Cibo means Christmas to me (although this year it has also come to mean Valentine's Day and Melbourne Cup!) because for many years, through December, the sounds of people making merry would breeze through the Cuisine office upstairs, where I was working. Jeremy Turner sure knows how to throw a lunch, a dinner, a party ... and Kate Fay sure knows how to deliver just the right dishes. Thanks for creating our festive menu, Kate, you have certainly inspired one very tired cook to pick up the pace for Christmas Day.
I will be glazing my ham with rum and pineapple and the duck liver parfait will be served with champagne for elevenses.
The fry-pan chocolate brownie making an appearance on Boxing Day - I'm never really up for dessert on Christmas Day, which is the subject of Peter Gordon's column this week. He has some great ideas for others that prefer to keep the sweet side of things light and optional.
It's foie gras season in Allyson Gofton's French village and she's using it to make, of all things, pizza - foie gras, pear, ginger and fresh mozzarella - oh yum!
But first let's tuck in to Kathy Paterson's Japanese salmon hot pot - spinach, mushrooms, salmon and miso fuelling us for a busy, festive week.