The 1990s comedy series the Royle Family includes a perfect scene in which Barbara says she won’t bother getting a turkey the following year, as nobody actually likes it. Everyone looks horrified. But she’s right. Advocaat, mince pies, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake (especially the marzipan) cranberry sauce, and balls of sausage meat made into stuffing – there is a very good reason why we tend only to eat and drink certain things at Christmas.
Never buy a cheese selection, because among the mediocre bits and pieces, there is bound to be some abomination
That said, I am aware that certain ingredients are staples in some households. Boiled carrots and sprouts, for example, which – for some unknown reason – appear on Sunday lunch menus week in, week out. In my view, vegetables should never see water, other than through the perforations of a steamer.
Chocolate log is perfectly pleasant but should not be bought from a supermarket – make your own mousse from scratch instead.
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