Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles Read Along 2023 - Part Two

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Continuing from Part 1

For anyone who has not already had the pleasure, the annual Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles read along is a real time annual MN tradition.

The book began on 1st November, however there is still time to fully appreciate Nigel in All His Splendour as it takes us to Christmas and beyond.

Most of us already have the book (or Audio book) For anyone who doesn't, it's a challenge to see of you can pick up a bargain. WH Smith has come up trumps in the past, as has ebay. A rare and precious charity shop find is the holy grail and adds a certain special-ness that simply extends that warm, fizzy Nigel feeling (and some well earned smugness)

I shall continue to make a post each day and we can share our thoughts and feelings on the days recipes, sentiments and indeed Dear Old Nige himself.

Pull up a chair and a cosy blanket and join in. Twinkly lights are optional, but candle light is definitely recommended. Regulars and newcomers are welcomed like old friends.

We have the Play Mobil Nativity with the Magi add on pack. DS was small when we got it and we got two freebies: a little boy with a football and goal and another freebie of a Play Mobil hippie with barbeque apron. DS organised a football match between the Holy Family and their visitors and the Barbequer stands around the camp fire.

I'm nostalgic about Advent calendars too..

27 November

Vienna, a city of sugar and whipped cream

Vienna sparkles. A city like a Christening cake. Horse drawn carriages, as polished as a Chelsea pensioner's boots, go clippety-clop on cobbled streets. Fir trees with golden baubles guard the doorways of the jewellery shops. Icing sugar cakes hang in gilded cages in bakeries, and strings of white fairy lights dangle between the houses like diamonds.

We have refillable Advent calendars @StarryAnise - I love the sound of your Play Mobil recycling though I think we've long since missed the boat to start that tradition here. We have the Play Mobil Nativity with the Magi add on pack I'm wondering if this would require an extended calendar so the Magi could arrive on the correct day @DingDongMerrilyWithPie ?
Today's chapter is another one of my favourites - along with all the chapters about Germanic Christmas traditions (with weather to match). Christmas how it should be - or how we imagine in should be in a picture perfect Christmas card kind of way (like winter in a Breugel painting).

We have the Magi pack too, they start arriving around the 17th Dec. There is a flurry of excitement from 1st - 10th while the main characters and animals arrive, then it gets a bit lean with a few boring wooden benches and bits of firewood. 20th Dec sees a few days of eking out the Magi's presents to fill enough pockets, then you get the drama of the angel, crib and finally the cute playmobil baby Jesus.

It used to be very important to alternate who went first each year, as the twin opening on Day 1 always got Mary and then the bonus odd number opening with Jesus at the end. Now it's just me doing it all on my own...

@StarryAnise Love it!

What a wonderful read. His description of the Christmas market is enticing. I feel like I’m there at the pasta stall and in the steamy warm coffee house.
I’m considering getting out the Christmas cookie cutters which haven’t been used for many years and making some iced biscuits like those he describes. Although I suspect everyone would prefer it if I bought a tin of Chocolate ones from M&S as usual.

"It's just struck me that Nigel is now 67 years old. I can't quite get my head around that." Me neither, I still think of him as being in his forties. Although I still think of myself like that too 🙂.

I agree, @narniabusiness When I read this chapter, and the way he describes what he sess, I imagine him stopping to scribble down thoughts and ideas. Especially when he describes the sausages in shades of rust, peat and garnet. I also imagine him chuckling when he sees the tourist guide and her charges and it popping into his head that they look like mother goose and her goslings. (In my mind, he makes a note of this to put in the book before he forgets, lest the Glühwein cloud his memory)

I've had a busy few days and no time to post so have just read through from the end of last week. A few thoughts (sorry, can't remember who said what and am on my phone).

Steam trains - yes, I imagine they are Quite Nigel. But I suspect the current trend for covering them in LEDs and hosting singalongs to Mariah Carey et al probably make him shudder. We have one such train locally and can see it from some of our windows, I love it.

Christmas pudding - has to be served with cream or ice cream for me, I can't bear white sauce or brandy butter.

Marzipan, I have given up on Sainsburys bringing back the clementine version and am also going to attempt making my own, I found two packs of in-date ground almonds in my baking box.

Get the cookie cutters out @narniabusiness ! And post the results on here. Too Nigel for words.

Got roped into doing Christmas Sweets at a church fair yesterday. Spent all week grumbling about how I wasn't asked and it was just assumed (I'm not even a churchgoer!) then as I went out the door Mr StarryAnise said "You know you're going to love it". And I did. Cookie Cutters and Icing Sugar everywhere. Exhausting but properly festive.

The Berlin visit sounds Terribly Nigel and I’m looking forward to hearing about it.
I have lit the winter candle from White Co in my study, so my days are scented with Christmas. The posh advent calendar is in place, with fancy schmancy creams and products to be unboxed. I am Eyeing Up the fig liqueur but it will have to wait a little longer …

28 November

Christstollen, Dresden and the Butter Letter

The flavour is of distilled Christmas. Candied orange, Cinnamon, raisins, rum and cardamom. The texture is poor man's fruit cake. Fruit bread. Many have a sweet ribbon of marzipan running through the middle - a layer of buried almondy treasure, and a deep coating of icing sugar covering their craggy surface.

Starry anise your fair sounds lovely! I went to one at the weekend and it was lovely to see all ages together, random Xmas arts, hear music etc I really enjoyed it. A couple of great chapters from Nigel 👏

Reading about all of the Christmas fairs in Nigel's chapters, I was going to take a stroll around ours as I was in the city last night. It absolutely poured down, however, so we stayed inside Eldon Square for most of the time. (Freezing rain not in keeping with the magical atmosphere and all) We did get Fenwick window all to ourselves though, so had a proper look this time. This lovely little glimpse into a Mouse's house is hidden at the bottom of one of the windows, so at least we had a little bit of Christmassy magic.

@RainbowZebraWarrior that mouse 🥰 And @StarryAnise I love your Christmas sweets - sounds like such a festive activity. DS has just sent me this photo of his balcony in Berlin - it feels as if all the Nigel factors are aligning for our visit.

Things looking very festive in Scarborough just now, DH took these photos of yachts in the harbour decked out in their Christmas lights.

I love stollen and make a couple every year even though I am allergic to almonds so the marzipan isn't great for me. I also really love marks and spencer stollen bites, but I suspect they are NVN.
Chester market is up and running. It's a bit same old same old but always looks so pretty with the fairy lights outside the cathedral (we have a beautiful city that really suits winter). But I'm off to Brussels to visit some friends this weekend so I'm hopeful for a little more authenticity. I don't think Nigel mentions Belgium, ever?

Oh my goodness! Snow and a twinkly, christmassy harbour. How exciting. I'm enjoying the drive back from school at the minute as Christmas lights and trees are starting to appear and it's dusky / dark now on the way home. I'm going to try and get some outside lights up tomorrow. Thankfully, being in a bungalow makes this a bit easier.

Nigel in Brussels @bigbadbarry.
I love the twinkly yachts in Scarborough (many happy holidays spent there as a child)

Excellent! Thank you. I’m allergic to shellfish though 😂

Wonderful festive photos from everyone. @StarryAnise I hope your Christmas treats raised plenty of funds at the fare.
I don’t know what to make of Stollen. I like a fruited bake of any kind from tea bread to Chelsea buns and I like marzipan. I’ve never had a Stollen I liked though. Those little stollen bites from the supermarket (NVN) appear at all the Christmas dos I go to and they are dry and tasteless IMHO.

I am a massive stollen fan but (so far) only stollen I have made myself. It is nothing like stollen bites etc from the supermarket.

I use (a lot of) home made marzipan (Nigel's recipe) .

@Nothingbuttheglory I wondered whether a home made one would be completely different.

I hadn't been planning to this year, but... Maybe I need to make one? For the good of the thread? Might get the chance this weekend.