In perusing the other food oriented sites that abound on this here interweb, I gleaned a lovely piece of information. Nigella Lawson, one of the pantheon of culinary deities I honor, is slated to do a show for the Food Network premiering in September. They began filming/taping last month.
The show is based around Nigella’s wonderful book Feast. Julian got it for me for my birthday right after it came out and I love it and have cooked several tasty things from it.
I’m curious to see if the new show will have the intimacy of the first two programs and if it will have that look… the provocative close ups of both the food and Nigella that make a girl want to roll around in a bed of poached rhubarb and double cream (okay, maybe that’s just me) and the blurry to soft focus to sharp thing (I am sure it has a tech sounding name and I am embarrassed as a former associate producer to not know it) that gave the previous two series that edgy film look.
I also hope that this prompts the North American DVD release of the first two programs as I only have a few of the Nigella Bites episodes recorded on the DVR off very early morning Style network. I have been tempted to order the Region 2 DVDs from Amazon.co.uk for both Nigella Bites and Forever Summer but have waited hoping the Region 1 release was imminent, but to no avail. And really… what point is there in having them if I can’t watch them?
The programming on the Food Network of late has bored me to tears for the most part, with the exception of a few specials, Ina and Alton. I realize I am probably in the minority on that score as Next Food Network Star has been one of their most watched shows ever. I think I am just over the reality TV thing in general in the competition sense of the genre. I loved the Chefography about Ina Garten (though I think they desperately needed a different narrator). I enjoy the specials and to some extent the Challenge shows. But I’m tired of new programming across the board being about some new way to humiliate people for their chance at money or fame. Blech. Can we move on? I watched the Food Network religiously when it got started lo those many years ago when they ran David Rosengarten’s Taste (I find him much more likeable on camera than in print for some reason), the travel show with what’s his name, reruns of Julia in B&W and the Two Hot Tamales. I liked the fact that I was learning about how to cook not about how not to look like an idiot on national television or where bubble gum comes from.
I snark because I love. And I am excited to have more of Nigella to enjoy. Yay!
