I have always been a cooking TV addict: my adolescence was largely spent watching Jamie Oliver casually feeding the masses from a beautiful country kitchen, Nigella Lawson swanning around hers in Eton Square, or Ina Garten imparting her wisdom (N.B. it mostly involves using unthinkable amounts of butter) from her achingly enviable kitchen in east Hampton. For me, as I suspect is the case for most viewers, the kitchen and its decoration provided as much, if not more appeal than the food that was being prepared. The latest TV chef to join the ranks from a most aspirational of settings is the mononymous Meghan (formerly known as Meghan Markle), whose upcoming Netflix show, ‘With Love, Meghan’, drops on January 15th.
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The trailer – which Meghan has released on her new Instagram account – reveals plenty to be excited about – an array of recipes (Meghan says she likes to ‘take something simple and elevate it’, which is presumably why hummus and crudités are among the dishes featured), a few celebrity cameos (I spotted actress Mindy Kaling, and chefs Alice Waters and Roy Choi), and Meghan’s tips for flower arranging. Possibly most alluring about the show, however, is the wondrous kitchen it is filmed in, which sits within a house reportedly worth $6 million, belonging to Meghan’s neighbours in Montecito, the Cipolla family.
Nestled within a gated community, the estate includes eight acres of lemon groves and avocado trees. The house itself is a four-bedroom, four-bathroom archetype of American design, which is characterised by clean lines, white walls and plenty of glamour. It is easy to see why Meghan chose it as a backdrop for her show – the kitchen is a cook’s dream. From the Ceasarstone countertops, the large island and the cream cabinetry, to the Thermador range cooker and glut of Le Creuset pots and pans. Outside, a vegetable patch offers delicious-looking ingredients ripe for the picking.
The show exists as part of a $100 million deal struck between the Sussexes and Netflix. Much like its namesake star, it is beautifully polished and deeply aspirational – from the carefully arranged flowers and meticulously presented dishes to the white clothes Meghan manages to keep clean.
The eight-episode series promises plenty of beautiful footage shot against the backdrop of the California countryside. Whether the recipes are tasty, which we’re sure they will be, is almost secondary when the setting is this good.
