Nigella a real master
KITCHEN GODDESS HAS MASTERCHEF JUDGE MATT PRESTON IN AWE OF ‘FORMIDABLE INTELLECT’
Matt Preston talks about how his perceptions changed of Nigella Lawson. Preston has been working with the Britain’s kitchen goddess on MasterChef Australia.
MATT Preston has told how his perceptions changed of Britain’s kitchen goddess Nigella Lawson.
As Nigella Week on MasterChef kicked off last night, Preston said she was “far less shallow” than he thought when he first met her for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2011.
He said she was down to earth.
“What I think I appreciate most now that I’ve spent a bit of time with her – besides her wicked sense of humour – is that she has an intellect that is formidable, a way with words that’s beautiful and a wit that is razor sharp,’’ he said.
“That’s what takes my breath away now.
“She is a million miles from that cliched cartoonish version that the media likes to peddle of a woman who salaciously licks her fingers while talking dirty to a chocolate mousse cake.”
Preston said he was surprised by how easily she fit in with him and fellow judges George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan.
“I already knew that she would be a million miles from those thankfully-rare, self-obsessed celebrity chefs who can talk about nothing but themselves, but I was still surprised how quickly and easily she fitted in not just with us but the whole crew from the EPs all the way up to the runners,’’ he said.
“It helps that she has a strong rebellious streak.
“I was struck by not only how down to earth she was but also the impact she had on others.
“Working with her for four weeks or so on MasterChef Australia my impression has changed again.”