After all the Christmases you have been through you must realise by now that Santa may bring you everything else, but he never brings you food. That’s one thing we have to take care of ourselves.
So if, like me, all you can do in the kitchen is boil an egg then you need to keep reading to make this festive season a little different.
Instead of being a couch potato, now you can peel some as well while you watch a few food shows that will teach you how to make simple meals that will impress your guests and turn you into a hero chef.
Take, for instance, Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen (BBC Lifestyle: Channel 180, Monday at 6.30pm). Host Nigella Lawson shows us how to have fun while cooking as she believes if you do not having fun you are doing it wrong. Now I don’t know about you, but the sooner I am done cooking the happier I am, no time for fun and games. Obviously Nigella feels otherwise and through the pages of her numerous Christmas recipes, we see the number of extraordinary things we can make with ordinary ingredients.
She may move on to other subjects, including style and home décor, but the main thrust of the show stays focused on the stove.
From happy eating, we go to hard-core cooking with Gordon Ramsay on Ramsay’s Cookalong: Christmas Special (BBC Lifestyle: Channel 180, Wednesday at 4pm). If you have watched Ramsay before, then you know the man is immensely talented when it comes to cooking.
However, this British chef’s vast culinary knowledge is partnered with his love for crude language, which some people may find offensive.
The good thing about the format of the show, which is a give away just by its title, is that you can cook along with him and learn quickly as opposed to reading from a book.
Have the kids around to taste and see if you are getting it right before you invite any guests over, though.
The third show to look out for is Everyday Italian: Holiday Cookies (Food Network: Channel 185, Wednesday at 1.05pm). Since the theme is Italian, look out for pizzas and pasta, among other delights. There are also creative culinary ideas on sandwiches, tuna and toasted ciabatta. You can’t tell me you are not salivating just by reading this.
So take you pick, see what you can learn and make this Christmas the best yet. These shows start early this month, giving you time to improve your skills by Christmas Eve.
Have fun and happy holidays.