How the kitchens of iconic TV chefs Julia Child, Martha Stewart and Nigella Lawson continue to inspire us

Ideally, there should be some Americana in there too lifestyle Queen Martha Stewart there—Martha in the 1980s, that is. Her Connecticut kitchen seemed to have a sense of abundance about it—all hanging copper pots, bundles of dried herbs, and glass stands displaying the most tempting-looking tarts. Underpinning everything, of course, would be Nigella – specifically the Nigella of the 1990s. Remember that the west London The kitchen with its stainless-steel worktops and open shelves? More than 25 years, few the kitchen It matches for cold.

What each of these culinary stalwarts knew was that in a good kitchen you have to work hard. It should fit your life and the way you cook; It looks like a place you will enjoy spending time both alone and with friends and family. This is the room in which we live most of our lives, so it can be both useful and beautiful.

Nigella Lawson’s 1990s London kitchen was memorably chic – as seen in the portrait taken for her first column for British. Vogue In 1995.

Unparalleled TV chefs in their own right, Julia, Martha and Nigella taught us how We feed ourselves and the people we love (Julia first appeared on TV screens in the 1960s and Martha in the late 1980s, while Nigella debuted on Channel 4 in 1999), but all three had home kitchens with no pots and pans and lots of utensils and seasonal ingredients. Why keep your fish fillet in a drawer when it can hang from the bar behind your hob? That savoy cabbage wants to sit in the middle of the kitchen table, not in the veg box. And you can keep your eggs in the fridge, but you can also score their pastel shells and balance them in a stainless-steel egg tower. Meanwhile, work surfaces should be beautiful but very hard (Julia kept her maple top in good condition using olive oil), and the focal point of the room should always be the table. Because they taught us more than anything – that kitchens are for eating.

Culinary wisdom from three more doyens of food

Something from Nothing: A Cookbook by Alison Roman (Hardcover)

No one does casual glamor like Alison. Her latest cookbook encourages you to turn store cupboard ingredients into quietly comforting and beautiful meals.

Simple: Simple Foods, Big Flavors by Diana Henry (Hardcover)

For cooks who need fail-safe recipes, you’ll really want to make Diana Books A must read and this is one of her best.

Heartburn: VMC 40th Anniversary Edition (Virago Modern Classics) by Nora Ephron

As no cookbook, this short novel is a heavenly read for lovers of good food and beautiful prose. Accidental Recipes Like mashed potatoes are a bonus.