Bobby Flay and Foodies Throwdown Gourmet

“John Donne once said, ‘I’m a man and nothing human is alien to me,’ and I thought, ‘I’m a woman and no foodstuff is alien to me!”’ confessed Nigella Lawson, the British cook with a litany of TV shows—most recently Nigella Express—and cookbooks under her belt.

This weekend, she wasn’t the only food expert in town—the 2008 Wine & Food Festival, sponsored by Food & Wine magazine and the Food Network, took New York by storm. With over 100 events, ranging from cooking demonstrations with Giada de Laurentiis to neighborhood eating tours, there was more than enough to satisfy the desires of even the hungriest foodie.

In its seven-year history, this is the first time that the festival—which originated in Miami—has made it to the Big Apple. Despite the hefty ticket prices (the average event went for between $30 and $75), New Yorkers seemed more than willing to enjoy a bit of gastronomic luxury. Even amid the climate of economic downturn, a majority of the events were long sold-out, and absolutely packed with people dressed to impress in their designer duds. Haute dining seems to be one form of conspicuous consumption that has yet to go out of fashion.

The atmosphere at the Chelsea Market After Dark Tour opening event, hosted by Bobby Flay on Thursday night, was one of joyous excess. Although the word “market” conjures up images of farmers and organic produce, the Chelsea market much more closely resembles an underground mall. Lining the winding path, store after store offered their wares.

The Food Network, whose offices are above the Market, sampled a particularly delicious duck confit with pistachio pesto and cherry compote, while the Green Table, an organic-food-based restaurant and catering service, provided ambling, Bobby Flay-besotted guests with grilled cheese filled with pickled onions and fig.

The real luxury of the weekend came during Friday night’s Meatpacking Uncorked event. Guests traipsed from boutique to boutique, trying a glass or two of wine at more than 40 stores throughout the neighborhood. By the end of the evening there was not an unflushed cheek to be seen in the area.

With gastronomic luxury still socially permissible, then, how can the proverbial starving college student get it on the fun? For Nigella Lawson, it’s all about taking pleasure in everything you eat, and, when cooking, not being afraid to take short-cuts. While the woman certainly knows her way around a good stew, she isn’t shy about using frozen peas if there isn’t a better alternative.

As sexy and disarmingly candid in person as she is on her TV programs, Lawson gave some advice to those of us New Yorkers who often find ourselves too busy to enjoy a meal: “Making food and eating food is a great affirmation of wanting to be alive,” she said.

It also doesn’t have to be about complex gourmet feats—as Lawson said, “In the modern world, everything is meant to be challenging, but life is challenging enough!”

With that in mind, sit back, relax, and luxuriate in your comfort food of choice.