The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles Readalong 2025

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello all, it's that time of year again!

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 Christmas Chronicles (Notes, stories and 100 essential recipes for midwinter) book begins on 1st November, however there are 25 pages of Introduction. That's why I start the thread one now; to allow time to prepare and fully appreciate Nigel in All His Splendour come 1st November.

Some regulars to the thread already have the book. For anyone new, it's a challenge to see of you can pick up a bargain. Vinted has come up trumps in the past, as has ebay. A rare and precious charity shop find is always a bonus. Don't forget, you can also listen along to Nigel's dulcet tones via Audible.

I shall post daily and we can share our thoughts and feelings on the days recipes, sentiments and indeed Dear Nigel himself. Observations of nature and the seasons are also very welcome.

So welcome to old friends and new, and don't forget that reading by candle light is particularly enjoyable. Cire Trudon may be one of Nige's candles of choice, but it's somewhat pricey. We don't discriminate against other less expensive brands - even if they are NVN (Not Very Nigel)

Pull up a chair, light a candle, grab a cosy blanket and join in!

Old, damp, with the savor of moss and 1000's of years of hot, steamy, mineral laden water.

Actually, I do love the smell of old, damp stones!

My Dad worked as an ecclesiastical renovator, back in Mid-Sussex, and I used to love going to work with him, and sitting in the ancient, tiny chaples and churches. The smell to me, means peace, stillness and reflection.

There is a Nesti Dante soap, called "Villages and Monasteries", which has that tone.

Wholeheartedly agree and this is what I love most about the book/this thread. Yes there is plenty of temptation for me to acquire more along the way (I love beautiful things and am a bit of a magpie), but as long as I'm mindful I find it actually really helps me not to want more and just to appreciate the richness of a simple, quiet life and to search for ways to make Christmas about life, love, family, friendship rather than things.

@AGreenWitch that looks lovely! I used to hate sprouts but that was because I had only really experienced them boiled in school dinner style. Now I love them and eat them a lot. Plus they are so good for you.

Grey and drizzly here.

Sprouts! Love them. It's amazing how different they can taste depending on cooking method.

The salmon and sprout dish sounds delightful @AGreenWitch

@piscofrisco I love that you love your job. I think of you often, out and about in the fresh air. It does sound marvellous!

@ILoveLukeAlderton Oh i love me a bit of Style and Beauty, and i love the idea of Feeling Rather Claudia. Surely that's up there with Being Very Nigel in the aspiration stakes. I've only just started watching the Traitors since this celebrity version started and my goodness that woman is stylish!

Beautiful lights @LillianGish I feel like thay should be a postcard or Christmas card. Whenever you post gorgeous pictures from Paris, I close my eyes briefly and try and imagine myself there for a moment.

Nicest corner of MN indeed @Jabtastic I sometimes feel that we could be earning revenue for our content, were it elsewhere. (But then it wouldn't be the same)

I am mighty impressed by your list of apple creations @WeMeetInFairIthilien and by your al fresco capers this half term. I still have apples left and have decided to try this recipe from this months Waitrose magazine:

(Does anyone else keep newspapers and magazines for the fire, then when it comes to tearing them up, end up keeping half of them because "ooh. I didn't see that recipe earlier!"

Day off today. Been for a dog walk and then plan on doing not much. Youngest dd is home from uni so we might potter into town later. We have just moved to a new town about an hour and a bit away from where I lived before (for 20 years so it’s been a big change) and I know no one at all here (except dh and my step sons). I am going to the opening of a new yoga centre later as they were giving out free classes so I’m doing mat Pilates at 6 in some sort of renovated barn, which sounds quite Nigel ish. And hoping to have a conversation with another adult that I’m not related to into the bargain. It’s hard making new adult friends when you don’t have little kids I think, but I shall try.

Good morning! It's not raining today. We're going swimming this morning. Hoping for some nice scenery on the way (we're staying in the Highlands for half term) because it's looking quite bright out.

That salmon and sprouts looks fab. I love the vegetables at this time of year. Parsnips are my favourite.
I've been reading Eliza Acton's cookery books (historical food is my specialist subject!) and there are some lovely ideas for vegetables that I'm going to try.

Just a quick test after an observation. I notice that MN isn't posting any photos taken from publications. (My last one from the waitrose magazine hasn't posted after the usual review period, and neither did some I posted from the CC the other day)

It has me thinking that perhaps MN has caught up with possible copyright issues. It poses a small problem in that I type out a part of the entry once CC starts and usually accompany with an image or two from the book. I can get round this by linking to something instead (like a recipe relating to the post) but I'd rather know now since we shall be starting proper in a fee days.

I'll email MN to check the situation. In the meantime, I'm posting a link and a photo to test my theory.

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/recipe/fesenjan

Oh goody. Both pics have now posted. There must have just been a delay.

As you were.

Thank you so much for this thread @RainbowZebraWarrior - I was late to the party last year so never really got into it (although what I did read inspired a last-minute trip to Vienna on 22nd Dec, which was so lovely!)

A last minute trip to Austria is Peak Nigel. Very impressive!

I do actually like the smell of damp stone walls, just not in my house (old stone village house, north side partly underground, you get the idea). That particular candle wouldn't be very comforting for me 😅

Ahaha, in fairness a lot of my festivities are NVN so I had to make it up somewhere 😁

Some lovely autumnal photos and descriptions on here, it's such a calming read.
Drizzly grey morning here so I'm making some soup. DD pottering about doing stickers and colouring so it's a nice peaceful morning.
I've been trying to keep off my phone in the evenings (after I've caught up onthis tread of course!) and the last couple of evenings I've been reading some Dickens ghost stories and listening to radio 3. Feels Quite Nigel.
Will I be kicked off this thread though if I admit I'm not really into candles? 🙈

My Dad worked as an ecclesiastical renovator, back in Mid-Sussex, and I used to love going to work with him, and sitting in the ancient, tiny chaples and churches. The smell to me, means peace, stillness and reflection. You have just described Trudon’s Carmelite candle in a nutshell @WeMeetInFairIthilien - I think there is also a line about silhouettes of nuns in the official blurb.

I definitely will have that candle one day; it sounds like my idea of heaven. Peace on Earth.

I don't think it's a bad thing not being into candles (it would be better for my pocket if I wasn't!)

I have just gone through my power cut box to check that all is present and correct. I had squirrelled away 8 'less desirable' candles in there. I've taken 5 out and left 3 in the box. I'll line up the five on Hallows Eve with the jack o lantern to welcome the trick or treaters so that will use them up!

I had ordered a couple of beautiful sounding candles from a vinted seller along with a gorgeous Cath Kidston bird bag. As the seller was offering 20% discount on 5 items, I added a £1 t shirt and a £1 fluffy hoodie. The parcel arrived yesterday with just the cheap t shirt and hoodie in it and had clearly been tampered with. Some rotter had opened the parcel, nicked the good stuff and resealed it. I couldn't believe all I was left with were two items I was just going to put straight into a charity bag. Gutted. Anyway, vinted are looking into it and I really didn't need more candles but they were such a bargain DD is now on a mission to find the same candles for Christmas for me, but I've literally never seen one of them before.

@LillianGish you sum up that candle perfectly. I am feeling the need for more patisserie and sniffing of waxy treasures!

My new copy just arrived for me to cherish for years so I have just listed my second hand copy on Vinted.

It's brightening up here on the Staffordshire/ Derbyshire border so I may get my lunch outside. I am trying to get outside as much as possible- even if it means piling on the layers!

Have favourited some St Eval tealights on Vinted. I have some sales to fit my balance over the next few days so I may splurge then and see how VN they are

I have downloaded the audible copy so I can choose whether to read or listen.

Listening in the dark with the log burner and a candle lit may become my thing. With a very good glass of red wine of course.

I am currently cleaning the air fryer so not doing anything quite so comforting as snuggling up and listening.

Oh and I am expecting a new sofa any day now (well, new to us anyway but almost brand new) so I will be able to snuggle up on that.

Someone's just listed a Christmas Chronicles on vinted for £4 in case anyone is still after one.

Just read back and realised that's probably your book @petitpasta

@RainbowZebraWarrior Your comment about tearing out recipes from the fire papers, reminded me of my mum's 1950s Radiation cook book which had cuttings from magazines and newspapers that she used over the years... they were a joy to discover. I still pine for a Christmas Cake from a supermarket magazine of the 1990s... Living magazine if I remember correctly, which had a fruit cake where there was a hole in the middle made by an empty tin can and in which a fat red candle sat.

@LatteLady I remember that cake! My mum wouldn't make it and I was inwardly furious