Advent Stories
A traditional Christmas dinner.
I always look forward to my traditional Christmas dinner. Roast Turkey with all the trimmings. One year an invitation from a couple of friends to celebrate the yuletide cheer. Then the bombshell. They are vegetarians! Oh, for f$£ks sake!
They were not vegans, so I took the positives where I could. I grumbled all the way over in the car. I mumbled along with my usual cliches about nut roasts and green lentils, until I was given one of those looks. You know the one? When you just shut up and fiddle with something inconsequential.
The reception was warm, and their dietary peculiarities had not extended to alcohol. Sat around the table there were wondrous smells coming from the kitchen. In an instant dish after dish appeared.
Stuffed butternut squash with fresh herbs and cinnamon rice. A whole roasted celeriac stuffed with chestnuts, cheese, and apple. It kept coming. Aubergines with feta and pomegranate. Fennel, leek and squash gratin with hazelnuts in tarragon. Little mini mushroom wellingtons. It was the most unexpected and glorious Christmas feast.
The meal had been a triumph. I just had to somehow get that smug ‘I told you so’ look off my wife’s face.
