Festive Food

Despite the present era of austerity we managed a season of good cheer this Christmas. Some helpful bargains included a ham which was half price from Tesco; an oat fed goose breast was a bargain from Lidl, and a Turkey which was on offer from Asda.

Our celebratory meals started around the solstice and stretched into the New Year! They included roast turkey, roast pork, roast potatoes and parsnips, sprouts, cranberry sauce, stuffing and gravy. Mashed swede, carrots, roast goose and stuffing. A good gammon ham with sweet potatoes and Savoy cabbage. And of course lots of cold meats and pickles!

One of the best snacks we had was a wonderful bacon sandwich, using reduced bargains from the local Morrisons. Rashers fried very gently for a long time until the bacon fat rendered into robust crispiness, which contrasted with the soft flouriness of the industrial style white sliced bread, buttered liberally and covered with a healthy gloop of hp sauce. Not the healthiest, but Christmas is only once a year, and all generations can enjoy such fare. It is a nostalgic comfort food to a certain generation, reminding one of watching Morecambe and Wise Christmas specials curled up on a sheepskin rug in front of an electric bar fire!

A simple but well seasoned cold turkey and stuffing sandwich was also top of the list of simple pleasures, along with a Morrisons Pork pie and pickles . A pea and ham soup made with the leftover ham was also a tasty and warming supper.

Best condiments had to be Lidl Polish style in Brine gherkins, Opies pickled walnuts and Tracklements onion marmalade which were all great with cold meats.

We also had a variety of smoked salmons - Russian Japanese Scottish and Swedish. The Japanese had a wasabi edge, the Russian flavoured with beetroot, all were slightly varied in texture but delicious.

We enjoyed a good variety of red wines, a couple of cocktails, a little absinth and to see in the New Year we tried Bowmore Islay whisky – a delicate peat and fire edge to this single malt’s smoothness gave a warm glow

Our Christmas cake this year was also tasty – we used radio 4 woman’s hour perfect Christmas cake recipe from Ed Kimber the boy baker (substituting doves farm white spelt flour for plain flour)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/womans-hour/cooktheperfect/perfect/christmas-cake/

and considering it was only made three weeks in advance it tasted very good, moist and much lighter than more traditional Christmas cake recipes which involve treacle and dark brown sugar. We made a smidge of royal icing to cover the marzipan and give a rough snowfield finish – then our daughter furnished some miniature plastic robins and squirrels to give a woodsy festive touch!

The Christmas pudding was made to an Eliza Acton recipe, suitably updated. It was light and spicy and moist, delicious with a little cream.

Another seventies flashback included a classic birds trifle, complete with dream topping and hundreds and thousands – not very trendy but something wonderful for the six year olds in our lives (and the six year old deep inside) to experience! Christmas is meant to be kitsch after all…

May we wish Happy New Year to you all and let us hope 2012 brings lots of delicious discoveries!