The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater: Read Along Thread

[Dillidilly]

Here we go people!

I thought we could start reading the Introduction from October 15th at a gentle pace to allow people to join the thread. Then all set for Chapter 1 on November 1st.

The Christmas Chronicles is currently just over £20 on Amazon. Maybe people could share all the options for those who are just joining us, who still want to get a copy.

I'm hoping this thread will be a lovely, gentle, uplifting transition into the Christmas period where we can share our thoughts, recipe attempts and inspiration from Nigel x

Forgot the pic.

I watched his 12 tastes of Christmas programme last night (recorded from Food Network) some of the dishes looked wonderful although others I wasn't sure about (e.g the thought of baking cucumber as a stuffing for the salmon wellington.) I liked his recipe for spice biscuits though so think I'll make a batch of that dough for the freezer as part of my Christmas prep.

I was busy last night so had a double bill this evening

I love a good panto! Can't wait till the family is full of 6-10 year olds for the full experience

I'm not that keen on lentils.

I like his way of making caramel especially after watching the drama last week on bake off.

@herecomesthsun

Problems I have with some of this is that

• no one else drinks much alcohol apart from me, and I don't drink that much, so I would be finishing the apricot brandy etc all by myself

• also, I would prefer recipes that don't leave random bottles of sweet white wine hanging about, I don't know who would ever consume those

• no one likes figs

• the kids pick beans out of my attempts at new recipes

• we like pears, but no one (apart from me) really likes them cooked, all that much.

So, while it is a lovely book, I haven't found many recipes that I will actually use so far.

I have been using quite a bit of Nigella's, partly because she goes out of her way to be child friendly a lot of the time.

I am up for the saffron St Lucia biscuits, they look fun, and we have some saffron.

@herecomesthsun I've made the apricot brandy and will try the sausages and creamed leeks so far, and that's about it. I hate, hate, hate dried fruit, DS is fussy... it's more about reading the lovely words and thinking about other nice things to make for me, and that moment at the end of the day when I pick up the book. And checking in with you lovely lot!

10 NOVEMBER
A sweet preserve with a savoury past

@FireworkParrot I thought that about the baking cucumber too. I also got obsessed with how the camera was managing to film apparently from the corner above his kitchen counter, I guess it's remote controlled.

I probably won't be cooking much from the book for similar reasons to others, no one drinks alcohol much, we don't have many guests over Christmas or a large family. Also fussy eaters. I just love reading it.

Well, today had me rolling my eyes good-naturedly again. No Nigel, using Atora suet in your homemade mincemeat instead of fresh from the butcher isn't a crime against humanity . It has reminded me I need to check if I have any left from last year, we only use a jar or two a year if that and recipes tend to make at least 6 jars worth.

Well I went to pick up my Trading Post order this morning with all my very unponcey goodies in. Was slightly disappointed as I'd been promised free mince pies for ordering over 100€ worth of junk food yumminess, but there are precisely ZERO mincepies in the boxes 😭.

Hmm, not sure if I meant to post that here or on the Poncetastic thread, getting them both mixed up 😅

@LaChatte 😧😧 that’s not on!! You must contact them and let them know your abject disappointment and just how much those mince pies meant to you. Hopefully they will rectify the mistake.

(Or you could do the Poncetastic thing and make your own mincemeat which I can guarantee will make far better homemade pies than the pre-made ones...)

I do that too! The two threads do overlap a fair bit in theme and tone...🎄🎄🎄

I've never found suet here, so the first year I wanted to make mince pies I went to my local butcher to ask for some, I had to look it up beforehand, and apparently it doesn't exist in French so I ended up asking for some 'gras de rognon de boeuf' which is a literal description of suet. The butcher was horrified that I was planning on making sweet pies with it. The following year I just used butter 😂

Ahaha yeah that gets old I’m sure. So it’s not for lack of poncing credentials then!

Funny the sorts of things you just can’t get in a given country isn’t it.

I'm definitely going to try the gnudi but not much else has tickled my taste buds so far - the aubergine dish is the sort of thing I cook all the time anyway. I do like dried fruit but have approx 1,243 bottles of assorted weird drinks at home already (including v old homemade sloe gin, rosehip syrup etc from previous Christmases) so am reluctant to add to the stockpile.

I am enjoying reading it though! And looking forwards to the Footlights panto in Cambridge which we go to every year.

Loved Nigel's little history of mincemeat in today's chapter and his 'rows of glossy jars, plump as Friar Tuck...'

Yeah a lot of the recipes are variations on a theme if you cook in that vein all the time anyway so tbh it’s not as if it’s new and mind-blowing. But I do like trying things even if it’s just a slightly different version of meals I already make - means I can have a little extra variety without doing the thinking behind a meal, so I do like that element of it.

I’m going to be restrained, I think, and just do the two fruit-based liquors and possibly also a cranberry gin. That’s enough for us and there are enough people in the extended family to finish it so we don’t end up with any clutter. I prefer a clean sweep and a clear-out & drink/eat-up month in January so that the house is ready for a spring clean when spring rolls around.

I haven’t read today’s entry as we had unexpected visitors. Will settle down to it tonight I think.😊

I also googled substitutes for the quinces in the suet-free mincemeat, as I think they might be tricky to find.

@ExcessiveIyDisorganised

I do usually take DD to panto (DS hates it) but we haven't got round to booking it yet.

@Geamhradh - our favourite Christmas treat is a Christmas Singalong in London, we have seen it at The Royal Albert Hall, Westminster Central Hall and Barbican centre previously, can't remember this year but it is SO Christmassy. It's by Raymond Gubbay, the same promoter as Anton and Erin.

I bought myself a Christmas reed diffuser yesterday while muttering sorry Nigel, I'm not on your budget.

Fabulous! I have just taken in an order from Etsy for some non-Nigel candles, but they are handmade with soy wax and essential oils so he might let them pass. Orange and cinnamon, and Pine and Eucalyptus. They're not coloured but it's funny- dd and I are going "shall we light the red smelling one or the green smelling one"

I admit- (have said this earlier too) I probably make less of Nigel's stuff than any of my other numerous Christmas cookbooks, it's the writing and candle/tablelinen/pottery/garden envy!

@herecomesthsun I have no idea!! Maybe we could synchronise a time and do it together! I do have a sneaky feeling it might not pop out with as much ease as Nigella's did!

@Dillidilly

I also googled substitutes for the quinces in the suet-free mincemeat, as I think they might be tricky to find.

Not if you come and fettle in my freezer. I took my tupperware box full of cooked quince out last night and might make a crumble tomorrow, disguising it as apple so dd will eat it. I would use a cooking apple. IMO that's effectively what a quince is. A big knobbly furry monster-apple.

There are always quinces for sale in my excellent local farm shop - could be worth checking in one of those if you have one near. I’m not going to make mincemeat- again it would only be me eating it (will be the same for mince pies/Christmas pudding/Christmas cake), but I enjoyed reading about it.

Geamhradh beautiful tin, i can recommend Nancy Birtwhistles homemade lining paste, easy release every time

Another vote for lining paste. Excellent

I’m a few days behind, but I made the Leek, Sausage & Cannellini bean dinner. Was a little disappointed - mine were a bit watery and I really needed the kick of a generous amount of whole grain mustard with it.

I fancy the aubergine & lentil meal but no-one else in my family would eat it.

@Dillidilly

Loved Nigel's little history of mincemeat in today's chapter and his 'rows of glossy jars, plump as Friar Tuck...'

I loved that too. I can't decide whether to make my own mincemeat this year....but if I do I imagine I'll be using Atora suet!

Just wanted to say a quick hello. I'm late (typical me) but have book and read intro and up to 4th November. Just catching up on the thread now. Always wanted to be in a book club!