Christmas Cooking Countdown
If there’s one thing that drives me crazy at this time of year it is the continuous stream of articles claiming that by adhering to their wisdom Christmas will be made easy. Look, Christmas inevitably comes with a certain amount of expectation. We are all sold this cosy, warm, tinselly Hollywood ideal of what Christmas should be. In light of such potent imagery, should any of us mere mortals fall a fairy light short of the film magic, then we feel we have failed and we promise to do better the following year, just adding to the pressure and expectation. The first thing we have to do is debunk this myth of the perfect Christmas. Only in fiction does such a thing exist. The reality is that a ‘perfect Christmas’ is different for everyone. Some people would regard it as a quiet, no fuss, low key affair where they get a few days off to relax after a tiring year. Others couldn’t imagine anything worse than quietness and happily anticipate an oversized tree and a bustling, noisy house, full of family and guests. Others still, see it as a happy never ending round of visiting and visitors where bucket loads of nibbles and impromptu meals are rustled up. All different views, all right in their own way, but none of them perfect.
The second untruth I wish to push of the side of the cliff is the fact that any or all of this could ever be ‘easy’. Of course it’s not easy. It is only ever easy for those purely on the receiving end of the hospitality. For the souls doing the actual work of creating the event, it takes time, effort and money to make sure the whole thing goes off well and everyone has a good time. What we should be aiming for is a way of making the difficult challenge of Christmas cooking and entertaining an enjoyable and rewarding experience rather than an ulcer inducing stress fest. I will concede that doing something with calm, confident, efficiency gives an illusion of ‘easy’, but you just can’t avoid the actual work. The information I am about to impart is not about my attempt to take away the labour involved in Christmas, but simply to encourage everyone to go about it in an enjoyable way that should change your festive outlook forever and make it a much more joyful one.
A teacher at school drilled into us the five ‘Ps’ of life; “Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance”. Our eyes would roll and we would silently and mockingly mouth the words of this mantra as he would belt it out, rhythmically stressing the P sounds. A sloppy essay, forgetting your homework, misplacing a book or having no gym gear would instantly invoke the five P’s. It was the answer to all organisational downfalls. I have largely forgotten everything he ever taught us, but the five Ps have been indelibly tattooed on my brain. To this day if something goes wrong the first thing I look for is if, perhaps, I didn’t apply the knowledge. Of course sometimes disasters are unavoidable, but I can tell you that more often than not investigation proves that failure to invoke the five Ps was at the heart of it all.
With that in mind let’s look at the ways we could properly plan for Christmas. First of all take some time and just sit and think about it. Do not rush this part of the process and use the time to visualise the whole thing. You should be asking questions like how many am I feeding and over how many days? How much of it has to be formal and how much relatively informal? Is there a possibility of unexpected guests or impromptu gatherings? What about family likes and dislikes or allergies? The great thing about this sort of planning is that, believe it or not, it can actually save you money. Many people overbuy at Christmas, feverishly shopping at the last minute with that siege mentality. You are shopping for the three days (a week at most) of Christmas and not a 6 month lock down in an underground bunker. The shops will open again after the short 24 hours of Christmas Day. Trust me I have years of experience watching Christmas shoppers. The organised get better value and waste less than the last minute and frantic, “I better get it just in case!” types who are on the verge of resorting to booze and Valium to get them through the holiday stress. It’s unhealthy to say the least.
When food planning your lists should be broken down into the things you can do well ahead of time and those that can only be sorted on Christmas week. Obviously the latter list should be shorter. You can also decide how much of this you want to do from scratch and how much can be bought in. By thinking about it well in advance you can rationally assess if the time involved is going to be enjoyable and cost effective or a pain and not worth the trouble. Cookery books and celebrity chefs will happily tell you that making your own mince meat or mayonnaise is simple, but sometimes it’s much easier just to buy it. Freezers are a great advantage. There is no problem freezing things in November that will be eaten over Christmas. And remember that basics such as stocks, soups, butter and even milk can be frozen. The other thing I recommend is that you always keep batches of pastry in the freezer, either home made or shop bought. You can run up a pie, a tart or a few sausage rolls in a hurry if necessary. The other tip is to assess what you already have at home before you go shopping. This requires a thorough look. November is a good time to check your basic store cupboard supplies. Have you enough flour and sugar? What about chutneys and preserves? You can make these and they will hold very well or buy some of the lovely Tipperary artisan ones that you will find easily enough. A supply of rice and risotto rice is also useful. Whipping up a turkey curry or a quick lunchtime risotto will no doubt impress a hungry crowd. How about spices, condiments and dried foods – have they gone off, lost their flavour or dried up? Check it out now and then you won’t a) buy things you already have or b) things you don’t need.
Order with order! When it comes to suppliers just remember that they are human too. Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year and mistakes can happen. Clear lists are required. Here are the suggested lists you might need; the butcher and/or deli, the fishmonger, greengrocer, alcohol supplier. You might wish to combine some of these elements in the supermarket but create the lists separately anyway. Ordering can be done in advance and you can also keep an eye on the budget.
Delegation is my final tip. While some of us might strive for Martha Stewart perfection, leave it out at Christmas; it’s a time for family. Give someone else the responsibility of the table setting. Try the kids, they might surprise you and if nothing else they will certainly feel they’ve played a part in all your hard work. For more recipes and Christmas tips visit www.jameswhelanbutchers.com or drop into the shop in the Oakville Shopping Centre with any queries whatsoever. By planning ahead it really can be the most wonderful time of the year if not exactly perfect or easy.
I always welcome feedback pat@jwb.ie. Here is a fantastic recipe for risotto.
Leek & Bacon Risotto
Serves 4
Preparation: 10 mins – Cooking: 20 mins
Ingredients
- 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
- 8 rashers bacon
- 4 leeks, sliced
- 350g (12 oz) risotto (arborio) rice
- 200ml (6½ fl oz) white wine
- 800ml (1½ pint) hot vegetable stock
- grated parmesan, optional
Method
- Heat the oil in the big pot and fry the bacon to your liking (just cooked or very crispy). Remove the bacon. When it has cooled, chop it into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the leeks to the pot and fry for 2 minutes until starting to soften.
- Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
- Add the wine and stock, and then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Remove the rice from the heat, add the bacon pieces, then stir in the parmesan if desired and some freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.
Serving Suggestion
- Enjoy this plate of delight with a glass of white wine.
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