Whats for Christmas dinner?

Zebra???? Well...that should be exciting!

There was much debate in our house about what to have, goose was favourite for a time but we've settled on turkey and the trimmings! It's my first Christmas living in France so I think they're easing me in slowly!

For Yule we had beef though with a Yule Log, cooked by my own fair hands!

A very traditional Christmas here in the Gironde - a Christmas Eve roast gammon with red cabbage and apples braised in cider, lots of seafood for everyone apart from the MIL who's allergic to it, finishing up with good local cheeses and home made walnut bread and chutneys. Traditional again on Christmas day - friends for morning aperos before other friends arrive to help decimate the turkey with all the trimmings, more cheese and a butterscotch banana trifle for those with enough room left.

The fois gras is saved for New Year's eve along with more seafood and a a roast rib of beef.

All washed down with some good Bordeaux, local fizz, port and, of course, baileys.

Have also tried Zebra (in Kenya and SA - can't say I would repeat the process but it wasn't awful!)

Enjoy your Christmas festivities where-ever you are and what-ever you are eating.

After seven very hectic Christmases both here and in England my wife and I are having a very quiet one here on our own. We are having our Christmas dinner in a restaurant in the pretty little village of Saint-Denis-le-Vêtu, just south of Coutances in the Manche. Given the timing we will be back home in plenty of time for the Queen's speech and plenty of tipple without the risk of being caught by the gendamerie and our crackers and christmas cake etc.

Not everyone's idea of a good Christmas but we are looking forward to the peace and quiet.

Have a great Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year everyone.

about a three + hour slog through I can't remember how many courses round at the outlaws' with the whole family "de retour" à la ferme. Followed by hours of indigestion! nibbly bites, seafood, soup, veau d'aveyron from their farm, chicken (their's) with olives, home made foie gras, cheese, various puddings, fruit, coffee and that's just what I can remember, oh yes there'll be a vegetable course as well...

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I am sticking to tradition, well, almost. I need to do two Turkeys due to the "paltry" size of them in France. The only break from tradition is that our French guests insist on Yorkshire puddings. For the starter it's plateau de fruits de mer. Acompanying the Turkey is the usual assortment, Chipolatas wrapped in bacon, roast potatoes, carrot and turnip mash, mushy peas, parsnips and not forgetting the brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce and some sage and onion with sausage meat stuffing and to top it off some chestnuts. Don't think I'll have any room left for pud.

Christmas Eve we are going out for early aperos, followed by a fish feast at home once the kids are in bed.

We start Christmas Day with Eggs Benedict (with smoked salmon instead of ham) and Bucks Fizz and lots of chocolate. For lunch, my OH has capitulated and good old turkey it will be - I'm so excited, it was 2005 the last time we had turkey and even then we didn't get to eat it until several days later due to an emergency hospital dash on Christmas Eve. I tell you, hospital lunch on Christmas Day was rubbish!

We've got homemade Christmas Cake and Christmas Pud, real Brandy Sauce and masses of Mr Kipling Mince Pies which were on offer for 99 cents at Noz.

Then midday on Boxing Day it's round to a British couples house where we are having aperos for 'English speaking' people only. All nationalities invited but everyone has to speak English as it is Boxing Day and most of the French we know are back at work anyway!

We're then having a breather till my birthday on the 29th when we'll have something more exotic to keep us going till the real blowout on New Year's Eve!

I suppose if you put it on the griddleit will turn out stripy :D

Entré will be a paté made of chanterelles and lamb's liver.

Main: A gigot with a good parmigiano crust and lots of rosemary, with sesame sautéed potatoes and a good selection of vegetables (leeks and little carrots if I can get them up on the morning) with some bought ones, baby spinach and sorrel salad plus a rocquet and land cress one for the grown ups who like sharp salads. We have a really nice Bordeaux that has been waiting two years and is now screaming "Open me!"

A selection of cheeses to include Stilton, Gorgonzola, a really good brebi and a gentler one for the girls, plus port for us.

This is a house of dark-chocoholics and a love of almonds to match, so something will be contrived to which whatever the outcome a rich buttery cream can be added.

I used to eat at 'Carnivore' whilst working in Nairobi (believe it is now closed down) and of the many (at that farmed) indigenous species they served I cannot say that zebra was one I chose as a priority. Now give me impala any day!

Bon app'

Entré: Millefeuile of scallops with a sauce Mornay and a salad of caramelized carrot and leek. A well-chilled Riesling to go with that.

Main dish: breast of duck with a stuffing of pistachio, dried apricots, "foie-gras", "pain d'epices" and white porto, with a honey/balsamico sauce. Sidedish: sauteed chanterelles, parma-ham and truffle (from my own garden) accompanied by a red 2005 Chateau La Louvière.

Some good old farm-cheeses, bread and a well-aged Pomerol

Desert: "Boule de neige", a round bal of thin, dark chocolate, filled with a white chocolate-and-pineau mousse and a bit of caramel ice in the center. Ideally accompanied by a champagne or a Sauternes

Hence, I've got my Saturday tasks laid out :-)