As we approach the festive season, I would like to wish all my online friends and their families a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
I hope you make wonderful memories of good times, good food, and good company.
This month's list includes my predictions for the best television this
Christmas/New Year. Please do let me know if you watch any of the
programmes, what your thoughts are!
Food writing and articles
Christmas food and cooking Q&A from Delia Smith's team: https://www.deliaonline.com/fe
Whole grains can keep you feeling fuller for longer and provide fibre in
your diet. They can also be used to help a healthy diet for those with
high blood pressure: https://www.eatingwell.com/art
Food, cooking, culture and personal history all combine in Jason
Diamond's article on "The Many Garlics of my Childhood" musing on his
American Jewish heritage and beyond: https://tastecooking.com/the-m
Delicious magazine's collection of Christmas gifts for foodies: https://www.deliciousmagazine.
Olive magazine's best food and drink hampers for Christmas: https://www.olivemagazine.com/
Recipes
Jose Pizarro's wintry braised pork belly with spinach and chestnuts is a
nod to his childhood in Spain. I might cheat and buy a pack of cooked
chestnuts to make this a weeknight warmer: https://www.theguardian.com/fo
If you have turkey left over from Christmas, here is a recipe for congee to deal with the leftovers: https://thewoksoflife.com/left
Thrifty air fryer cooking - skin on roast potatoes from tinned: https://archive.ph/EDinL
How to make the perfect ful medames - Felicity Cloake cooks up a number
of recipes for this Middle Eastern classic bean stew to arrive at her
version of perfection: https://www.theguardian.com/fo
Mark Diacono's festive drinks recipes, including a mulled cider and a Christmas negroni:
https://www.theguardian.com/fo
Nasu dengaku by Emiko Davies combines silky aubergine and intensely flavourful sweet miso sauce:
https://theweek.com/culture-li
American food chain Chipotle shares their honey vinaigrette recipe (with a hint of kick!): https://thetakeout.com/chipotl
Podcasts
BBC Sounds has put together a collection of podcasts celebrating the
sadly recently departed Benjamin Zephaniah. The Colin Murray interview
is a treat, as his episode of Colouring In Britain. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/c
Music
Lucinda Chua - Xian
Ezra Collective - Where I'm Meant to Be
Snigdha's 2023 music playlist: here's my selection of songs I've enjoyed
this year. Hope you find something for the heart, the soul, and for
moving your feet. https://youtube.com/playlist?l
What to watch on TV this Christmas
A Ghost Story For Christmas: Lot No.249, BBC2, Christmas Eve, Arthur
Conan Doyle's short story as dramatized by Mark Gatiss. It's going to be
spooky and atmospheric, with stars Kit Harington, Colin Ryan and
Freddie Fox.
Tabby McTat, BBC1, Christmas Day, following on from the brilliant
animation of The Gruffalo comes this new animation of Julia Donaldson
and Axel Schleffer's picture book. With voices from national treasures
Jodie Whittaker and Rob Brydon.
Doctor Who, BBC1, Christmas Day, the 15th Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa (of Sex
Education fame) was introduced to us briefly in the last David Tennant
return story. The Church On Ruby Road will be his first proper story as
the Doctor. Hopefully he will have found some trousers!
Ghosts, BBC1, Christmas Day, our very last visit to Button House will be
emotional. Alison's due date is getting close and she, Mike and the
Ghosts must prepare for a new arrival. This triumph of a sitcom from the
Horrible Histories team will, I hope, be going out on a high.
Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, ITV1, New Year's Day, the always excellent
Toby Jones plays one of the 700 sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted and
sacked by the Post Office as a result of accusations of false accounting
caused by a defective computer system. This scandal is the largest
miscarriage of justice in British legal history.
Please note: as with every monthly Favourites List, all of these items have been selected by me simply because I love them. I do not receive any money, benefits in kind or other incentive for posting these links or recommendations.
