Nigella Christmas: Food, Family, Friends, Festivities

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Nigella Christmas: Food, Family, Friends, Festivities

by Nigella Lawson, Lis Parsons (Photographs)

4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 · rating details · 1,290 ratings · 37 reviews

Nigella Christmas comprises reliable, practical, easy-to-follow recipes and inspiring and reassuring advice, presented in a gorgeous package that will make this the ultimate gift to yourself, your family and friends.
Nigella Christmas will surely become an all-time perennial favourite, the book we will all reach for – for minimum stress and maximum enjoyment – at holiday s...more

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published November 11th 2008 by Knopf Canada (first published October 2nd 2008)

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Dec 20, 2008 Darlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Just in time for Christmas, Nigella Lawson has brought us a wonderful Christmas gift in her new cookbook Nigella Christmas. First I have to say this is a beautiful book. The photography is absolutely amazing. To tell you the truth I could just look at the pictures over and over again and be happy. They are bright and vibrant and there are so many of them and of all kinds of things, not only food. She has pictures of her table, of gifts, of herself and her kids and a lot of other little things. T...more Just in time for Christmas, Nigella Lawson has brought us a wonderful Christmas gift in her new cookbook Nigella Christmas. First I have to say this is a beautiful book. The photography is absolutely amazing. To tell you the truth I could just look at the pictures over and over again and be happy. They are bright and vibrant and there are so many of them and of all kinds of things, not only food. She has pictures of her table, of gifts, of herself and her kids and a lot of other little things. There is also a green ribbon marker to bookmark your place which I think is another really special touch.

Nigella is another favorite of mine. I find her to have a 'real' personality when I watch her on tv. In other words, I don't feel she is acting her way through. I love how easy she seems in the kitchen and how un-fussy she is about things. I get a huge kick out of her night time visits to the fridge for a snack.

This cookbook certainly hasn't disappointed me. As I said the pictures alone are amazing but the recipes are great too. Granted, most of this food is very holiday'ish and if you are anything like me and ate this rich food everyday, the hips would be continuing their outward journey. Really though, the majority of these recipes can be made at any time of the year, not just Christmas and any recipe can be altered with lower fat ingredients if you wish. This, however, is a Christmas cookbook and the season itself calls for indulgences. In the middle of the book she has a huge Main Event section that deals only with the Christmas meal. There is even a schedule on how she handles Christmas Eve and Day and also alternatives to the traditional turkey if you're looking for that.

This cookbook reads like a novel. She has a great intro where she tells us of her own thoughts on the Christmas season and each recipe has a short section telling us about it which is really interesting. The book is in sections such as cocktails & canapes, stress free suppers (to help before the Main Event hits), baking, and one of my favorites-edible gifts. It's always nice to receive a nice jar of vanilla sugar or a chutney wrapped up beautifully as a gift. All the recipes have make ahead tips and others with tips for freezing so if you were really organized you could really get yourself prepared early for Christmas and really be stress free which is Nigella's goal throughout this book

I really love this cookbook and it would make such a great Christmas gift for the cook or aspiring cook on your list. It's a beautiful book, full of great recipes to really get you into the Christmas spirit this year and every year. This book was released by Random House on November 11.

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Dec 23, 2011 Virginia Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cookbooks, holiday

"Nigella Christmas" is such a gorgeous book. It truly is one of those cookbooks that looks good enough to eat! The introduction is interesting, informative, and unexpected--combining ancient holiday customs with modern awareness and sensibility. Being a watcher of TV's "Nigella Feasts", I am familiar with the author's speaking voice and persona. I could distinctly "hear" her speaking the introduction while I read it, and that made the words even more enjoyable. Nigella Lawson's food is sumptuous...more "Nigella Christmas" is such a gorgeous book. It truly is one of those cookbooks that looks good enough to eat! The introduction is interesting, informative, and unexpected--combining ancient holiday customs with modern awareness and sensibility. Being a watcher of TV's "Nigella Feasts", I am familiar with the author's speaking voice and persona. I could distinctly "hear" her speaking the introduction while I read it, and that made the words even more enjoyable. Nigella Lawson's food is sumptuous, even voluptuous, but still "do-able". She never skimps on anything, but nothing is ever elaborate or overly-complex. Simply superb! The very first recipe in the book is a cocktail called "Poinsettia"--pretty, pleasing, and potent. Only three ingredients: Prosecco, Grand Marnier, and cranberry juice. Now, that's the spirit! The appetizers run the gamut from savory to sweet. Another simple recipe with only three ingredients: "Party Parma Ham Bundles"--prosciutto is wrapped around bite-sized morsels of goat's cheese and figs. Imagine that trio of flavors in each nibble! Nigella states that while she "can't fashion wreaths or fold napkins", she does have a knack for making relishes and chutneys. How lovely to make a midnight kitchen raid, snag the last homemade roll with a slice of ham or turkey and top it with a dollop of relish or chutney! The "Three Seasonal Salads" with their unique and colorful uses of ravishing red fruits and vegetables make you want to take your fork to the page. Special mention must be made of the cakes. Definitely cakes to give to "the person who has everything". Give them one of these cakes, and they could ask for nothing more. There are many, many more wonderful recipes including main dishes, sides, sweets, and treats that are too tempting to limit just to the holidays. Throughout all, there is a true sense of the author's own belief that festive indulgence is not a bad thing, but a celebration of being alive and an affirmation of what is important in life. A belief in hearth and home and adhering to ritual and tradition when the world around us is so unsettling and uncertain. As Nigella says: "The Christmas rituals of the home are, even if not based around faith, essentially an act of good faith." A well-said and well-represented sentiment presented in a gorgeous gift of a book.

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Nov 27, 2010 ICPL Staff Picks added it

Shelves: heidi, staff-picks-blog

I love listening to Nigella Lawson when she is an occasional guest on NPR; I imagine many tv-watching cooks enjoy her program on the Food Network as well. Her down-to-earth approach to cooking and entertaining, and her self-admitted indulgent love of eating are as apparent in her cookbooks as they are in her media appearances. Nigella Christmas, published late last year, is a prime example.

Lawson’s approach to Christmas is a secular one that revels in hospitality, gift-giving, celebration, and s...more

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Apr 04, 2010 Jason Geske rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Yes, a large part of the book is given over to recipes for "the main event," i.e. Christmas dinner. You'll find all the usual suspects (at least British style, such as a trifle rather than an apple pie). Certainly, if you're looking for a holiday cookbook, you will have reason to shout with joy.

But unlike Thanksgiving, which means turkey to most people, Christmas has a lot more leeway in regard to what you serve. Ham, turkey, goose, whatever. As a result, plenty of these recipes are suitable fo...more Yes, a large part of the book is given over to recipes for "the main event," i.e. Christmas dinner. You'll find all the usual suspects (at least British style, such as a trifle rather than an apple pie). Certainly, if you're looking for a holiday cookbook, you will have reason to shout with joy.

But unlike Thanksgiving, which means turkey to most people, Christmas has a lot more leeway in regard to what you serve. Ham, turkey, goose, whatever. As a result, plenty of these recipes are suitable for ANYtime you want to entertain a crowd (depending on what "crowd" means to you and the size of your dining table, that could mean as few as 6 and as many as 20). There are several all-inclusive menus, any of which I'd be pleased to put before my guests and which, given Nigella's sensible attitudes about cooking ahead and taking life easy, I might get to enjoy as the cook, too. For example, one of her Christmas dinners is rolled stuffed loin with rubied gravy (ruby being port in this case), Italian roast potatoes with garlic and thyme, Christmas sprouts, red beet orzotto, and panettone pudding. That's a great Christmas meal, sure, but it'd work equally well for Easter. Or for a birthday dinner.

Another reason that this cookbook is useful far beyond the holiday season is that Nigella is clearly aware that people do not show up on your doorstep on Christmas day and disappear that evening. It's a time when people move in for a week, and you have to think, "What the heck can I feed this crowd?" (The other things you think about your mother-in-law's arrival are... well, they aren't about cooking. Let's not go there.)

Anyway, there are a whole bunch of recipes for "entertaining during the season" and they're going to be used year-round. First on my "make this now" list was a lamb and date tagine with pomegranete juice. (We don't eat lamb, so I made it with beef.) This was simply outstanding. The prep time for this stew (that's what a tagine is) was perhaps 15 minutes including pitting the dates; it baked quietly in the oven for two hours. And did I mention it was delicious? I love easy recipes like this, and I'm sure you do, too. (She serves a maple cheesecake with that menu; it would have gone with it perfectly.) I didn't wait to entertain, either. This fed the two of us for three very happy meals; that's among the virtues of a good stew.

Next up on my "who needs a holiday?!" cooking schedule is her potato, parsnip and porcini gratin; or perhaps it'll be the parsleyed fish gratin ("the lazy person's answer to a fish pie").

The cookbook also has several chapters that are particularly welcome at this time of year, such as cocktails and appetizers; a Christmas brunch menu; edible presents and party preserves; and "a bevy of hot drinks." She also has several recipes for what to do with leftover turkey, which might be equally useful at Thanksgiving. Incidentally, you'll also find quite a few dishes that are suitable to serve to vegetarians, from butternut "orzotto" (risotto made with orzo) to a pumpkin and goat's cheese lasagna.

And, of course, everything is kept simple... but not TOO simple. Which is why I've loved Nigella's cookbooks for years.

I was initially a little concerned about ordering this cookbook because the UK Amazon site made it appear that several of the recipes are duplicated from her other books. I did spot a few that are repeats, but just a few, and most of them are variations. It might sound as though, if you already own Feast, you don't need this book. But this is absolutely unique and standalone, and if you made me choose between the two cookbooks... I would cajole you into changing your mind. Sure I can have both! What kind of friend are you? (less)

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Dec 21, 2011 PoligirlReads rated it 2 of 5 stars

I love Nigella Lawson and all things Nigella-related. I mean *love*. I mean love in a way that's probably not quite healthy and that might just warrant professional help. This is why it pains me to give Nigella Christmas just two stars. And really, the two stars are for the as-always beautiful writing. I started this book dreaming about how I would make a holiday feast based on her recipes, and maybe even adopt an accent in proper homage while I labored over a hot stove in full makeup and hair....more

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Jul 29, 2011 Catherine Woodman added it · review of another edition

I really do not like the selling of Nigella. But her recipes and ideas about how to do holidays are really quite nice. What other cookbook has 25 shots of the author? Which outpaces the photos of food (which are quite good)? Silly really. But it is part of her packaged persona, and I can't get past it, even though I have made many a wonderful thing that she has proposed creating. This one has a fruit cake that has no flour, that I think (paradoxically) could be great for Passover. Additionally t...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Hannah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cooking, favorites

A perfect addition to my book shelf, some truly indulgent and easy recipes to help make Christmas that tad bit more exciting. the pictures are stunning and add a dimensions to this book lacking in here first few.
i loved her writing about the real pagan traditions that have been over looked at Christmas , the way its been turned into a holiday of ridiculous glittering lights and spending far to much on useless presents.
Her writing in whimsical but so very true, the traditions are inspirational so...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Saskia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ik denk dat dit mijn absoluut favoriete kookboek is (alhoewel, dat natuurlijk kan variëren ;-)). Sinds ik het heb gekocht, kook ik eigenlijk elk jaar uit dit geweldige boek. Maar waarom kocht ik het eigenlijk? Nou... Er was eens een extreem drukke decembermaand waarin het keihard werken was op kantoor. Maar dankzij vriendin Marleen keek ik elke avond in de week voor kerst naar het geweldige kerst-kookprogramma van Nigella waarin de recepten uit dit boek aan de orde kwamen. Wat een rustpunt in al...more

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Jun 06, 2013 Naomi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: perfect

Nigella and Christmas seem to just belong to together. I have never gone to any other book for guidance at Christmas time, only Nigellas' will do. I worship the Girdle-buster and fantasize all-too-often about her spruced up vanilla cake - which I happen to make all-year round. Her perfect roast potatoes make my mouth salivate and my heart sing and her gold dust stars can lift anyone's spirits. It is not just the recipes in this book that make it so good. Is is her descriptions, her imagery that...more

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Sep 01, 2010 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

the first Nigella Lawson cookbook I purchased, Nigella Christmas is the reason why I bought all of Nigella's cookbooks! I loved everything about it, the photography, the layout, the little stories behind the recipes, the tips to make things in advance, and, obviously, the recipes! I loved all the recipes for the holiday season, I made a lot of the food to give to family and friends (chutneys, sweets, you name it!) and everyone loved it! The Christmas dinner was a real success, my non-British rel...more

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Dec 04, 2009 Sherrie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like to watch Nigella, but I'm not sure she's my favorite cookbook writer, odd hmm? Her main courses in this book are fairly labor intensive, requiring that you actually sit down and plan out your timing of how you throw together these holiday menus. I think she should have taken her approach from her last book, Nigella Express, and tried that out in a holiday book. Also, damnit: I don't own a tagine.

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Mar 18, 2013 Petra Sýkorová rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cooking

Dobře, nikdy jsem si do to-read nedala cookbook, ale když jsem si ji nedávno koupila a celou pročetla, říkám si, proč ne? :D Mám Nigellu jako kuchařku moc ráda, jednu hvězdičku dávám dolů jen za to, že jsou to typické anglické recepty - což je samozřejmě pochopitelné, vzhledem k autorce - a mě štve, že si některé nejspíš s našimi českými ingrediencemi nebudu moci udělat...!

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Mar 18, 2013 Donna Hosie rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you want a great Xmas cookbook, this should be the one you invest in. Every year, without fail, I make my Xmas cake from Nigella's recipe.

Everything you might want to cook is in here: starters, main, desserts to bloody die for...and don't get me started on her fabulous roast potatoes! My son can eat 15 in one sitting!

I'm drooling on my iPad now. Is it Xmas yet?

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Feb 17, 2013 Kaajal Noorani rated it 5 of 5 stars

All I can say about this book is, it just welcomes the entire Christmas season. A true true visual pleasure, with the way the recipes are clubbed together for a feast, are worthy of praise. It encapsulates just everything that one might be invisaging to create or make during Christmas. It just simply inspires you, to get started. A lovely book.

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May 15, 2010 Beth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: food

This is a beautiful book, but it seemed too busy to me. Maybe it's the ADD in me, but there are so many pictures and sidebars and narratives, that the food seems secondary.

I normally LOVE Nigella, but this book just couldn't hold my attention.

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Feb 28, 2013 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: food-and-cookery

A great addition to the Xmas experience! I love a Xmas themed recipe book as the anticipation of cooking is almost always better than the actual event!

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Oct 13, 2008 Renee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reading through this book, I'm even more excited about Christmas. She tells it all charmingly and realistically as ever. I'm particularly enticed by a couple of unexpected things - butternut orzotto, a range of cocktails with impressive sounding non-alcoholic additions (I'm only interested because I'm pregnant, believe me!), and some wonderfully easy-looking (once I find the ingredients) home-made preserves to make as gifts. Or, presumably, to enjoy oneself. This is a fabulous pre-Christmas gift...more

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Dec 17, 2008 Lucy J Jeynes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2008, cookery

Lovely book....lovely cocktails....lots of photos of Nigella wearing Christmassy low cut tops so boys might like this one too ;-)

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Dec 16, 2012 Anita rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cookbook

I love looking through this book at Christmas. Even if I don't make anything from it. It's one of my little holiday rituals.

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Nov 13, 2009 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

While I love Nigella, I am not feeling particularly ambitious about roasting a goose or making traditional Christmas pudding this year. Maybe next year...

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Nov 01, 2012 Andrea Teatum rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cookbooks

by far the best christmas cook book that I own, turn to it every year and never fails, it is THE christmas cookbook!

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Oct 30, 2011 Terri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cooking, own

I use this every Christmas. It is not only a delight to cook from, but a delight just to flick through.

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Jan 21, 2010 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pumpkin Goat Cheese Lasagne and Christmas Chocolate Sponge Pudding with hot chocolate sauce. Need I say more?

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Feb 01, 2013 Mare rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of my favourite cookbooks! Has never left my kitchen since I bought it. Makes a lovely gift!

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Dec 17, 2009 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cookbooks-food

This contained a lot of repeated recipes from her previous books. I was slightly disappointed.

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Dec 14, 2012 Pam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: food-cooking, xmas

A beautiful book but I didn't really find that many recipes that I was interested in.

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Jul 16, 2012 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cooking, food, holiday, non-fiction, wish-list

Loved this book. Adding it to my wishlist - tons of great ideas for holiday foods.

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Jan 11, 2012 Dawn Lindhorst rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recipes were interesting. Reads like a book with Nigella's comments and stories!!

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Feb 20, 2011 Fiona Higgs rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lovely to read, great classic (British) recipes. Make the roast potatoes.

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Feb 20, 2013 Fiona rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cookbooks

Got this book for Christmas, lovely recipes for all year round.

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About Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson is the daughter of former Conservative cabinet minister Nigel Lawson (now Lord Lawson) and the late Vanessa Salmon, socialite and heir to the Lyons Corner House empire, who died of liver cancer in 1985. Lawson attended Godolphin and Latymer School and Westminster School before graduating from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, with a degree in Medieval and Modern Languages.
Lawson wrote a r...more

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