This year Christmas meant cooking for eight people.
Many of us were away from family this year so I wanted to do
something a bit special for everyone.
It was the first time I had attempted a Christmas meal for
an entire flat. I enlisted the help of my close friend from work, Frances, and
her sister Beth.
The day before the big event, I caught up with a one man
show, Scrooge, at the Handmade Theatre in Leeds. This story is a little cliché by
our cynical modern standards, but once a year you love to suspend disbelief and
buy into a miserly old man receiving visitations from beyond the grave and
changing his ways. I think that without Charles Dickens we wouldn’t have had a
Mike Leigh or a Ken Loach. Alongside going to see the new production of Cinderella
by the Royal Northern Ballet at The Grand, this lifted my Christmas spirits.
Much shopping was to be had at the markets in preparation
for the horde. I went chicken shopping and beef shopping and was surprised at
the lack of free range stuff on the market. I was making roast vegetables,
lemon chicken with stuffing and rosemary, and desserts aplenty courtesy of
Frances. I also picked up some of the Marks and Spencer appetizers on hand – chicken lollipops,
chicken wings and beef mini burgers which were all absolutely delicious.
I got to work that night preparing everything for the
morning, and the next day met Frances and Beth in town. We got the last of the necessities
and settled in to work. Frances turned my cooking apples into awesome apple crumble,
and we unveiled Kristina’s mysterious uncooked chocolate slice.
I’d set up decorations around the house including a
Poundland tree and Christmas balloons, and cleaned the kitchen. Frances and
Beth set up the table with napkins, Ferrero Rocher, Christmas-y biscuits, orange truffles,
chippies and other seasonal fare. By the time it was all done I had half an
hour to get ready, so I chucked the meat in the oven. I emerged 45 minutes
later downstairs to find everyone had arrived, but half the food wasn’t cooked.
It was Rory to the rescue with the carving of the chicken, which I have to say
turned out beautifully. But I hadn’t managed to pull this off yet – the potatoes
weren’t even on! Rory kept me calm as the potatoes and roast veggies went in,
broccoli and beans on the boiler, and the starters hit the oven too.
The roast potatoes and stuffing turned out well. The other
roast veggies could’ve done with another 20mins easy, and the beef was
overcooked, but some seriously good gravy saved it, so I was OK. The Marks and
Spencers appetizers went down a treat. We set everything up in the kitchen and soon
everyone had full plates. I was enlisted to sing opera after our meal and then
we got ready for dessert. We popped a few crackers and had a really great night
laughing and swapping stories.
"A lady of integrity and intelligency…"
There’s been even more touring these last few weeks with me
headed to Shrewsbury for a pre-Christmas concert. Went and sat in the beautiful
Howard Assembly room to watch the orchestra and singers and started welling up
at Good King Wenceslas (one of my favourite carols.) It was going to be a very
strange time so far from home but my friend Rahila from New Zealand had invited
me and several other orphaned kiwis to her place in London for the season. All
these folks were people she’d worked with or lived with in Wellington who
somehow turned up in London.
I stayed a night in Islington at my Spanish friend Cristina’s
house where we had vegetable soup and frozen pizza. The next day I met my kiwi mate Cassie at
Selfridges food hall. When Cris and I set out later that day to the Tube we got
hailed on and saturated. Cris had black mascara all down her face and she had
to go all the way home to get changed (she was on her way to a party.) She pronounced
it “a bad Christmas” for her.
It was so nice for Rahila and fiancé Seb to invite me to
share Christmas. Rahila and I went to the kids or small adults Christmas Eve service
and then we caught up with Michal and Seb at dinner. I am only just getting to
know Michal and Seb, and had my first proper conversations with them. So much
and so many people have happened in Rahila’s life since I’ve been away, and she
really made me feel a part of all that I’ve missed this past weekend.
Seb and Michal are both the recipients of shiny new jobs
which is always a great start to the new year. I’m really not sure when Rah and
Seb will get hitched or where they will live happily ever after but I’m very
excited for them.
Duncan turned up for Christmas, we all exchanged gifts and
cards, he is a good sort. I really like Rahila’s friends. I hope Michal, who was bicycle-mugged (mugged by
people on bicycles) her first week here, finds her way in London’s jungle and
gets that columnist job. Sometimes I wish I was closer geographically speaking,
as these ex-pats had already made plans for New Year’s Eve and had booked
tickets to see world famous actor and director Tommy Wiseau’s live appearance
at a showing of The Room in February.
(The Room is famously (debatably) gloriously the worst and
most unintentionally funny film ever made in history, and enjoys monthly
screenings at cinemas globally where “roomies” congregate to throw spoons and
shout across the dialogue. Uncontrolled chaos or petri dish experiment in
group behaviour? You decide. See the trailer here: http://vimeo.com/66740829.)
Rahila made her magic in the kitchen while I got in the way.
She served up super flavourful chicken with this incredible gravy,
potato and carrot combo going on. Pretty soon the revelers were lost in endless
rounds of charades, riddles, and Home Alone(s) 1 and 2. I think I really nailed
the Seinfeld zombie Kramer door entrance. There was a Michael Jackson dance off
and bad Alanis Morissette impressions. Michal was then crowned Winner of
Christmas 2013 for her rapidfire charade and riddle guessing skills.
Rahila let me stay over an extra night because there were no
trains back to Leeds boxing day. On the way home via St Pancras station I got
to experience what happens when you put a piano in the middle of a busy public
train station – everyone makes music.
This is my stop. Happy trails to you and your 2013 everyone.
See you at the finish line.
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