Warning (WHOOP-WHOOP): Cookbook Alert...

R

richard-in-cincy

Well-known member
Thanks to Music City Missy who shared my traditional English Christmas dinner menu with a British friend, she gave me the recommendation to check out Delia Smith's Christmas Cookbook for all things Traditional+English+Christmas.

Boy is it ever!

A wonderful treasure (I got a used copy on Abebooks for $1).

Separate chapters on: Christmas Cakes; Christmas Puddings and Mincemeat; Relishes, Pickles, and Chutneys to go with the cold sliced roast leftovers for sandwiches (I'm making the spiced tangerines, the pickled pears, and the pepper shallot beets this weekend); The Roast: Hams, Turkeys, Geese; The Trimmings; wonderful and unusual canapes for parties; Menus, etc.

She includes an amazingly organized long range calendar of things to make in advance to store or freeze, what to freeze and how to bring it back from deep freeze, when to buy what and what to put in the freezer ahead of time (buying your camembert a month ahead of time, aging it to perfection, then freezing until the party? Who knew?), and ends with an hourly countdown to the actual Christmas Dinner itself.

A new cherished book in my library!

http://www.amazon.com/Delia-Smiths-Christmas-130-Recipes/dp/0563370645

 
After our first visit with them in England, they sent me one of Delia's books for Christmas

Sharon is such a cool person and a heart of gold helping others.

 
Speaking of Camembert cheese, I just bought some yesterday and

opened it up, tried a slice and the ammonia taste and smell was overwhelming.....is it bad?

 
Delia

Also a big fan of British Christmas tradiiton here! Each year I can't wait to buy the December copy of the Good Food magazine!

I have Delia's book called Happy Christmas, which came out four years ago. The one in the Amazon link is her one from the 90's. -- Amazon also has her Happy Christmas book, I see. The two are probably fairly similar? In any case, yes yes yes, Delia is SO wonderful -- the recipes are reliable, thoroughly tested and just plain good and comforting. A winter feast special here is her Venison with Bacon, Chestnuts and Wild Mushrooms in a Rich Madeira Sauce (also make sometimes with boar instead of the venison) and the Cheese Choux Pastries filled with Mushrooms in Madeira (the mushrooms alone are a great side to a slab of meat) -- not sure if these are in the older Christmas book.

I also have Nigella's and Gordon Ramsay's Christmas books (love the British cooks!). Nigella's wins over all three books for how it looks and for the text -- Nigella is a fabulous writer, and she just makes you feel the warmth and comfort of the season, with the British ironic dry take on things -- just too bad the recipes seem to always need tweeking (at least for me). The Gordon Ramsay book is sophisticated stuff but there's no soul or Christmas atmosphere for me, as if he was putting out a Christmas book because everyone else has one out...compulsive cookbook thing instead of loving the season and all the food. Maybe someone else did most of the work on the cookbook? I have a feeling. But having said that, I have to make his Bubble and Squeak Cakes during the holidays....yum.
Cheers, Bonnie

 
I guess I have more cookbooks to buy!...

Thanks for the the wonderful descriptions. I probably have about 4 dozen various christmas cookbooks, and they do all start to run into each other after awhile.

Two of my favorites (pre-Delia. LOL) Are the translation of Christian Teubner's "Christmas Baking" -- wonderful, exact recipes of classic German Christmas baking-unfortunately out of print in both German and English translation for some reason, I only have the English translation version, but it can be bought used) and Sarah Iaia's "Festive Baking" (link)

http://www.amazon.com/Festive-Baking-Classics-Austrian-Traditions/dp/0385197314

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41X979MHjRL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

 
dreaming of Austria now.....

Richard, darn.....this is making me think that I need to spend some serious Christmas time in Austria or Germany! Snow, fabulous wine, warm hospitality, great food...what could make for a better holiday? I'm thinking Baden Baden or Vienna...
cheers, Bonnie

 
Simple enough, Baden-Baden for Christmas and Vienna for New Year's Eve! (more)

I found a copy of Nigella's book on Abebooks for $4 with shipping! Thanks for the recommendation!

 
REC: Black Forest Martini

I did a preview of Nigella Lawson's Christmas cookbook on Amazon and found this stunning new drink I will be trying as soon as I get home:

Ice
1 part vodka
1 part cherrry brandy (the red stuff, not kirsch)
1/2 part creme de cacao
rosemary sprig (the black forest branch as garnish)

You know the routine: ice, booze, shake, strain, garnish.
(my directions not Nigella's smileys/wink.gif

 
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