A Hearty Breakfast

When embarking on a long shopping trip, particularly a Christmas shopping trip, you need a good breakfast to keep you going. The bacon and egg sandwich Rob made this morning was just the thing. Oh my, this is true love.

Port Gravy For Roast Pork

Sweetness with roast pork goes so well which is why apple sauce is a classic to serve with it. But if you don't fancy that and want something different try this port gravy. Well, it's actually more of a sauce than a gravy and you only need a little as it is very sweet. To make it simply add a glass of port to the juices in the pan in which you've roasted the pork. That's all you need, no stock, no flour, simply port and roast pork juices. Remove excess fat from the pan first though. You want a little fat but not too much. Simmer whilst stirring and reduce until you have a good consistency.

Chestnut And Bacon Soup

There's nothing like roasted chestnuts at this time of year, I adore them. This soup really brings out their flavour and I think it's equally good as a special starter for guests or just a solitary comfort.

I used 500 grams of uncooked chestnuts and roasted them at 200c for half an hour (with slits in the shells to stop them exploding), but if you don't want all the hassle of peeling them just use pre-cooked ones, vacuume packed or tinned.

Sauté 2 rashes of chopped smoked bacon in a little butter until the bacon starts to release its fat. Now add one carrot, one stick of celery and one onion, all chopped.

Sauté until the vegetables start to soften and colour then add the chestnuts and 1 litre of chicken stock. Bring to the boil then simmer for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through. Puree and season. Add a little cream if feeling decadent.

Now I feel Christmassy.

Nigella Lawson's London Cheesecake

I said on my food blogger's welcome dinner post that this cheesecake is my standard one. There’s a very good reasons for this; quite simply it’s fantastic. Totally and utterly. It tastes wonderful and the texture is perfect, creamy and velvety. It never fails to impress, friends and family love it and Rob asks for it more than any other dessert I make. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Nigella, thank you, you are my heroine.

Click here for the recipe