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!

@IlovetoKnitandRead So sorry to hear about your son's elevated markers. Sending much love to you.

This is just for you, and is from Kitchen Diaries 2:

December 4

A Christmas Posset

I have been tinkering with the idea of several sharply refreshing desserts to offer at Christmas, and today I finally get one of them right, a yuletide take on my regular lemon posset recipe. The tiny puddings could be served in shot glasses, used as a filling for a little cake, or sandwiched between biscuits. The scent of clementines is one that I find instantly evokes Christmas, possibly more than any other fruit. I have used them in punches, grated into the icing of a ginger cake, for a sorbet but this year I decided to include them in my favourite custard-cup dessert.

Lots if love to you and DS @IlovetoKnitandRead

@Confusedmeanderings Sainsbury's did those exact fish and chip bites last year and inwas very underwhelmed too. I was a tester for them for a long time, but I've now given it up.

@Lemonbaytree Drinks wise, I will be having Nigels Apricot Brandy. Other than that, I don't bother much, although I wine wise, I have gone back to drinking Chardonnay which I previously only drank in my 20s (V. Bridget Jones!)

Hypermobility is much more common in women than men, so I'm not surprised to hear of so many of us here. @HornungTheHelpful IME, EDS is often overlooked in favour of Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, but it should always be looked into. I had to push very hard for my diagnosis at almost 50 years old. Thankfully DD was diagnosed by Genetics aged 10 once I had been diagnosed. DD and ai both have the heart valve defect that does with hEDS, so at least we get regular heart scans.

I have set aside some salmon fishcakes for supper, but now I really fancy a spicy, fragrant Indian curry wafting through the house @frozendaisy Thank you for also reminding me that I have two advent candles (Where does December go?)

Thank you for all your kindness and sympathy for my injuries. I'm still in a bit of a mess, but I've been and had my hair washed and styled so I feel slightly more human!

Lovely, Thank you!

My pleasure! 😀

Any one else forgotten about their advent candle?
(and those clementine custards look divine)

@IlovetoKnitandRead hope you and son get results that whilst not be ideal are treatable or nothing the doctors are too concerned about. All the Christmas you both need.

Tree is now trimmed and fragrant aroma of spicy Indian curry is wafting through the flat courtesy of DS @RainbowZebraWarrior - as I read your words I suddenly caught a scent of it as if the thread was coming to life! Thinking of you and your DS @IlovetoKnitandRead and sending a hand hold.

Lovely tree @LillianGish

To add to the general festiveness I’m just posting the pic I took of the foyer of All Soul’s, Langham Place today. They push the boat out with decorations. I didn’t manage to snap the outside of the building, which is wrapped like a present in a giant red velvet ribbon.

Beautiful trees! I've enjoyed catching up with Nigel's many variations on mince pies today.

Oh, this was my Secret Santa gift at the work do yesterday - lovely to have something to read throughout the year.

What a lovely secret Santa @martha79!

@IlovetoKnitandRead Sending you a virtual hug.

Beautiful tree pics!

I had a funny little encounter earlier this evening. Had my ring camera live on my screen in the kitchen whilst I was busy preparing dinner. Glanced up at the screen and thought "funny, I don't remember putting a little bird on my Christmas wreath"(mouses, mushrooms and all manner of other things) it then moved and I realised it was a real bird. Poor little thing likely thought the artificial berries were real. I watched it fly off and went into my conservatory to do some tidying. There it was again, fluttering around my back door as if it wanted to come in. At first, I thought it was a Robin or a Wren, but I've taken a screenshot of the live feed and it seems to be some sort of warbler. Bless it.

Mr D is also being clingy tonight. He enjoys what we call 'Carry Cuddles' so I am having to carry him about and do jobs one handed as he doesn't want to be put back down (I'm lighting the stove now, so he will assume his place on His Chair' nearby and enjoy the warmth, thus giving me a break.

Oh bless the little bird! Mr D looks very cuddly indeed.

I decided to risk a mini Christmas tree on the one high surface (top of some cupboards) the cats don't usually go on - let's see if that remains the case! I don't have many decorations - I'm still a bit annoyed about some nice ones I left behind in a house move (and sadder about other belongings I had to leave too) but it was an urgent move and life is much better now so I just have to think that they were only things.

I need to fix the wonky angle and find something to go on top but it's cheered me up this evening.

I have a feeling we might be last with the tree!

Not managed to completely get up to date with the thread, but I’m back to feeling a bit more Nigel!
Candles are on, and be made miso belly pork with poached pears tonight, bloody delicious! Had them with crispy potatoes and tender stem broccoli instead of salad leaves though!
Christmas cake is also in the oven and I’ve dehydrated some oranges and apples to attempt to make some decorations later in the week!

@IlovetoKnitandRead thinking of you guys. What a horror of a disease it is.

I hope you’re on the mend @RainbowZebraWarrior

Its not too long til the shortest day and then brighter times are ahead - at least that’s what I tell myself on these damp and cold nights!

Tree up, hallway trimmed (ignore DSS’s shoes they aren’t part of it) . Have a bit more to do tomorrow but nearly there.

We don't usually put ours up until the weekend before Christmas! Although DD3's birthday is the 20th. When she was little I always said after her birthday, to keep them separate, but actually she really wants to go early so it's been slipping a bit in recent years. Definitely not for a good 10 days though!

@piscofrisco - your hallway, your tree, but mainly your dog 🤩 I must say I feel rather early with our tree this year, but as we are leaving for a week on the 20th it seemed sensible to get a few weeks out of it before we go otherwise it’s not worth buying a real one (and no one in this household would countenance anything else) and now it’s up I absolutely love it and am feeling much more inclined to organise a little drinks party, write cards, buy presents and generally enter into the spirit.

Ha! Thankyou @LillianGish he is only a puppy really and of my four children and three Dogs he is by far the most demanding. And he was…unhelpful…..to say the least at the trimming up. He has enjoyed running off with various items
snd attempting to crunch through ornaments and bits of foliage, neither of which would have done him much good!

5 December

Krampusnacht and a cake that smells of sugar and spice

The fallen leaves remain in crisp piles under the chestnut trees outside the house. No one sweeps them up, instead, we leave them to break down into a chocolate brown loam. I planted Narcissi under them once, but the bulbs mysteriously moved to further down the road, where they bloom, laughing at me each spring. A branch has broken off in the wind and I pick it up and bring it into the house.

@piscofrisco puppy is gorgeous (and so is the tree)!

Talking of unhelpful...

Morning all. I love today's chapter and the cake recipe. I'd love to make it today, but it's a teacher training day so DD is off and we have to take the car for MOT, and other things so it's going to depend on lots of things.

It's funny as every morning before I post here, I always read last year's thread from this day. Gawd, I had a breast abcess, the cat had cystitis, DD had flu and I still had to trudge off to take the car for it's MOT.

Loving all the trees and trimmings and especially the Naughty Little Christmas Daschund (that could be a kids book)

@martha79 love the almanac. You've reminded me I usually buy my best pal one for Christmas. I picked up a Vegetable Almanac from the Sainsbury's charity book table the other day, but it's a bit dull. Plant potatoes, earth up potatoes, dig up potatoes...