(Please note: I have made the executive decision to not begin this blog post with the lyrics to a song that is in anyway related to “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”  Nor will I, at any point in time, add them to this post.  You can now feel safe to read on.)

That’s right:

Nigella Lawson is Coming to Unity Temple on December 7th

First, the particulars:

What: Nigella Lawson for Nigella Christmas
When: Monday, December 7, 2009 7:00 pm
Where: Unity Temple on the Plaza, Sanctuary
707 W 47th Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
How: (By phone) 913.384.3126
Details:

Food Network superstar and recent Top Chef guest judge (and I probably shouldn’t say this, but one of the most beautiful, authentic women in culinary television) Nigella Lawson will be having a conversation with Vivien Jennings, Founder & President of Rainy Day Books to talk about her new book Nigella Christmas.

If you’ve not seen Nigella Christmas, you really should check it out.  It’s pretty pretty much the definitive guide to doing Christmas with all the elegance and style (and delicious food) you’ve come to expect from Nigella Lawson, but with lots of tips and insights on getting it done without breaking a sweat.  (Seriously, the holidays are stressful enough, right?)

Interested: $35.00 is all you need to get you and a guest admission into the sanctuary and one autographed copy of Nigella Christmas (cover price: $35.00).  In other words, you pay for a copy of the book and gain admission to hear Nigella speak in her own musical words.  Hard to beat that.

But wait, there’s more:  There will also be a private reception that will benefit the KU Breast Cancer Center.  Chef Lon Lane will recreate dishes in the cookbook for you to sample.   Even better, admission to the reception is available for the low price of $275.  What an opportunity to eat some delicious food and do something for a great cause.  If you’re going to support breast cancer care, might as well treat yourself! 

The private reception is by invite only and runs from 5-6:30.  If you are interested, call 913.384.3126 as soon as you can. The reception is limited to 50 people. Those slots won’t last forever.

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Need More Reason to be Excited About Nigella Lawson?

I got ’em.  There’s the food, which always looks amazing.  There’s the fact that she’s always a breath of fresh air on the Food Network (due in no small part to her grace and her culinary point of view.) 

But for me, Nigella Lawson will always mean one thing: brownies. 

The first time I ever saw her on TV, I had no idea who she was.  She was just this charming, elegant-though-casual food personality with a quirky little smile…who went on to make the most decadent brownies I’ve ever seen in my life.  Chocolate and chocolate chips in the batter, chocolate frosting on top along with more chocolate chips and hazelnuts.

You know how sometimes you see a dish and you end up judging all other dishes by that one, that perfect ideal?  (Like how I judge all osso buco by Chef Jasper Mirabile’s?)  I judge all brownies by the ones she made on that show.  Period.

And that’s why I want to meet her.  I hope I can shake her hand and some of her brownie talent will flow from her to me.  So, that probably won’t happen, but I gotta try!

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Anyway, everyone go buy a ticket.  Go see her and hear her talk about her dishes in own words.  If you can, attend the reception beforehand.  You’ll help out cancer research and there might even be brownies which you will enjoy!