The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater. Read Along Thread 2022

[Dillidilly]

INTRODUCTION

Nigel begins his Chronicles proper on 1st November, but there is a lovely, quite lengthy introduction we can dip into during the second half of October.

Last year, posters were also kind enough to share where they had found cut price copies of CC, so hopefully anyone late to the party still has time to find a copy before we start the first chapter.

I had forgotten the lovely introduction. Together with the beautiful photograph at the very beginning of the book, flipping through it and seeing his headings reminded me of why I loved it so much last year!

I would like to live with Nigel Slater . That is all.

I think his house must be very small though @Frostine , if the scent of a bowl of quinces permeates the place. I have to stand bent over the bowl to smell mine.
<disappointed >

Oh I am so pleased to find a 2022 CC thread! Going to dust off my copy today.🎄

Just dusted off my copy 🙂💙❄️🌲

My book hasn't arrived yet - it had an expected delivery date of 30/10 so not massively late but still!

Very happy to have got started again, I am now lusting after some dessert wine.
@NiqueNique I'd recommend the muscat prunes. I made them last year and they were lush.
@lbnblbnb Leaving out the anise is a good idea for the fig one. I tried it a couple of years ago and thought the anise made it a bit calpol-esque, and I usually love anything with figs in. Still managed to polish it off, obviously.

Fire lit. Shutters closed. Dinner bubbling away on the hob. I’m ready 😀

Just got back from a mini tipple run, inspired by today’s toast to the winter solstice...must make sure not to do this after every chapter!!

Got a bottle of whisky which was on offer (we’ve almost finished two whiskies so it was time to replenish!), a bottle of pale cream sherry (DH mentioned having a fancy for sherry the other night so I’ve obliged), some Madeira and a little bottle of Australian dessert wine whose name I’ve forgotten. I saw they had Sauternes as well which I might use for the prunes instead of Muscat as I couldn’t find any last year (I know, we could order online, but I like buying in person for Christmas), so I might pick that up next time I go in.

@Dillidilly trading housework for crafting time seems a perfectly reasonable course of action to me! 😆 I’ll see how it goes with the advent candles, depends on whether or not I manage to be sensible...I don’t need them so I’m going to try to resist. I always tell myself, if there’s something Christmassy I have to forego, that I’ll look for a bargain in the January sales. I love velvet ribbon and would like to get some for the tree and/or my advent candle holder (the traditional 4 candles, not the numbered set!) this year. Olive green and burgundy, I think...

@MarisPiper92 that's good to know, thank you!

@lbnblbnb hope you feel better soon.

@Swissnotswiss fancy candle prices are very pricey! That’s why I use essential oils as I just don’t have the budget/can’t justify it and I don’t like many of the cheaper scented ones.

Speaking of candles, today is a fitting day to start burning my Christmas gift - a three wick candle in a lovely big jar; I’ve just lit it and ahhh I’ve got instant autumn hygge. 😊 It’s amazing how much (figurative) warmth there is in a candle flame.

I want to live in his kitchen (the one I saw some years back on NS TV series).

If it's just a studio set not his real kitchen please don't tell me.

How apt that the day after dry October that alcohol is put in my face. I was tempted by the apricot liqueur, but I don’t like brandy. What else could I use instead of the brandy?

@2bazookas you can get lovely peeks into Nigel’s home and beautiful garden on his instagram account.

I've made smoky pumpkin and sweet potato soup. Put some preserved lemons up for Christmas. I'm just busy polishing my halo.

Aspirational goal for next year is to fight the squirrels for the figs in the garden! (gonna be leaving the star anise out of that recipe though)
Book arrived today and audible downloaded ... saving intro for peace and quiet later.
Thank you everyone for this thread.

So excited to be joining in with you all!

Going to make the prunes in muscat this year- I am particularly looking forward to having the fruit for breakfast- is Nigel always slightly sozzled 😃 @2bazookas i have first dibs on Nigel’s house I have been wanting to move in for years. I used to watch him in TV and be in the awe of his leftovers. We have the odd wrinkled pepper etc he had a couple of duck breasts 😃

I'm in. I have the book, although will have to catch up and start reading it tomorrow. Just gone through this thread and now have a shopping list of:

Pukka Winter Warmer Tea
Laurel Bay oil

And just ordered the Advent book.

I'm going to be broke. Heaven help me when I get to the page about the posh candle.

Definitely interested making the prunes in muscat, that sounds amazing. Although I might have to see what Asda can deliver in lieu of muscat (possibly NVN -not very Nigel!)

@TheRealShedSadie I think we need to adopt that!
My candles are certainly NVN!!

I think candles must be the most commonly NVN thing ever. I mean, VN candles are ridiculous!

I am afraid I haven't read the introduction yet. Haven't had time to give it the attention it deserves. And when I did, the weather was so warm it didn't seem like the right thing to do somehow.

I have read todays chapter though. I do really like the idea of his boozey hot apple juice.

I'm reading the book and listening to him on the audio book at the same time. Nigel only read half the chapter

I'm afraid I agree with NS when it comes to candles!
I have had diptique in the past and they are lovely but I really recommend the candles from Le Jardin Retrouve - they only have 5 scents but the pots are real limoges porcelain and can be used afterwards (I have one as a trinket pot)
Your first order will get you 15% off
But less slemdy than diptique but still French and still great quality 🙂💙🌲

spendy

Hiii, I'm cwtched in on the sofa with a rum hot toddy and all the previously lit candles that I can find (we're away for half term and staying in my cousin in laws house and I don't want to take the mick).

I've just written a note in the margin about the hot apple drink and I feel alive! I made it last year to enjoy during the Santa Run with family, and I'd like to remember that every year. Will try that again, and others depending on how much time I have.

I've written up a shopping list too. I won't be buying everything by any means, but will be nice to keep an eye out for a treat. Perhaps there might be a few candles lurking in some charity shops nearby.

@FormerlySpeckledyHen that’s a lovely memory. One of my happiest memories from childhood is being cosy in bed at my grandparents’ house and falling asleep to the sounds of rain lashing against the window and a car driving past every so often. The sort of comforting, enveloping memory of happiness that instantly brings complete contentment - if I happen to hear exactly the right combination of rain/car driving past it’s incredible how it takes me right back to being little and completely happy.

@123ZYX I found Nigel’s Kitchen Diaries III in the charity shop recently and decided it’ll make the perfect continuation after Christmas - it starts in January IIRC. I’m going to read the autumn/winter sections alongside CC.

@Ihavedogs brandy is my favourite so I’m having a really hard time thinking of anything to replace it...I think you could probably use any liqueur you do like that you think would pair nicely with apricots.

@picklemewalnuts you're not wrong there!! I’d love to ‘go for broke’ with candles as per Nigel’s admonition but I’m not good with moderation and if I start down that road I actually would go broke. 😆 Happy to see that the Little Yorkshire Candle company comes recommended more than once on this thread - they’re quite reasonably priced. I might treat myself to one in January if I’ve used up all my (small) stash by then.

@Thatsasmashingblouseyouvegoton thank you for that recommendation I’ll put that on my wish list.

I’m going to measure everything by how Nigel it is.

NVN

DVN

UltimateN - which so far, in candle terms, at least, only @LillianGish has achieved. 😄

These look gorgeous! Do you buy direct from the French website?