The Autumnal Christmas Chronicles Preamble - Thread 2 further ramblings

[HannahDefoesChristmasHamper]

Hope nobody minds me starting anew thread as old one nearly full

Will pop some links in 🍂🍁

Caught up and such lovely photos and affirming things, I had a duvet day hangover yesterday which was very much needed after a whirlwind weekend! @lucysmam we went to see Duff McKagan on Thursday, Scarlet Rebels on Friday and Sunday, combined with a flying visit to DD on Saturday (400 miles in 24 hours meant I really needed that extra day!).
@RainbowZebraWarrior your sunday dinner gratin and @Splendud's recipes look wonderful, I've got next week off so planning on some proper cooking then as I rarely have time during the week to more than bung something into the slow cooker! @IngenTing your pot looks lovely, I'm trying to find a less spendy version of LC at the moment but also trying to be thrifty.
Sorry to all those who are under the weather, it was beautiful over the weekend but wet and cold today so autumn is definitely here............

Oh yes I'm going to make that pork recipe for sure! Thanks for the inspiration @Splendud!

@ExquisiteIyDecorated all I can say is “phwoar” and rub my legs Vic Reeves stylee at the thought of that onion vinegar for chips. Mmmm!

loving the hat @Autumnspices - looks so cosy. I’m on an Aran cardi side quest at present but once I’ve completed the (5?!) knitted stash items and wondering about doing a gansey for dh. Not mentioning the crochet stash items 😬. I’m usually pretty good at starting a big project and doing it til I finish but needed some plain knitting as a change from the concentration needed for complex colour work and shaping.

all the best for dental treatment too.

I do just sprinkle them liberally with salt, cover them and leave them overnight (in the garden shed because they smell so strong). There is a bit of a risk that they end up too salty though, hence the VERY thorough rinsing. A lot of liquid comes off them, I tip them into a colander and rinse them and their bowl, back into the bowl, repeat, then cover them in clean water and leave them for a few minutes before rinsing some more. Brining is probably safer from the over-salting POV but I have never got round to finding out how much salt to use in the water. If you don't salt or brine them they will end up soggy not crunchy. They need about 6 weeks to be ready to eat.

Also I have to go to a farm shop to find pickling onions, they don't generally sell them in supermarkets. Not round here anyway.

I hope they still have them at Morrisons because the local farm shop doesn't do them!

We don't have a Morrisons (the nearest one is a lot further than the farmshop anyway).

It's the only place I've seen pickling onions around here (but tbf most of the supermarkets are on our boycott list so I've a very limited selection to choose from!) so I'll cross fingers that they're doing them this year.

I'm excited...I love an excuse to buy another jar. 😁😁

Thank you!

I used to make pickled onions every year and use exactly the same method as Exquisitely. The process is way too onerous now for my arthritic hands (mainly the repetetive skinning of so many small onions) Plus even if I wear gloves, the salt always goes up my nails when I'm rinsing them. <shudder>

Oh, you have reminded me @RainbowZebraWarrior I forgot a step. Submerge the unpeeled onions in a bowl of boiling water for a minute before peeling as the skins come away more easily. Definitely easier with fewer larger onions than may small ones. I'm sorry your hands won't let you peel them.

Another issue is streaming eyes. I wear contact lenses which are miraculous for preventing this but otherwise it can be hard, I'd probably sit outside to do them if I had to go bare-eyed.

Made the tomato chutney, should be lovely by Christmas.

And my jam cupboard, because I've just organised it.

Managed to call into the library last week so I have a big chunk of Nigel to browse 😍 Not one for reading in bed; it’s very heavy.

Havent read the whole thread so apologies if this has been discussed,but what do we think of 1000 Feasts? I love NS and have most of his books but finding this just a bit too.....twee. Perhaps not the right word.Smug?
Hard to relate to all the wonderful experiences he lists if you havent travelled much in Japan or Middle East. I think its one for dipping into in small doses. And,as with CC which I love,the overuse of " crisp" as an adjective gets on my tits!!

Those pickled onions look incredible! I am very very envious of your upcoming enjoyment of them!
A Thousand Feasts arrived for me in my postbox today, thanks to my MIL sending it over for me.
It looks fabulous on the coffee table right now with the obligatory October ceramic pumpkins.
It's not something I ever did when I lived in UK, seasonally decorate, but over here it's very common. I think maybe with the house interiors being quite neutral it's nice to welcome each season.

We've discussed it at length on this thread and the previous thread.

Link here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5150816-the-autumnal-christmas-chronicles-premable-thread?reply=138768309

If I'm honest, I think this is why I half jokingly say in the original Preamble thread that this is the Nigel Slater Appreciation Society. Yes, we understand that he can be a bit of a snob at times, but despite this, we love him. We also understand that most of use couldn't possibly imagine having his lifestyle. It is escapism, pure and simple.

There are good reasons why we love both A Thousand Feasts and Christmas Chronicles. There are people here who it is helping massively in getting them through some very tough times. It is not OTT to say that his books and these lovely threads are something a lifeline for some of us. It has become such a positive and supportive community over the years.

Well after two days of Legoland and Lego house I’m ready for some Nigel, so it’ll be back to ATF tonight. Can’t wait.

I have only just started reading ATF but I am finding it a bit melancholy, a word I used to describe one of his recent instagram posts. It has the feel of a man who is looking back with a sort of finality. If you know what I mean. I really hope he is OK.

However, this may be me as I am in a funny, slightly sad mood for various reasons!

Yikes @ClaudineChronicals I didn’t pick that up although I do find that he has a wonderful sense of longing and retrospection. It echoes my current experiences of thinking back to what a wonderful life I’ve had and hopefully much more. He writes so beautifully. I haven’t read Proust’s à la recherche des temps perdus but wonder if that feeling would echo. - I really should before the chemo brain kicks in!

I am really savouring listening to him reading it and am having to ration myself for that precious first read experience. Definitely going to plug the gaps in my Nigel collection!

I’ve been watching a lovely series on Netflix - chef’s table, which some of you may enjoy. Last night I watched the one about a Chinese woman from a rural village who now owns her own noodle restaurants in London - it was a wonderful watch. It also gives me something for my list for future travels.

Forgot to say, I’ve discovered the “official Nigel slater” account on TikTok. Oh my! Only a few posts but lovely.

I would agree that ATF feels almost like a parody in parts - indeed it would be impossible to parody - but for me (and I suspect for many on here!) that’s part of its charm. If you aspire to be more Nigel then this is your handbook (and you know you will need very deep pockets). Nigel’s description of his larder might inspire others to rearrange their spice racks, one of my favourite passages is the description of items on his desk - it makes me long to track down a brown glass vial of bois de cade, the essential oil extracted from juniper wood and give it a sniff. I don’t think any of us are likely to be visiting Lebanon or Iran in the near future, but I love to read details of Nigel’s visits. I would go so far as to say that this is my favourite Nigel so far (dare I say I think I might love it even more than CC). I love the fact you can open it at any page and start reading - it really is a thousand feasts. The fact is that with his other volumes I generally find myself thumbing through the pages of whatever the book is ostensibly about to find the details that give a clue to Nigel’s lifestyle - in ATF, that’s all there is.

When do we start the CC?

CC starts on November 1. We usually start with the intro about a week before - @RainbowZebraWarrior has suggested October 23.

Lovely lovely thread and photos. I’ve had the CC book for quite a few years but just bought the audiobook to listen to as so many recommended it.
Got ‘A cooks book’ out of the library and there are so many great but simple recipes. Has NS stopped producing TV shows now ? There were a few on iPlayer I think but quite old.

🍁🌾🍂🍁🌾🍂🍁🌾🍂🍁🌾🍂🍁🌾🍂🍁🌾🍂🍁🌾🍂

Morning all! Welcome @Crystalbits!

I stepped outside this morning to collect our eggs and the big tree at the front was letting its leaves go, each one drifting gently down to the ground. It's such a beautiful thing to watch and very calming, like watching snow fall.

My dentist appointment was rescheduled due to their internet being down and systems not working. Can you believe they cannot carry out examinations at all without it? I mean I like the internet but I do sometimes think it's ridiculous how much power 'computer says no' has over our lives now. There's something to be said for notebooks and pens!

So I've got to wait 'til Monday now. Thankfully the pain has eased a fair bit so I'll be ok.