The indomitable Cyrus Todiwala would make a rather good Father Christmas, being jolly, jocular and- sorry, sahib- slightly rounded. But that bit of extra padding is just testament, were it needed, to his wicked culinary skills. To my knowledge, Cyrus isn’t planning on appearing in fancy dress, but he does have a fulsome festive offering for his fans.
Nathan Outlaw’s Chicory Marmalade Tart, Deep-Fried Crackler Cheese, Pickled Walnut and Pears
Nathan Outlaw’s partial to a nice cheesy tart this Christmas.
Festive Book Review: Scandinavian Christmas by Trine Hahnemann
Ooh I do like a fuggy kitchen on a cold day, with all those lovely cooking smells wafting about like the Christmas Fairy. Especially these Scandi bakes with their liberal use of cardamom. And my own majestic love for those cakes and cookies knows no bounds. So those smells are about the only things that are going to resemble the Fairy this Christmas.
French festivities at Champagne+Fromage
Champagne goes hand in hand with Christmas, so put the fizz into this year’s festivities with Champagne + Fromage. The Covent Garden shop and bistro has a whole host of Christmassy gift boxes, bottles of beautiful grower Champagne, cheese and foodie favourites.
Asda and Leiths Star Topped Mince Pies
So easy to make, far more delicious than ready-made and hugely satisfying – from the calm, therapeutic effect of making the pastry to wolfing them down while they are still warm. They keep well in an air tight tin – if you can wait that long.
Stir Up Sunday Christmas Pudding from Asda and Leiths
Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients; when you’ve assembled them, making the Christmas pud is easy – and immensely rewarding. Just don’t expect to eat it the same year you make it – it’s better if allowed to mature for a year or more in repeated doses of booze.
Asda and Leiths Stir Up Sunday 2012
Stir Up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent, kickstarts preparations for Christmas over-indulgence – it’s traditionally the day the Christmas pudding mixture is made and cooked. It’s extraordinarily easy to make, as Joanna Biddolph discovered at a Stir Up Sunday event with Asda and Leiths School of Food and Wine.
Cha Cha Moon’s Christmas menu
I know it’s only November and you might not like having to face it just yet, but the time has come to talk about Christmas and more specifically, Christmas menus. Luckily for you though, dear reader, I am easing you in, as my first assignment of the festive season involves no turkey, no stuffing and no cranberry sauce. In fact, it contains virtually no discernible elements of Christmas at all…
May the Forza Win(ter) be with you
Forza Win(ter) being more of a supper club than pop-up restaurant means that you sit on communal tables of ten and there’s no choice of food. Instead a big pan of fonduta is placed onto a hotplate in the middle of the table, which you then ladle into bowls and eat with the roasted vegetables and meats, as and when they arrive.
Hungary? Eat some Goulash.
With winter nights setting in, serious comfort food is required. Time and time again I resort back to this slow cooked Hungarian favourite. Goulash with its warming paprika, meltingly tender beef and satisfying thick sauce is about as good as it gets as the nights grow longer.