Christmas means different things to different people. For some it’s the smell of gingerbread and cinnamon. For others it’s the waxy feel of wrapping paper under your fingers. But I think that the one thing that sums up Christmas it the food.
Christmas dinner at my house is always delicious. The average Sunday roast recipe goes out the window as my parents try to outshine all other years. This, of course, leads to much palpable tension during the latter part of the advent season, but it worth it in the end. Various catalogues and cookbooks are scoured for the perfect pudding, past Christmas successes are consulted to choose the best meat, and then there is the oh-so-important decision of vegetables – boiled or baked?
As the guests pile in, looking ravenous with hunger, I pick at the bowls of crisps and nuts scattered around the room. The chatter of greetings as not-so-long-lost relatives talk among themselves. A peek into the kitchen (though few dare at this time) reveals my parents, slicing, cutting, boiling, and cooking. The air is thick with steam but I can see the worktops covered in knives, forks and bits of food deemed not fit for the plates. The dog, smells of food tempting him from his slumber beneath the table, sits by my mum as she carves the meat. His eyes grow large and he stares dejectedly at my mother, occasionally nudging herwith a cold, wet nose.
My favourite part of the meal is always the side meats. While others pile their plates with sprouts and turkey, I go for the mini sausages wrapped in bacon and the gammon rolls. And then, of course, the stuffing. For years my dad has perfected this delicacy. The large balls of meaty stuffing, wrapped in thick strips of bacon like little presents, this is the reason I love Christmas dinner. Its aroma drifts up as you spear it with your fork, and the taste lingers in your mouth afterwards it the most pleasant way.
The desert is different every year. From the small chocolate boules to the delicate Rouleau de fraise, we have had many different types of pudding, but recently we have discovered the appeal of the simple cheeseboard.
As much as I love the feel of presents and the smell of Christmas scents, nothing beats Christmas dinner.
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