Nigella reveals how to enjoy the run up to Christmas and how some of her sanity-preserving short cuts can make even the most routine recipes redolent with festive sparkle. Nigella begins by gathering inspiration at the Christmas Market in Salzburg and adds a few twists of her own back in the kitchen with her aromatic spiced ham and Christmas cake. Dealing with large numbers of hungry people invading our homes, all capable of defying the laws of nature by being perpetually hungry, is a Christmas challenge. Although the idea of canapes seem to resonate 1970s, they are always greeted with gratitude and Nigella presents some simple guides to getting them right. Salty combinations of Parma ham, creamy goats cheese and figgy wraps are quick and simple to assemble as are Nigella's spicy mini ribs are and her irresistible crab cakes. Saving the day is Nigella's never-failing hangover cure, a Cuban chorizo and black bean soup.

• Nigella Lawson