Christmas Eve is here once again. It hardly feels like a year has passed, yet on reflection a lot has happened. For now, we’re staying firmly in the present on the lead up to the feast.

Every year I go all out for the big day. It’s a great excuse to try things you’ve never tried before, and crack out all of the weird and wonderful special occasion recipes. Out comes the black truffle, the foie gras, the caviar. Most of the time they elicit a, “Oh. That was…fine. I don’t see what all the fuss is about.” Black truffle was one I really enjoyed, but this year we’re taking a more conventional approach. Being busy with work has distracted from my usual prep, and I might only end up making one dessert this year rather than three.

Twas the Night before the Night before Christmas (Tibb’s Eve)

Why buy things when you can do it yourself? That has always been my approach, inherited from my mother many years ago. A desire to pare back until you’re making as many of the component parts of a dish as is practical. For a trifle, you could buy sponge cake and custard, but to elevate the end result you could make these components yourself. I find this a much more gratifying result even if it can be a tad time intensive. It’s a form of self-challenge, too. Knowing that I can do something myself gives me a great deal of satisfaction.

If you’re wondering about the Tibb’s Eve reference, it’s something that was highlighted by a friend recently. In Newfoundland and Labrador they celebrate Tibb’s Eve on the 23rd of December, which is also synonymous with a day that never comes. It’s fascinating how some of these traditions evolve in specific parts of the world.

I revived another personal traditional of watching the Dilbert animated series during this prep period. I first saw it in the mid-2000s as an early teenager and for some reason the white-collar office humour aligned with my sensibilities. I have no idea what that says about my personality. The series’ lampooning of corporate culture is still relevant twenty plus years later. Like many properties, Dilbert has become slightly tainted in light of the views of his creator, Scott Adams. Whether his controversial views reflect genuinely held beliefs or controversy for controversy sake, it raises the ever present issue: can you truly separate art from its creator and enjoy it despite everything else?

It’s Christmas Eve for Certain

Now the real work begins. Most of the preparation for the big day happens on Christmas Eve for us. It’s time to find the fermentation barrel and clean everything down. Time to spatchcock the turkey and make the brine. Prep the vegetables. Batton the hatches. Full steam ahead.

This year the dessert will be a chocolate orange tiramsu trifle from the Tesco Real Food website, and before you ask this one is slightly better researched than some of my previous efforts. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake of trusting an unverified magazine recipe following the Vietnamese-coffee inspired cheesecake from the Tesco magazine that was heavily modified post publication. It seems as though some of these recipes make it to print before being tested which left us with a bizarre mousse/cheesecake hybrid that, while tasting nice, wasn’t exactly as expected. (If you do want to try that cheesecake, there’s a much more functional version of the recipe here)

Cooking has gotten more complicated in the internet age, but I suspect it has gotten better as well. Now you can look at a cookbook and cross-reference it with recipes sites and blogs to put together a functional recipe, rather than being burned by a dodgy book.

Since I’ve been talking a lot about air source heat pumps recently, I thought I better make a seasonal addition. The fan blowing cold air is currently helping to chill the turkey while in the bucket outside. An efficient heating system being used to even greater effect. What more do you want?

I have just finished the sauage meat stuffing with cranberries, chestnuts, and herbs from the garden. I will do some more vegetable prep later tonight, but for now it’s time to sit down and celebrate the occasion.

Merry Christmas everyone, and a Happy New Year!