The Autumnal Christmas Chronicles Preamble thread

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hi, and welcome to the Nigel Slater appreciation society Christmas Chronicles Premable thread.

The thread will start proper in late October where we begin our annual journey of reading the Christmas Chronicles in real time. It is a cosy, heartwarming event that one can dip in and out of as life allows. Think flickering candles, woodsmoke, delicious recipes, the odd home made tipple, and bucket loads of touching Nigel-esque anecdotes. It is a veritable Hyyge of a thread.

This thread is to see us through until that time. You will find me, like a squirell, checking on my store of candles at the back of the cupboard.

It's also worth noting that Nigel's new book; A Thousand Feasts is out on 26th September. (with a deliciously Autumnal cover)

@RainbowZebraWarrior hope you are well rested up and feeling better now - the cinnamon vanilla salt sounds amazing and right up my street!!!! Will keep an eye out for it.

@RainbowZebraWarrior Sorry you're laid up. Hopefully your lovely cat has accepted the usefulness of a bed resting human and is keeping you company.

Thank you to folks for nice comments on my mushroom post, but I have to say that I may know a fair bit about the more common ones I want eat, but my knowledge overall is limited. Same with all sorts of things.

@RainbowZebraWarrior boo to having to be laid up and I hope it’s not for too long.

It is pouring down with rain today, so hunkering down with knitting and a nice candle is the order of the day. I’ve had the leftover roast potatoes from last nights meal. Mmmmm! I had to give dh and ds strict instructions on how many left were “mine” so that they didn’t scoff them!

Hello all, and thanks for the well wishes. I hope everyone is safe and warm this evening. It is a gloomy one for sure, here.

@EphemeraleEudemonia I too, am impressed by you knowledge of all things Fungi. I used to be regularly woken at 5am for mushroom foraging expeditions as a child. Whilst it sometimes felt like a right royal pain in the arse, I am actually grateful to my Dad for those experiences. The lovely Mr Darcy (my cat) has not left my side since I started feeling a bit rotten last night. He's a Ragdoll, and will come for a pick up cuddle whereby he puts his paws around my neck and purrs like crazy, looking at me as if I am both the best Mama in the world and also concerned that all is well with me. He definitely knows when I am in pain. I also completely agree with you regarding joy. It is not possible to feel it all the time, but all the more reason to seek it out, and moreso actually know what brings you joy in the first place. It is something that I'm trying to instill into DD, who, with AuDHD struggles a lot with this. It is something thay comes with age, i think (hence I identify with Nigel saying that he is 'Happy, but only just realised' at a later stage of life. Ironically, DD loves rain, and I hate it. Possibly because it exacerbates my health issues.

@Bimblesalong you've given me a hunger for roast potatoes! Thankfully, I had the foresight to order some in a foil tray with butter from Waitrose (I always order a couple of quick things for difficult days) I've added some extra French salted butter and they are now in the oven crisping up nicely. I've also re lit my Neom massage candle and will massage my sore joints later.

To sum up; was feeling rubbish, have been helped massively by lovely posts here + cat. So that's a wonderful little combination of joy.

Here's the lovely fella himself, supervising me in the kitchen.

Weather here is horrible, very wet and windy. I am snuggled up in the warm watching quiz shows.

I have finished A Thousand Feasts - my plan to dip into it over a longer period didn’t work! I loved it. He just writes so beautifully about everything. I wish I could emulate parts of his lifestyle but unfortunately I don’t have the time or money. I like reading about it though!

We’ve had a beautifully sunny but very windy day here today. Small moment of joy from this evening, we wandered over to DFILs summer house, across the street from us, to watch the sunset. He has the view of fields and we got a lovely few minutes with a family of deer having an evening run.

Oh that's wonderful @Greaterthanthesumoftheparts! Do you live in Denmark or did you drive over from another country? I had assumed you were just visiting for some reason...I'm very envious that you have a sommerhus over there!

I still haven't read back. It just means there'll be more loveliness to enjoy when I do get round to it. Did a deep clean of the kitchen today. It needed it!

Really behind with the thread- bad pain days, issues with elderly parents etc but just wanted to say to @EphemeraleEudemonia I’m glad the book arrived and hope you enjoy it. Hope to catch up tomorrow and enjoy all the wonderful pictures.

@HappyDane we live in Switzerland but DH is Danish so we bought our summerhouse on Lolland a few years back. It’s my happy place and instant relaxation (even though I’m working this week). It’s also lovely, as expats, to have a few weeks a year when we can be (relatively) close to at least on side of the family.

can you guys help me decide if I should get the kindle edition of ATF or the hardback. The hardback will work out a lot more expensive due to the shipping, but I have a feeling that this a book I want to feel in my hands… what to do???

It’s a beautiful looking hardback, with lovely shiny endpapers. I think Nigel is best read in a physical copy rather than Kindle. However depends how expensive it is for you really.

@Greaterthanthesumoftheparts I've almost finished the Audible version of ATF, and I have to say that I love his voice so much, it might actually be better than the book for me. (and I can say the same for CC, although I have both hard copy and Audible) That said, my hand was forced with ATF as WH Smith told me last week that they hadn't received the signed copies yet, even though they had been sent by the publisher in plenty of time. I'm still waiting..

Thanks @RainbowZebraWarrior and @ChessieFL for your thoughts, now you’ve mentioned audible… I have some credits so that’s also an option which would be the cheapest way to go.

that’s annoying about the signed copy from WH Smith.

An unexpected treat today when we visited friends in the New Forest. They whisked us off for a late morning fungus foray in the forest after they’d spotted these gems (hedgehog mushrooms apparently - I’m no expert). We gathered several containers full and took them home to cook for lunch with garlic, olive oil and parsley. Definitely counted as a moment of joy - couldn’t stop thinking how VVN it all was and was made all the more joyful knowing I could share on here with the only people who truly understand ❤️

@Greaterthanthesumoftheparts How long are you in Denmark for? I think saxo have A Thousand Feasts ready for delivery at about 200kr , but it takes5 days. My MIL ordered mine in the UK for me and is posting it over. Norli were charging 449kr and a 3 week delivery!
@LillianGish beautiful mushrooms! They are called Piggsopp here because of their little 'spikes' underneath, spike in Norwegian is pigg.
@HappyDane Can I ask you about hygge if that's ok? We have koselig here, it's absolutely a way of life! 🤣 But I found when we lived in Stockholm for 3 years, I just felt like I couldn't 'get there' to koselig nirvana. No matter what I tried in our apartments, it didn't have the feel. We road tripped back to Northern Norway once to visit friends and we both commented that the koselig feeling was what missed but we just couldn't find it in Sweden. Do you find that? Is it as much about a sense belonging to the place as it is wool socks, candles, a fire in the Jotul etc.
All these years later, and now we are back living in Norway again, I feel koselig all around me, but I still think about those years it was 'missing' and it doesn't really make sense. Neither of us are from Scandinavia, so it's not a heritage thing, but definitely something we both felt and we both commented separately when discussing a move from Stockholm back to Norway as a "something" we missed.

I've just been looking at that Advent book on Amazon preview. Oh dear, another cookbook purchase feels imminent...
im going to make the lebkuchen which happily feature in the preview recipes later

IngenTing that's so interesting about Koselig and the absence where you were in Sweden. Sometimes places/times don't 'gel' but you can't put your finger in why exactly.

I've been reading about hygge and also coorie which is the Scottish equivalent that has been prevalent recently.

Also the Scottish Gaelic term Còsagach

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/dec/14/cosagach-is-the-scottish-hygge-more-about-wet-moss-than-warm-blankets

Yay, just had a bit of a coup I think.

Found a second hand copy of this on AbeBooks for £11.50. Should have it in time to join in this thread this year.

Edited to say, can someone tell me when it usually starts?

I'll start the CC thread on 23rd October. The book actually begins on 1st November, but I give people a weeks notice to get settled in and read the intro chapter first.

Hello, and welcome btw.

I've ordered another signed copy of ATF from Victoria Bookshop for £18.99 with free delivery.

If the other one ever gets dispatched by WHS, then I'm sure it will make a lovely gift for someone.

Happy October, everyone.

Happy October all. Still no ATF here - frustrating and I know I’m not the only one. It’s a shame the publishers have let the small bookshops down. I ordered from one linked by Nigel’s insta and the latest update is that their stock is not arriving until this week.

I got my copy of ATF yesterday - ordered from Hastings bookshop. I think it was dispatched on the Saturday. Haven't had a chance to open it yet but so looking forward to it.

Extreme rain in Herts today. Trudged through it with the dogs, came home and bathed all three as they were caked in mud and have made Nigel's mustardy sausage pasta for dinner later which is just the ticket for these conditions. Very much looking forward to eating it whilst Listening to the rain drumming on our glass roof in the kitchen.
Had my nails done in a very autumnal dark
Aubergine/brown ish shade this afternoon which I'm very pleased with. So all in all a good day.
Hope everyone that was poorly is on the mend and everyone is dry and cosy.

Hello all, I'm checking in to join the CC readalong later this month & with my newly acquired A Thousand Feasts that I bought about half an hour ago!

I've been thoroughly enjoying reading the thread since Sunday's train ride to Newcastle so shall go back to reading until I get to today 😊