It's my first Christmas at home for two whole years, airfares from Australia sky rocket at Christmas (pardon the pun) and I never had enough time off to make the long trek home worthwhile. So this year I am determined to make the most of it by living in the festive moment and appreciating every second.
My favourite food writer and chef Nigel Slater has the same ethos as me about Christmas, it's a time of year that always evokes memories, the smell of the turkey and brandy butter, the real pine Christmas tree because I always insisted that anything else wasn't really Christmas.
This year I took the time to appreciate the little rituals that I craved when I was away, one such ritual being the decorating of the Christmas tree, a seemingly small task steeped in memories. Handmade baubles from when I was nine that still catch the light, decorations that were bought with loved ones gone by. All little time capsules to the same cold day many years ago. The baubles seem to hang there as festive mirrors to the past helping us to remember wonderful times of the past, make us appreciate the present and think about the future.
Every year I make a culinary contribution the most noteworthy being the famous glazed ham of 2008, sticky with fortified and freshly squeezed citrus fruits served with simple salads and crusty bread. This year inspired by Nigel's thickly rimmed specs and beautiful words I will be attempting his lemon curd trifle adorned with crystallised violets and crushed pistachios with a homemade mincemeat sponge soaked in brandy and laden with cream.
As i'm burning the custard and curdling the curd (isn't that the point?) i'll take extra time to appreciate the moments this year, feeling very lucky not to be travelling and seeing new things but for once to be home enjoying the familiar.
Merry Christmas and Nadolig Llawen from Wales
My favourite food writer and chef Nigel Slater has the same ethos as me about Christmas, it's a time of year that always evokes memories, the smell of the turkey and brandy butter, the real pine Christmas tree because I always insisted that anything else wasn't really Christmas.
This year I took the time to appreciate the little rituals that I craved when I was away, one such ritual being the decorating of the Christmas tree, a seemingly small task steeped in memories. Handmade baubles from when I was nine that still catch the light, decorations that were bought with loved ones gone by. All little time capsules to the same cold day many years ago. The baubles seem to hang there as festive mirrors to the past helping us to remember wonderful times of the past, make us appreciate the present and think about the future.
Every year I make a culinary contribution the most noteworthy being the famous glazed ham of 2008, sticky with fortified and freshly squeezed citrus fruits served with simple salads and crusty bread. This year inspired by Nigel's thickly rimmed specs and beautiful words I will be attempting his lemon curd trifle adorned with crystallised violets and crushed pistachios with a homemade mincemeat sponge soaked in brandy and laden with cream.
As i'm burning the custard and curdling the curd (isn't that the point?) i'll take extra time to appreciate the moments this year, feeling very lucky not to be travelling and seeing new things but for once to be home enjoying the familiar.
Merry Christmas and Nadolig Llawen from Wales
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