I have far too many cookbooks. There are some I barely ever use, even though from time to time I grab one of them and flip through it, hoping that one I day I find a recipe I want to try.

Some books scare me because of their age, being particular and most importantly – no photos. How am I supposed to decide what will I make?

But there are books that I pick up regularly, where recipes are simple and delicious. One of the books is Tender by Nigel Slater. It’s a two-volume encyclopedia-like book.  The first volume is dedicated to vegetables, the second to fruits. Each book has over 600 pages and is divided into chapters about each fruit or veggie.

So whenever I’m standing clueless in the kitchen wondering what to do with yet another pear, I open the book on a chapter dedicated to pears and I start drooling. Nigel’s writing is so uncomplicated and absorbing.

This time I got hooked on a mulled pear cider recipe. I like the idea of warming up alcohol with spices. When you spent too much time in cold, nothing beats mulled beer (it’s funny I take mulled drink photos on the same blanket :D).  But I haven’t tried mulled cider before.

This mulled cider seems like something I would offer to my parents during Christmas. It reminds more of a dessert than just a drink to warm you up. I should try it with spiced cookies as  Nigel suggested.