Welcome to The Apéritif! On Fridays I post a round up of what I’ve been thinking, cooking and eating over the past week.
Thoughts this week
I put up my Christmas tree last weekend and it’s the first time I’ve done so in my own place. I always go home to stay with family for Christmas itself, and I suppose I’ve never seen the point investing the time or money in decorating for a short time a place that doesn’t really feel like home anyway (run-down, cockroach-infested rentals are not much improved by a bit of tinsel). But since it’s my first year living in my own place that does feel like home, it finally seemed worth it. I still did it fairly minimally though, making all my own decorations with things like pine cones, ribbons, and dried orange slices, and some good old fashioned gold card and scissors.
In general I’m not into the artificial, commercial aspect of the season, which seems to grow more prominent every year, but I do enjoy the joyful atmosphere that falls every December like a thick mist and casts a warm glow over life. I know not everybody feels it, but I do; something about the fact that it is a time of collective, rather than individual, time off and merrymaking (at least in my part of the world) makes a big difference compared to, say, taking holiday any other time of year. Or at least, the collective pause and the anticipation of it helps me to feel more joyful, more generous, more disposed to wish peace and goodwill to all men than I do at any other time of year.
On the culinary side, I also enjoy the opportunity for seasonal treats not enjoyed at any other time of year. It’s the season of bold flavours: mulling everything, being heavy-handed with the spices; the richness of treacle, brandy, and marzipan reign supreme. I’m looking forward to baking gingerbread and Yule logs, mince pies and chocolate truffles as gifts. Roasting parsnips and Brussels sprouts. Maybe having a marmalade day on one of the quiet days between Christmas and New Year.
I feel I need to pace myself a bit though, otherwise December becomes overindulgent and overwhelming. Traditionally the season of Advent was actually one of fasting and reflection before the feasting of the 12 days of Christmas - there wasn’t this two-month long frenzy of activity and consumption before 25 December that now leaves everyone completely over the whole thing by Boxing Day. I’m taking that older tradition as my inspiration this year: a time of preparation (of food and gifts) and spending quality time with friends and family, but not rampant consumption or over-committing to events. More focused on generosity, goodwill and reflection than on consuming. Or at least, that’s the plan - I’ll let you know how it goes.
What I’ve been cooking and eating this week
‘Meatball’ and mushroom stew with mashed potatoes. The IKEA plant balls are the easiest ‘meatballs’ for me to access where I live - I’d love to make my own from scratch but I’m a lazy cook and I have my limits. I roasted them then added to a rich red wine-based mushroom stew. And as you may have noticed, I’m making mashed potatoes around once a week by this point in the year.
Green smoothies. I love my winter comfort food, but over the past week I’ve also been really craving green, nutrient-dense, vitamin-rich foods - I think my body must just really need it as the temperatures drop and coughs and colds abound. At the moment I’m enjoying a blend of banana, kiwi, spinach, vegan protein powder, non-dairy milk and yoghurt, and ground flax or chia seeds. Sometimes oats and peanut butter too, for additional bulk and heartiness.
Pumpkin + lentil pasta. On the last day of November I roasted up the pumpkin that has decoratively adorned my fireplace since early October, and it felt a bit like cooking the family pet. Nonetheless, it was time to switch up my autumnal decor for Christmas decor, and I didn’t want to waste anything, so it had to become pumpkin purée. I added this to a mix of sautéed onion, garlic, carrot, dried herbs, cooked red lentils, veg stock, tomato paste etc. to make a hearty pasta sauce.
Clementines. Delicious and in season, these make a nice sweet snack.
Raclette. Raclette season is here! A colleague hosted a few of us on Wednesday night and we ate our fill of potatoes, washed down with Savoie wine. I even managed to find vegan cheese that worked well.
" It’s the season of bold flavours: mulling everything, being heavy-handed with the spices; the richness of treacle, brandy, and marzipan reign supreme. I’m looking forward to baking gingerbread and Yule logs, mince pies and chocolate truffles as gifts. Roasting parsnips and Brussels sprouts. Maybe having a marmalade day on one of the quiet days between Christmas and New Year." - oh, I felt the Christmas spirit really coming alive here! Sounds deliciously festive. Also, I'm definitely trying that pumpkin lentil pasta.