It’s beginning to look a lot like…

I think it fair to say that many things have changed over the last year (classic bit of British understatement, there). Given that this blog revolves around food, I’m going to focus on how changing eating habits are clashing with many of our Christmas traditions. Before I go further, let me explain…

As most people do at this time of year we have several traditions involving food and drink, especially from Christmas Eve through to the morning of the 27th. Typically, plans are as follows:

Christmas Eve – lunch of spicy lentil soup and fresh bread, champagne and nibbles with friends and family from 4.00-6.30 (timings strictly adhered to), followed by gammon, dauphinoise potatoes and red cabbage with white and/or red later in the evening. Christmas Day – champagne breakfast with scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and toast. Nibbles around midday with more champagne (when my dad was with us, for champagne substitute mulled wine). Full roast with all the trimmings from about 3.30, followed by mince pies or Christmas pudding with port. Grazing allowed in the evening to suit individual needs! Boxing Day – Christmas cake for breakfast, salads for lunch, bubble and squeak in the evening with cold meats.

All very traditional, all worked out around arrivals of family members, present opening etc. However, the above will need considerable thought this year given the following food requirements/constraints:

The writer her indoors: pescatarian. Child #1: nut allergic (hard shell), lactose free but will eat anything (else). Child #2: vegan. Child #3: pescatarian, gluten free, allergic to garlic and onions. Writer: not a huge fan of fish, but will eat most things. Writer’s mother: will eat most things, but not a fan of ‘that vegetarian muck’ were her words, I believe. Sibling #2: brings own food and only needs access to microwave just prior to eating.

The answer to keeping everyone happy, healthy and in child #1’s case alive is, of course, planning and I’m lucky to have the time to think about it and make it all work. Thus far, we have looked at recipes that mean we can keep the same basic structure both of meals and timings. Christmas cakes have been made – the writer her indoors always does these – one traditional and one vegan. Neither gluten free or nut free, but there will be mince pies for children#1 and #3, with homemade mincemeat, as most commercial ones contain nut traces. Later today I will be making vegetarian gravy for the main event, then freezing it. Salmon will be added to the Christmas Eve menu and the dauphinoise recipe adapted for the lactose free, vegan and garlic allergic children. If I don’t tell my mother about the recipe changes, my guess is that she’ll forget and enjoy anyway….In the past I have used a cashew nut and lentil recipe for a nut roast for the non meat eaters and my challenge this year is to make that vegan as well. I intend to try a vegan carrot lox to sit alongside the smoked salmon… and so it goes on.

I will update you on the levels of success and failure as Christmas approaches. For me all the above isn’t an extra hassle, rather an interesting challenge to make tasty, ‘traditional’ food for all, using a range of old and new ingredients and techniques. And I’m sure that an awful lot of families/venues are managing similar sets of requirements, so my intention is to talk through how manageable it all is!

Eating: Lentil and aubergine stew, recipe adapted from Simple by Ottolenghi. Readers will know that I love me a bit of Yotam, and, as I had several aubergines in the house, I thought I’d give this a go. A lovely midweek meal, warming and very straightforward. I added some fresh red chilli and coriander for garnish (instead of chilli flakes and oregano) and used Greek yoghurt, rather than crème fraîche, as that’s what I had! Served with rice – delicious!

Drinking: A Pinot Gris sourced from Virgin wines – fresh and citrussy but with plenty about it too!

Listening to: Having just finished the BBC series The Outlaws, I have been listening to the playlist from the series. Much of the music is new to me, or not my ‘go to’ genre/band. Current favourites include: Young Dumb & Broke by Khalid and the version of I fought the Law by The Dillingers.