Cookery Book Club December - Nigella Christmas and any other Christmas themed cookbook

[Pantah630]

New thread, thought I'd better start it early so we can all get ahead. I can't decide on my other book yet, might pick and chose from the others. I have the WI Complete Christmas, Delia's Christmas and Hairy a Bikers 12 Days of Christmas, just in case anyone can recommend some good recipes to try.

Am at work this morning but hopefully finishing early so I can knock up some mince pies for later. Using Nigella's mincemeat I made a few weeks ago, let's hope it's good!

Mmm mince pies. I've eaten all mine

The chutney is a bit thin unfortunately. I might just call it beetroot pickle

I hope everyone is having a super Christmas.

I'll be making Mary Berry's fast-lane salmon and Christmas chocolate log today. I'll let you know.

Anyone get cookery books for Christmas? I got Michel Roux Desserts, Nigel Slater Eat and Bill Granger Easy.

I got the new Great British Bake Off book and Elizabeth David's Christmas.

Just need a chance to look at th properly!

I got Eat by Nigel Slater

Making paul hollywood's Christmas bread with the leftovers from yesterday!

Log finished. Just need to find some decorations.

Log looks scrumptious, is there any left nolda?

I got Jerusalem, yaaaaay!

Both the salmon and the chocolate log were a big hit. Mary Berry coming up trumps again. There is some left despite my valiant efforts (feeling a bit sick now). I will definitely make both again.

Yay, for Jerusalem, Glorious. Maybe we'll have to do it again. After Eat?

I got eat by Nigel too.

I've also managed a marathon cook day today, and have made nigellas mince pies, which are the first I've ever enjoyed, small, inviting and delicious, the pastry is so light isn't it? My first foray into homemade mince pie and after years of claiming to not like them I find I'm wrong.

White chocolate and cranberry biscuits- again divine, the DC loved making and eating them. They're also not that scripted as DC poured half the flour to the floor and they still came our lovely.

Nigellas super spiced turkey- I love the skin, but still find the meat drier than I like meat to be, and really, I followed the recipe, only cooked for two hours, brined and basted. It was far nicer than mils turkey yesterday, but I don't think I will ever be a true turkey convert.

Hairy bikers 12days of Christmas mulled wine- it really is best ever IMO and the house smells like a German Christmas market

I also made their orange juice pastry mince pies,which Dh loves, but I won't be swayed from the nigella ones.

On Christmas eve.I also made the spatchcock Duck from hairy bikers.Christmas, it was nice but never again will I bother spatchcocking a duck- hard work and not worth it, made the thing very difficult to carve, yes, it cooked quicker, but took twice as long to prepare and carve. Not again.

So having done my two recipes from my Dec.books, I will ask- what's on for the new year?

I got the Greedy Girl's Diet two! (I did ask for it!). I also already have Eat. Have Amazon vouchers so I think I might buy Ottolenghi's first book (have Jerusalem and Plenty) and Allegra McEvedy's Busy Table or whatever it's called.

In terms of cooking, my Christmas was Nigella-heavy. I made more of the Christmas coleslaw, the fully festive ham,the cauliflower cheese and gingerbread muffins from Feast, her cranberry sauce, etc - oh and am thinking of turning the leftover pud into puddini bonbons. Except DH is pulling a huge face at the thought.

I also recommend the poinsettia cocktail from Christmas.

Oohh, I have everything in for poinsettia, dh and I will indulge this evening

I am unsure about eat- Im not a huge fan of the layout, and his writing, I think in an effort to modernise, seems to have gone downhill. Still, there's plenty I will make, so mustn't grumble and it's a far better gift than the granny knickers mil got me .

Made the brined turkey from Nigella and it was fantastic! Got lots of compliments on it, although the skin went more of a dark brown than a golden colour. I just wish dh liked turkey so I could make it again soon!

Also made some recipes from Delia's happy Christmas (was only £4 on amazon!). Had mini puff pastry tarts with different toppings - tomato, mustard and thyme, goats cheese, olive and thyme, and pancetta, parmesan and sage. These were great as I made ahead if time and reheated in the oven. They also looked very impressive compared to how easy they were to make.

Chocolate trufffle torte - this was divine and surprisingly not too rich. I replaced the rum with orange juice though so the dc could try it. I think this will become a regular pudding in our house!

Parsnips in parmesan - these were okay, much prefer ones done in honey or maple syrup and it was a bit of a pain coating them all in the cheese mixture.

Does anyone have any good suggestions for a new years eve supper? Just dh and me but want to make an effort as we won't be going out.

Just been looking on amazon and they have Tom Kerridges Proper Pub Grub on kindle for £3.29 and Paul Hollywoods How to Bake at £3.69 in their 12 days of Kindle deals.

Have bought TK, I loved his show despite the amount of butter he uses. Do I need PH or James Martins Fast Cooking??

Taking suggestions for January books. Do I need to go and buy Eat?

kindle cook book deals

Obviously as I have eat I would go along with that (as would dh who wants to limit my new cookbooks this year to one a month)

I have and want to cook more from jamies great Britain, but I know MN is no longer favouring Jamie

I also have two greedy Italians which I want to cook more from.

Have we ever done a slow cooker recipe book? I think the cold months of Jan suit slow cooking, Or does that exclude too many people?

Just marking my place here as I would love to join you in January , whatever you decide on!
Have never been in a cookery club!

Pregnant, which two greedy Italians book do you have? I enjoyed watching them on tv but have none of the books (but could be persuaded to get one).

I'm not keen on the look of James Martin's Fast cooking book - I find his writing doesn't inspire me so am avoiding it. The Kindle sale is great though - I think I will buy Gizzi's book again as I've already got it and use it loads - would be useful on a Kindle too. I've got the PH one but don't use that much - tbf though I cook more than I bake so I'm not a good person to recommend it or not.

I will go along with any January choice. Happy with slow cooker recipes (though I tend to find the books uninspiring) or with Eat (agree btw with comments on it - the layout is annoying too - but the recipes I've tried have been delicious). I love Jamie (sshh) so again happy with him.

I forgot I had bought myself The Jewelled kitchen - I squirrelled it away and need to relocate it. Has anyone got that? It looks great - will report back.

welcome castle

I don't mind what we do. I also got The Flavour Thesaurus for Christmas which does have some recipes in it and is quite fun but probably not widely owned or in libraries.

We haven't done Italian so that sounds fun.

What I have made from eat has been lovely too, he's pretty much a sure thing is old Nigel.

I've got the two greedy Italians- it's just called that and has the two of them leaning over a pizza on the cover- it's from 0.01p on Amazon! It looks very good to me, though haven't made anything yet.

The jewelled kitchen looks lovely and has a corresponding blog so you don't have to buy the book if funds are short. Though I think the recipes suit warmer weather , I would happily cook from it.

Jewelled Kitchen £5.19 on Kindle and I've just bought 2 Greedy Italians from Abe Books for £3.60 in very good used condition. I'm not going to buy Nigel or Jamie, I have too many of theirs so will have a look in the library.

How's about Two Greedy Italians as we haven't done Italian yet plus a slow cooker book for those that have one or Nigel's Eat/Jamie's Great Britain for those that haven't. I have a couple of generic slow cooker books that I've never used, I tend to adapt my own recipes or use some MN classics, ham in muscovado sugar/porridge. There are some great slow cooker recipe threads here, no need to buy more books that's worked really well so far

Welcome castle the more the merrier.

I'm thinking of having a cull of my collection, when I get a free moment, if it happens I'll post them up here first in case any of you want some more books

Just skimming through the Meze section of JK and I can see its going to become a favourite alongside Jerusalem. I agree with pregnant it's best kept for summer but I'd quite happily cook from it now. I've already bookmarked the courgette and sumac fritters and jewelled rice, even though it looks a faff to cook. Has anyone cooked from here already?