Christmas 2019

This year we celebrated Christmas at Nick & Renu’s house in London. Rani & I drove down from Harrogate on the 23rd and Dilu, Nadja, Alma & Lottie came over from Germany. It was three days of foodie fun

That evening, Renu cooked sausages in onion sauce and mash with lots of cream and Gruyère. We drank Laurent-Perrier, Ken Forrester’s 2010 Gypsy and 2014 Matetic QC Syrah. It was good to be together again.

Christmas Eve

I walked along buzzing Green Lane to buy sourdough bread, fresh lychees, tangerines, lamb Kofte and Spinach Gozleme from Yasar Halim for lunch. Nick decorated the dinning room, Renu laid the table, Alma and Lottie decorated the Christmas tree and Dilu cooked dinner.

Presents were opened and Alma played the violin.

We ate roast sea bass, grilled aubergines, Chickpea and butternut quash salad and tabbouleh. Cheeses, Christmas cake and fruit followed. We drank Pierre-Gimonnet Special Club 2005, Quinta do Crasto Superior 2015 and Marimar Torres Acero Chardonnay 2013. Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos 2001 was sipped late into the night.

Christmas Day

It was a crisp, sunny morning. Green Lane was quiet and the shops were shut. Breakfast was Christmas Porridge with honey, Chocolate and cranberries, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, toast and kedgeree. We resisted the temptation open more champagne.

Lunch was only Catalan sausage, salad and sourdough bread. Alexa played flamenco in the background. Nick,Renu and Seren drove to Leicester to visit family. Renu emailed: “Forgot to say: the Christmas pudding is in the big cupboard next to the oven and there’s a Yule log as well for non-raisin people! Please eat with the thick cream in fridge. Please make the lebkuchen train as well! Have a lovely day. Frohe Weinachten!!!”

Christmas dinner was rather subdued. We ate home-cooked Confit de Cannard, roast potatoes with harissa, roasted carrots and boiled sprouts and drank Marc Hebrart Premier Cru and La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Seleccion Special 2010. There was no room for Christmas Pudding!

Boxing Day

It was a cold and windy rainy day. Dilu, Nadja and the girls went to lunch at Wagamama and then to the cinema for Star Wars. Nick and Renu drove back from Leicester. It was Nick’s birthday and we all went to the Queens – a lovely old pub at Crouch End, for dinner. I drank Beaverton Gamma Ray American Pale Ale with my fish and chips and steak-eater has Vina Real Crianza 2015.

Back home, Nick’s birthday cake was cut, presents opened and we sat in front of the log fire sipping Hunter’s Pinot Noir 2014 and chatted late in to the night.