Feminist attitudes stop women from feeling confident in the kitchen, Nigella Lawson has claimed.
The TV chef has previously faced controversy for her book, How To Be A Domestic Goddess. Some critics believed she was saying that a woman’s place is in the kitchen.
But in an interview with Observer Food Monthly, the 53-year-old insisted she was a feminist.
Lawson added: ‘Feeling comfortable in the kitchen is essential for everyone, male or female. Women of my generation were keen – and rightly – not to be tied to the stove, but the ramifications of this were that they felt a sense of dread in the kitchen.’
She then asked: ‘How can this be good for anyone? I feel that to denigrate any activity because it has traditionally been associated with the female sphere is in itself anti-feminist.’
The former journalist also stressed the importance of showing she was not a trained cook or chef. In contrast, the divorcee believes she whips up meals in a similar way to her readers and viewers.
She told Elizabeth Day: ‘I do think the fact that I am a bit of a kitchen klutz, and fit cooking into an already busy life, means I cook in much the same way as everyone else.
‘Real cooking, the sort that goes on in homes, does not have to be tricksy or difficult, and I felt it was important to demonstrate that. It’s vital to show people how easy it is to get something good on the table.’
Lawson is currently filming a British version of her hit US TV show, The Taste.
