Friday 21 November 2014

Nigella Lawson on the Meaning of Food

Nigella Lawson
You know me well enough by now that I love my food, thinking about it, eating it and planning my next meal. Seriously I could spend a whole day dreaming about food. 

My next favourite pastime if not eating, is listening to someone else talking about food. So when The School of Life were planning a talk all about food and the guest presenters were Nigella in conversation with Alain de Botten, well let's just say the tickets were booked in a number of seconds. 

The stage was set...
The School of Life
Nigella Lawson
Whilst I sat waiting in the audience I was busily planning my dinner for when the talk had finished. There was logic in me not eating beforehand. You see if someone talks about food the very mention of it makes me hungry, even if I have just eaten. So the master plan was not to eat and build up the perfect appetite. It worked a treat. 

I hadn't previously heard Alain talk before but he was a warm and funny conversationalist. He had his work cut out with Nigella who used her dry wit to have the audience laughing. 
Alain De Botten
Alain De Botten
Nigella also spoke about how we are fixated on recipes. The tyranny of the recipe is wrong it stops people being creative with food, adding ingredient’s they love for fear that the recipe will be ruined. Reading from her own cookbooks Nigella has arguments with herself. Following process and someone telling her what to do is annoying, even more so when you realise that the she is herself. 

Nigella shared some interesting viewpoints and takes on food. 

Nigella Lawson
I had a really wonderful night but the highlight for me has to be having my first ever signed cookbook and better than that in my blogging name. 
Nigella Christmas
Nigella Lawson
I was right that all the talking of food did make me rather hungry, so afterwards we ventured to one of my favourite Italian restaurants in London, Gustoso Ristorante & Enoteca. 

Visiting this restaurant is like eating in Italy the atmosphere is always warm and friendly and well the food speaks for itself. 

As a lover of Italian food, the starters and daily special menu always have an array of foods that I would happily eat, but I am drawn to my favourite Parma ham and buffalo mozzerella (£8.90)
Gustoso Ristorante & Enoteca

Best Italians restaurants London

There are no pretensions here, and the freshness of the food speaks for itself. The scallops are presented beautifully with the roe still attached and cooked to perfection. The seared scallops are wonderfully moist and the creamy celeriac puree has a beautiful flavour. 


For my main I decided to opt for something I haven't previously tried. Roasted breast of chicken, garlic spinach and spicy “Diavola”sauce (£10)
The Diavola sauce has a nice kick of chilli without being too spicy and the spinach is a nice accompaniment to the moist chicken. 

Now one thing that I love Gustoso Ristorante and Roberto especially is that he is a true Italian gentleman. My other half always loves ordering slightly off piste. He opts for Homemade Tagliolini with crab meat, chili, garlic and cherry tomatoes (£13.50) but asks for the addition of mussles.  
Best Italian restaurants London
Changing and adding an item is no big problem, this restaurant works on what a foodie wants and as the food is cooked fresh they can cater for variances. 

The dessert menu (£4.50 – £9.00) has many Italian delights, homemade Tiramisu (£5.50), vanilla ice cream with espresso (£5.00), selection of Italian cheeses (£9), and Viasanto with “Gustoso” biscuits (£8.95). Picking desserts is always a challenge as many of them I would like to try. 

I love Crème Brule’ so I opt for this with mixed fresh berries (£5.50). 

Crème Brule

The restaurant also offers specials and my dinning companion chooses carrot cake with vanilla ice cream. 
Italian dessert

The cake was so good that I almost needed to wrestle the fork out of his mouth to get this picture. 

Gustoso offers a relaxed, unhurried dining experience, with high quality, tasty Italian food with friendly and attentive staff. It is my hidden gem in London and was the perfect way to complete a brilliant evening. 

Who is your favourite chef that you would like to spend an evening with?

www.ristorantegustoso.co.uk

www.theschooloflife.com

www.nigella.com



 photo foodieforce_32.jpg

17 comments:

  1. I love Nigella! I always watch her Christmas cooking show with my mum, it's one of our traditions. The food looks amazing, Italian is definitely my favourite :) xx

    Toasty

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    1. I love italian food seriously love. Nigella on TV is always very captivating I didn't find being interviewed that you really got to see her personality but was an enjoyable evening Lucy x

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  2. That's fantastic! It's so cool you got it signed in your blog name :))))))) You always go to the best foodie events.

    Give me the food!
    Corinne x

    ;)

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    1. I wish someone would invent taste and eating technology too. Wouldn't that be brilliant. I love my cookbook Lucy x

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  3. Wow I bet this was super interesting & how fabulous that she signed your blog name, eeep! I feel all excited for you, haha! :)

    Style Sunrise ☀

    :)
    x

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    1. Thanks Karen I was rather chuffed that I got my cook book. Hope you had a nice weekend Lucy x

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  4. Oh what an amazing evening! The food looks delicious too, mozarella and ham is one of my favourites too, so I'm very jealous. I think I'd like to spend an evening with David Leibovitz, I know he isn't a full time chef any more, but his was one of the first blogs I ever read, years and years ago, and I'm still hooked today. I love the way he writes!

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    1. Good choice David I am sure would be great to listen too, he does write really well. It was a really fun evening Lucy x

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  5. This sounds incredible and so interesting!

    www.writingmonique.com

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  6. Nigella is great. I love watching her shows. She really has a passion for food and it shows. Seems like you had a delicious after lecture dinner.

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    1. All the talk of food and cooking was seriously making me hungry Lucy x

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  7. Oh wow! I'm a fan of Nigella! & the food looks amazing!!!

    ohmystyle.co.uk

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    1. I love her cooking programmes not so sure as an interviewee. But her dry sense of humour was hilarious Lucy x

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  8. Looked like a great talk, Nigella makes some very valid points (like point 4 especially, haha - very true)! The Homemade Tagliolini looks scrummy :-)

    x Roch & Tash x
    www.next-route-style.blogspot.co.uk

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  9. Oh my gosh what a perfect evening! I would love to meet Nigella! I like what she says about being fixated with recipes, I'm definitely a meddler so it feels good to know she encourages it! Your dinner sounds delicious too, the restraunt reminds me of one of my favourite Italians in Newcastle. x

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  10. I think this is my favorite post of your so far!!! I ADORE Nigella Lawson. I have watched all of her shows that are broadcast here in the US, including "The Taste". I have ALL of her cookbooks - they photos are so beautiful, and I actually enjoy reading her words. I love how at the end of the "Nigella Bites" shows, she would raid the fridge in her robe and just chow down.

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