The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater: Read Along Thread 2

[Dillidilly]

Here's our new thread!

I'm having such problems with the site, please could someone post a link to the old thread for me?

I had a look at the recipes for a few days this morning.

Nigel is very keen on figs and dates isn't he?

Do you think it is possible to substitute prunes, as a similar sort of dried fruit, as we have lots of those?

In the cake I substituted figs for prunes. I couldn't find figs anywhere

I seem to have lost this thread, thought I'd hidden it by mistake but I hadn't. Very odd!

Anyway, I enjoyed the cake chapter today, Nigel is right about everyone leaving a different part of it on their plate.

I enjoyed the cake chapter today. Although I have a slight fear now - my Delia recipe cake was made at the start of September 😱 will it still be good?? I’ve only been feeding it every 3 weeks.

@jerometheturnipking

I enjoyed the cake chapter today. Although I have a slight fear now - my Delia recipe cake was made at the start of September 😱 will it still be good?? I’ve only been feeding it every 3 weeks.

It will be fine, I always make Delia's (sorry Nigel) and have made it on the 1st September before I made Mary Berry mincemeat today (sorry again Nigel) and watched Nigella cooking a sort of Scandi inspired Christmas. Will try almost all of the things she made at some point.

I loved the cake chapter and was actually stroking the pages with pictures, the advent calendar one in particular.... I absolutely love the photography in this book.

I made my Christmas cake in September too and have been feeding it every two weeks. It's a BBC Good Food recipe and said it could be made up to six months in advance. Hopefully it will be ok but I think it is slightly burnt round the outside.... should have used two layers of baking paper and not just one! When I totally unwrap it to decorate I'll see if any bits need cutting off the edges..... hopefully a layer of marzipan and icing will hide a multitude of sins.

@FireworkParrot you may find you have to trim those outside bits and then test them by eating with a glass of port

Hi Nigelettes

I’m a bit premature as I made my cake in October. Feeding fortnightly. I’ll admit it wasn’t Nigel’s. I used Delia’s. I’ve used it for several years and it always turns out lovely (or so I’m told as I don’t have any due to being celiac). Nonetheless I thoroughly enjoyed reading Nigel's Cake Chapter and I’m considering using it next year.

@jerometheturnipking it’ll be fine as long as you keep it well wrapped. 🎂

@TheRealHousewife

We make Delia’s Creole Cale gluten free using this recipe and it works a treat. I don’t think you’d know as there is so much fruit

www.loulouland.co.uk/2012/12/foodie-friday-on-sunday-delia-smiths.html?m=1

[quote OnTheHillNotOverIt]@FireworkParrot you may find you have to trim those outside bits and then test them by eating with a glass of port [/quote]
Very good advice!

I settled down for a festive read yesterday with a small glass of Bailey's and a (shopbought) mince pie, I put a few drops of cedarwood oil in my diffuser and tried to channel my inner Nige. Unfortunately the edge was slightly taken off the scene by teen DS enthusiastically playing Xbox over the other side of the room, but I persevered.

I also have already made my cake, we usually do it in October half term and have a photo of us stirring up as a family from every year since DS was baby. I don't feed it, but did soak the fruit in much brandy for a few days before making the cake.

26 NOVEMBER
The Advent calendar

Apologies for my tardiness with today's chapter!

🎄🎄🎄 Hey all! (Special 👋 to @MarisPiper92, I definitely know your name now 🙂)

I’ve still not caught up, so I’m going to have a mega session this afternoon. 4 chapters (maybe 5?) to read...I did have a very quick peek at a few of the recipes last weekend so I could ensure we had some of the relevant veg in our delivery, so I know that tonight’s dinner goes with the entries I’ll be reading today - Black pudding, sausage, baked apple and celeriac mash.

Settling down to read. It’s blowing a gale here today, very atmospheric. It also feels properly wintry - I expect we’ll have our first frost of the year within the week.

Using some of my new Christmas crockery for the first time today (my early Christmas present from DH 😊). Makes me happy! Spiced orange tea and homemade cinnamon biscuits.🎄

Well, I win The Nigel Horror Award tonight 😱
We are going old school, with chicken kievs, garlicky mushrooms and oven chips, followed by tiramisu...we know how to do Date Night in style!
All Aldi's finest 😆
Sorry Nigel x
We will be redeeming ourselves with some artisan gin, made in a tiny distillery in the next town using local coastal botanicals ❤

Just catching up as the last few weeks have been so busy. I've loved everyone's photos. I'm going to try the leek, bean and (veggi) sausages and the aubergine and lentil recipes at the weekend. I would like to try the gnudi with avocado and watercress pesto, have seen the amazing dishes some of you made. Do you really need "the hands of angels"? I'm very clumsy so might not be the recipe for me. I'm also going to make the Quince and Cardamom mincemeat. So pleased to find a use for my quinces. It's such a beautiful tree but I always end up with lots of fruit chopped up in the freezer still there next Autumn when I pick the next batch. It's because they're so delicious, I always want to save them for something special then I forget about them. I'm still getting used to Nigel's writing style, I love his nature descriptions but was anyone else shocked he described cherry trees as the most boring trees on the planet once their blossom has gone! He's a chef, does he not appreciate their fruit? And the flame colours of their autumn leaves, and their shimmery bark in the winter? Maybe just me, I do love trees.

Nigel can be very uncompromising if he doesn't like something! He would scorn me for my Aldi Christmas candle stash.

I am making Baked Rigatoni with Meatballs tonight, (a Gennaro recipe) instead of the gnudi which I was thinking of making. I feel sure it is about 1,000 calories a mouthful but it is very cold here, so that is my excuse - we need something "rib sticking" as Nigel would say. I am making the brisket on Sunday.

Dinner was nice! I was going to pick more apples but there’s a storm going so that didn’t happen...

I think I will comment on each of the chapters i’ve just caught up on tomorrow, I’m too tired today.

DH is making us a hot buttered rum. It’s the weather for it!

@Dillidilly sounds pretty good to me!

@Hexenhaus ohh how nice to have quinces! I can’t find any. 😔 I love trees too.

@Dillidilly your dinner sounds fab! As does yours @Claudethecat

😆 at Nigel Horror Award

@FireworkParrot the photography is just perfect, and very strokeable.

@Strawberryfield12 I like your review of the apricot brandy! It reminded me that we don’t have brandy glasses; well we have one, but the other one broke. However I’m going to have to make do this year unless I come upon a charity shop bargain.

@TheRealHousewife I hope you have managed to concoct a great Turkish delight hot chocolate.

Today I made our order from ScandiKitchen for a bunch of Danish/Swedish Christmas treats. So excited!

Happy Friday evening one and all! 🎄

@Hexenhaus you do not need the hands of angels to make the gnudi. I am severely dyspraxic and mine were fine. I would recommend coating your hands in semolina. I used a tea spoon to help me shape them. They did not look promising but transform when you chill them in the fridge.

My alternative Christmas cake is lovely. I made a genoise sponge with cinnamon, nutmeg and orange. It won’t keep til Christmas though so I will make another.

Your dinner looks delicious holly

It's all rather decadent isn't it, nipping over to Vienna just for an advent calendar

I'm not sure I fancy that pumpkin dish as a side for my Christmas lunch. Perhaps it's a nod to the fact that its Thanksgiving in the USA and they like pumpkin dishes with their Thanksgiving Turkey

Haha yes! Although if I had the money I’d totally live that kind of lifestyle too, so I really don’t begrudge it.

I think the pumpkin dish would go wonderfully with lamb or chicken. I’ve got a butternut squash so I’m going to keep that recipe on standby for this coming week or the week after. Or maybe I’ll save it for January and leftover turkey!

27 NOVEMBER
Vienna, a city of sugar and whipped cream

Oh, Vienna!