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Nigella's 'Nigellissima' leaves critics reaching for the sick bag
Meat-based pizza and Nutella cheesecake are a recipe for disaster on new cooking show
NIGELLA LAWSON sashayed back onto our screens last night with a new Italian-themed cooking show, Nigellissima, inspired by her gap year spent as a chambermaid in Florence. But artsy soft focus and an "oozing" host did not stop some viewers feeling queasy about the food.
Italy might be Nigella's "spiritual home" but the dishes on her show were less than Italian, complained critics. Nigel Farndale in The Daily Telegraph called it "Italianate cooking", in the same way that "British 19th-century garden design influenced by the Italians was said to be 'Italianate'".
He said the dishes - which included a children's 'meatzza' (a mixture between meatballs and a pizza) and a decidedly un-Italian cheesecake – were a reminder that "her originality is more in the presentation of dishes than in the combination of flavours they represent".
Jack Sharp, from On the Box, said the 'meatzza' was so "grotesquely indulgent” it could have been "conceived by a catastrophically spliffed-up stoner in a bedsit somewhere". With its congealed meat base, it was more like something you would expect to find on a menu "at a low-grade kebab takeaway next to 'Chicken Parmo' and 'The Big Dipper'," he moaned.
"But it goes down surprisingly well with Nigella's friends at what appears to be some kind of elaborate eating ritual, where everything is consumed in artsy soft focus,” added Sharp.
Jane Simon in the Daily Mirror said Nigella's pasta sauce made her want to heave. "We love Nigella but her recipes here look absolutely disgusting. And I don't mean disgusting in a rustic, Italian kind of way. I mean disgusting as in, 'Oh dear, all I've got in the fridge is a tin of chopped tomatoes and some eggs. Do you think I could just chuck them together and then eat them straight out of the pan?'"
Alex Hardy of The Times compared Nigella to "a sexy version of the Very Hungry Caterpillar", but said the food was at times a "sensory and artery overload".
"The feast may have made the kiddies giggle, but it basically resembled a Man v Food burger naked of its bread, followed by a load of Nutella. I'm pretty sure that with this menu at a real-life children's do, the smiles would have been followed swiftly with - here's a neologism for Nigella - a puke-rescendo."
Keith Watson at the Metro did not have the same concerns, but mainly because he wasn't paying attention to the food. "Our heroine coquettishly recalling her youth as a hotel chambermaid in Florence - uniform, dusters, down boy - while sipping a glass of Prosecco on a sun-kissed balcony. Really, after that little lot was downloaded into the hard drive, who could concentrate on cheesecake?"
Watson, who is convinced Nigella must be an avatar of a domestic goddess ("she doesn't cook, she oozes"), added: "She never even makes a mess. Never a splash of cream or naughty tomato threatening her black cocktail frock. It doesn't matter, it's a perfect half hour of gastronomic porn. The food? Oh yeah, it looked lovely. Italian or something." ·
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Jane Simon is completely wrong. I had the 'disgusting' eggs in purgatory last night, because I thought it looked delicious, and indeed it was delicious. My friends and I all thought her food looks utterly tempting and inspiring as usual. You must remember that Nigella has always tried to be ever so slightly ironic, and I think branding someones food as 'disgusting' is quite low and disgusting in itself.
I can't believe how hard the British press is on Nigella Lawson! They are always so eager to tear her down. In the opening paragraphs of Nigellissima, she goes into some detail about how these are Italian inspired recipes that are not meant to be authentic. Yet, England seems ready to villify her for not being authentic, which is something she never claimed to be doing! I am an American who has read Nigella's books and followed her programmes (when we are lucky enough to see them) for years. Her recipes work, they taste great, and every word she says is true...I have never experienced a failure when using her recipes. She is also a very intelligent and thoughtful writer. Her books inspire while being practical manuals at the same time. Not bad for a "mere" cookery writer. Her TV persona may not be for everyone, but you should come over to the US and watch some of the hacks we have presenting cooking shows. I am positive it would make you appreciate the class, style, and content of Nigella. The book, it's recipes, and the TV show are wonderful!
A version of "eggs in purgatory" isregular in our house and always well received. And last night I made Nigella's steak and chips dish from the show which was delicious. Keep up the good work Nigella - those of us that love flavour will continue to follow you!
I made 'eggs in purgatory' the other night and it was very quick, easy, and tasty too! I love Nigellas recipes as she always they always seem to be aimed at the modern person who loves great flavourful food but rarely has hours to spend in the kitchen. I also love the fact that she seems to totally enjoy food - a true foodie through and through. She is highly entertaining to watch :)
Think the critics are being too harsh, I tried the steak and chips and it was fantastic. I thought the recipes looked tasty and it is a twist on Italian cooking - bet the people complaining the most aren't Italian and dare to take offense on their behalf. I am Italian and alter recipes all the time why not live a little
What is wrong with these UK food critics? Are they just going out of their way to be "precious"? Have they ever tried Nigella's recipes?....undoubtedly not. It's the food stupid.....and hers is delicious.
Total rubbish!!! We tried the Steak & chips and usually being disappointed with steak, this was the best we've ever tasted.
Tried the Eggs in Purgatory immediately after watching the slow. It was really rather nice.
She is a sexy cook, and now even fit. It's fun to watch. Even though her chopping technique makes me feel I'm an expert. She is great fun to watch and brings the easiness to cooking.
My Italian friend hates Jamie Oliver for taking basic Italian dishes and pretending that they are his own. She also complains a lot at all the "Italian" ranges in the British supermarkets, and also at some "Italian" restaurants here. On the other hand she really enjoys watching Nigellissima. Maybe she just accepts the premise that this is just Italian-inspired food? - Will find out today at work.
In Portugal we also do tomatoes with eggs. It's not digusting!