The Year Round Nigel Slater Discussion thread

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello, all.

The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles readalong usually takes place here between November and February each year (the Christmas Chronicles being a book written by Nigel Slater full of winter recipes and anecdotes) It's been running for a few years, and the contributors have collectively decided it would be nice to have it running all year round.

So here it is. It is a place to appreciate all things Nigel-esque. Think seasonal food and recipes, enjoyment of nature, sharing of news and small moments of joy. It's a calm, cosy space for gentle chat and merriment so pull up a chair, grab a cuppa and relax.

A very hearty welcome to friends new and old!

Just catching up. Welcome to the new joiners.

@RainbowZebraWarrior I am very fond of the Be-Ro book, my granny used to use it, also my mum. We used to make melting moments with crunched up cornflakes instead of coconut, delicious. I love date and walnut loaf too.

@Confusedmeanderings hope
you enjoyed Swan Lake, I went to see it at the cinema last year and really enjoyed it.

@piscofrisco I loved Rivals. @AgathaMystery I've never read any Cooper so didn't have any opinions about the casting but I remember there being a lot of comments about it on MN. I'm sorry about the redundancy.

Re art classes and being told you are no good as a child, this has resonated with me. I was told I couldn't sing and avoided singing in front of anyone for years (could never bring myself to try karaoke). But my DD loves to sing and does so without any trace of self-consciousness, she's not perfect but it doesn't matter, she does karaoke enthusiastically and has gradually got me singing, then last year I plucked up courage to join a choir and am loving it.

A few snowdrop and crocus photos from the local park yesterday

Lovely photos all… my quilt pics won’t post. No idea why MNHQ have quilt beef but will try again tomorrow.

@EarlierDistraction I thoroughly enjoyed it!

A question for any of you that crochet. I am just beginning to learn. I can now produce a square of single crochet. My problem is that none of the squares I crochet are the same size! I produce a chain of stitches and measure them against a square of the right size, everything is good. Then I do quite a few rows, being very careful to keep the tension even. It all looks nice and square, not wonky at all. Then I measure it against the original square and blow me it's grown. And not just by a bit, it'll be a couple of cm wider. The sides are straight, so I'm not gradually increasing it. What am I doing? Any ideas?

Lovely photographs!
It's been a nice slow read this morning with a cup of coffee, catching up with the thread.
It's been half term here or vinter ferie as its called. Yesterday we took a walk to a lake we usually visit in the summer for fishing and swimming and found that an ice bath had been made! It has been really thoughtfully put together, fairy lights on the walkway and around the bath, a healthy stock of wood on the shore, and walls made of ice blocks. The lake is glacial water as the whole area is a prehistoric glacial site, it has an excellent guided trail around the area in the summer.
Today we will have ribbe, braised red cabbage and yorkshires for dinner, which everyone is looking forward to. Ribbe is usually eaten only at Christmas, but occasionally you can find it between October and February.

@Confusedmeanderings are you making sure you use the exact same amount of chains in your starting row every time? The chain is usually shorter until you have finished the first row. An alternative might be foundation single crochet (you can google for instructions) it gives the right length from the outset. I can never remember how to do it so if I’m doing small squares I stick to chains of an eact counted number but use it if I am making a full width stripy blanket.

These are some 12" squares I have been making and a chain to start the next one. It is about 2cm shorter but is exactly the right amount of chains and will increase to the same size as the others after a couple of rows (I have made dozens in this pattern)

Thank you @EarlierDistraction that solves the mystery! I haven't been counting, just measuring by eye!

Evening all, glad the crocheted mystery has been solved. Loving the look of the ice bath.
Sending positive ohms to dd, @RainbowZebraWarrior , ahead of next week and hoping the school can get things right a lot more.

We’ve had a lovely day and made it to the concert I booked almost a year ago before all the nonsense of losing dad and having an unexpected item in the bagging area which led to all this medical stuff. We spent the morning wandering Montmartre in the sun and were allowed into Sacre Coeur during a service, which felt very special.

After a rest, we went to a brilliant exhibition on the history of disco and the connection with the gay rights movement. The sound track was superb and many of us were hopping away. Another one for ds2’s “times my parents have embarrassed me” list. The concert was beyond expectations, with encores of the theme from “Spirited Away” played on the harp by a world class harpist, then the Totoro theme by the full orchestra. The ocarina playing was on point, with some wonderful characters joining the orchestra - a dreamy piano accordion soloist (imagine being The soloist for that in France!) and the most intense
and focussed mandolin player I’ve ever seen (also extremely handsome and I think he knew it!). Ds has pronounced it the best concert ever. Back to reality tomorrow and the joy box is well replenished.

Just watched Call The Midwife (NVN) with my mum and was delighted to hear Trixie's slightly camp brother explaining the delights of Ikebana floristry. On this basis I correctly predicted he would get a smashed vase repaired using the Japanese art of Kitsugi (ultimate Nigel!) to the utter bemusement of my mum - who doesn't really know Nigel and would definitely struggle comprehend that I spend much of my spare time discussing him with a bunch of strangers (although to be honest you don't really feel like strangers anymore!) on the internet.
Did you take a dip in that ice bath @IngenTing ?

Sounds like you are having an amazing time in Paris @Bimblesalong

Went for a lovely walk along the coastal footpath today. Hard going up the hills but the views and sightings of dolphins made it all the more enjoyable

Sounds like you're having a wonderful time in Paris @Bimblesalong , I'm envious!

Gorgeous posts and gorgeous pics. Peak Nigel!!

Hello all. Meant to post yesterday, but the day ran away with me. Indulged ourselves with a trip to town and I got a bottle of my favourite perfume and some limited edition vinyl for my collection. DD got a new top and a new school bag.

@Bimblesalong your trip sounds utterly fabulous and incredibly cultured. As @AgathaMystery has just said, definitely Peak Nigel

DD lasted until afternoon registration at school today which was her goal 💪 (thank you so much for thinking of her @Bimblesalong that meant a lot) so I've just been to pick her up and am now settling down for a little food literature catch up. Mainly wor Nige and a couple of weekends worth of Waitrose magazine.

I love thus entry from yesterday in the original Kitchen Diaries:

March 2

In my smug haze of good housekeeping from yesterday's baking session, not to mention my arch disdain for factory-produced foods, I fail to notice there is bugger all to eat in the house. At seven thirty, I dash to the corner shop, returning with a tin of baked beans, a bag of oven chips and some beers.

There is also a wonderful entry today in KD3 if anyone had it. It pertains to Nigel's love of visiting Japan at this time of year.

I have to confess that having just ready Nigel's entry today in KD2 entitled 'The cast-iron casserole' I did not know this:

"A Casserole is a cooking vessel rather than the food cooked in it. Nevertheless, the word has come to mean a thick, sloppy stew cooked in a covered pot. I'm no pedant and that's fine by me.

(I detest the word sloppy).

We have indeed done a cultural exchange @Bimblesalong. I’m actually feeling pleasingly Nigel here - I spent the early part of the afternoon waist-deep in lavender, cutting away all the woody bits while the scent of the mahonia and Daphne wafted over me (the sensory equivalent of a scented candle bonanza). Currently baking banana bread with the kitchen door open into the garden while the laundry dries on the line. Small pleasures - all the things I can’t do in Paris.

well done to DD for making it to lunchtime. That’s excellent, brave progress!

Mmmm .... Banana bread! 😋

One half of the cultural exchange is home, ready for what I hope will be the final blood test tomorrow and the final chemo on Weds. Fingers crossed that all goes as planned. Call The Midwife has been watched and a few tears shed. After I had had “enough” surgeries I wrote a letter of thanks to my wonderful surgeon likening him to a master of kintsugi - taking what was broken and making something beautiful (an analogy for life and wellbeing as well as the physical effects).

Well done @RainbowZebraWarrior ’s DD. We had new vinyl here too, in the form of a 33 1/3 of Joe Hisaishi’s most loved studio ghibli music. DS2 has brewed a Japanese tea and is rapt with expression by the record player. It is VN.

Paris was Everything! I hope not too long before I can travel again.

So glad you had such a wonderful trip @Bimblesalong - well deserved and hopefully it has set you up for the final furlong. I’m heading home on Wednesday and will be thinking of you and sending every good wish for your last session.

Hi all,
Will have a proper catch up later but am just in the dentist waiting for a bridge to be fitted.
Two sun drenched days here, absolutely
Beautiful. Have been off my phone for a bit as couldn't stand worldly going's on and had to tap out for a bit. But back to it today.

Last day with my mum and marking Shrove Tuesday - I like to think that’s slightly Nigel since he seems to enjoy a seasonal celebration. Hope the dentist went well @piscofrisco - never enjoyable, but always rather a nice feeling when it’s over.

That's a fine looking pancake @LillianGish

Final push @Bimblesalong ☕️🫖

Nearly at the end @Bimblesalong - hope the final push goes well.

Horrible grey start to the day here, which turned to this just in time for my walk with a friend.

Thinking of you today @Bimblesalong

Grey and misty here today, in fact foggy. It has been frosty and sunny for the last few days, hoping the sun breaks through soon. We had pancakes too last night, DH made them as I was out.