A Foodie Shares His Christmas Plans

This year I’ll be spending Christmas in Cyprus with my family. It’s where my folks live now so my brother and I visit them there over the break. It’s not particularly hot in Cyprus around December, but it’s a hell of a lot warmer than the UK. One of my favourite traditions is listening to Stevie Nicks’s version of ‘Silent Night’. My old man is obsessed with her and it’s the one song that never fails to make me feel all warm and Christmassy. 

We like to dress down, so I don’t worry too much about my outfit. I’ve never really got the whole ‘let’s dress up’ thing when you’re basically going to spend the entire day eating, drinking and being merry. It’s best to do that with elasticated trousers and clothing you feel comfortable in. I’m a sucker for a fleece, though, so you’ll probably find me decked out in my favourite beige Patagonia number.

Christmas morning starts with smoked salmon, eggs and buck’s fizz. Plus, I like to eat whatever chocolate’s kicking about, of course. For the main meal, Dad is still in charge of the bird, but I’ve managed to take control over the potatoes in recent years. Seeing as everyone loves a roast spud, it’s a pretty important job. I tend to keep things classic with hot vegetable oil, flaky salt, and a few sprigs of rosemary. No need to reinvent the wheel. 

We drink a lot of Cypriot wine on the day. A big, bold red is usually on the cards and I’ve been turned onto Vasilikon Winery’s ‘Methy’ by Dad. Vasilikon is in the nearby city of Paphos that produces some decent bottles using both traditional and non-traditional grapes. Methy is made from cabernet sauvignon grapes, and has a lovely deep red colour and red fruit taste that works well with a decadent Christmas dinner.

I also like to make Nigella’s Coca-Cola ham on the big day which means plenty of leftovers. Because of that, we tend to push the boat out with the dishes we cook post-Christmas during that weird liminal time before New Year. I’m talking turkey and ham risotto, turkey curry, and bubble and squeak. Everything gets thrown into loaded sandwiches with dipping gravy on the side. Boxing Day is all about nursing a hangover and watching Love Actually. 

A Christmas Day walk is another non-negotiable. My folks don’t live far from the Troodos Mountains so we tend to fit in at least one big walk either near the sea or near the mountains. There’s something so special about going into nature and having time where you can forget the internet even exists. 

We can’t make it to the pub in Cyprus, but there are plenty of tavernas. These are small restaurants which don’t really have menus. Instead, they bring out a boatload of food throughout the meal, so we usually go to one of them at least once when I’m in town.