A decent blank canvas for other food but not exciting enough to eat on their own or just with maple syrup. Illustrated with over 250 fabulous full-colour photographs by Lis Parsons (photographer of the bestselling Nigella Express), including method photos and lavish spreads, Nigella Christmas is in a new, larger and irresistible format. This is also one of those books that needs to be perused during the year as well, not just at Christmas. There are many, many more wonderful recipes including main dishes, sides, sweets, and treats that are too tempting to limit just to the holidays. Here is everything you need to make your Christmas easy and enjoyable, from scrumptious cakes and puddings to the main event itself - turkey with all the trimmings, a vegetarian Christmas dinner or a wide range of delicious alternatives.

Personally I couldn't taste the chocolate from the inclusion of cocoa in the recipe but, overall, I did like it as an alternative to a more trad Christmas cake. I’m the proud owner of all of Nigella Lawson’s Cookery Books and I can honestly say I use them all, regularly. Being a watcher of TV's "Nigella Feasts", I am familiar with the author's speaking voice and persona.

With her no-nonsense approach, her inspirational ideas and empathy for the practical realities of the season - combined here with reliable easy-to-follow recipes and reassuring advice about planning and cooking ahead - Nigella Christmas is guaranteed to bring comfort and joy and make sure the season of good will stays that way. 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.

A warning to sober folks: there's a LOT of booze in this cookbook, and I'm not even talking about the drinks section because it has plenty of mocktails for you. Everybody who celebrates Christmas has an idealized picture in their head of what it should look like, and Nigella's set of holiday fantasies is so cozy, it hurts. Merry Christmas, Buon Natale, Happy Holidays and here's to cooking and eating our way into a fantastic new year!A belief in hearth and home and adhering to ritual and tradition when the world around us is so unsettling and uncertain. It will very likely tempt even the Scroogiest of people to do a big Christmas meal and invite family, friends and even neighbours and good looking strangers over to partake.