The Unexpected Ingredient Nigella Lawson Adds To Flatbread

We are fairly certain that Britain's domestic goddess Nigella Lawson isn't named after the nigella seed. The cookbook author is, after all, the daughter of former British politician and the similarly-named Nigel Lawson, per Hello, while the seeds are named for the species of plant they come from: the Nigella sativa, per Smithsonian. But delightful things are bound to happen when the two culinary Nigellas get together, as it did on Twitter. To her credit, she does apologize in advance, "Sorry about the culinary egomania, but Nigellan Flatbreads are #RecipeOfTheDay!"

In a brief introduction to her flatbread recipe, which first appeared in her book "How to be a Domestic Goddess" and which is found on Nigella Lawson's website, the chef admits the name of the dish was something of a joke. She admits that the bread is a go-to for her, whenever she is in the mood for mezze, a Mediterranean dining style reminiscent of Spanish tapas because the food comes in small bites, per Dima Sharif. 

Nigella Lawson's flatbreads make use of nigella seeds as a topping sprinkled on Middle Eastern bread. The seeds, which are also known as onion seeds, or black cumin, are not flavorless, and are described as bitter-tasting, per Smithsonian. The recipe itself received rave reviews from Lawson's fans, one of whom said, "These are the best flatbreads. They have a pillowy texture and turn out somewhere between pita and naan. They are fun and easy to make and go great alongside anything with a sauce. They go particularly well with the Cauliflower and Cashew Nut Curry!"

But Lawson's social media fans were more entranced by her Twitter post than by the dish itself. "Part of what makes you so charming+likeable is your lack of egomania, despite possessing every reason to be egotistical (highly intelligent, undeniably beautiful, very interesting, sensitive+kind),you're not.That is a mark of your depth of character in my humble, irrelevant opinion," one Twitter fan said.

Another pointed out that the breads " have been on my 'to do' list for ages! Thanks for the reminder. However, nothing tops the cheese onion potato pies. I feel like a domestic goddess when I make these. Not enough is said about them!"