The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles readalong 2025 - Part 2

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello all, and welcome to Part 2. We Continue our CC journey.

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 began on 1st November.

We continue to read along and comment with the book which is set out in diary form. I will make a post each day (or let you know if there is no entry on a particular day)

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.

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!

I can only imagine the gravity of visiting such an horrific place. But absolutely, so important to acknowledge and remember.

I lived in Poland many years ago. Would love to go back.

I’m looking forward to the nisser pictures!

The marzipan pine cones are rather fetching. I’ll have to remember that, and the crystallised rosemary! I don’t do a lot of food decorating though. It may make a great, tasteful fancy birthday cake at some point.

I had to stay in London for work last night (I was presenting an award) and after a frankly horrific journey down due to train mayhem, I am planning to enjoy my day in London before heading home later. I have tickets to see the London Mithraem this morning and will then head to the British Museum to see the new tudor heart pendant that they are trying to raise money to acquire. My friend was the portable antiquities finds officer who handled the treasure trove case and I can't wait to see it in real life. She was very excited to be able to look after it.

I walked past these sparkly stars in Russell Square last night and thought they were rather lovely and so am sharing them for the festive feels.

Morning all. Having a bit of a lazy morning, courtesy of a bad night’s sleep, and have just got back into bed with my second cup of tea after starting on Delia’s Arbroath Smokie Creams, which I make as canapés, this morning.

The pile of written Christmas cards is becoming satisfyingly high and the bag of stocking presents is slowly filling. The only issue today is my damn lovely fiancé went and bought the gift I was thinking of getting him in the Black Friday sale - back to square one.

@petitpasta OMG, that's amazing about your friend being the finds officer. If I had my time again, I think that's what I would be. My DD either wants to be an Engineer or an Archeologist. I'm rather hoping she goes for Archeology. Do post any photos please if you can. Also love the stars in Russell Square. For one reason or another I've not been to London in over 10 years, so seeing pics is lovely.

I also love those pine cones @petitpasta Marzipan and Toasted almonds are two of my favourite things. I'm going to make them just as stand alone sweet treats.

I see my nisser photo eventually posted.

Oh, I have had some lovely surprises this morning. I had some subs on my Waitrose order. I'd ordered a couple of cheap candles which were on offer but out of stock. They were replaced with £44 worth of lovely Christmas candle tins. And I've just received these beautifully wrapped things from a vinted seller who put some little home made extra bits in for me ❤️

Right. Off to watch Really Weird Anime with DD now as I promised I would.

In light of the myrrh and frankincense CC day, I have been on top of the fridge attempting to sort out incense supplies, we have some of those soy melts.

And I shall be making the beef shin/pickled walnut stew later as have 6 teen boys to feed this dinner time, I will be making them try the onion/nutmeg puree as well.

And will give them something with custard as a pudding. So a mellow oven based day, I shall be babysitting the food whilst reading the Strike novel. Then I can move onto the winter books.

I don't even look at Christmas decorations, well at least in the mind to put any up until mid-December so I expect we will be last in that department. I don't really do anything Christmassy until after youngsters early December birthday.

Have been feeling bah humbug due to a combination of toothache (temporarily fixed but a root canal scheduled just before Christmas), low-carbing and bank overdraft. The pages might as well have a big red stamp "Not for you, bibliomania!". Nigel's November bears very little resemblance to the dreary sludge I'm looking at.

But I trotted off virtuously to parkrun and the endorphins have kicked in, and I've promised to take dd out for a cocktail to celebrate her 18th birthday (cheap ones so they will either blind us or be so watered-down that they have no effect. Exciting suspense!). And as I'm having a cheat day on the diet, we're getting a Too Good to Go bag as well. May be great, may not - more suspense! Oh Nigel, I am unworthy.

Just in from town, soaking and windswept, after having to wait 45 minutes for the short-staffed pharmacists to make up my prescription - very un-Nigel, but I used the time profitably to read today's CC entry on my phone. Today's entry invariably reminds me of the great post-work Friday nights I spent in the Three Kings in Clerkenwell in the 1990s . So that cheered a bleak experience somewhat. Off to the local garden centre later to do our ritual picking out of one new Christmas decoration each. And we welcome loud redness - sorry, Nigel!

Will be thinking of @piscofrisco at Auschwitz this afternoon too.

An appropriate but difficult visit @piscofrisco I visited the holocaust museum in Paris a little whilst ago. They have the doors from one of the Auschwitz huts, which pushed me over the edge. Their exhibition is incredibly well done but needs time to manage the feelings.

I’m having a good visit with my brother and wife in their newish house. We went to the nearest town, which has a wealth of independent stores, some good 2nd hand bookshops and, today, the weekly market. I found Nigel’s “real cooking” book for £1. Not sure if I’ll keep it as it’s mostly meat and we don’t eat that, but the short lentil section is good.

I’ve some cider for dh made from old varieties. Looking forward to visiting again (preferably not in the rain!).

@RainbowZebraWarrior good massage therapists are amongst the very best of people, in my opinion!

@piscofrisco I hope you enjoy your trip - I loved Krakow. And glad I visited Auschwitz - I remember me and the friend I went with having a very quiet, thoughtful, a bit stunned evening that day.

The talk of relics in churches reminds me of a school trip, somewhere else in Northern Spain, where we were taken to a church which had what was supposed to be part of the cross. I'm not religious but I found the possibility and the reverence towards this piece of very old wood quite fascinating and moving.

Some great Christmas cake decoration ideas, thanks all for sharing - I'm not a huge fan of marzipan or icing, so thinking of going for a fruit and nuts pattern on mine.

Been to play some festive music with a group in a local church today - it was really lovely, they've got their Christmas tree festival on with lots decorated by different groups and charities. Absolutely loads of twinkly lights and the smell of incense... it was freezing though and I've had the fire on since I got home trying to warm up.

Ooh and I made an advent calendar decision and bought myself a tea one as that seemed like a comforting thing to do every day, a bit of a nice ritual for myself. I've also ordered a William Morris one with mini hand creams etc for a friend who needs a bit of cheering up.

I had an unexpectedly Nigel afternoon. We were doing a bit of planning and list making with Christmas in mind, and I accidentally made a list of everything in the freezer that needs eating to make room for more things, and tidying a cupboard. So I have lists of food to get eaten in the next couple of weeks so may not do much Nigel recipe cooking.

I also have a ton of quince purée and two bags of grapes to use up, the grapes somewhat urgently. I’m torn between pureeing the grapes and freezing them as a kind of grape syrup/sorbet, or making grape jam/jelly.
The quince paste will probably turn into quince curd, and be used on a gammon joint. Hmm.

@petitpasta I love the stars! We will have an epiphany party in the New Year, and try and have as many star type lights and decorations as we can. I have been working my way towards having a large one in every front window of the house (6).

@LillianGish @LatteLady and @leporello , have you ever been on the ‘which French carol is this’ thread?

Every advent it pops up, and a woman tries to identify a song she or her DDs learned years ago, but have forgotten.

Your talk of carols in different languages has reminded me. I can’t remember whether ‘what is this sacred scent’ was the one she was looking for, or a suggestion she dismissed. I’m sure it was mentioned!

Apologies for the days old reference- I’m catching up!

And I think I’m now up to date in both book and thread. 😅

And off to check Amazon for gramophone advent calendars…

I'll look out for that one, @PrizedPickledPopcorn, I love a carol challenge.

Thanks for the tree festival photo, @martha79- I'm in charge of our choir's effort for our Christmas tree festival this year. I found a tree down in the crypt last night, someone else has battery lights but I haven't started making my decorations yet. I don't have to set it up till December 5th, so I'm not panicking yet...

I was gutted that I missed the St Eval black Friday christmas candle reductions so it was a fantastic surprise to find a load in TKMax this afternoon. £5.99 each. The mini Christmas crackers were £6.99. I got the orange and cinnamon and inspirations. Didn't bother with the mini cracker. Might go back for the figgy pudding.

@RainbowZebraWarriorthe tudor heart is even more stunning in real life

Will be going to TKMax at some point, so will look out for the candles and soaps.

Don’t know if anyone’s posted this yet, but the book is currently a bargainous £11.20 on Amazon!!

Who is making Christmas pudding’s tomorrow? I spent a significant amount of my day trying to find mixed peel.

I'm not doing Christmas cake, pudding or mince pies this year! I'm actually really enjoying not having anything to do unless I really feel like it. I do have a jar of mincemeat from the batch we made last year but I'm going to use it to make DH's favourite apple cake.

Brrrr, it is wet, cold and more than a bit miserable in SE London. I had thought to make some myself mincemeat scones but horrors no jars of the good stuff in cupboard… I shall regroup and pop round to Sainsbury’s in the morning. I need to embroider a Christmas fox for a friend in the office, so that might get be a challenge but I have got another clearance in preparation for the clothes bunker… a new one appeared a street away, so no excuses!

I have been doing horrendous loud and jet speed sneezing and one nostril is doing Olympic training at running but I am hoping gin and NightNurse will stem the flow.

I have decided, going forward I will try to make one of the recipes I send to a friend on Instagram, hence the mincemeat scones… have also seen a nice chicken in a cream and mushroom sauce that look interesting. However, is it just me who baulks at the heavy handed herbs and condiments thrown into dishes? On one recently they added salt and pepper to the dish on four separate occasions!

And finally, I await the Advent French Carol thread with interest, I may have belted out a couple of verses of D’ou viens tu bergere, in anticipation!

What a great archaeological day, petitpasta! I still haven't been to the Mithraeum which is Bad (I was an archaeologist in another life!) though I've enjoyed the display in the Museum of London - looking forward to that reopening at Smithfield market a great deal.

I've not been into London for ages but I'd really like to see the pendant soon. Hope we manage to keep it in the country and in public view.

Yesterday was so beautiful here, but Baltic - all the same, I wish I'd taken the chance to have a walk, as today's been so miserable. I'm flat-out making stuff for the Christmas fair I'm doing this weekend so no walk.

Work continues on the house but it feels so slow. The back garden (never exactly a showcase) is mostly housing a huge pile of broken roof tiles!

Bimblesalong lovely crockery! please send any broken ones my way.

I've had a couple of hard-hat tours of the new London Museum site (I manage philanthropic stuff at work, so whenever we donate I get invited!), and I have high hopes that it's going to be absolutely spectacular. The space is just amazing, and they are trying to keep as many of the original features as they can. You know they discovered a whole load of vaults under the old market building?? Like a modern Tutankhamun's tomb, but for hanging carcasses.

Morning all. No CC entry for today, so a chance to catch up. Speaking of which, I'm going to catch up with the thread now as there have been loads of interesting looking posts and pictures since I last checked in.

Oh my goodness. That is just divine. What a find!