Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2020 i Good Food

There’s much to be grateful for this Christmas. Top of my list is the feedback we’ve had from you, our wonderful BBC Good Food readers. We’ve been in touch with so many of you through our live Q&As, emails you’ve sent, and comments on bbcgoodfood.com. We’ll continue to help you find solutions and offer comfort where we can. We’re here to help you. Earlier this year, we launched the BBC Good Food Together Facebook group, and I’ve been blown away by your brilliant baking creations, marvelled at the cooking tips and caring messages you’ve offered, and loved the unabashed sharing of kitchen triumphs – and disasters! It’s a genuinely spirit-lifting group. And so, the December magazine is filled with positivity: celebrating the fabulous winning recipe in our children’s magical cake…

Meet the Magic Makers competition We awarded 10 money-can’t-buy virtual experiences to our readers in the run-up to Christmas. Here are two of our lucky winners: COCKTAIL MASTERCLASS WITH MIRIAM Sandra learned top tricks for the perfect Christmas tipple from Miriam, our drinks expert. BAKING MASTERCLASS WITH CASSIE Dean learned how to make and ice a Christmas cake. We’re here to help this Christmas Need inspiration for the festive season? We’ve got you covered! Stay tuned across all our channels for more Christmas magic LEARN WITH BBC GOOD FOOD ONLINE We’re making the most of our time at home with a series of fun Christmas webinars. Join our entertaining and informative digital sessions, and get the chance to ask our cookery team any questions you like. bbcgoodfood.com/learnonline CHRISTMAS Q&A SESSION…

ERNESTINA AGYEI of Ghanaian heritage is a food content creator in her spare time. ‘Christmas in a Ghanaian household is filled with food and music. The seasoning process for the meat starts at least two days before so it’s full of flavour. For breakfast, we have apim ampesi (boiled green plantain) with spinach stew or garden eggs stew. For the main meal, we have jollof rice, fried rice, roast guinea fowl, chinchinga (goat and beef meat skewers), kelewele (spiced fried plantain) roast chicken with potatoes, veg and some chilli sauces.’ ALISSA TIMOSHKINA is a food writer, cookery teacher and podcast host, originally from Russia. ‘It’s impossible to talk about Russian Christmas tradition without mentioning the New Year’s Eve celebrations. For most of the 20th century, Christmas was banned as a…

Hop’t hot sauces £5.99 (150ml), hoptsauce.co.uk Give yesterday’s turkey and sprouts a new lease of life or add spice to a Boxing Day brunch with these sauces. Craft beer hops add extra depth to the flavour. Choose from Chipotle Chocolate EKG Stout, Mango Jalapeño Citra-Nelson IPA, or Tropical Habanero Hallertau Lager. Belazu apricot harissa £4.35 (170g), belazu.com Need a break from traditional Christmas flavours? This sweet-and-spicy harissa with apricot is a simple way to shake things up. Use it to marinate lamb chops or other meats, flavour veg and halloumi, or add to kofta, meatballs or even gravy. Cropwell Bishop white stilton £10 (1kg), cropwellbishopstilton.co.uk White stilton is completely different from the better-known blue-veined variety, making it ideal for those who are on the fence about this cheese.…

PINK GIN Marie Jeanne’s Pink Gin Fans of fruity gins will love this one from Lincolnshire-based South Ormsby Estate, named after Marie Jeanne Rapigeon of Versailles, who took charge of the Estate in 1835. Made with strawberries, raspberries and cranberries, it’s complemented by classic botanicals, as well as zesty lime peel, floral hibiscus and a subtle pink peppercorn heat. Great paired with tonic water and a few frozen cranberries. £39 (70cl), 43% ABV, southormsbyestate.co.uk/gin NON-ALCOHOLIC SPIRIT Lyres Coffee Originale This unique non-alcoholic spirit does a seriously impressive job of replicating a coffee liqueur without a drop of booze. It’s rich, sweet and slightly sticky with intense espresso flavour, a light chocolatey smoothness and a prickle of sharpness. It’s delicious simply served over ice as an after-dinner ‘liqueur,’ or…

Prawn, squash & pineapple curry SERVES 8 PREP 25 mins COOK 22 mins EASY * 200g Thai green curry paste 50ml fish sauce 600g butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes 700ml coconut milk 400ml chicken stock 400g pineapple chunks (fresh or from a can) 400g sliced bamboo shoots (available online) 10 lime leaves, torn 600g raw shelled prawns bunch Thai basil or coriander, leaves picked lime wedges and sliced green chillies, to serve (optional) 1 In your largest pan or wok, stir the curry paste and 100ml water for a few mins until fragrant. Add the fish sauce and cook for 1 min more. 2 Stir in the squash, coconut milk and stock, then bring to the boil. Add the pineapple, bamboo shoots and lime leaves, and cook for…

In Praise of Veg – a modern kitchen companion by Alice Zaslavsky (£25, Murdoch Books) This beautifully illustrated cookbook is a celebration of vegetables, with creative recipes such as fennel cacciatore, and advice on how to prep, cook, store and pair different types. Recipes are categorised by colour, from white (cauliflower and garlic) to purple and orange (pumpkin and carrot). Must-try recipe Keralan fried cauliflower with coconut chutney Italy: the World Vegetarian by Christine Smallwood (£20, Bloomsbury Absolute) Food and travel writer Christine Smallwood has written several books about regional gastronomy in Italy. Her latest, part of The World Vegetarian series, is a collection of over 70 veggie-friendly recipes. It covers small plates, larger dishes, and, of course, plenty of pasta. The recipes are easy to…

We like to mix traditional and modern at our Christmas table. Familiar dishes stir memories of past festivities, while a few new twists keeps things interesting. These dishes do all those things. Creole spices and a crispy coating make my prawn cocktail a delight of texture and flavour, while turkey curry is stepped up in my patties (both recipes are on page 50). Just a glimpse of those yellow pastry semicircles – a staple snack in Jamaica – is enough to excite me. Plus, my coconut & mango trifles (p51) combine my favourite tropical flavours with one of my top Christmas desserts. Everyone will love these. Cajun-style prawn cocktail SERVES 4 as a starter PREP 25 mins plus resting COOK 10 mins EASY 225g frozen raw peeled king prawns, defrosted…

Chocolate & peanut butter pavlova All the components in this luscious pavlova work perfectly together; sweet and salty peanuts, crisp meringue and a creamy chocolate crémeux mixed with rich peanut butter cream. It’s a sensory delight. SERVES 10-12 PREP 45 mins plus cooling COOK 1 hr 5 mins MORE EFFORT V For the dark chocolate crémeux 75g whole milk 115ml whipping cream 2 egg yolks, reserving the whites for the meringue (below) 50g caster sugar 150g dark chocolate, finely chopped 60g salted butter, softened For the meringue 3 large egg whites 200g caster sugar 1 tsp white wine vinegar 2 tsp cornflour 50g dark chocolate, melted and cooled For the candied peanuts 100g shelled peanuts, regular or roasted 60g granulated sugar For the peanut butter cream 100g white chocolate, roughly…

For little chefs Little Cooks Co is a monthly subscription-based letterbox recipe kit for kids, with compostable and recyclable packaging. The box is packed with the dry ingredients for kids to bake at home, and monthly recipes range from cookie dough cakes to spiced apple flapjacks. From £8.33, littlecooksco.co.uk. For chocolate lovers No child can resist chocolate, especially when it comes with a toy. Play in Choc offer organic, vegan chocolate wrapped in recyclable packaging, with a 3D cardboard toy to build. Choose from dinosaur or woodland animal selection boxes. From £15.95, playinchoc.com…

Kebabeh degee morgh SERVES 4-6 PREP 10 mins COOK 35 mins EASY 250ml sunflower oil 1kg bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin removed 2 ripe tomatoes 1 tsp each coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds, crushed 1 tsp nigella seeds ½ tbsp grated ginger ½ tbsp grated garlic 2 long red chillies, thinly sliced 130g natural yogurt 6 mini naan breads long green chillies, halved lengthways, and lime cheeks or wedges, to serve 1 Heat the oil in a wok and cook the chicken over a high heat for 10 mins, turning occasionally until golden brown all over. Blitz the tomatoes to a purée in a blender, then tip into the wok with the crushed spices, 1 tbsp salt, the nigella seeds, ginger, garlic, red chillies and yogurt. Stir…

Wine expert Henry Jeffreys, along with the BBC Good Food team, selects all of the wines on offer to BBC Good Food readers. Henry writes about wine for The Guardian and The Spectator, and on his blog, worldofbooze.wordpress.com. He’s also a judge in the Best Drinks Producer category for the BBC Food and Farming Awards. His book, The Home Bar (£25, Jacqui Small), is out now. Roche Lacour Crémant de Limoux Crémant Wine type Crémant de Limoux Characteristics Creamy, ripe peaches, citrus zest Try it with Baked cod with creamy mushroom & leek orzo, p103 Il Cavallino Prosecco Frizzante Prosecco Wine type Italian Prosecco Characteristics Clean and crisp with gentle fizz and stone fruits Try it with Baked vegan cheesecake with raspberry & clementine, p60 Henry’s tasting notes and recipe…

Turkey is my choice for Christmas. Everyone expects people in the food world to be doing goose or a full rib of beef. No, it’s turkey all the way; one that’s been reared for six months and well looked-after. Cook it properly and you get the most delicious flavour, and it’s the best cold meat for Boxing Day, too. It’s just fantastic. Ilove butthere’smuch goose, less meat on it than a turkey. Goose has a huge, hollow cavity in the middle, and the breasts are nothing like that on a turkey. The most amazing thing about turkey is the breast meat – there’s so much of it. There are two ways of carving it off the cooked bird. You can either take each breast completely off the bone and carve…

Nigella Lawson isn’t a trained cook. She creates recipes but thinks as an eater and writes profoundly on the emotional significance of food. Her first book, How to Eat, became the most valuable food guide of the 90s. Now she’s published Cook, Eat, Repeat, which has changed the way I think about cooking again. Her vegan gingerbread recipe on page 136 is, according to my son’s college flatmate, the greatest gingerbread of all time. Due to covid restrictions, Nigella has also taken the photos for this feature. E: Your twelfth cookbook! Why did you write this one? N: The question ‘why?’ can be such an instant drainer of confidence, as there are so many cookbooks out there, and it’s so easy to think of the many reasons why not to.…

Pork Wherever you look in Polish cuisine, there’s pork: sausages like kielbasa, pierogi, smalec (lard), pâtés. We also like hog roasts – they’re cooked overnight in sugar and spirits and set alight. It’s spectacular. Cottage cheese Many people make cottage cheese by hanging milk. It’s eaten hot or cold, at breakfast or lunch, with sour cream, salt, pepper, spring onions and bread or just a spoon. Polish baked cheesecake is made with minced cottage cheese. Krakow-style or Cracovian cheesecake is a perfect example. Kielbasa A traditional pork or beef sausage. The meat is brined, smoked and steamed. You’ll find it in almost every household. Mushrooms In autumn, everyone goes mushroom picking. They’re eaten pickled, fried or minced. Pickling veg – like the three-day-brined cucumbers called ogórki małosolny – is still…

Nigella Lawson Get in the spirit with Nigella, as she chats to Emma Freud (p134) about the season and shares her vegan gingerbread recipe. Melissa Thompson Our columnist brings in the new year with her modern twists on retro favourites, like Cajun-style prawn cocktails (p48). Victoria Moore Need a wine to serve with Christmas lunch? Victoria names her top bottles for toasting, serving and enjoying on page 142. Deano Moncrieffe Use up those bottles at the back of the cupboard with new ideas from specialist drinks consultant Deano (p124).…

HELLO FRESH CHRISTMAS BOX Keen to take the hassle out of Christmas dinner prep? One of the UK’s best-known recipe box services, Hello Fresh, has launched a Christmas Box designed to feed four (for £78.99). It contains turkey and all the trimmings, from pigs in blankets and stu›ing to roast potatoes and more. Plus, there’s an option to add desserts or a Christmas cheese platter. As with all of HelloFresh’s recipe boxes, everything comes pre-portioned (meaning minimal waste), along with step-by-step recipe cards. Order by 13 December to get your box on 22 December. hellofresh.co.uk TOWNSEND CHRISTMAS FEAST BOX When Britain went into lockdown earlier this year, London restaurant Townsend decided to set up a meal-kit delivery service. Following the success of these boxes, Townsend created a Christmas feast box…

When Ian Taverner was diagnosed with chronic fibromyalgia and arthritis, he was forced to give up his work and hobbies, and even family life was a struggle. But taking part in a program run by the Bath Centre for Pain Services sparked his desire to get back to one of his favourite former pastimes – cooking. Now, he’s written a unique cookbook to help other chronic pain and mental health sufferers. ‘I wanted to create a new kind of cookery book that’s been optimised for chronic pain and poor mental health symptoms, such as fatigue and brain fog, to make the barriers to benefiting from cooking therapy as few and easy to navigate as possible,’ says Ian. The book has been designed to reduce anxiety, with a full list of…

Lusciously marbled Japanese wagyu beef is prized by chefs, who charge £100 or more for a single steak in some high-end establishments. Now, you can experience this luxury meat at home, thanks to Worstead Estate in north Norfolk. The estate has reared livestock since the 16th century, and is the first in Norfolk county to rear and sell premium wagyu beef. Boxes range from £60-90, and the family box we sampled was comprised of a topside roasting joint, two fillet steaks, two rib-eye steaks, six burgers and four lesser-known cuts, including back-rib steaks. Editor Keith described these as ‘a flood of sublime-tasting umami on your tongue’. Worstead’s cattle are free to roam the pastures in summer, and when the grass stops growing, are given a feed that includes maltings from…

Study with BBC Good Food experts Barney and Cassie to grow your skills and culinary knowledge. The live virtual classes include pre-recorded video lectures, guides, and a community area where you can chat to your peers and share tips and advice. It’s a step up from simply following recipes – with our online masterclasses, you can get creative with others online while being coached by the pros. Choose Essential Cooking Skills with Cassie Best to learn knife skills, make spice mixes, cook fish and seafood, and improve your bakes. In Make Sourdough at Home with Barney Desmazery master the sourdough basics in your own kitchen. Or, take both courses! Book now for your place in the virtual kitchen learningwithexperts.com/gfcollection1 TERMS & CONDITIONS Our site, learningwithexperts.com, is owned and operated by…

WHAT’S ON TV Nigella Lawson rounds off her Cook, Eat, Repeat series with a Christmas special on BBC Two, and Michel Roux takes First Dates’ Fred Sirieix to Bristol in the first of a new series of Remarkable Places to Eat. As MasterChef: The Professionals reaches its climax, there are two Christmas Celebrity MasterChef specials, where eight celebrities aim to impress Gregg Wallace and John Torode. The ultimate cooking competition, The Great British Menu, also returns with a heart-warming seven-part series to honour Britain’s key workers. Andi Oliver is in charge, along with new judge comedian Kerry Godliman, Matthew Fort and Oliver Peyton, who will pick a six-course menu devised by previous winners. The banquet will then be delivered to groups of key workers in different locations around the country.…

1 ULTIMATE HAM Spiced pomegranate & orange glazed ham A glazed ham is delicious served warm in thin slices alongside the Christmas turkey. This one has a sticky sweet-and-sour glaze, made with sharp pomegranate molasses and brown sugar. Cassie Best SERVES 12-15 PREP 10 mins plus cooling and resting COOK 3 hrs EASY * 1.5-2kg unsmoked boneless tied gammon joint 2 bay leaves, plus extra to serve (optional) 3 star anise 4 whole cloves, plus extra for studding the ham 8 allspice berries 10 whole peppercorns 1 litre pomegranate juice 2 small oranges, 1 halved, 1 sliced, plus 1 tsp juice 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp honey 80g pomegranate seeds, to serve (optional) 1 Put the gammon in a large pan…

Broccoli caesar salad SERVES 4 PREP 5 mins COOK 5 mins EASY Crush 1 small garlic clove with 2 anchovies in oil. Tip into a small bowl and mix with 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, the juice of 1/ 2 lemon, 10g finely grated parmesan and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Cook 300g long-stemmed broccoli in a pan of boiling salted water for 3-4 mins until just tender. Drain. Arrange the broccoli over four plates, then drizzle with the dressing. Crush 2 shop-bought crostini and scatter over the salad, then drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with extra grated parmesan. GOOD TO KNOW vit c • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 201 kcals • fat 19g • saturates 3g • carbs 3g • sugars 2g •…

ESTHER’S CHRISTMAS PUDDING CAKE I often remember my undecorated fruitcake on Christmas Eve. I’m not the best cake decorator, and while it would be fine to serve my cake as is, there’s something special about a festive design. This easy option takes just 30 minutes to construct, and you’re left with a cake disguised as a cute-looking Christmas pudding. It’s simple enough for even the most novice cake decorators. LIBERTY’S CHRISTMAS LIGHTS CAKE For me, fairy lights are a must at Christmas, and my favourite part of decorating the tree (not to mention the rest of the house!). Sugared almonds tend to be more available in stores at this time of year, and also happen to resemble classic fairy lights. This is a simple but effective cake decoration – and…

Leftovers are the exhausted home cook’s best friend. At Christmas, when there’s so much catering to do, they really come into their own. While I’m the first to admit that a Boxing Day turkey sandwich is up there with Christmas lunch itself as one of my favourite meals of the year, I’m always looking for new ways to use up anything that’s left. These recipes will help you make use of pantry ingredients, plus the Christmas leftovers many of us will have lurking around. I tend to go all out for Christmas lunch. I cook turkey once a year, and to mark the occasion, I splurge on a flavourful, slow-grown bird, with all the trimmings. I make a couple of different stuffings – one fennel and sausagemeat, one with watercress…

Teriyaki dip Put 100ml water in a small pan with 1 tbsp light brown soft sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and ½ finger-length piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated. Simmer, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Combine 1 tsp cornflour with 1 tbsp water and quickly whisk into the sauce, then whisk in 2 tsp white wine vinegar. Tip into a bowl. Scatter with 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds just before serving. Sweet curry sauce Mix 5 tbsp sweet chilli sauce with the juice of ½ lime and 1 tsp mild curry powder.…

Creamy carrot soup with garlicky seeded croutons SERVES 4 PREP 5 mins COOK 25 mins EASY V 1½ tbsp oil 1 onion, sliced 1 celery stick, sliced 3 garlic cloves, 2 crushed and 1 left whole 1kg carrots, thinly sliced 1.5 litre hot veg or chicken stock ½ small bunch of thyme 2 thick slices sourdough 1 tbsp mixed seeds 1 tbsp chopped parsley 1 ½ tbsp double cream, plus extra to serve (optional) 1 Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan or casserole pot. Fry the onion and celery gently for 5 mins. Add the crushed garlic and cook for 1 min more. Tip in the carrots, stock and thyme, season, then bring to the boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for 25 mins…

Salmon scramble flatbreads SERVES 2 PREP 20 mins COOK 6 mins EASY For the flatbreads 1 tsp rapeseed oil 90g wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting For the scramble 160g baby spinach 3 large eggs 1 tbsp chopped dill, plus extra to serve 1 tsp rapeseed oil 1 ½ tsp capers, drained and chopped 100g skinless wild salmon, cut into small pieces 1 To make the flatbreads, rub the oil into the flour using your fingers. Stir in 60ml warm water with a cutlery knife, then knead briefly on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cut in half. 2 Roll out each half of dough using a floured rolling pin until very thin (about 21cm in diameter). Heat a non-stick frying pan over a high…

HOW TO cook scallops If you want to serve a fish course this festive season, try British scallops – they’re sustainable, quick to cook and have the wow factor. Here’s how to prepare them 1 Cut larger scallops in half through the middle so you have two neat discs. Season just before cooking. 2 Heat some oil in a frying pan over a high heat. When it’s shimmering, carefully add the scallops around the edge, one at a time, starting at twelve o’clock. 3 Cook for 1 min on each side. By the time the last scallop has been added to the pan, the first one will be ready to turn. Watch our skills videos at bbcgoodfood.com/video We love to see what you’re making, too: share your recipes on…

Moated chopping board Choose a large and reversible moated chopping board to catch the meat juices. It can be turned over to function without the moat. We like the Stellar Kitchen butchers block (£37.05, horwood.co.uk). Knife sharpener Using sharp knives makes prepping ingredients easier and allows for precision. A sharpener that you can use quickly and often is invaluable. We love the AnySharp knife sharpener (£9.99, Lakeland). Hob-friendly roasting tray Whether you’re making a last-minute gravy or you need to heat oil for roast potatoes, a hob-friendly roasting tin cuts down on washing-up. Le Creuset toughened non-stick roaster 35cm (£140, John Lewis & Partners). Thermometer The only way to check you’ve cooked your turkey to perfection is to use a digital cooking probe. One of the easiest and most efficient…

What will you be doing differently this year? I don’t think I’ll have a lot of people around my table. It’s going to be a small-scale Christmas. What you can’t live without during Christmas My children in the house. Is there anything you’re ditching this year? Parties. Your Christmas comforts Wearing pyjamas and slipper socks for days on end. How long do you tend to spend in the kitchen on Christmas Day? I tend to potter about stove-side for most of the day, very happily. Your tip to compensate for a covid-19 Christmas I’m quadrupling the number of fairy lights and candles, and going into full-on festive mode before we even get to December!…

Last year, my holidays were spent fighting the flu and a fever through Christmas Eve and into the big day. After our morning limp from the bed to the sofa, my hubby and I lolled about with tissues and nasal sprays. The Muppet Christmas Carol and Elf on rotation kept spirits up to a point, but medication, minus beer and long-overdue meet-ups with friends and families, equalled peak frustration. If we’re able to gather together this year, there’s the age-old issue of the best libation to offer the designated drivers. But, it may also apply to you or another family member who doesn’t drink alcohol, or prefers a low-alcohol option. My eldest brother, Tony, is usually the one to fetch and drop off my mum and other brother for the…

We asked you... Our BBC Good Food Together Facebook Group shares cooking skills and recipes learned from their grandparents ‘My grandma taught me all her traditional Jewish recipes. My sister made them into a cookery book. I’ve given it to my daughter, so it can be passed down and her recipes won’t be lost.’ Diane Fenton ‘I’m of Russian origin, and Russian grandmas bake a lot, especially bread, sweet buns, biscuits and pies. I will pass this on to my kids.’ Alexandra Chirkova ‘How to make carbonara from my Italian nonna, and how to make ginger nuts from my Yorkshire granny.’ Claire Peveraro-Morris ‘We’re from Yorkshire, so my nana taught me to make Yorkshire puds, of course – no recipe, just always use the same spoon for measuring. I still…

@hayleydaviez Hayley cooked our coconut cashew & butternut squash curry (October issue). @nutritiouslyellie Ellie’s stack of our fudgy ‘brookies’ (November issue) looks seriously good. Nathalie Henderson-Gurrado With an added flourish for her daughter’s birthday Nathalie made our showstopping caramel fault-line cake (November cover star). @sdsnacking Shweta’s gorgeous toffee apple cake (bbcgoodfood. com) is so good, her dog patiently waits for a bite!…

Pastrami-cured salmon SERVES 4-6 PREP 30 mins plus 3 days curing COOK 5 mins MORE EFFORT 800g side of salmon (the freshest you can get) 250g coarse sea salt 100g light brown soft sugar 2 tbsp coriander seeds 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tbsp caraway seeds 1 tbsp black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika ½ tsp cayenne pepper 2 tbsp black treacle To serve soft cheese, rye bread or bagels, dill pickles and chopped dill 1 Three days before you want to serve the salmon, put it, skin-side down, in a rimmed dish. Combine the salt and sugar, then set aside. 2 Fry the coriander seeds, ground coriander, caraway seeds and peppercorns in a small dry frying pan set over a medium heat for 2-3 mins.…

We’d like to say a massive thank you to all the talented entrants who took part in the competition. Here’s a selection of our favourites… AND THE WINNER IS… "We love Jessica’s starry rainbow design and the cute snowman on topCassie Best" Jessica Whitlow, eight years old Congratulations to Jessica, who stunned the judges with her three-tiered cake depicting Santa’s grotto and a sea of multicoloured stars. Judge Juliet Sear baked and decorated the cake following Jessica’s directions, below. What flavour is your cake? It’s in sections. The top is blueberry, the middle is raspberry and the bottom is chocolate. What kind of icing does it have? It has lemon icing. Who will you eat it with? Mum, Dad, my brothers James and George, and my sister Rosie. Congratulations to…

• Amy Geoghegan This year, I’m making lockdown hampers for family – cake, pudding, chutneys, tomato jams, brownies, macarons and homemade sourdough, plus cheese and wine to go with it. • Agneta Rosenson For Scandinavians, food is what makes Christmas special, and we usually stick to the same every year. It makes everything feel normal and comforting. We have pickled herring and a Swedish Christmas smörgåsbord as a starter. As a main, a pork roast with crackling and red cabbage, and for dessert, risalamande (a Danish rice pudding) with cherry sauce. • Emma Berry We’ll go for a vegetarian meal with all the trimmings. I want everything to be as familiar as possible. We’ve had quite enough unexpected twists for one year! • Holly Mariko I’m doing a Christmas wellington again this year. It…

Origins Stilton gets its name from the Cambridgeshire village where it was first sold in the 18th century. It was the first British cheese to be awarded protected designation of origin status (PDO), and only six dairies in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire are licensed to make it, including Colston Bassett, Cropwell Bishop and Long Clawson. Which to choose There are two main types: blue, which has had penicillium roqueforti added to create the characteristic blue veins and sharp acidity, and mellow white (see p19). Break from tradition Pouring port into stilton was traditionally a way of killing maggots in the cheese bell. Refrigeration means we don’t need to worry about that anymore, but it remains a popular pairing at Christmas. For more information, visit stiltoncheese.co.uk/producers…

Peter’s Yard sourdough bites £2 (90g), Waitrose & Partners A nice alternative to crisps, these crunchy sourdough bites come in three flavours, and are great for dunking in hummus and other dips. Ojos Foods premium chorizo de Leon – Geras £11, theojosfoods.com Piquant and smoky, with a wonderfully warm, spicy depth, this premium chorizo is soft enough to snack on (perfect with a hunk of manchego), but also robust enough to cook with. Specially Selected giant Sicilian Nocellara olives £1.59 (150g), Aldi Large, juicy and with a milder flavour than most other olives, these are super-moreish – ideal for serving alongside drinks throughout the holiday season.…

• How to decorate a fault-line cake • Gingerbread two ways • Giant cinnabun • Benjamina’s mince pies PLUS… • Curry turkey patties • Mango & coconut trifles • Pork wellington • Eggnog • Mulled wine Watch our cookery videos at bbcgoodfood.com/videos Watch our cookery videos at bbcgoodfood.com/video We love to see what you’re making, too: share your recipes on our BBC Good Food Together Facebook page and on Instagram #wearebbcgoodfood…

Follow our ham recipe up to step 3, then try an alternative glaze STICKY AND FRAGRANT MARMALADE & GINGER GLAZED HAM Serve this ham with braised red cabbage or jacket potatoes. Warm 150g marmalade in a saucepan with 100g light brown soft sugar, the juice of 2 limes, 2cm piece ginger, peeled and grated, and 2 star anise. Stir until the sugar and marmalade have dissolved. Leave to cool slightly until thickened. Brush this over the ham and stud with 10 star anise. Bake for 30 mins, basting with the glaze a few times as it bakes. RICH AND SPICED MISO GLAZED HAM Miso’s umami flavour works well with ham. Use brown miso instead of white or red. Warm 90g demerara sugar in a saucepan with 50ml cider…

the dilemma I’m on my own for the big day, so I won’t be cooking a whole turkey and all the trimmings. But, I still want to enjoy a special Christmas dinner. the solution There’s no reason to miss out on any of the classic Christmas flavours with this pie. It’s filled with chicken, sausage and cranberry sauce, plus veg sides, all cooked together on one tray. Christmas may not look quite the same this year – there will be fewer festive trips, friends visiting and faces around the dinner table. But that’s not to say we shouldn’t still enjoy ourselves. If you’re spending Christmas alone, take the opportunity to make the day all about you, and choose the food you love. My can’t-live-without-it dish is chicken pie, so that’s…

What the Cluck weeknight ramen Use up veg to create this vibrant dish. If you have sweetcorn, edamame or peas at the back of the freezer, they’re ideal – likewise for any greens. You could also add mushrooms, but fry them first. 1 Cook the noodles following pack instructions, then drain well. Put the stock pot or cube in a pan with 300ml water and bring to a simmer. 2 Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, and fry the What the Cluck chicken-style chunks until browned. Tip onto a plate. Add the remaining oil and fry the ginger and sweetcorn, edamame or peas until the veg starts to take on a bit of colour. Add the greens to the hot stock (if you…

“Add edible silver balls to your biscuits for little baubles” MAKE IT MAGICAL Get crafty Have some fun indoor activities up your sleeve to keep the kids busy on a wintry day Lolly stick snowflakes Help your child glue three lolly sticks into a snowflake shape and leave to dry. Paint the sticks white, then sprinkle over glitter and sequins while the paint is still wet. Once dry, stick a loop of ribbon to the back and hang it on the tree. Jam jar sparkle globes Half-fill a bottle or jam jar with water. Tip in a handful of sparkly eco glitter. Screw the lid on and have your children shake the bottle, unscrew and top up with corn syrup – leave room for air at the top. Screw the…

Three-section buffet warmer Serve up a feast in style with this three-section buffet warmer from Cooks Professional. It can store up to three separate meals at one time, from meat, vegetables and curries, to soups and side dishes. The sections can also be removed, allowing it to transform into a singular, flat hotplate. This versatile all-in-one warmer is a must for feeding family and friends over the festive period, and beyond. HOW TO ORDER To order, call 0844 493 5654** quoting 104967 or visit clifford-james.co.uk/104967…

Singapore-style nyonya curry SERVES 4 PREP 8 mins COOK 1 hr 20 mins EASY 80g nyonya curry paste (available online and at Waitrose & Partners, or see tip, right) 500g bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed 200g potatoes, cut into 3cm cubes 150g carrots, cut into 3cm cubes 1 large onion, roughly chopped 100ml coconut milk cooked rice and naan breads (optional), to serve 1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Put 200ml water and the curry paste in a large ovenproof saucepan. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer over a low heat until the mixture is fragrant. 2 Add the chicken, potatoes, carrots and onion, season and stir well to combine. Turn up the heat to medium and bring to the boil, stir in the coconut milk,…

EXPERT ADVICE FORGOTTEN FAVOURITES We asked specialist drinks consultant Deano Moncrieffe how to breathe new life into bottles of booze that might otherwise be gathering dust. Here’s howhe’dusetheclassics ofushaveathome... many 1 TRIPLE SEC For a light, refreshing serve, combine two parts triple sec with ¼ part lime juice, then top up with soda water. I also add some orange zest to bring out the lovely citrus notes. 2 VERMOUTH Probably one of the most underrated low-alcohol drinks is dry vermouth and tonic. If you have some rosemary, pop it in the glass, too – it highlights the herbal notes in the vermouth. If you prefer a cocktail, make a devil’s own: it’s equal parts vermouth, triple sec and gin, plus a dash of Angostura bitters. Don’t be scared…

Wow. 2020, eh? A global pandemic, a national lockdown, racial injustice under the spotlight more than ever, wildfires and a defining US presidential race. We won’t forget the last 12 months in a hurry. While many of us were served more hardship than in living memory, there were examples of true excellence in difficult times. So I’m shining a spotlight on some of the great things from this year, which gave me hope in humanity at a time when there seemed to be none. Though 2020 will be remembered for its challenges, I want to pay homage to its heroes – the people, the dishes and the movements. 1 The joy of congee Congee intrigued me for years before I finally got to try it. Its understated appearance (in its…