The Christmas Chronicles: Notes, stories & 100 essential recipes for midwinter

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Not completely what I was expecting. I thought it would be a beautiful, cozy read that goes through the meaning of each celebration within the winter holiday season. Instead the writing is more about personal reflections that vary between first and second person & with a hardness/cynicism that always kept me on edge. The writing just isn’t that great from a content, tone, or structure standpoint—I don’t need a reminder about getting hypothermia if I don’t move around in the cold.

Grape, Gorgonzola and walnut salad | Sainsbury`s Magazine Grape, Gorgonzola and walnut salad | Sainsbury`s Magazine

I have really enjoyed reading this in teeny snippets over the 3 month period it covers and think that the book is perfectly designed to be read in this way.Mr. Slater is a special, observant, contemplative soul that shared that part of him with us. It is a gift to us, Christmas gift to the world. Thank you, Nigel Slater. I've begun a re-reading of this splendid book which is an ode to winter. I had promised myself I would begin reading on November 1st, where Nigel begins, but I'm a few days late. Winter, however, has begun early around here, with snow on Halloween and an Arctic blast that began on November 11th and is just beginning to loosen its icy grip after three days. Perhaps Nigel can help me to appreciate winter just a little bit more, as I hunker down with an afghan and a mug of hot cider and read about his love affair with winter.**

Cook‘s Chronicles: A Podcast Nigel Slater - Apple Podcasts A Cook‘s Chronicles: A Podcast Nigel Slater - Apple Podcasts

I would highly recommend this compendium of recipes and thoughts about the winter season which reads like a personal journal. I don't know if I'll ever make any of his recipes since I'd have to convert them from grams and milliliters but I can drool and dream.Wash and dry the salad leaves. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan till golden brown. Halve and deseed the grapes. Crumble the Gorgonzola. The best food writers combine beauty with practicality, and no one does it more elegantly than Nigel Slater' Jane Shilling, Daily Mail - BOOKS OF THE YEAR His description of Nuremberg Lebkuchen and the Nurnberger Christkindlesmarkt especially delighted me and led me to seek out a local Christkindl market this December where I was thrilled to find some imported chocolate-covered gingerbread. Outstanding! Then there's his description of panettone, which he titles 'a love story' and describes as 'a fairy cake made by angels.' I definitely agree!

Nigel Slater: Christmas Cake Recipe - WHSmith Blog Nigel Slater: Christmas Cake Recipe - WHSmith Blog

As someone who struggles to eat enough, or find much joy in food, I can truly say that this book has been nourishing to me. Slater made me fall in love with food again - with the spices, richness, and indulgences that encompass the Christmas season. More than just a meal, each recipe is woven into the narration; underlining the simple but important role that food plays within the home and amongst our loved ones. Nigel disregards the ever-prevalent restrictions, judgements and morality that our diet-conscious society (and, admittingly, myself) places on food - instead, he highlights both the specialness and simplicity of the shared hearty meals that bring us together on cold winter nights.

In Season 2: Join Nigel Slater on the story of his life in the kitchen from the first jam tart he made with my mother standing on a chair trying to reach the aga, through to what he is cooking now. Featuring an exclusive interview with his editor, Louise Haines, as well as selected extracts from his audiobook A Cook’s Book. The book itself is semi autobiography, part seasonal musing and yes part cook book. The result for me at least is a festive and very nostalgic look at the season - if you were not living it (as we are at the time of me thing this up) you could almost imagine the frost on the window panes or the feeling on your face as the crisp winter air hits it for the first time as you step outside. As compared to now when you can go an entire winter with no snow and the temperature is so high that you have to keep mowing the lawn. In this episode we’ll continue our tour of Nuremberg and take in the magnificence of the city’s Christmas windows. I’ll explain my deep, life-long love of the cold months, and give you my recipe for traditional mince pies to welcome in December…