8 Living in the present

Nigella Lawson tells Sarah Catherall about Christmases past and why she’snot planning give up anything for 2019

igella Lawson hasone particular Christmas thatshe will never forget. It wasinLondon, 25 years ago.She had givenbirth to her Nfirstdaughter, Cosima, two weeks earlier.She hadn’t made aname for herself as afoodwriterthen, nor had shewrittena single .She and her first husband, John Diamond, also a journalist (he died of throat cancerin2001), had moved intoanew home and their kitchen wasaconstructionsite. The exhausted new mother walked into the shambolic kitchen and turned on the toasted machine. Speaking in that distinctive voice —plummy,chocolately,slightly breathless and sexy —she sounds almost surprised recalling it. “Wehad atoasted sandwichand abag of crisps for Christmas and that was quite nice. I was pretty exhausted, two weeks intobeing anew parent. Idid put abit of cranberry in thetoasted sandwichtomakeitfeel abit more Christmassy.” In truth, though, the kitchensiren putsalot of thought into Christmas. One of her11cookbooks is dedicated to Christmas, featuring like chocolate Christmaspuddingand marzipan cake. Shealso frontedher ownChristmascooking showontelevision.Her influencewas so huge that when she laudedthe importance of goose fat as aChristmas ingredientin2006, supermarket sales of goosefat doubled in the UK. Before ourinterview,she posted aphoto on Instagram of her “Ultimate ” recipeon“Stir Up Sunday” —the traditional day for beginning theChristmas pud. When she returns to , thebest-sellingauthor will head straight to her home kitchentomake hers. “I will be jet-laggedwhen Imakeit,”she sighs. She talksabout her upcomingNew Zealand tourearly next year but there is aban on any “personal questions”. Over the pastfiveyears, Lawson has hadher share of boil-ups—a court case withher second husband, , followed by their bitter divorce; allegations of herdruguse;and afraudtrial COVER STORY 9

involving twoassistants whomshe says she makethings easier formyself. It was much harder charged, autobiographical form…Hereiswhere treated likefamily. then. In those days, shops closed so earlyand you Iamnow.Thisismyfood. This is whatmylifeis The past is another country. Lawson likes to had to getsomuchdone in such ashort time.” tasting like now.” liveinthe present. When asked what she might Her upbringing was privilegedand she When asked how the foodscenehas changed giveupfor New Year’s resolutions there’sasharp lived in exclusiveLondon suburbs like Chelsea, since she startedout in 1998,she says:“In a intake of breath down the phone from Sydney. , and Holland Park. However,Lawson way,I’m veryhappy to saythatIdon’t have to “I think that’s a dismal way of looking at it. I remembers her childhood Christmases being busy myselftoo muchwith the culinary scene. think more about what Imight add. simpler and more basicthanthey aretoday. “I’m I’mahomecook,and that’sreally whatslightly “I would nevergiveupfood, notinany shape always drivingmychildren madbysaying things motivated me to writeaboutfood. It’s really been or form. Absolutely not. like, ‘When we got stockings they had afew taken over by theprofessional. Youknow, you “I always tell myself to live more in the satsumas in them.’ We’d getapomegramate in don’thavetobequalified or have any particular present.But cookingdoes that for me. One New our stockings. Christmaswas muchsimpler.Foil- skillstobeabletocook. Year’sresolution would be to stopjust having the covered coins, thatkindofthing.” “I would like to think that people understand ideas andtostart doing some writing, which I Her mother,who diedofliver cancer when that home cookingisdifferentfrom restaurant enjoy.” Lawsonwas just 25, taughther daughtershow to cooking. Thehomecook has access to so many cook. However, she didn’tteach Lawson how to different ingredientsand influences today.Ithink FOR LAWSON, Christmas gets underway bakeorhow to makepudding. Her motheralso home cookinghas changed. Alot of people think whenshe has the pud sorted. She makes didn’tliketoeat. that home cookingisjust whatyour mother and edible Christmas decorations to hang on the She didadvise her daughtertocook both a grandmother made but that’snot true. Home tree, aritualshe beganwhen hertwo children ham and aturkey on ChristmasDay to allow for cooking is anything that you cook at home,and it (sonBrunois22) were little. Lawsonmakes leftovers, though. meansventuringout,inaway.” dough and carves it into festive “It’saveryJewish thingtowant to provide shapes: stars, bells and snowflakes.Her voice abig spread.Ialwayscook for eight but make SOCIAL MEDIA has allowedher to connectwith quietens.“Icall themedible but I’m so horrible enoughfor 30,” Lawsonrevealsinher biography. her fans in new ways,although her book readers thatwhen the children werelittle Iused to put outnumberthose she meetsthrough Facebook, lotsand lots of ground pepper in them, otherwise Twitter andInstagram.She loves thetwo-way theywouldn’t have stayed on the tree. They’re exchange with her fans, who sendinphotosof onlynotionallyedible.” Ialways advise people her dishes. On Christmas Day,you might expectLawson “I love to see whatotherpeople are doing to be at thestove,serving her family afeast.This to invite someone who with my recipessoitturnsitmore into a year, she willspend Christmas Evecelebrating conversation —and that’swhat Ilike.” withimmediate family. On Christmas Day,she you don’tknow well It’spart of thereasonwhy she is bringingher andher children will join friends at afriend’s live show, An Evening withNigella Lawson,from home. Invited guests willdivvy up the food. enough to not behave theWest EndtoAustralasia: it is achancefor her Lawson will bringthe glazed ham, the pud, and to shareher story about her life as afood writer; brandybutter. badly in front of. to talk aboutthe importanceoffoodand thepart “I love doing thecooking butIwon’t be in my thatfood plays in our lives. own house. Youcan’timpose yourself toomuch. Nigella Lawson “Food sustains us.But it playssuch an intense We willbeatmyfriend’shouse and she’savery emotional part in our lives.It’spartofthe story goodcook. Her son is achef, so we will do it all of whoweare and howweexpress ourselves. betweenus.” Food is arepository formemory.It’sthat whole She will alsowhipupthree Christmas TWO DECADES ago, Lawsonpublishedher first other side of foodthatisn’t just aboutthe bare cakes forher home tins —amarzipan cake cookbook, ,encouraged by Diamond. bones of it or the practical sideoffood.” (herfavourite);her chocolatefruitcakerecipe, A best seller, she hails it as a career highlight. Lessthan amonth from 2019, what does and athird,yet-to-be-decided cake, so she has “Nothing ever compares to the first timeyou Lawsonhopethe NewYear will bring? somethingtoserve visitors. “Christmascake is have abook to holdinyour handsthat you’ve “Do you know what?,”she confides.“I’m always essential, as is Christmas pudding,” she written,”she says. “That never fades. That’sthe not aplanner.That’sone of the reasons why I’m coos. thing I love, the connection I have with other happytohave my [live show] so unstructured.” ChristmasDay,and the build-uptoit, can people.” She hastwo cookbooksonthe burner. She be apressure-cooker time.“You’re bringing two Thatbookand thefollowing one, How to will potter aboutinher kitchenand seewhat things together that people feelstressed about— be aDomestic Goddess,launched her television simmers. It seems surprisingshe doesn’thavea family and food. Ialways advise people to invite career,and her TV show, Nigella Bites,whichran publishing deadline, but she says: “I don’t have someone who you don’tknowwell enough to not on Channel 4from 1999 to 2001. anything absolutely fixed. All IknowisthatI behave badly in front of.” On thecoverofher thirdcookbook, have these ideas and Ineed some timetohave a Hasshe done that? Sheskirts the question, Nigella Bites,Lawson is photographed with bit of aplay.I’m not sure whenorhow theywill simply answering that her perfect ChristmasDay eyes downcast, apiece of food poised between become books.” is a“more themerrier”approach. “I think it full, parted lips. Throughouther career,she Her 59th birthday is justafter the New Year, doesn’tmatter if someonehas to sitonastool or has been criticised forserving up “food porn”. on January 6. How does she feel at thispoint in if the tablesdon’t quitematch. Ithink that’spart When Nigella Bites premieredinthe United her life, in thelast year of her 50s? of the joy of it.” States, a New York Times critic said she was too “Do you know what? I’m not really a Lawson decided at ayoungage that she flirtatious. “Lawson’ssexy roundnessmixed with birthday person.Idon’t really reflectonthat.I wasn’tgoing to take Christmas Day too seriously. her speed-demontechnique makes cooking dinner think I’mjust lucky to be alive. Daughter of the Londonsocialite andheiress with Nigella look like aprelude to an orgy.” “I think life always movesforward. When it Vanessa Salmon,she watched her motherunder In interviews,she said her style was stops doing that, you’re dead.Ithink in away stress prior to Christmas, nerves rattled from “intimate”,not flirtatious. that’swhat makes it exciting. You’re constantly cookingand shoppingtoo much. With three million-plus cookbook sales so far, aflux.” Lawson saysshe had afractitiousrelationship shesays her have served as markers of NIGELLALIVE ON STAGE:AUCKLAND, JANUARY withher mother.She tells Canvas:“My mother whereshe is at in her life. She talks aboutthisin 22; WELLINGTON, JANUARY23; CHRISTCHURCH, would burstinto tearsnear Christmas…Iwas thevideopromoting her 2015 cookbook, Simply JANUARY25. FOR TICKETS TO HER SHOW,GOTO determined to nottakethings so far.Iwantedto Nigella,saying:“Forme, the is ahighly NIGELLALIVEONSTAGE.COM.