I’ll admit, Christmas is my favourite time of the year. Not because I’m one of those people who starts singing Christmas songs as soon as Halloween is over; it’s the food. A hearty roast, piles of steaming vegetables and copious amounts of wine. Coming from a big, loud Italian family (see My Big Fat Greek Wedding for an easy explanation), I have been helping out in the kitchen since I was old enough to reach the counter, and to this day I love nothing more than cooking for as many people as I can fit round the table.
My strict timetabling of Christmas dinner may have led to my festive nickname of the kitchen dictator, but at least the food was hot, yummy and every one had a good time. On that note, the first and most vital stage for me when planning a big meal involves a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. Call me a nerd, but I couldn’t have gotten through my Christmas dinner in Vanbrugh last year without writing a meticulous schedule for the day ahead. I may have been mocked for my incessant list taking for almost everything, but the fact is it makes Christmas/birthday parties/house parties happen! It can even, after years of experience, make things look easy and glamorous.
You need to establish quantities, timings and recipes. The dish or pan you are planning to use for each food helps too … it can put a real spanner in the works when you look for the stuffing dish to find it already piled high with carrots (as happened last year).This may sound silly, but check that you have a roasting tin that will take the size of meat you plan to buy (many student kitchens have lots of small ones as no one foresees making such a large meal) – and check that the tin you are going to use will fit your oven! Don’t forget, they’ll be lots in the oven at the same time, so coordination is key!
Decorations are vital – Poundland will become your best friend. Baubles, fairy lights and piles of tinsel are all classics. For a more DIY approach, why not try homemade snowflakes for the windows? Don’t forget the crackers – cheesy photos of everyone in paper crowns is a must. If you can pin down a day when everyone is free from sport/lectures/ not already running home with a bag full of dirty laundry, then the talk of budget is next. A roast bird (chicken is the cheapest meat), with potatoes, carrots, stuffing, gravy, could, with some savvy shopping, costs about £5 per person for around 12 people. Morrisons usually have good seasonal offers starting around now too.
Now the food: for many freshers, or indeed more experienced students, the idea of organising a Christmas meal in your flat or house with mismatched equipment and a poky student kitchen is one that fills you with dread. The Christmas meal is likely to be the most complicated you’ll put together in the whole year. Timing the different elements of a ‘roast dinner’ isn’t easy, especially when you factor in the gargantuan proportions of the poultry and the various ‘trimmings’ demanded by housemates. It would be lovely to now give you a point by point ‘cut out and keep’ timing list for the day but it would involve me specifying your menu, the time you eat and probably the weight of your bird, and ,not being a celebrity chef, I lack the arrogance or audacity to actually pull that off.
So, my biggest piece of advice: the most important thing is not to panic – enjoy yourself! What’s the worst that can happen? Cooking and preparing a meal should be just as fun as eating. Food hits the table a little late? People will simply have slightly sharper appetites when waiting a little and will enjoy their lunch all the more. Most importantly, just make sure you have enough gravy to hide any of your mishaps!
Tradition Mince Pies
350g Plain flour
220g Butter
100g Sugar
280g Mincemeat (can be bought pre-made)
1 Egg (beaten)
Icing sugar for dusting
Cupcake tin
Price for 15: Approx £3.50
Traditionally Christmassy, mince pies are deceptively easy to make and so tasty! Mix together the butter and flour with your hands, slowly adding sugar (and a pinch of salt) and a small amount of the beaten egg until you have a large dough ball. For chocolate mince pies add cocoa powder to the mixing process. Butter a cupcake tin and grab a walnut sized amount of dough and flatten into the cupcake mould to create the base. Spoon in a generous amount of the mincemeat and using a smaller amount of the dough, flatten between your hands and create a lid. Place directly on top of the base and pressing the edges together using your fingers and extra dough if necessary. The pies can then be frozen or you can cook them straight away. Coat the tops with beaten egg and cook in a hot oven for 20 minutes until golden. Once cooled dust with icing sugar and prepare for compliments!
Gingerbread People
350g Self-raising flour/plain flour and one teaspoon bicarbonate soda
175g Sugar (brown sugar helps the golden colour)
100g Butter/Margarine
1 Egg
4 Tablespoons of Golden Syrup
1-2 Teaspoons of Ground Ginger Spice
Icing Sugar and Decorations as required
Price for 15 Gingerbread Men: Approx £3.50
The perfect group activity for Christmassy bonding, Gingerbread Men are incredibly easy to make and the decorating possibilities are endless. Just mix flour and ground ginger into butter with your fingers and add the sugar, egg and golden syrup slowly to the crumbly mixture to form a dough. Coat your surface with a small amount of flour and roll out the mixtureuntil it is 5mm thick. Using knives or pastry cutters create your desired people/objects, placing them on a greased baking tray to cook for 15 minutes on a medium-high heat. When golden brown, allow to cool and then allow your imagination to run wild. Perhaps you can even recreate your flatmates?!
Alcoholic Truffles
150g Dark chocolate (at least 75%)
150ml Thick double cream
25g Unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons of an alcoholic beverage of your choice if making alcoholic truffles (rum works best)
1 Tablespoon Greek Yoghurt
Cocoa powder
Price for Approx 35: Approx £5 (without alcohol)
Homemade truffles can make inexpensive and unique gifts! Simply crush, grate or ideally use a blender to make the chocolate granular, almost the consistency of sugar. Melt butter in a pan, or cheat by using the microwave, with cream and alcohol (if desired) until it simmers. Stir or blend this mixture with the chocolate until smooth, adding yoghurt and mixing again. Transfer the liquid mixture into a bowl or different bowls if you wish to add ginger, spices or flavouring for special gifts. Cover the mixture with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight, solidifying by morning. Take a heaped teaspoon amount and roll it into a ball before covering entirely it with cocoa powder for a smooth finish. Gently place in its paper case for perfect presentation!
The truffles can be frozen but best kept refrigerated before given as a gift.