OK serious foodies alert!!!!!! Run us through what you're planning for your Christmas and new year celebrations!

[moondog]

No talk of Paxo or Bisto puhleeeeeeeze!!!!!!

How about the booze issue????

I think Christmas Eve will be a seafood feast as usual (crabs from the lleyn peninsula are the best in the world!)
Lashings of Miuscadet to accompany and perhaps tropica lfruit afterwards.

Christmas Day.......goose and stuffed apples with spiced red cabbage,brussel sprouts,root vegetable mash (turnip,parsnip and carrots with cream and nutmeg) and roast potatoes. Good Burgundy avec
Smoked salmon and caviar blinis to start with vats of Champagne.
Christmas pudding,Stilton and oatcakes with a Sauternes.

New Years Eve....rolled pork belly and quince compote followed by a pavlova. Not sure of the accompaniments or the wine at present.

Over to you lot.....

Cor. I am going to read through this at leisure BUT I have to say I am with the Vague Guilt contingent.

I have already made (i) some quite nice mince pies selon moi (puff pastry, controversial) and (ii) some not unsuccessful gingerbread cottages, all gaudily decorated with stuck-on jelly tots.

For Christmas Day (just me&dh&ds&dd) it will be a re-run of last year, with a turkey breast roast from M&S and trays and trays and trays of M&S trimmings, brandy butter, and so on, which are of course what one really wants. Otherwise, well who knows? But I did buy the Good Housekeeping Exclusive To WH Smith Compendium of Christmas Nosh, so maybe inspiration will strike.

Issymum - I had a transaction that completed last year on 22 December after 2 all nighters (the second of which I had no secretarial support for due to the support staff Christmas party). I did every single bit of my Christmas shopping on 23 December in about 4 hours - so it can be done. Or shall I send you a hamper?

Moondog - don't squeeze my own pomegranates, those lovely folk at Ocado do it for me. Haven't tried it mixed w/champagne, just sounds nice so thought I would give it a go (influenced by article in Observer Food Monthly this weekend - suspect there will now be none left!)

Crunchie - Cannellini beans are v good tempered so they will be cooked in advance (possibly day before). Just before serving will crush garlic, sizzle it in olive oil, add c/beans, shred the chard (might be assertive rocket if chard looks manky) and stir it in and let it wilt down (say 10 mins). Easy peasy!

Might just do plain sauteed chard (just found a recipe) DH doesn't like beans much.

Sorry, meant "can be done" in an encouraging, "been there" type manner, not in a WI "now gels, put your pinny on and I'll be along to inspect your home made marmelade" type manner.

Also, the Kitchen God will in fact do most of it. For some reason, large joints of meat make me a bit nervous so he has total control over the considering, ordering, collecting and cooking of anything meat related. And he likes to bake (is making the "chocolate uncooked cake" teacher presents with DS after work this evening as he finds it relaxing).

Yes, sauteed chard v. nice. I tend to cook or steam it first, then turn in hot olive oil and garlic - works well for pretty much anything green.

Am feeling a nice "home cooked" glow: suspect I ought to get back to working and go and shout at someone...

Anchovy you are a star, I shal pre cook (wilt) the chard before the guests arrive, then while I am carving the meat, heat up the oil, fry a bit of garlic and cook teh chard in a a minute!! Perfect

Mines not that exciting

Christmas Eve - crab and mango salad, boeuf bourgignon, cheeses with apples and biscuits

Christmas Day - am smoked salmon and scrambled eggs plus loads of hot buttered toast

lunch - Turkey et al

supper - pates, crusty bread, salads, olives

Boxing Day - Nigella ham cooked in coke, plus cold accompaniments (no idea what yet), plus a vat of turkey and vegetable soup

alcohol throughout the 3 days: champagne, burgundy, sake, port, vodka martinis depending on what we are eating

Thanks Moondog! Now what delights can I add to this....

and what are you doing up on a school night bbb? huh, huh

just me, dp and ds (10 months) this year so we are doing what we want in a non-traditional way - starter - brie and redcurrent in filo and salmon nibbles
Main course - pheasent and red cabbage cooked in wine, yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and brussel sprouts
Pudding - nigella's sicky toffee pudding with home made ice cream

oh moondog, what a great thread!
we too will be eating crab (a big one each, yum!) on xmas eve, with nz sauv blanc though
xmas morn champagne and croissants
smoked salmon and other smoked fish for a light lunch
lots of nice wine through the day
a rib of beef with lots of yum veggies for dinner in the evening
served with a good rioja gran reserva
followed by a plate of melting ripe cheeses and port
i will cook a ham in cider for boxing day for any visitors to peck on with homemade chutneys and more cheese

oooh and lots of rococo chocs along the way

This year we're at my parents so don't really have a choice, though I did manage to persuade my Dad that rib of beef was just not on for Christmas Day lunch.

But year before last when we were still living in france we had seafood millefeuilles (prawns marinated in lime juice with smoked salmon, layered up with toasted brioche rounds, a creme fraiche dressing and caviar on top) with a nice Chablis. Then a prince Albert (I think) fillet of beef, which is basically stuffed with foie gras and truffles, with green beans en fagot (wrapped in pancetta) and gratin dauphinois, with a good Bordeaux. And lastly home made Christmas pudding ice cream with a Clairette (like Cava, I guess). Oh how I miss entertaining...

drool evansmummy

Oi Delgirlsringing, were you checking up on me, madam? Hang on a minute, what time were you posting ... ?

turkey slices from tesco
ready made yorshire puds
joint of beef
bacon
sausages
chicken - for me i hate turkey
sprouts of course
other veg
gravy from the unmentionable name

all on aplate piled to the ceiling

Custardo.....you are lowering the tone,despite evansmummy's superlative contribution......

as ever!

Which one lol??
About the steaming ears and/or turkey twizzlers sal????

I am trying to rise above it all.....

Really Im so naive! I never thought that people actually did all this stuff from food programs and recipe books (where on earth do you have the time???)

But then I used to look at toys that cost 50 quid and think Blimey, who buys those?

lol Nightynight!

I would spend £50 on a very nice bottle of something-wouldn't spend it on a toy though!!

I was making phyllo pastry at the age of 14,smug little madam that I was..

Where does one find the time??? If you truly love something,there is always time for it.