This is a great cookbook, that’s bursting with Nigella’s personality. The recipes are versatile and approachable, while her writing makes you feel as if you are part of the family. ( )

I might have enjoyed this more if the eBook didn't take forever to load each new recipe. But that still wouldn't have helped the enormous amounts of sugar in each meal. If you were really to follow this, not diabetic going in, you still ought to get your blood sugar levels checked afterwards.

I do intend to try the beet and horseradish sauce with our goose breast tomorrow (at least if I can dig the beet in the garden), and the pumpkin lasagna is available at various sites online, so I'll do that in a week or two. ( )

Just before last Christmas I caught on the television the end of Nigella Christmas the TV programme. I was inspired with one of her recipes and had to watch. Whilst watching, I reached for my iPad and located Nigella's website (http://www.nigella.com)

A few weeks later I was in the library and wondered if they had the Nigella Christmas book in. They did and what a whopper as I carried it home.

I spent a few hours reading and enjoying the recipes and pictures. The text is quite like Nigella having a conversation with you, it is like welcoming an old friend. There is a degree of familiarity and I liked that.

Back to the book. The book is a delight. It oozes quality and it is simply one of those books that says pick me up and buy me!

Chapters in the book
The more the merrier
Cocktails, canapes & manageable mass catering
Seasonal Support
Come on Over
Stress free suppers
The Main Event
Joy to the world
Christmas baking & sweet treats
All wrapped up
Edible presents & party preserves
A Christmas brunch for 6-8
A bevy of hot drinks
Dr Lawson Prescribes......
Stockists
Acknowledgements
Index

On the website you can create an account and book mark some recipes. ( )

"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.

Review Copy Gratis Hyperion Books ( )

In her newest cookbook Nigella Christmas, British-born Nigella Lawson, warms our stomachs and hearts with delicious recipes and anecdotes. Nigella’s introduction boldly states that she didn’t originally plan on writing a Christmas/holiday cookbook – ever; but she goes on to say that she greatly enjoyed writing this book. Nigella looks at Christmas and the holiday season not really as a religious time but more as a time to connect with those around her. That is why the book is subtitled food, family, friends, and festivities.

Nigella is a very down-to-earth cook and writer. She loves to eat and she loves to cook and this shows in her recipes and the anecdotes included with each section and recipe. She prefers to entertain and mingle with her guests, not slave away in the kitchen. Most of her recipes have notes about what can be made ahead of time and what needs to be done last minute.

Gorgeous pictures of food are set alongside easy-to-follow recipes that give the cook of any level the confidence to put on a beautiful holiday spread for just a few or for quite a crowd. This book gives you everything you could wish for when planning your holiday feast: from party canapés and catering for larger groups to menu plans for different sized groups. Even included is a section on quick and easy homemade gifts (chutneys, preserves, and other delectable standbys) and edible tree decorations.

Nigella covers all the bases with her holiday cookbook. Many of her mouthwatering recipes could be used year-round but they make for entertaining family and friends over the holidays with minimal stress and maximum enjoyment. This book will make you want to rush right home to cook up the fantastic feasts and scrumptious treats. This lovely British lady has outdone herself again in urging us to slow down and enjoy the holiday season with food, family, friends and festivities. Reviewed by Kim.