Throughout her distinguished career, Elizabeth David wrote many articles on Christmas food, testing her recipes and honing her skills on the Christmas preparations for her sister's family, which included five children. She put together a file of articles, recipes and notes, intending to publish them as a book, for which, much later, she wrote an introduction, and this file has come to light among her papers. This volume contains the whole of the file of around 150 recipes, together with a selection of articles and her introduction. Designed to take the strain out of providing festive food, from making preparations and using left-overs to avoiding hectic last-minute cooking, this a complete Christmas food book. All the classics are here: mince pies, stuffing, sauces and, of course, turkey, as well as simple first courses, party dishes, ice creams and a range of desserts.

The photography is brilliant - the content is fantastic - a great addition to your 'Elizabeth David' shelf, or a very good 'first' if new to the author! BUY!!!!
"" by Nigella Dawson

Nigella Lawson writes a good recipe. And here she has also created a gorgeous christmas cookbook. The whole book is evocative of the season - I can almost smell the aromas..... Of course the book contains the basics - Christmas dinner, christmas cake and christmas puddding. But then Nigella plunges off in a number of different directions; chapters include: The More the Merrier (Cocktails, Canapes and Manageable Mass Catering), Seasonal Support (Soups, Salad, Sauces and Serve-later Sides), Come On Over.... (Stress-Free Suppers), The Main Event (this section is red edged so easy to find in the centre of the book), Joy to the World (Christmas Baking and Sweet Treats), All Wrapped Up (Edible Presents and Party Preserves), A Christmas Brunch for 6-8, A Bevy of Hot Drinks, Dr Lawson Prescribes (Let Food be your medicine....). Punctuated throughout with gorgeous photos - it's a delight just to flick through. I'm certainly thinking on moving away from traditional turkey for Christmas dinner after reading the Main Event chapter! Basically Nigella has the whole Christmas covered - this will certainly be one of the front runners in my arsenal for dealing with the Christmas season. 

"" The Women's Institute Complete Christmas" by Sian Cook, Anne Griffiths & Margaret Williams

This new accessible revised and updated paperback version of The WI Complete Christmas is packed with over 130 failsafe recipes and ideas for Christmas from traditional favourites such as Buttered Roast Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing, Gran's Christmas Pudding, Star Mince Pies and Jewelled Christmas Cake, to modern variations, including a Rosti Topped Halibut with Smoked Salmon and Avocado, Quail's Eggs with Sea Salt and Chilli Dip, Italian Plait and Banoffee Tarts. Chapters include a Cheat's Christmas to help the truly time-starved cook create the best Christmas ever, an invaluable section on using up your Leftovers and a guide to Parties and Celebrations that will enable even a first-time cook to provide for large gatherings. This book takes the stress out of having to organise everything an is the definitive guide to cooking for Christmas. It contains detailed advice on cooking ahead, planning for the big day and useful menus to cover the whole festive season. Newly photographed chapter openers, an updated design and a new cover photograph bring this invaluable book right up to date. WI Complete Christmas is the ultimate festive survival guide.

" Illustrated by Christian Birmingham

 

 

 

 

 
  by U.A. Fanthorpe  

This collection brings together the poems U.A. Fanthorpe has been sending out to friends as Christmas cards since 1974. Now readers can enjoy Fanthorpe's yearly output in its entirety, including some previously unpublished poems. Her subject matter covers a broad range of seasonal characters, from angels to personified Christmas trees, and a variety of styles to match.
"If you love or hate Christmas, believe or disbelieve passionately, or simply value short, pithy poems, this book will surely be a treasure for you. It's funny, irreverent and godly all at once. Can be given to the aged aunt or the stroppy brat in the sure knowledge that it will make both chuckle and feel it was written for them. I have bought 3 copies (and no, I don't know the author!)"

An Anthology by Gaby Morgan 

A wonderful anthology of beautiful new and classic poems, carols and hymns for Christmas. It captures all the emotion and excitement of the festive season, from anticipation to enjoyment, to the joy of the New Year. Christmas is coming, The geese are getting fat, Please to put a penny In the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny, A ha'penny will do; If you haven't got a ha'penny, Then God bless you! Anon.

 

 

"  by Stella Ross Collins. 

With all royalties going to the NSPCC, Stella Ross Collins' Christmas! would always be a worthwhile project. That it should be charming, informative and beautifully produced is therefore a bonus. A collection of traditions and recipes associated with the Christmas season from all over Europe. An introductory survey of Christmas practices country by country serves as a reminder that, across Europe, celebrations take place from St Nicholas' day at the beginning of Advent through to Twelfth Night. Explanations of the significance of the different festivals and the traditions associated with them are followed by similar discussions of the major Christmas motifs--trees, logs, wreaths, music, cribs, stockings, cards, presents and all. Nearly half the book is devoted to festive food and drink, and a cheering selection it is, with abundant recipes for goose and turkey, spiced beef and salt cod, hams, special soups, carp and venison, as well as any number of cakes, puddings, mince pies, rich breads and biscuits. A few warming drinks and cordials round off the selection. As a poet and a musician, Stella Ross Collins writes sensitively of the magic of ritual and tradition. Robin Davidson

 



by Terry Deavy.  

All your kids need to know about Christmas in one small hardback book! Terry Deary certainly knows a lot about Christmas, from its ancient beginnings to the twenty-first century. But this is no dreary reference material, it's a fun book. You know, the kind that kids, and grown-ups for that matter, actually like to read instead of looking it up on the Internet!

 



by Annie Ashworth and Meg Sanders 


From dinner parties to decorations, Christmas travelling to Christmas tension - the experts give the inside story on how to survive the festive season.
From dinner parties to decorations, Christmas travelling to Christmas tension - the experts give the inside story on how to survive the festive season.
Developed from BBC 2's hugely successful television programme - where professionals from a wide range of trades and occupations give hints and tips taken from a lifetime of doing the job - it is both practical and succinct. Beautifully illustrated throughout in colour, Trade Secrets: Christmas contains all the practical hints, tips and shortcuts to ensure that you can get the most out of Christmas!