How to be a Domestic Goddess

I don’t know if you ladies have heard of Nigella Lawson, but lately I’ve been watching a lot of clips of her shows and interviews on youtube. In fact, I think I spend more than double the amount of time I spend actually cooking glued to youtube’s many amazing cooking/baking/decorating channels (from things like clips of Gordon Ramsay to user produced channels like SortedFood, HilahCooking, WoodlandBakery and MyCupcakeAddiction). My husband likes to say that when I’m procrastinating I'm not actually wasting my time at all, in fact, it’s time well spent learning about food and cooking.

Anyhow, back to Nigella. “How to be a Domestic Goddess” is actually the title of one of her cookbooks. Often people the title seriously and take offence, as if Nigella actually claims to hold all the answers to being a “Domestic Goddess” but Nigella is first to emphasize that the title is meant ironically. Yes, Nigella does cook, but she is far from a Domestic Goddess. She may be a goddess in the food industry in terms of the delicious food she is able to plate, but she's really an inspiration to home cooks who don't want to spend hours preparing food--her meals appear to have taken hours to prepare, but in fact have taken very little effort at all. It’s hard to describe in words, so I suggest you watch some videos of her, but she’s all about cutting corners in food prep, but making indulgent food and actually enjoying her dishes to the fullest. She’s eloquent, charming, passionate, beautiful and has revolutionized life for the home cook. 

Food is a central part of our lives and food preparation is something I'm constantly thinking about. I've always enjoyed cooking but, for a time (and still now to some extent) I was hesitant to invite many shabbos guests (especially not for both meals) because I always feel like I have to make lots and lots of food. If it were just us two, I'd just make a soup or a small cholent. When I have guests I always make  6 or 7 dishes and I often end up stressed out. Perhaps it also has something to do with starting to work on Fridays, and thus having to prioritize my time better, or perhaps having a second freezer (yay!!) helps remove a lot of the stress of food preparation. Either way, I've come to enjoy cooking even more than I did, even on the weeknights when it’s just us. I think I've also been able to enjoy the food more than I used to before Nigella inspired me. I make simple foods, and manage my time wisely. The stress of perfectionism in the kitchen is slowly dissipating.  While I'm far from a Domestic Goddess in the kitchen, I'm certainly getting there in the more satirical sense of the phrase as used by Nigella.