilled that the domestic goddess herself, Nigella Lawson is joining us at MNHQ for a live webchat on Tuesday 13th december at 1pm.

Just as Cranberry-Queen-Delia caused a shortage of fresh cranberries, 1996 saw the sales of goose fat rocket after it was championed by Nigella as the essential Christmas cooking ingredient. So if you want to know how to make the perfect roast potato or discover the secret to a succulent turkey, join us next Tuesday or send a question in advance to this thread.

Ahead of the webchat, we've been given permission to share Nigella's recipes for cranberry sauce and chestnut stuffing, both from her book Nigella Christmas which is now out in e-book format.

[nursenic]

Worldgonecrazy-

LSA do Champagne coupes. I have some original 1920's ones passed down to me. We are too scared to use them and merely worship them from time to time.

LSA are for everyday.

[nursenic]

Hope NL does read and enjoy my book suggestions. Knowing the type of kitsch books in her collection (i share her addiction) such as Liberace Cooks, they sound appropriate! She'll love those if she has time to read them.

[scottishmummy]

nl usp and brand heavily emphasise her looks an appearance,imo it's
relevant to comment/ask about the marketing of her image.of course she is under no compulsion to answer any question.

[BarryStar]

Anybody else a teeny bit disappointed? Nothing to do with the fact she didn't answer my question (ahem), just something about the way she came across, or am I being very unfair?

[SantaffetaClaus]

Not unfair IMO Barry. I think she had a lot to live up to, given the recent excellent webchats with Delia and Dan, though.

not at all pissed off she didn't answer my bloody excellent question

[nursenic]

Barrystar- What impression ion did she make on you?

NL is actually quite a 'bluestocking'. A friend of mine knows her and says she is what the French would call 'une serieuse'. The media image and the reality are yards apart-remember how 'stiff' she was in her short lived interview series?

I wonder if it was frustrating for her to be asked for advice regarding how to cook certain meals/foods when her recipes are already so easily accessible?

I don't see the problem with it but maybe she was thinking 'google it or read my books-the books you say you all have?'......(that's not my own thought BTW, before I get flamed (smile)).

Maybe she was expecting less of the 'how do I cook/what could I cook'?

IMHO I think NL is less confident in the 'advisory' capacity and does not like the interview process. I get the impression she is quite didactic; she prefers to instruct folks in what she feels confident about instructing and ad lib advice is less natural for her.

[MistressofPemberley]

Well, I'm happy. She responded to my chirruping.
Thanks NL!
and

[ShirleyKnot]

She answered my question (WHICH WAS BRILLIANT AN FUNNY BTW) with good humour so y'know...

yah boo sucks to you AAALLLL!

[BarryStar]

That's really interesting nursenic. After I posted, I was wondering if anyone would ask me what I meant by "how she came across", and the word which sprung to mind was "humourless". So what you've said explains a great deal.

She seemed nice enough, but I just felt there was something a bit lacking compared to, say, India Knight.

[nursenic]

Thanks for replying Barrystar - I was a bit worried that you'd think my comment to you came from a negative place when in fact I was interested in your 'take' on her.

I agree with you and your perception certainly chimes with what my friend has said. NL is apparently quite shy and 'bookish' and her humour wouldn't particularly emerge on a forum like this. I'd imagine NL had some reservations about how a MN chat would go after the Gordon Brown unpleasantness.

[cherrysodalover]

I once stopped her on oxford street-i was working and she was lovely.Her husband gave me a big smile at his gallery too.She is a good person.

[nursenic]

i didn't mean to imply that she wasn't. Only that I'm sure the MN experience may not be one which brings out the best in her. I would be guarded too.

[Bucharest]

I agree....it almost seemed as though Delia and Nigella had been swapped over as some kind of trick....you kind of imagine Delia to be schoolmarmy (but she was't) and you expect Nigella to sit there dribbling sauce over herself and waxing lyrical-but she didn't.

(I am, as we speak, photocopying recipes from bth Christmas books to take home to my Mum so still lurve 'em both really)

My friend sat near Nigella on a plane once and she was apparently lovely.

[housemum]

I agree she didn't come across as over-warm, but then that's very like her TV programmes, there is a slight awkwardness there of someone who is not a natural playing up to the camera. Occasionally reminds me of the stilted conversations I have on the rare occasion that someone other than me has got hold of the videocamera at Christmas, when I really hate it being pointed at me.