Dressed Oysters.

Winter starts fully on the twenty first of December, however many consider it to begin when the extremelly cold and frost are upon us or from the first of December. Even if it is the last month of the year, December is an important month because of its Festivities and social gatherings. Most of us are looking forward to it for one reason or another.

In general it is a rather decadent month full of generosity and celebrations. The Festival of Light Hanukkah begin the month with one week of celebration. There is also the Saint Nicholas day on the fifth of December but observed on the nineteenth of December in Eastern Catholic areas.

Decorated Chestnut Bread a tradition in Eastern Europe.

Of course during December we can also add the social gatherings marking the end of a year which are called either Staff Parties, Business Parties, Friends Parties which are a chance for one another, colleagues to celebrate prior to Christmas which is more a Family time and therefore they are an occasion to say farewell before going our own ways for a couple of weeks.

Mulled Wine Candle. (Christmas 2021)

All of this is a catalyst for Party Food. Lets just start with the Challah Bread which is buttery and feels like being a Brioche. It is shared. The Bread word in French which is mainly a Latin language is 'Pain', from which the word Compagnon derivates. The sharing of the Bread is utterly symbolic, because when you share it with people it is because you do trust them and can go along on a journey with them, a life journey. And there I will just say this is the origin of the word Companionship.

Challah Bread.

Another sharing to be done is during the Saint Nicholas day and different cultures do it differently. For example in the Netherlands it is their traditional Biscuits being made on that day. It does mark the Occasion. It makes me think that we should have a Cookie Festivity in December...

 Saint Nicholas Biscuits.

If we go down the road to Christmas Staff/Business Parties, it is more about Canapés and lots of débonnaire tipples. But it can also be a Christmas Dinner before Christmas when we all share the bill in a nice restaurant. I remember the time when we were having such a meal at Gallipoli Cafe Bistro in Upper Street, Islington, London.

Friends Christmas Party before Christmas at Gallipoli. I took the picture, from left to right, you have James Simpkin, Randolph Reid, Natalie Simpkin, and Martyn Pavey.

This was long before the Covid 19 Pandemic and social distancing. There we had Mezzes but also Tabboulehs. 

https://gallipolicafe.co.uk

Then there is of course the period of the Christmas Carols if you enjoy them and joining the community if you do belong to a church. I kind of do and don't. I always go to the Christmas Carols at St Mary's Church in Upper Street, Islington. It is just a tradition for me. But otherwise I am Atheist. But one does like a Carol sometimes...

Rudolph song by Robbie Williams

Those little get together are the occasion to catch up with everyone but also the ability to eat Mince Pies and to drink Mulled Wine aplenty. My first experience of the traditional Mince Pie didn't go down very well, and I do think like many things that they are an acquired taste. However I did acquire that one therefore Mince Pies are in my house during the Festive period.

Mulled Wine and Mince Pies.

There is an aspect of Mulled Wine which a lot do appreciate during Winter and that is that it is not only a warm Drink but it is warming as well with its Spices. The same goes for Mulled Cider. Doing Mulled Wine fills the Kitchen with a fragant spiced scent which is entiscing: Star Anis, Cinnamon, Cloves, Orange Peel... I will not dare to say that this hot beverage is medicinal but when I have a sore throat I do turn to it on occasion.

Decoration time for the Festivities. Upstairs or downstairs the Christmas period is colourful in this house.

Decorating is a big part of the Festive season I will say because it does put you in that cheerful little magical bauble zone. There are lots of planning involved, one being the Christmas tree. Which colour scheme should we indulge ourselves with? Then there is the entire affair of decorating the outside of the house. Which scent shall we go for the candles? But the ultimate planning is the Menus for Christmas'eve, Christmas day, Boxing day, New Year's eve, and New Year's day. It can be or become a tactical affair: just pure logistic: how many, when, which quantity, timescale, precision and how to make it look nice...

One very special Christmas Day Feast with Tyn, Randolph, Jamesy and Nat-Nat.

When it comes to Christmas' eve, this is the time when my family did party the most. It was a more lavish affair than Christmas day. In my own home I usually do unwind on Christmas' Eve. It is a bit of a TV time with nice Food, just the two of us and may be one Guest or two. The Canapés are not canapés, they are Pigs in Blanket. Then the Starter will usually involve Smoked Salmon. My Salmon Terrine goes down a treat inevitably.The Fish course may be something light like Langoustines or Oysters. The Main will be Duck while the Dessert is a Yule Log. Normally I do a Chocolate one. It is pure indulgence.

Chocolate Yule Log. Many variants include Chocolate and Mint, Chocolate and Hazelnuts, Chocolate and Orange, Chocolate and Cherries (Glacé Cheries, fresh Cherries and Kirsh, truly decadent).

Then we have the good old Christmas Day. After the night of excitation and trepidation which is Christmas'Eve when the magic happens: The preparation of the Christmas'Stockings (England) or the filling of the Shoes under the Christmas Tree (France), and depositing all the wrapped up gifts for one another below the Tree ready to be the surprise for the Christmas Morning day. It is a time of joy for Adults as much as for Children. The ability to give to someone is a precious thing as a Human Being. It does make you feel good.

Back in the days, one of my Christmas morning as a Child. Gosh, did I love that toy 'ordimini'! It was educational and bang on right for me.

Also I will say it does make usually the recipient of the gift happy and cheerful. In time of lack or poverty, one must have heard how an Orange put in a stocking was so important. It did simply made Christmas to just hold one for my Grand Parents and Great Grand Parents. Nowadays, this memory is still stamped on a lot of us by the amount of Mandarines, Tangarines, Clementines we go through during the Festive Season. Those Citrus Fruits did become a symbol of Winter Time and Festivities as much as Nuts are, like Chestnuts, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Almonds... The Nutcracker of Tchaiskovsky became a Ballet which is regurlarly on during the Festive Season.

Above, one of the traditional flavours of Christmas, Stuffing made with Cranberries, Orange Peels, Chestnuts and Breadcrumbs. If it is inside a Bird may it be Turkey or around the plate in little Stuffing handmade balls, having them is part of making it all Festive.

Going back to Christmas Eve, there is another little tradition which developed throughout the years, the one to put a Carrot on the mantel piece for Rudolph the Reindeer that is the main deer of Santa Clause, or a bunch of Carrots for all the Reindeers that are pulling the sleigh.Then there is the Mince Pie to be put in place for Father Christmas and his little shot of Brandy. It is rather cute as a Christmas tale to tell the Children. But when you think about it a little closer, it means that Santa Clause is a drink sleigh driver to keep him warm and going throughout the night... Let alone the thought that there are about 25 millions households in the UK alone. But what can we say appart from cheers!