It goes without saying that anyone with a taste for Irish cuisine would be interested in owning Darina Allen's wonderful collection of holiday recipes and stories. But its appeal is much wider than that. Not only do you get a huge collection of recipes suitable for all tastes, the author has ingeniously arranged them in such a way as alleviate holidays stress. I'll explain.

Darina believes that good cooking doesn't have to be complicated. The recipes are simple, yet satisfying. Many have leftovers that can be utilized for other recipes, further eliminating holiday time spent in the kitchen. The book also contains a collection of recipes that can be prepared in advance and frozen for later use. Others like St. Stephen's Day Pie or White Christmas Cake keep for a week or longer without the need for freezing.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the chapter dedicated to tasty gifts you can make in your own kitchen. In today's hectic times, nothing is more special than something lovingly hand made.

Beyond recipes, Darina shares heartwarming stories of Christmas traditions in her own family.

The book covers the following chapters:

• Starters - Soups & Appetizers
• Main Courses
• Vegetables
• Desserts
• Cakes For Christmas
• Entertaining
• Edible Presents

Sample Recipes:
See the Related Recipes box below for sample recipes from this book.