Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
121 of 149 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The build up to Christmas has begun!, 4 Oct 2008
Nigella Lawson writes a good recipe. And here she has also created a gorgeous christmas cookbook. The whole book is evocative of the season - I can almost smell the aromas..... Of course the book contains the basics - Christmas dinner, christmas cake and christmas puddding. But then Nigella plunges off in a number of different directions; chapters include: The More the Merrier (Cocktails, Canapes and Manageable Mass Catering), Seasonal Support (Soups, Salad, Sauces and Serve-later Sides), Come On Over.... (Stress-Free Suppers), The Main Event (this section is red edged so easy to find in the centre of the book), Joy to the World (Christmas Baking and Sweet Treats), All Wrapped Up (Edible Presents and Party Preserves), A Christmas Brunch for 6-8, A Bevy of Hot Drinks, Dr Lawson Prescribes (Let Food be your medicine....). Punctuated throughout with gorgeous photos - it's a delight just to flick through. I'm certainly thinking on moving away from traditional turkey for christmas dinner after reading the Main Event chapter! Basically Nigella has the whole Christmas covered - this will certainly be one of the front runners in my arsenal for dealing with the Christmas season. There is a comprehensive list of suppliers, and, as another reviewer stated, many of the recipes are applicable for other (mainly wintery!) times of the year.
Recipes include:
Poinsettia (A cocktail containing Proscecco, Cointreau/Grand Marnier or triple Sec and Cranberry juice)
Chilli Cheese Crostini
Eggnog Syllabub
Pumpkin and Goat's Cheese Lasagne
Prodigious Pavlova (passion fruit, raspberries and lychees)
Boston Baked Beans
Lamb and Date Tagine
Spinach and Bacon Salad
Festive Couscous
Spruced-up Vanilla Cake with Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote
Spiced and Superjuicy Roast Turkey with Allspice Gravy
My Mother's Bread Sauce
Panettone and Italian Sausage Stuffing
Beetroot/Butternut Orzotto (risotto basically)
Turkey Pilaff
Roast Rib of Beef with Port and Stilton and Gravy
Rolled Stuffed Loin of Pork with Rubied Gravy
Yule Log
Panforte
Pecan-Plus Pie
Gold-Dust Cookies
Pomegranate Vodka
Christmas Chutney
Triple Cheese and Onion Strata
Espresso Martini
Hot Honeyed Vodka
Cuban Cure Black Bean Soup
|
|
|
114 of 143 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm such a sucker for Nigella, 3 Oct 2008
I can't help really, really liking Nigella Lawson; she forces me, in spite of myself. I try to remember she's married to a millionaire and that she's probably written this whole Christmassy book in the middle of August but ... there's something genuine about her passion for parties, drinks, canapes, turkey... that by the end, is making me wish I was her. Or at least her friend.
This is a great christmas book, (although I am NOT going to agree with the person who says it's loads better than Delia! Don't be stupid! You cannot swap this book for Delia at christmas, not least for the simple practical reason that Nigella is WAY too big to go to Waitrose in the trolley. And I'm not putting chocolate in the Christmas cake, whatever NL says).
What is unique about Nigella's book? The little details you don't expect. Black bean soup hangover cures. Chicken soup flu remedies. A sharp fruit salad to wake you up on Christmas morning. Her naughty selection of Yuletide drinks (martinis made with earl grey tea, and um, honeyed vodka....).
There's a great selection of twists on the conventional Christmas book stuff: preserves to make as gifts include chilli jam, pomegranate vodka and gorgeous little sweets in the shape of xmas puddings.
Long-time Nigella users will not be surprised that cupcakes make it in there: Christmas fairy cakes have silver sprinkles on, apparently. And I will definitely concede that Nigella's yule log actually looks better than Delia's, though I haven't done a back-to-back taste test. And can't actually promise to.
For me one of the big tests of a Christmas cookbook is the vegetarian option, because it's SO HARD to find nice ones to make things as special for the non-meat eaters. Hers is a ginormous pumpkin stuffed with rice. It looks gorgeous, but I'm not sure whether all those extra carbs are what you need on National Roast Potato Day.
The leftovers recipes, another test, are great. Cassoulet for leftover goose, oriental beef salad for beef, and her agent Ed Victor's turkey hash for the dreaded bird.
The only problem with changing ANY of the reliable recipes at Christmas is that it ruins the whole day if they are rubbish, and then you have to wait a whole year to fix the mistakes. One thing I'm absolutely sold on is her FOUR PAGE Christmas pudding which even she describes as "the ultimate". You even get instructions for how to stir it, for which I once more love her.
So look I think this book is probably a must-have. So few pictures of her in her ringlets simpering this time around that I almost miss them, and loads of her very funny, motivating, seductive prose about food. I won't be swapping from Delia's red cabbage, but I will definitely be trying quite a lot of stuff out of this book, on the basis that for me, her recipes are utterly reliable and always turn out a treat. And I haven't even mentioned the prosecco jelly...
Update 23/10/08
I hadn't quite realised until other reviewers pointed it out that this book is absolutely CHOCKA with repeat recipes. Spurred by their criticisms I sat in the kitchen last night flicking through my other NIgella books and realised that almost half the recipes in Nigella Christmas have already appeared in other titles - even though she has, I admit, slightly modified most of them. (Eg chestnut and lentil soup is now just chestnut, rocky road has glacé cherries in it, etc etc.) But still! I am a bit shocked. The good thing of course is that all the recipes are in one place, so you don't have to go hunting through her other books to find the Christmas ones. However it does make me think a bit less of the book.
|
|
|
73 of 96 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Festively produced in predominantly red and green, 3 Nov 2008
this larger than average width hardback has 277 high quality shiny pages and represents excellent value for money, at Amazon, today!
From the 5-page intro:-
'I'LL BE HONEST: I NEVER THOUGHT I'D WRITE A CHRISTMAS BOOK.
But then, not so long ago: I never actually thought I'd become a food editor. I hadn't rejected either idea, it just never occurred to me. That's how life works, and so much the better for it. I accept - with gratitude - that what makes one happiest cannot be planned.
This is not to say that I have anything against Christmas. Far from it : almost every book I have written has a chapter on Christmas. I wallow in it. I relish it......'
This statement in itself hints that there are a number of recipes that appear in other Nigella productions, albeit some are further enhanced with that 'Christmassy' tweak!
e.g.
'CHRISTMAS ROCKY ROAD:-
It is not that I felt my usual 'Rocky Road Crunch Bars' needed any improvement (though fiddling with recipes is one of life's pleasures) but I thought they would benefit from some seasonal adjustment.'
So, out go the 'Rich Tea' biscuits and in comes some festive ingredients and embellishment..........'
BUT, having said that... in fairness....Nigella does openly admit to any alleged duplication, e.g.:-
'ED'S VICTORIOUS TURKEY HASH
This turkey hash recipe, given to me by my friend and agent, Ed Victor, and in charmingly bossy letter form, has been a recurring feature in my books. Why drop it now of all times? Not least, of course, because it is a real winner.........'
From the inside cover flap:-
'Christmas is a time for family and friends, for tradition and treats. But, let's face it, when the pressure to feed and entertain builds up, the festive season can begin to lose its sparkle....
That's where Nigella comes in. With her no-nonsense approach, her inspirational ideas and empathy for the practical realities of the season - combined here with reliable, easy-to-follow recipes and reassuring advice about planning and cooking ahead - 'Nigella Christmas' is guaranteed to bring comfort and joy and make sure the season of goodwill stays that way......'
'Nigella Christmas: food, family friends, festivities' - to give it its full title - is split over 9 chapters:-
(1) THE MORE THE MERRIER: COCKTAILS, CANAPÉS AND MANAGEABLE MASS CATERING
(2) SEASONAL SUPPORT: SOUPS, SALADS, SAUCES AND SERVE-LATER SIDES
(3) COME ON OVER......STRESS-FREE SUPPERS
(4) THE MAIN EVENT
(5) JOY TO THE WORLD: CHRISTMAS BAKING AND SWEET TREATS
(6) ALL WRAPPED UP: EDIBLE PRESENTS AND PARTY PRESERVES
(7) A CHRISTMAS BRUNCH FOR 6-8
(8) A BEVY OF HOT DRINKS
(9) DR. LAWSON PRESCRIBES
sandwiched between an introduction and a full index nand a festive green ribbon bookmark to keep your place!
A useful page of stockists, with website addresses, is also included.
Apart from her menu for the 'Main Event', Nigella shares a number of her menus including:-
'An 'Easy Elegant Dinner for 8', consisting of:-
Effortless Home-Cured Pork
Apple and Onion Gravy
Tiramisu Layer Cake
'A Seductively Simple Supper for 6', consisting of:-
Party Poussins
Festive Couscous
(nick-named 'pous-pous with couscous', in the Lawson household!)
Chestnut Chocolate Pots
'My Christmas Eve Supper for 10-12', consisting of:-
Ginger-glazed Ham
Macaroni Cheese Deluxe
Spruced-up Vanilla Cake
Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote
Getting back to 'THE MAIN EVENT' - Nigella's 'Traditional Christmas Lunch Menu', for 10-16, is easily identified by the red-bordered pages from page 105-169 and is certainly a comprehensive menu, which includes an 'At-a-Glance Christmas Lunch Countdown', an itemised 'Christmas Day' agenda, a guide for how long to cook the turkey, plus some alternative roast dinner options.
Also, you can find a VEGETARIAN selection under the section title:-
'You Shall Go To The Ball: The Vegetarian Option Takes Centre Stage', which includes a step-by-step photographic shoot for:-
'Roast Stuffed Pumpkin with Gingery Tomato Sauce'.
For after the 'Big Day', there are some different ideas for 'Turkey Leftovers'.
'THE MAIN EVENT' section precedes the excellent 'JOY TO THE WORLD', which includes recipes for a Traditional Christmas Cake and ideas for icing/topping it, along with alternative cake recipes.
Each chapter opens with the famous Nigella banter, as does each recipe, e.g. :-
'Santa's Little Helper'
an interesting combination of:-
'1 part Brandy
½ part Amaretto
and
½ part Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple sec.....'
oh .....and some optional ice cubes!
Followed by Nigella's notes:-
'I'm not even going to broach the possibility of a pitcher of this; it would be irresponsible in the extreme. But it's probably just what you need on Christmas Eve, when you've got to fill the stockings, wrap the presents, get out the Christmas china and do everything else on your overburdened plate. Bottoms up!'
The recipes are clearly laid out with an upper case title, the list of ingredients, an easy-to-follow method, the number of servings and.... if applicable - general notes including advice on accompaniments, and/or a 'Make Ahead Tip'/'Freeze Ahead Tip`.
A good balance of vibrant colour photography throughout, including a fair number of Nigella, which seems to be the norm with current 'celebrity' cookbooks.
A very small taste of the other recipes contained within:-
AMARETTO SOUR
CRAB CROSTINI
SMOKED SALMON SODA BREADS
PARTY PARMA HAM BUNDLES
DRUNKEN DEVILS ON HORSEBACK
AROMATIC CHRISTMAS HAM
PUMPKIN AND GOAT'S CHEESE LASAGNE
CHRISTMAS COLESLAW
CHESTNUT SOUP WITH BACON CRUMBLES
CHRISTMAS SALAD
LAMB AND DATE TAGINE
BOURBON-GLAZED RIBS
GLEAMING MAPLE CHEESECAKE
PARSLEYED FISH GRATIN
SPINACH AND BACON SALAD
GIRDLEBUSTER PIE
YULE LOG
EDIBLE CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATIONS
CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES
WINTER-SPICED VODKA
MULLED CIDER
CHRISTMAS PUDDINI BONBONS
AND.........
not forgetting:-
'CHOCOLATE PUDDING FOR CHRISTMAS PUDDING HATERS WITH HOT CHOCOLATE SAUCE'
A great recipe for any time of the year, not just for Christmas - like many of the recipes in this book are!
I was also happy to find a super recipe I hadn't thought about before:-'GINGERBREAD STUFFING', from page 124......and the chance to make it in my rather old 'Le Creuset Pâté Terrine', just like Nigella does (and did on her TV programme of 20th December!).
'Sometimes, it makes sense to use one's obsessions to advantage. I know that most people don't have trivial light-bulb moments when the notion pops into an already food-filled head to make a stuffing in which crumbled gingerbread cake replaces breadcrumbs, but that's unfathomably, how my mind works............'
Along with trying out the 'POTATO, PARSNIP AND PORCINI GRATIN', from pages 64/65, baked in my
Le Creuset Shallow Casserole, 30 cm, Satin Blue, I am suitably impressed with this book, well ahead of Christmas!
And for my 'Big Day', in my house......I think I will try Nigella's 'Pancetta Sprouts', found on page 133, under the recipe title of 'Christmas Sprouts'......and maybe they will get eaten, for a change!
Speaking of 'sprouts', I stopped cutting the 'X' in the bottom of mine on advice from Gordon Ramsay, but Nigella suggests still doing that with the largest sprouts so they cook at the same time as the little ones.
What a gem!
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by Rachel Allen
by Delia Smith
by Sarah Raven
