The November List

What I’m reading, cooking, eating, wearing and generally loving right now

Somehow, it’s December and I know I’m late getting this to you, but time ran away from me… Still in the spirit of better late than never and because all of these are goodies I hope you will enjoy through December too, here it is: this month’s list of favourites to eat, watch, wear, do and other small things that generally make life that little bit better.

I read YellowFace by Rebecca Kuang a few months ago and loved it; so was excited to get started on another of Kuang’s bestselling titles, Babel. What a magical read: utterly captivating, brilliant story-telling, set in a semi-fictionalised Oxford of the late 19th century, it’s Philip Pullman meets Harry Potter for grown-ups meets thought-provoking tale about the significance, complexity and deep challenges of translation, culture and race. A must read.

I’m a huge Agatha Christie fan and while I’ve read most of her murder mysteries, to my shame, before reading this, I knew very little about the author herself. It turns out (unsurprisingly) that she was a remarkable woman with a fascinating life story, which Lucy Worsley tells in a highly engaging way in her recent biography. I couldn’t put it down.

Not strictly speaking cooking, more of a throw-it-all-together job, but: thinly sliced watermelon radishes (or any kind of radishes), red chicory leaves, a little radicchio - then dress it all with a creamy mayo dressing. I can’t tell you what a good salad it makes. And a glorious, welcome pop of colour on a drab winter’s day.

‘Tis the season. I’ve started making my Christmas cakes. I use the fruitcake recipe in A Table for Friends, then top each cake with a thick layer of marzipan and glacé fruits (which I buy here), then give them to friends as Christmas presents. It’s my favourite festive tradition.