The Power of the Internet

Last weekend I was feeling particularly lackadaisical, so rather than rush around in an effort to complete various tasks that had gone undone during the week, I simply draped myself over the sofa and spent the afternoon, cup of Marco Polo tea at my side, watching old episodes of Nigella Bites on You Tube.

Stunningly enough, I actually came across an episode that I'd never seen before called Nigella's Christmas Bites. A full hour of holiday treats and simple dishes that Ms. Lawson happens to enjoy during the holidays months. Lentil and chestnut soup, pickled vegetables, Indian spiced potatoes, pasta in walnut sauce, pomegranate meringue, macadamia nut brittle...it all sounded so good! And, as is the case with most of her early recipes, although these dishes aren't hard, nor are they wildly exotic, they tend to be just different and imaginative enough to feel like a series of small revelations.

Although I don't use the one cookbook of hers that I own terribly often (I have Feast, and use it mainly for her granola recipe, pavlova recipe and if I'm in need of some sort of a cake) I was inspired to look into the possibility of purchasing her book Nigella Bites. There were plenty of used copies for sale for less than $4 on Amazon, but as I am both a tightwad and am also loathe to bring yet more stuff into our apartment for fear of causing clutter, it did give me pause.

But then I realized that I had $10 worth of Amazon gift certificates from Swagbucks, which meant that the book would actually be free. And I am not one to turn down free books. Ever.

You do know Swagbucks, no? A search engine that works just like google except for some searches you earn points. And eventually points turn into some sort of merchandise or gift card. That you would actually want to use. This at first glanced seemed a bit to close to those "make $1,000 a week sitting at home!" ads for comfort, but I must admit I've been converted. And now I'm trolling Amazon for something to spend my remaining $6 on.

Bait and Switch

I've expounded at length before my affection for Nigella Lawson. I like her self-possessed attitude, her articulate and thoughtful nature and of course her recipes, many of which are in heavy rotation in my kitchen. Her Spanish stew has made a welcome appearance on many a winter evening. Or on a Friday night in June, which this year is difficult to distinguish from winter. I added some kale as a nod to springtime.


But ever since she moved into that gorgeous Belgravia townhouse with Charles Saatchi, I wonder if the house is what is compelling me to watch her show every Saturday morning (as lovely as both she and her food are).


My fascination reached such a crescendo on Saturday that I spent hours online searching for revealing magazine photos of the townhouse...and I found that there aren't any!!


This is the closest I came...






...a feature from defunct magazine House and Garden from November 2004. Is this even in the right house? This looks more like a country home than their very modern city dwelling. But I do yearn for that library.


So then I resorted to beauty shots of Ms. Lawson that included at least a portion of the kitchen.



Highly unsatisfying from a house voyeur standpoint.


So then I had to move on to YouTube...or rather, since I have no idea how to pull stills from YouTube videos, I lifted them from La La Lovely Things, who apparently has a bit of a real estate crush as well.


I adore this light fixture. The image is perhaps not clear, but it is essentially a round cage with fairy lights mounded up inside. I find it so whimsical.



And this image I like I believe because of the lamp. I know the Bourgie lamp is not all that unique at this point, but my fondness for it has not waned. Plus which I suppose I also like the fact that I, a mere working girl (in my grandmother's sense of the word, not, well, you know), could, if I so chose, have a home furnishing in common with a pair of stylish multimillionaires.


Additionally, I remember catching a glimpse of the inside of that cabinet that the lamp sits on during one of her shows, and it was painted the most fabulous lime green. I was instantly smitten.

And this sign, which marks her enviable food storage facility, I find utterly charming.

So often these sorts of vintage inspired kitchen items can seem straight out of TJ Max, but this is utilitarian enough to avoid that it comes across as pleasingly tongue-in-cheek to me. Although, I suppose that is because it is likely the actual label from some grand old pile's kitchen rather than an interpretive imitation.

But perhaps the most satisfying image I found was of her refrigerator.

La Ghiacciaia is made by Meneghini, and is meant to be a reinterpretation of the old wooden Italian iceboxes. I covet it intensely.


So I thought, will somebody please do a feature on this house? I'm dying to see more. But wouldn't you know it, the "kitchen" is a set on an industrial estate somewhere far from Belgravia! Which I guess would explain the presence of the very un-Saatchi Bourgie lamp.


So now I am at a loss. I'd love to see the actual townhouse, but I'm afraid it might be a bit more grand than I am hoping for. And the set? Well, I think we as viewers have seen all there is to see.