NIGELLA’S 12 STEPS TO
“I love Christmas. For me it’s the true season of home. I relish that sense of cocooning, of taking cosy comfort indoors. And, while I have fairy lights up all year round, at Christmas I truly festoon the place. All is a-twinkle and a-glow, and I take refuge in my kitchen from the frenzied pace of the season. Now, I’m no sentimental fool. I realise that festive frenzy can take hold of us cooks all too easily. Cooking and feeding people gives me a very profound pleasure, but at this time of year we can put unrealistic pressure on ourselves and turn pleasure into panic. Here are a few practised habits, and some new ones, which help get me through Christmas without a dip in my seasonal cheer!”
1 KEEP A PEN AND NOTEPAD IN YOUR KITCHEN
Even if you are not, as I am, an inveterate listmaker, I don’t think you can navigate the season without making lists. You need to know what to shop for and when, note what you’ve bought and stashed in the freezer, and what you’re cooking for which meal. It just makes life easier. I have also digitised my list-making: I set reminders on my phone of when to take food out of the freezer or fridge, when to put the oven on, when to put the food in the oven and so on. It may sound mad but a calm Christmas requires planning.