Turkey or goose?
If gastronomy was the point of the festive celebration, turkey might get to make an appearance on our plates more than once a year. Instead, we sit down to heavily laden Desperate Dan-style servings offering a disparate (and unlikely) combination of dishes that is more akin to the buffet at an all-inclusive resort. You have to ask yourself, therefore, if the subtle textures and flavours of goose would sit in this gastronomic free for all. And the answer, if you are honest, would probably be 'no'.
Early or late lunch?
Sticklers who like the turkey sliced on the dot of 1pm ensure that Christmas morning is a mad dash through presents, church and lunch preparations to get there on time. Next, momentum is maintained to ensure the dishwasher is stacked before The King's speech and guests efficiently dispatched before a cup of tea and a slice of Christmas cake. More laid-back types amble through the day to the languid beat of their own drum, with the result that the festive meal tends to be a collective effort served 'some time', rather than the work of some lone soul who is up at dawn to get a head start.
Champagne or non-Champagne?
'When she was good, she was very, very good, but when she was bad, she was horrid' is true not only of the girl with the curl, but all fizz, from Champagne to Prosecco. On the whole, you get what you pay for and, if it's value you are after, head not to northern Italy or Spain, but the Loire Valley or Burgundy, where Crémant de Loire (et Borgougne) is truly the crème de la crème.
Bordeaux, Burgundy or 'something from the southern hemisphere'
Denne historien er fra December 13 - 20, 2023 (Double Issue)-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra December 13 - 20, 2023 (Double Issue)-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
