Please do not limit yourself this time of year or to just this time of year.
If we are going to maintain ourselves we should look to the future, not now. The present is filled with presents, more treats, sweets, meats and feats of culinary largesse please. We should indulge and devour. We should sip and be merry.
We give ourselves a thousand reasons to get in shape and eat well. I would like to study the few ideas against.
Stress is simply too big this time of year, the pressure to enjoy yourself of all things. So do not overthink it. Do not cater for everyone. Just cook for you and your soul. Insert book recommendation here. Actually chicken soup for the soul is a pretty good read.
The ‘science’
Feast and rest. Eating in quantity should raise your blood glucose level which in turn triggers your brain to become less alert. Putting two and two together suggests you should be taking a nap, not doing math. If this isn’t enough for joy then maybe the common science of a chocolate or two should be applied afterward, obviously dark is the way to go though eh.
The things to remember about food this time of year are not recommended for health:
-Fat helps carry good flavours.
-Carbs keep your cholesterol in check and fuel the body.
-Chocolate does make you happy.
-Gluten can create the buttery flaky texture a pastry so desperately needs this time of year.
-Sugar makes things sweet.
Anyway you surely must have your holiday food idea ready by now so it’s the next step of how to prolong the excitement. Draw out your cooking and enlist as few hands to help as you care to deal with. Food tastes fabulously better with wine, so please pour lovingly. I hire only the most nimble footed of cooks in my kitchen as my day is like a dance. Stay bouncy and stay agile, leave if you are not in that mood.
The finest foods of the season for me do not sound like those from a health kick, so I shall push them further. With that in mind we go to the two laziest recipes I could summon for you to help clean up.
Turkey or chicken fat mayonnaise for your ‘leftovers’ sandwiches.
(bacon fat for the bold)
2 yolks
2 tbsp of any vinegar
1 tbsp dijon
good pinch of salt and pepper
Whisk by hand or ideally just start a blender (insert emulsion science here for those in the know)
100g melted (but not hot) fat of your choosing
120g oil of your pleasing (canola is safe, olive must be fresher than you realise)
stream in gently as you continue to whisk or blitz.
Please assemble and eat this sandwich in the style that would most spoil your clothing.
Candy your brandy.
Equal weights Brandy and dried fruit.
half that weight in icing sugar.
Combine and shake or whisk or whatever it is the kids are doing these days.
Leave as long as you please. After a month it is at its pinnacle.
This is a classic altered from a chef much better than myself.