Comprehensive Christmas Cookbook (Nigella Christmas: Food, Family, Friends, Festivities - Nigella Lawson)

Member Name: LindsayL

Product:	Nigella Christmas: Food, Family, Friends, Festivities - Nigella Lawson
Date:	09/11/09 (76 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Comprehensive-all you need cookbook for the month of December

Disadvantages: large book, does not travel well

Nigella Christmas- a reliable, comprehensive cookbook for the festive month of December.

Organzation (9 sections)
The More the Merrier - cocktails, canapes and mass catering,
Seasonal Support - soups, salads, sauces and serve later sides
Come on Over - stress free suppers
The Main Event - I will come back to this
Joy to the World - baking and sweet treats
All Wrapped up - edible presents and party preserves
A Christmas Brunch
A Bevy of Hot Drinks
Dr.Lawson Prescribes

I realize that most recipes you need are online these days, and if I really wanted to, I could have put together a lovely Chrsitmas meal, but it would have meant many more hours of work planning. This cookbook has all you need for a stress free, delicious culinary experience.
In her usual Nigella style the book feels very chatty and personal, like you are drinking a cup of tea with her.

The Main Event chapter is a valuable reference for anyone feeling the stress of planning and executing Christmas lunch. It is the most comprehensive christmas lunch planner on the market. Nigella has kindly published a minute by minute cooking schedule beginning at 10:00 am and continues every 10-30 minutes ending at 3:30 pm with the meal being served.
A point worth mentioning is she also has variation on the main meal from turkey, to goose, to a vegetarian option.

My favorite recipe is the Girdlebuster pie

Base:
375 g digestives
75 g soft butter
100g chocolate

Topping:
300 g golden syrup
100 g sugar
75 g butter
pinch salt
125 ml bourbon (optional)

Process digestives and chocolate, press into pie tin. Freeze
Soften 1 litre ice cream (flavour your choice)
Place ice cream in pie tin and freeze
Melt syrup ingredients over low heat, boil for 5 min.
Pour syrup on biscuit/ice cream pie,
DELICIOUS!
This book has a plethora of ideas for cooking in December, many tips for recipes that you can make ahead of time and freeze.

Summary: A cookbook to make your Christmas season festive, stress free and fun