Oh Come All Ye Tasteful by Ian Flitcroft.

A pocket rocket of all that is Christmas food and drink!

I had the pleasure to read this delightful book in an evening. Its comprehensive look at the possibilities for creating a traditional Christmas, plus its unique sideways look at the absurdities of the Christmas period, had me laughing and bringing back memories of past Christmas celebrations.

With more than a nod to history, Dickens and others there are some wonderful ideas, recipes and observations of Christmas. If you can sustain the onslaught of food and drink, this book will give you inspiration to try many of these suggestions. Be prepared to feel a little plumper and drunker by the end of Christmas Day!

The conversations about wines, cocktails and champagne are fabulous, granted my budget would not cover many of the pricier bottles but as a guide they make for a great addition to the feast that Ian describes. For a succinct book it baffled me as to how much he was able to pack in, from meats to vegetables, puddings to cheeses and Amuse-Bouches to Petit Fours! Wonderful array of tastes, flavours and combinations that smack of the traditional with twists thrown in to keep you on your toes!

What can I say? This funny and useful book has given me a different view on Christmas food and drink. I will be trying as many of the recipes as I can. If not I will persuade someone else to cook for me this Christmas whilst I test the cocktails and other drink suggestions! I will be adding this book to a number Christmas stockings this year!

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