Nigella's Christmas
Good ol’ Nigella. Still love her despite the drama she’s had lately. Did anyone watch one of the Modern Family episodes where Phil roasts a Thanksgiving turkey using an audio Nigella recipe and gets all aroused by her instructions that are filled with sexy inuendos? Hilarious. Anyway, I was gifted this book way back in 2008 and I’ve been whipping it out every December. But what I love about this book apart from its lovely ideas on Christmas cooking is that it also contains a lot of recipes that you can use any time of the year or day. I especially like the ones on mass catering or bulk cooking. Bulk cooking is a busy mother’s secret weapon. And I’ve noticed that this year the book has been given a facelift – a different cover (no picture of Nigella) but same title, same contents. My verdict for this book – Thumbs Up, go get it
It’s a big fat book and it covers cocktails, canapes, soups, salads, sauces, Christmas Day cooking, baking and sweet treats, edible presents and preserves, hot drinks, and it also has plenty of tips on managing mass catering, cook and serve later ideas, and even Dr Lawson’s prescription for event hangovers! Plenty of gorgeous photos of her and red everywhere too.
1. Christmas Rocky Road
Ok I’ve never sampled her cocktails and drinks as I’m not big on drinks. The first thing I sampled was her Christmas Rocky Road which I made as gifts in Christmas 2009. It uses dark chocolate, milk chocolate, lots of butter, amaretti biscuits, nuts, cherries and marshmallows. Rich, easy to make and yum. Recipients loved them.
2. Aromatic Christmas Ham
I made this last year on the evening before we flew home for the holidays. It was my first glazed ham. Can’t say I enjoyed the ham. I don’t think it’s because of the recipe because the recipe looks good, full of spices and jelly. I think I just don’t really like Christmas ham…
3. Pumpkin and Goat’s Cheese Lasagne
This is a bulk dish feeding 12 people. I loved this dish ‘cos it’s a “one pot” dish that you can cook at one go and feed everyone with or freeze portions for later. It’s yum too. In my opinion it’s not particularly a Christmas dish but my household loves a lasagne anytime so it works well. Lots and lots of goat’s cheese and ricotta cheese in this one. Rich in true blue Nigella style.
4. Choc Chip Chili
Again not a particularly Chrismassy dish, but works for my household anytime. Also a bulk and one pot dish serving 12 people. Great for freezing. It’s rich with meat with lots of chorizo and beef, spices, lots of beans and a touch of chocolate chips. A little of this dish goes a long way, if you ask me. Best to cook this a day before to let the flavours mingle and marry well together, and serve the next day with corn chips or soft/hard tortilla, guacamole, salsa, coriander and grated cheese. A winner!
5. Tortilla Soup
Geez she seems to like her Mexican food, doesn’t she? This is an easy soup to make. It’s basically stock, spices and shredded chicken, which is then served topped with guacamole, cheese, coriander leaves, lime juice and crushed fried tortillas. It’s just alright, nothing to shout about. Not too excited about it.
6. Boston Baked Beans
So I know baked beans are really conveniently available in any grocery shop, but homemade baked beans sound gloriously comforting as well. My family loves baked beans and I’ve tried a few recipes. Most of them are good. Nigella’s is good too. Sweet and mustardy with a hint of tanginess, it’s good. Have it on toast, with some veggies or mash, or as a base for baked eggs in the morning. Bulk cooking and great for freezing too.
7. Piselli Con Panna E Pancetta (Peas with Pancetta in Cream All’Italiano)
This is a really humble looking dish, but is really surprisingly yum. Lightly creamy, this side dish goes well with anything from meats to fish and even toast. Yum!
8. Lamb and Date Tagine
So I love a tagine, how about you? Tagine is a Moroccan stew of meats with vegetables or fruit and nuts. The stew is called a tagine, and the dish in which it is cooked and served is also called a tagine. I love the shape of the tagine. Leg of lamb, spices, dates, pure pomegranate juice, slowly stewed till tender. Sounds yum, right? Yes it was. Served with couscous for all the gravy goodness.
9. Parsleyed Fish Gratin
Basically a fish pie in spiced and herbed white sauce, topped with lots of thinly sliced potatoes and baked till thick and golden brown. I love fish, and I love pie. Winner. Just one note, I think it needs more salt than the recipe calls for.
10. Spoonbread
This is a cross between cornbread and creamed corn. It’s got yummy ingredients like sweet corn, milk and cheese, but somehow none of my family members liked it at all. So this will not be repeat, unfortunately, but apparently this goes great with barbecued meats especially ribs.
11. Effortless Home-Cured Pork
Can’t really report if this is a great recipe or not as I didn’t get it to look like how it should – I forgot to skin my roast. The loin sits in a sweet and salty brine for at least a day, then roasted the next day with garlic oil. I did remember it tasting yum so I will try this recipe again one day properly and correctly.
12. Party Poussins
This is basically a roast of poussins spiced with cinnamon and paprika. I didn’t use poussins as they are expensive so I just used chicken Maryland. Worked as well. In fact it worked very well, it was yum and it looked good too.
13. Macaroni Cheese De Luxe
Aww mac n cheese…my son never tires of asking for this. Hers is a really rich recipe with LOTS of milk and LOTS of cheese. But LOTS and LOTS of YUM too. Food coma guaranteed right after.
14. Spiced and Super Juicy Roast Turkey with Allspice Gravy
So I made this for Christmas of 2013, but get this, I actually packed a frozen turkey into my luggage and flew it all the way back for 8 hours in the plane to Malaysia, together with all the spices that it required that may be expensive back home. Crazy? A little. But worth it as everyone enjoyed it. The turkey sits in a heavily spiced and sweetened brine for at least a day. Then roasted and basted with lots of butter and maple syrup. Nigella provides a guide for turkey cooking times by weight. Really helpful and really accurate too. There’s a variety of stuffing recipes too and a variety of recipes for what to do with leftover turkey, All good. There are alternatives for turkey with goose, beef, pork and even a vegetarian option, complete with ideas for side dishes and desserts. I think I’ll do a roast pork for Christmas this year.
15. Traditional Christmas Cake
Ahh fruit cake. My husband loves them, his brother loves them, and she’s got a really good and rich (rather expensive) recipe with lots of fruit, butter and booze. She also provides the recipe for a variety of cake sizes ‘cos as you know, not everyone loves fruit cake, so you can have the option of making a small cake or big ones and portion them as gifts.
16. Incredibly Easy Chocolate Fruit Cake
Like a fruit cake, only with chocolate! Perhaps this might win non fruit cake fans over. I loved this recipe. Real easy, with a lot less baking time, but as yum.
17. Star-Topped Mince Pies
I covered this in my previous write up called Christmas Roundup. This is fast becoming a favourite. So fast, I’ve already got a huge order for this next Christmas as gifts. Stress free, clutter free, shopping free Christmas gift. Not bad. Really good.
18. Cranberry-Studded Mincemeat
This is her recipe for mincemeat for the mince pies. Rather rich and rather boozy, but not sickly sweet like the ones in the shops.
19. Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies
Any cookies that don’t involve rolling and cutting dough is really easy. And this is really easy. With yummy dried cranberries and white chocolate chips, this is a dangerous recipe as I can’t stop eating the cookies! It’s so yum. I made this as gifts one previous year.
20. Gold Dust Cookies
I use this recipe a lot for cookie baking, not just for Christmas. I use this for gifts a lot and last year I had an order for a large batch of these Christmas cookies as corporate gifts. They can be cut into any shape and decorated. Great dough, great idea.
21. Christmas Morning Muffins
Made these for my first Christmas morning here in Australia. Simple, with spices, mandarins and dried cranberries. Yum, comforting with a hot cup of coffee or tea
Wow, this is a really long write. I’ve actually tried a lot of recipes in this one book, and there’s so many more to try. This is a good book to have. Get it for this Christmas, or use it throughout the year.
