17
SUNDAY MAIL • December 8, 2013
It’sChristmas
A taste of what the festivities have to offer
The
rules
of Yule
T’S party season, and
as we begin the long,
tipsy, steadily accelerating downhill pinwheel
towards Christmas, I have
become aware of conversations of a certain uniform
tone and timbre taking
place among my friends
and colleagues. Ostensibly
chummy, the chats have
a combative, competitive
edge. These people, you
see, are comparing notes
on soirée survival guides,
drunkenness
disciplines,
canapé regimes. They’re
constructing complex algorithms involving calories,
alcohol units and quantums
of potential shame. They’re
comparing their respective
Rules of Yule and there’s an
element of one-upmanship
involved.
“I’m only allowing myself
two schoolnights out for
parties a week,” says one
colleague. “Me too, and if I
do a third I don’t allow myself to drink,” offers another.
“I’m only drinking if some-
I
Start calorie counting the canapés. The only way to survive the party
season is to stick to the Christmas laws, says Nick Curtis
one else is pouring: I’m not
opening a bottle myself,”
adds a third.
“I’m allowing myself 30
mince pies in the whole of
December, and if I eat them
all in one go, too bad,” says
a fourth, laying a lateralthinking trump card. Which
prompts the second speaker
to raise her game and up the
stakes: she only ever drinks
one glass of mulled wine;
she makes sure she only
goes out in December with
friends who are “in synch”
(ie who also want to be at
home in bed by 10pm); she
tries to “create a varied canapé meal at parties, rather
than standing near the ones
with the highest carb content”; and she forces herself
to drink three pints of water
before bed.
Not everyone’s regime
is so strict. One friend re-
ports that her plans for a
Just-Say-November
dissolved midmonth in a vat of
prosecco. Another, that her
plan for a 5:2 sugar diet was
ruined by a William Curley Advent calendar. Homeopath and entrepreneur
Celia Gray apparently just
keeps Mondays booze-free
in December. (As an aside,
on Miss Piggy’s diet - never
eat more than you can lift,”
jokes Carmel Allen, the stylish and slender brand director of Heal’s, before going on
to detail a stringent regime
that involves porridge, bananas, Itsu Special Salmon,
and alternating each glass
of champagne with mineral
water. It also involves her
‘My Rules of Yule are based on Miss
Piggy’s diet - never eat more than you
can lift’
shouldn’t a homeopath be
able to survive on a mere pipette-droplet of champagne
dissolved in water?)
Others are more rigorous.
“My Rules of Yule are based
young daughter Josephine:
“The best party controller is
childcare.”
One thing unites all those
quoted above - even those
whose identities have been
protected to lessen their
shame when they inevitably
fall off the wagon. They’re
all women. The Yule Rules
of the men I know tend to be
different. My sister Rachel’s
Danish husband Mads says
his Christmas rules are to
resist the pressure to buy
my nieces and nephew evermore expensive gifts, in order to leave more cash for
adult carousing. “No rules
at Christmas, that’s my only
rule,” says Tom Rollett, who
runs sporting collectables
company Exclusive Memorabilia. “Although from December 1, I listen every day
to The Christmas Song by
Nat King Cole.”
John McNally, screenwriter and author of the forthcoming Inﬁnity Drake series
of novels, says his rules are
to buy his kids “at least one
crap electronic gift each
year, not just books and
organic ﬂapjack” and “not
to feel sorry for myself on
Christmas morning when
I don’t get exactly what I
want: I’m 46,” and ﬁnally
“not to covet other people’s
New Year’s ski holidays or
trips to the Maldives”.
Calorie-counting
and
unit monitoring don’t get a
mention, you’ll notice. For
blokes, Christmas is a time
for blowouts and booze-ups
- that’s the point of it. As
the restaurant critic Giles
Coren pointed out, Yuletide
is the only time of the year
you eat roast turkey, mince
pies, Christmas pudding,
etc: so why on earth would
you want to change that?
Similarly, when given a licence to party, you should
embrace it. My own Rule
of Yule? It’s Christmas: it
doesn’t count.
18
December 8, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL
It’sChristmas
Cost of ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ gifts leaps in 2013
BUYING a set of the gifts named
in the classic holiday carol ‘The
Twelve Days of Christmas’ will cost
a true love $27,393 this year, up 7.7
per cent from the 2012 price tag,
according to an annual tongue-incheek analysis released this week.
Prices for most of the items in
the song, including the partridge,
two turtle doves, three French
hens and ﬁve gold rings, remained
steady from last year.
But the cost for 10 lords-a-leaping
jumped 10 per cent to $5,243 and
nine ladies dancing increased by
20 per cent to $7,553, PNC Wealth
Management’s Christmas Price Index showed.
The company said its sources for
calculating the cost of the items
include retailers, the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, the Philadelphia
Dance Company and the Pennsylvania Ballet.
“We were surprised to see such
a large increase from a year ago,
given the overall benign
inﬂation rate in the
United States,” said
Jim Dunigan, man-
The cost for ten lords-a-leaping jumped ten per cent
aging executive for investments
of PNC Wealth Management. “But
the dancers in the index took a
huge leap this yearr to pl
ay catch
play
up from paltry increa
ases the
increases
previous fe
w year
rs.”
few
years.”
The US government’s Consumer
Price Index increased only 1 per
cent for the 12 months through
September.
Year-over-year increases
incr
since
the Christmas Price Index began
ed 2.9 per
in 1984 have averaged
mber as
cent, the same number
ex.
the US inﬂation index.
avings
The only bit of savings
on the carol’s gift list
om
this year comes from
op
a 3.2 per cent drop
rin price for the paree,
tridge’s pear tree,
he
which costs $184, the
company said.
e
The overall price
gincrease is the largn
est since 2010, when
er
the index rose 9.2 per
cent.
Cyber Monday savtmas
ings may save Christmas
y, PNC
days but not money,
nt said.
Wealth Management
Buying one set of the gifts
online would costt almost
$39,763, or $12,300 more than
ses in person.
making the purchases
n a real splurge
True loves intent on
will pay $114,651 in stores for the
364-gift tally that amasses from
ging repetition
the traditional singing
rses the analyof all the carol’s verses,
sis showed.
The partridges
pear tree was the
only item that saw
a saving this year
Soar On Raw: A delicious journey
through world mythology
Sensational handcrafted
rafted
chocolates in Paphos
IF YOU are a chocolate lover, Joulietta’s handcrafted
chocolate shop in Paphos is a
must visit.
Joulietta attended the Barry
Callebaut Chocolate Academy in Belgium and graduated
with honours. She has now
used her expertise to create
a divine range of handcrafted
luxury chocolates with the
ﬂavours of Cyprus.
Her signature chocolate is
uble Delight.
the Cypriot Double
rgamot and
Available in Bergamot
ation comRose, this creation
bines Cypriot Delight with
che base ena smooth, ganache
cased in crisp chocoou a
late to give you
vish
unique and lavish
e.
taste experience.
The Garden of
ge
Cyprus
range
ed
has to be tasted
ed.
to be believed.
It includes Wild Thyme and
Honey, Basil and Orange, Coriander and Lemon, Mint and
Honey, Lavender and Honey,
and Rose. These traditional
herbs are subtly blended with
high quality origin chocolate
and look as amazing as they
taste.
The chocolates are preservative free and use local, natural
ingredients. No-added sugar
chocolates are also available for those
with speciﬁc
health
requirements,
although
you wouldn’t know from the
taste.
These chocolates are beautifully wrapped and make a
perfect, luxury gift suitable
for any occasion. Why not
pamper yourself? Box sizes
include 6, 8, 12, or 16 trufﬂes,
and a luxury assortment in
200g, 300g and 500g boxes.
Come and see the chocolates being made at Joulietta’s Handcrafted Chocolate
an
and Patisserie shop located
b
between the new Lidl and
T
Time Out Kiosk. (Visit www.
jo
joulietta.com to check the
m
map) Enjoy a ﬁlter coffee with
a selection of chocolates or a
d
delicious patisserie.
Call Joulietta on 99 316525,
visit her web site at www.
joulietta.com or like her on
Facebook: jouliettachocolatier
TH BEAUTIFUL book will be adored by lovTHIS
ers of tasty, healthy recipes and is a delicious gift
for the festive season.
W
With 100 fresh, vegetarian recipes - from salads,
sm
smoothies and juices, to main meals, breads,
biscuits and desserts - this book is a must for
anyone seeking to enjoy their food and still lose
weight whilst gaining energy, mental alertness
and a host of other health beneﬁts. Soar On Raw
also offers a weekly menu plan, shopping list and
buffet ideas, including children’s parties.
The other wow factor about the book is that
each recipe has been inspired by a god or goddess from World Mythology so there’s a little
story accompanying each creation alongside the
nutritional beneﬁts. The book has already enjoyed success and since its release in July 2013, it
has featured in newspapers, magazines and very
soon on Cypriot television.
Whether for yourself or for loved one, invite
Zeus’ Cabbagecopia, Pachamama’s Pure Pizza
and Aphrodite’s Sexy Tidings into your life and
discover the divine you!
Soar On Raw can be bought from its ofﬁcial
site www.soaronraw.com and, throughout
the festive season, with every purchase of
the book, customers are gifted with two
handmade Christmas raw chocolate trufﬂes.
The site also provides a list of stockists.
19
SUNDAY MAIL • December 8, 2013
It’sChristmas
20
atasteofChristmas
December 8, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL
It’s Christmas
It’sChristmas
For snacks with
h
a great taste
For over 40 years Snack has been producing
a range of cold meats and deli items
INCE 1976 Snack sausages and meat products have enriched
the tasty choices for
families with savoury and always quality temptations.
Snack meat products are
famous for their delicious
taste, but also for the high
S
standards of quality and hygiene. At all production stages, from the selection of the
purest ingredients, processing, packing to delivery, international certiﬁed quality
management systems (ISO
9001) and hygiene and security of food (HACCP) are im-
plemented.
The primary aim of Snack
meat products was and remains the satisfaction of all
the different needs of their
customers. Thus, the list of
products includes a large
number of different kinds,
such as the traditional Cy-
prus products lountza, hiromeri, Cyprus sausages,
products for sandwiches
such as ham, turkey ﬁllet,
bacon, mortadella and various other specialised products such as Italian coppa,
black forest, pastrami, honey
ham and many others.
In recent years, the company has invested in machines
of the latest technology to
meet its continuously increasing needs in production, but also to secure a
higher quality level in its
products. Furthermore, the
daily control of the manufactured products by the Quality Control Department and
the continuous training of
the staff, guarantee that only
the best products end up in
your plates!
In 2010, Snackfood made a
signiﬁcant step in upgrading
its premises with the construction of a new building
on Pangratiou street in Strovolos industrial area.
The new, modern building
reducing daily salt intake
by adults, many Snack meat
products had their salt content reduced by 10 per cent.
This became possible with
the new pioneering technology Fresher Under Pressure,
that allows SNACK products
is built with high standards
of functionality, safety and
hygiene. A few months later
the company opens its ﬁrst
delicatessen, called Snack
Deli. Snack Deli is a high
standard delicatessen, created exclusively to offer only
the best quality deli products.
In a modern and stylish environment, one can choose
from a wide variety of freshly
cut products or from a selection of packaged goods as
well. There is also the possibility to order unique platters of cold cuts and cheeses
ng guests at home
when having
or during busitings
ness meetings
at the ofﬁce.
Snack
Deli
also offers fresh
sandwichess and
salads
during
lunch time..
In 2011, fole tenlowing the
dencies off contemporary diet
uggests
that
suggests
to retain their freshness for a
longer period of time, without losing any of their wonderful taste!
The new line of Snack prepacked or deli meat products
with 10 per cent less salt is
the best choice for everyone
following a balanced diet.
Enjoy them fresh and delicious, from the moment you
open the package to the very
last slice!
A few months
later the company
opens its first
delicatessen,
called Snack Deli.
Snack Deli is a
high standard
delicatessen,
created exclusively
to offer only the
best quality deli
products
Snack products can be
found in supermarkets,
all over Cyprus
21
SUNDAY MAIL • December 8, 2013
Bargains of all sorts
THE ﬁrst indoor Flea Market of Nicosia is now
a fact. The Flea Market of Nicosia is a place
to buy, sell or exchange new and used goods.
It is located in the SOPAZ area, opposite the
Industrial zone of Nicosia and is open every
weekend between 10am and 7pm. No entrance fee is required, with spacious parking,
kids playground with bouncy castles, besides
a cosy cafeteria, where everyone can take a
break from the “treasure hunting”.
The ﬁnancial crisis is forcing us to change
our habits and look for bargains! Anyone,
consumers, traders and bargain hunters are
looking for opportunities of buying or selling
products at affordable and attractive prices.
There are over 50 exhibitors with a wide variety of products such as antiques, collectibles,
electronics, appliances, household items, toys,
books, furniture, clothes, shoes and many other accessories or gadgets at the Flea Market
of Nicosia.
Exhibitors/traders may be anyone who wishes to sell goods. The exhibitor/trader can rent
his/her own booth (space) for a single day or
for a weekend or for a longer period. Any merchandiser/importer who has old stock in the
warehouse or other citizens who are in possession of objects, appliances and other items in
good condition which are no longer required
have the opportunity to dispose of their goods
at the Flea Market of Nicosia.
Even those who have the talent and the ability to make handmade jewellery, ornaments,
bags, dolls, candles, sweets and other unique
creations now they have the chance to sell
them by setting up their own “shop” within
the spacious Flea Market of Nicosia, at very
low rent cost. Arts and crafts are welcome.
For more details, Tel: 99 678569,
22 432478, ﬂeamarket@sazeides.
com.cy Location address: 2, Yiannis
Koromias in Kaimakli. You can also
ﬁnd us on Facebook.
NOW AVAILABLE
2014 Gift catalogue
la Maison du Vin
chocolates
wine storage cabinets
Limassol: Ayiou Athanasiou 49, Linopetra, 25736220
Nicosia: 37 Kennedy Ave., 22442235
www.LaMaisonDuVin.com.cy
22
December 8, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL
It’s Christmas
A Christmas made easy
at Gina’s Place, Paphos
Fabulous,
festive, feasty
food gift ideas
starting from
€3.50!
GINA’S PLACE Deli-Café,
the well-established food emporium is offering an array of
fresh artisan cheeses, meats
and pates on platters or in
vintage wine box hampers
as all year round gifts for the
more ‘foody-minded’ people.
“These types of gifts make
a fantastic change to M&S
socks and knickers which
most of us (of a certain age),
get for Christmas,” says Gina.
In fact, Gina’s is swamped
with these gift-requests all
the year round as Thank
Yous, birthdays, anniversaries
etc. The discerning younger
clientele are even ordering
bespoke hand made Belgium
chocolates for their teachers.
“In fact we have been accepting credit card telephone
orders from as far away as
South Africa and Singapore,”
says Gina.
Here are just a few of the selections we have created for a
perfect and Happy Christmas.
CHEESE PLEASE PLATTER
COMBO
A selection of soft, hard and
blue cheeses accompanied
with our homemade onion
chutney EUR 13.OO
FRENCH PATE PLATTER
A selection of smooth,
coarse, and terrine pate accompanied with spiced cranberry and apple relish EUR
18.00
INTERNATIONAL
A selection of hams, Cheeses and salamis accompanied
with aged balsamico and
extra virgin olive oil dipping
marinade EUR 16.00
GLUTEN FREE GOODIES
A selection of ‘medically
approved’ gluten, wheat
and lactose free products.
Pasta, crackers biscuits,
fruit cake, sliced bread, loaf
and coffee biscuits EUR 35
.00
‘Cos “I LOVE HIM!”
Porcelain truckle of aged
stilton, late vintage port, assorted biscuits for cheese,
miniature Calvados Xmas
pudding and 65% Costa Rican
chocolate thins EUR 40.00
‘Cos “SHE’S
Half bottle Mandois Champagne, pack of oak-smoked,
sliced Scottish salmon, and a
box of artisan handmade Belgium chocolates EUR 50.00
There are many
choices of bespoke
gifts so call us or pop
in for a coffee.
GINA’S PLACE –
DEDICATED TO
GOOD FOOD!
Christmas Packages
All Inclusive
2 NIGHTS
DOUBLE ROOM
2 ADULTS
3 NIGHTS
DOUBLE ROOM
2 ADULTS
EURO
€320
€420
2 NIGHTS
STUDIO-FAMILY ROOM
2 ADULTS
2 CHILDEN
€450
enjoy our
christmas
creations
3 NIGHTS
STUDIO-FAMILY ROOM
2 ADULTS
2 CHILDREN
€585
New Year Packages
All Inclusive
Sarah Lyne Cake Shop, established since 1982. You can count on us! All
your Christmas needs found under one roof: traditional English moist
and boozy Christmas cake, mouth-watering mince pies, sweet and
savoury cocktail nibbles, Christmas tree pies, mini savoury quiches and
other delectable treats. Make sure you place your order well in advance.
We pride ourselves on unparalleled product quality.
1 NIGHT
DOUBLE ROOM
2 ADULTS
€220
2 NIGHTS
DOUBLE ROOM
2 ADULTS
€360
1 NIGHT
STUDIO FAMILY ROOM
2 ADULTS
2 CHILDRENS
€285
Sarah Lyne Cake Shop, 29C Arch. Kyprianou, Nicosia. Tel. 22514550
Cyprotel Cypria Maris,
P.O.BOX 60456, 08127 Paphos,
Cyprus
Tel: (+357) 26 96 41 11
Fax: (+357) 26 96 41 25
Email: [email protected]
Find us on Facebook
2 NIGHTS
STUDIO-FAMILY ROOM
2 ADULTS
2 CHILDREN
€470
FOR MORE PACKAGES
PLEASE CONTACT
THE HOTEL
23
SUNDAY MAIL • December 8, 2013
It’sChristmas
Celebrate Christmas & the New Year in style at the Almond Tree
restaurant with our special seasonal set menu’s and live music!
A true Mediterranean gem
HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH
OUR CHRISTMAS EVE SET MENU
Lobster Bisque
Beef rolls stuffed with brie cheese on a mixed
green salad with ranch dressing
Fillet steak with red wine honey reduction
& seasonal mediterranean vegetables
OR
Miso Salmon & citrus soy dipping sauce served
with a choice of twice cooked chips or mash potato
Baked cheesecake with a duo of fruit coulis
Petit fours & coffee
START 2014 IN STYLE WITH OUR
€32 per person
SPECIAL NEW YEAR’S EVE SET MENU
Curried coconut & carrot soup
Teriyaki glazed beef over mixed greens with
miso dressing
Fillet steak with tarragon butter & seasonal
mediterranean vegetables
OR
Oven baked five spiced duck breast with
cranberries & port wine jus served with mash potato
Key lime pie with fruit coulis
Petit fours & coffee
€38 per person
PLEASE BOOK EARLY TO
AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT.
NORMAL WINTER MENU
ALSO AVAILABLE.
5, Konstantias Street
Kato Paphos
Tel: 26935529 / 99513863
ALMOND Tree restaurant is not your average
kind of restaurant in Paphos. It’s well loved by
locals, sought out by tourists and always offers something a little bit different, it’s something special.
The restaurant ﬁrst opened in 1995 as a traditional local tavern but the current owner
and Head Chef, Andreas Michaelides, took
over from his mother ﬁve years later when
he returned from Miami University.
Over the years Andreas has developed the
restaurant into the well-loved, ﬁne dining
international restaurant that you see today.
Many of the dishes are inﬂuenced from his
training in Miami and his passion for modern Asian ﬂavours; such as the Key West
Crab Cakes with Thai red coconut curry
sauce or the Asian marinated pork loin with
ﬁve spiced apples.
On the menu there is a variety to choose
from with steaks to seafood and classics with
a modern twist such as the double cut stuffed
pork chop or the miso-marinated salmon. The
restaurant also offers an impressive wine list,
seasonal specials and live music nights.
Almond Tree is a family owned and run restaurant catering towards families serving only
the ﬁnest and freshest local quality ingredients.
If you don’t believe us check the reviews on
Trip Advisor for yourself, a true Mediterranean gem.
This December there are two special evenings planned; on Christmas Eve and New
Year’s Eve. Both evenings include sumptuous
four course set menus ranging from €32pp to
€38pp and live music on New Year’s Eve. The
a la carte winter menu will also be available
so there is plenty to choose from, all you have
to do is book, then relax and enjoy the festivities.
For more information
Tel: 99 513863 or visit
www.facebook.com/almondtree. 5
Konstantias Street, Paphos
24
December 8, 2013 • SUNDAY MAIL
It’sChristmas
Maverick: new
multicolour
style
Dazzle with
fabulous desserts
If you don’t want
Christmas pudding try
one of these instead
White Chocolate Cheesecake
Serves 10
Serve
THE best selling
elling colwiss comlection of Swiss
nox Swiss
pany Victorinox
Army - the Maverick - remains true to its rebellious
nature, and the new models
do not alter the design of
their predecessors but have
been updated with new,
bold colours.
The new timepiece presented at this year’s Baselworld comes in four new versions and in four different
colours: chocolate brown,
green, blue and red and a
harmonious monochrome.
The updated collection of
Maverick, staying true to its
roots, is aimed at men and
women since the frame has
a diameter of 43mm and
34mm and comes with a
stainless st
teel bracesteel
let and tw
wo colours
two
as well as
a
rubber
bracelet. It is abrasion
resistant sapphire crystal
with triple anti-reﬂective
treatment, while the lid is
screwed on.
The unidirectional rotating bezel is made of lacquered steel. The dial has
military time, around the
hour display, and date window at 6. The watch runs
on Swiss Ronda 705 quartz
movement and is water resistant to 100m.
Exclusive distributor
Eurotimer
[email protected]
165g
digestive
biscuits,
crushe
crushed
65g bu
butter, melted
For the
th ﬁlling
6 leaves gelatine
500g half-fat crème fraiche
100g caster sugar
2tsp vanilla extract
100g
white
chocolate,
chopped
250g ricotta cheese
Chocolate curls, gold dragees and edible glitter (optional)
•Mix together the biscuits
and butter and press into
the base of a greased, 18cm
round springform cake tin.
Pop into the freezer while
you make the ﬁlling.
•Soak the gelatine leaves
in cold water until really
soft – around 5 minutes.
Heat the crème fraiche and
sugar really gently in a small
saucepan until the sugar
dissolves. Keep stirring.
Add the softened gelatine
and the vanilla and stir until
the gelatine has dissolved.
Leave it to cool.
•Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of
simmering water. Whizz up
the ricotta in a food processor until smooth and add the
melted chocolate and the
cream mixture. Pour over
the biscuit base and place in
the fridge to set, overnight.
•Carefully remove it from
the tin the next day (a hot
cloth around the edge of the
cake tin will help it to loosen
easily) and place on a cake
stand and decorate.
Raspberry and Muscat
Trifle
Serves 10
300ml fresh cream
300ml milk
1tsp vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks
75g caster sugar
2tbsp cornﬂour
24 sponge ﬁngers
10tbsp Muscat dessert wine
450g raspberries
For the topping
300ml fresh cream
12 pink macaroons
•Place the cream, milk and
vanilla extract in a medium
saucepan and bring almost
to the boil. Place the egg
yolks, sugar and cornﬂour
in a bowl and mix well. Pour
25
SUNDAY MAIL • December 8, 2013
It’sChristmas
Sommeliers’ Christmas crackers
Experts share their tips on how to make Christmas a truly sparkling occasion
ommeliers have to make
suggestions for a living so
what’s one more little suggestion - for instance, to
suggest to you what to drink over
Christmas.
S
on the hot cream, stirring
continuously. Pour back into
the saucepan and cook on a
gentle heat until the custard
has thickened. Do not allow
to boil, or the custard will
split. Strain the custard into
a clean bowl, cover the surface with clingﬁlm and leave
to cool.
•Soak half the sponge ﬁngers in half the dessert wine
until just soft and place in
the bottom of a triﬂe dish.
Scatter over 175g raspberries and pour over the cold
custard. Repeat same procedure with another layer of
sponge ﬁngers and raspberries.
•Lightly whip the cream to
soft peaks and spread over
the top of the triﬂe and chill
for at least 2 hours.
•To serve, place the macaroons around the edge of
the triﬂe dish and pile the
remaining raspberries in the
centre. Serve immediately.
Nutty Meringue Cake
Serves 8
4 egg whites
225g caster sugar
3tbsp ﬁnely chopped pistachios, plus extra to serve
285ml fresh cream
250g chestnut spread
125g berries
Silver dragees
edible silver glitter – optional
•Heat the oven to 140C/gas
•Whisk the egg whites until
stiff, add the sugar, 1tbsp at
a time, until you have a stiff,
glossy meringue.
•Trace out 3 x 20cm circles
on baking parchment, and
stick parchment to 2 baking sheets using a little meringue. Divide the meringue
between the circles, spooning on and levelling with a
spatula. Scatter the pistachios over each meringue
circle. Bake in the oven for 1
hour 30 minutes. Switch off
the oven and leave for a further hour.
•To assemble the cake, whip
the cream until it holds its
shape. Put the chestnut
spread in a small bowl, add
3tbsp of the cream to it, and
mix in. Put the ﬁrst meringue
on a cake stand, add half the
chestnut mix and half the
cream, top with another meringue and repeat and then
add the ﬁnal meringue. Add
a pile of berries, the dragees,
glitter and extra pistachios
and serve.
2007 Marques de Murrieta Ygay
Reserva, Rioja, Spain €25 (Maison
du Vin)
To be enjoyed by: Alissa Gorchinskaja, Head Sommelier Paphos Amathus
Alissa takes to Spain and in particular to Rioja. “I like this wine
because it is a perfect combination
of beautiful deep cherry colour, big
spicy nose, ﬂeshy red fruits, silky
tannins on the palate and long
chocolate ﬁnish. The perfect match
for a lot of Christmas dishes,” says
Alissa.
The legendary Ygay property is located at an altitude of 500m in the
heart of the Rioja Alta. The 2007 is
a blend of Tempranillo and Mazuelo. After fermentation in stainless
steel the wine has been allowed to
age in barrique for 31 months, of
which nearly a third has been spent
in new barrels. It is an excellent vintage borne out by the quality of the
fruit, the pedigree of the aromas and
theength on the palate. Earth, spice
and black cherry dance with dexterity over the palate, and there is great
ﬁnesse and charm on the ﬁnish. Just
starting to drink, good for a decade
or two.
2001 Valdobbiadene Zardetto Prosecco Superiore Brut D.O.C.G Veneto, Italy €14
To be enjoyed by: Vasos Manoli,
Manager/Head Sommelier Risto La
Piazza Paphos
Actually we have two recommendations from Vasos, but ﬁrst the Prosecco - a great deal! Fun and fruity,
a great hostess for the Christmas
party. A blend of 95% Prosecco and
5% Chardonnay, the colour is crystal
clear with a hearty white foam and
ﬁne perlage. Fresh fragrant aromas,
here the fruit tends towards ripe
yellow peaches, white ﬂowers, spices and minerals that add complexity. Delicately soft and harmonious,
this quintessential aperitif wine has
a long ﬁnish, generous and nicely
balanced. Vasos suggests to enjoy
this on the table with the Amuse
Bouche or with canapé with smoked
salmon and Mascarpone cheese. Or
try the Aperol Spritz… simply ﬁll a
glass (highball glass or white wine
glass) 1/4 full with ice cubes (you
want to chill the drink and not water it down). Pour in the Prosecco
and then top with Aperol. Add the
soda water. Stir gently until mixed.
Garnish with an orange slice (either
add slice of orange, twisting to release some juice and placing in the
glass or simply use orange slice as
garnish). Add some physalis fruit in
your plate.
2011 Matua Pinot Noir Marlborough
New Zealand, €16 (La Maison du
Vin)
To be enjoyed by: Stalo Arambatzi,
Head Barwoman and Sommelier,
Four Seasons Hotel, Limassol
Stalo describes her choice perfectly: “Like a good marriage, wine
and food were meant for each other.
Christmas has always been about
creating happy moments with
friends and families and enjoying
traditional foods from around the
world. My choice of wine for this festive season has to be based on good
quality and a budget for each individual. Due to the hard economical
times we have been through this
year this bottle of pinot noir is perfect. The nose has subtle and earthy
scents that burst with aromas of
cherries, dried cranberries and hints
of spices, cinnamon, clove and dark
chocolate. A well structured wine
with velvety tannins that would
complement a traditional Christmas turkey seasoned or wrapped in
pancetta with a beautiful and tasty
wild mushroom stufﬁng. Or perhaps
roe deer with glazed chestnuts and
wild forest berries sauce. The best
things to pair with a Pinot Noir wine
and a good dish are the people that
you love and why not start with a
good wine that matches everybody’s
budget. Merry Christmas.
2008 Ktima Alpha Estates Reserve
Old Vines, Amyndeo, Greece, €25.50
(La Maison du Vin)
To be enjoyed by: George Zaharoglou, F&B/Sommelier, Le Meridien Limassol
“I picked this wine because since
it’s Christmas I would like to recommend a Cypriot or Greek wine that
ﬁts the tradition. It is winter and at
this time we tend to drink more red
wines. Also Xinomavro is a heavy
grape, deﬁnitely perfect with food.
Decanting it is essential. I would
recommend it with roast turkey
stuffed with sun-dried tomato and
wild mushroom This is an excellent
choice, a blend of Syrah, Merlot and
Xinomavro. It has a bright, deep
ruby colour with purple hints. The
bouquet is rich and intricate, earthy
dominated by leather and cherry
brandy aromas, with a peppery and
plumy background. This is a generous wine, full-bodied and chewy,
robust with a velvety taste. Vanilla,
wood, mocha and toffee hints with a
long persistence of aromas
2008 Château Phelan Segur, Saint
Esthéphe, Bordeaux, France €35€45
To be enjoyed by: Iraklis Christophorou, president of Cyprus Sommeliers
Opts for the classic combination of claret and roast turkey and
this should be easily accessible in
most wine shops. This is a classic
Bordeaux with a nose of cassis and
complex ripe fruit, followed by ﬁne
secondary aromas of a smoky note.
Well-balanced and structured, rich
and full bodied with a silky quality
that is very seductive and with ripe
tannins, this wine has an enjoyably
long and elegant ﬁnish.
Commandaria Kyperounda 2004,
€15
To be enjoyed by: Miroslav Kalinic,
Restaurant Manager/Sommelier, Le
Meridien Limassol
A unique single vintage recently
released in the market; a Xynisteri Commandaria from Ayias Mamas matured in oak casks is a balanced wine with intense aromas of
caramel, raisin and ﬁg that shows
the potential of unfortiﬁed Commandaria (13%). I choose this wine
because it is one of the oldest wine
appellations in the world, unfortunately here in Cyprus it is forgotten or more precisely neglected.
Wine with exceptional quality that
is known throughout the world and
mentioned and used as one of the
best dessert wines in the world in
almost every competition, whether
it’s wine evaluation competitions or
the best sommelier competitions.
For the Christmas table it is the
best wine for dessert that usually
consists of Kourabiedes (small almond cakes coated in icing sugar),
my favourite Melomakarona (small
cinnamon and orange ﬂavoured
cakes dipped in honey), lots of different dry fruits and almonds. One
good Commandaria contains in its
inﬁnite ﬂavours all the characteristics of dried fruits and desserts and
therefore I suggest the one made
by Kyperounda winery as a perfect
match.
Penfolds BIN 28 Kalimna Shiraz
2009 from South Australia, €25 (La
Maison du Vin)
To be enjoyed by: Savvas Papathomas, Restaurant Manager/Head
Sommelier, Four Seasons Hotel
Limassol
A well-balanced wine overﬂowing
with black fruits and smooth tannins, a perfect match with Peking
duck wrapped in pancakes with hoi
sin sauce. This exotic Shiraz has a
deep garnet-purple colour, the 2010
Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz presents
lovely, expressive blueberry, black
raspberry and black cherry notes
highlighted by violets, toast, cinnamon stick and a touch of mulberries. Full-bodied and rich, the
concentrated fruit is framed by
medium levels of rounded tannins,
crisp acidity and a long, classicallystyled ﬁnish.
2007 La Crema Pinot Noir, Sonoma
Coast, USA, €27
To be enjoyed by: Vinocultura’s
Managing Director /Sommelier Andreas Kyprianou
“I believe that this is a wine that
can make oenophiles in Cyprus have
an ‘A-ha’ moment for what Pinot
Noir is all about. Enticing with layers
of beautiful aromas of fresh Morello
cherries, violets and black licorice.
Vibrant red plum and cranberry join
in on the palate, with notes of tea
leaves, orange zest and cocoa. Food
Pairing: Ideal with white meats like
roast chicken and pork, but it’s
unique balance of acidity/alcohol/
fruit makes a fantastic pairing with
the sizzling fatty lamb chops (souvla
style) fresh off the grill.
2009 Methy K&K Kathikas Winery,
Pafos G.I. Cyprus, €12
To be enjoyed by: George Kassianos, Cyprus Mail wine writer
The legend continues with its
new vintage, which I must admit
it is one of his best. Vibrant ruby
colour, damsons, blackcurrant
and bright red cherry, spice and
herbal notes on the nose. The
palate highlights the red cherry,
blackcurrant and raspberry components along with notes of spice
and minerality. These characteristics are accented by bright acidity, integrated tannins and structure. The elegant but generous
mouth feel exhibits a rich velvety
texture that coats the mouth and
lingers on to a long layered finish
brilliantly incorporating all of the
p
component
elements.
26
December
Decemb
mber
mb
berr 8,
8, 2013
2013 • SUNDAY MAIL
It’sChristmas
So this is Christmas?
Two thousand miles, ten sisters and four birthdays. For Lucy
Hunter Johnston, every Christmas is a logistical nightmare
and this year is no different. She maps her marathon week in a
bid to spread her cheer evenly
DON’T have anything
against Christmas. I’ve
teared up at all the right
moments in this year’s
festive adverts. In fact, if
it was socially acceptable,
I’d listen to Wham! all year
round, and I actually like eating sprouts. The difﬁculty
is that I come from a rather
large family.
I am one of ten sisters, and
we range in age from 15 to
40; at 25 I am number eight.
Without getting too tangled
up in the back story, my parents had three daughters - of
which I am the middle one before they divorced. A short
while later they both remarried, and in some serendipitous twist, both of their new
partners already had three
daughters from their previous marriages. Then my
mother and stepfather had
another daughter, and… well,
joy of joys, all of a sudden we
found ourselves just one person away from being able to
ﬁeld our own all-girl hockey
team.
For the majority of the year,
I consider my vast family to
be one of the most wonderful things about my life. It’s
complicated, yes, and chaotic, sure, but my sisters are
my gang - my closest friends
who provide endless support
and hilarity, not to mention
a cracking shared wardrobe.
But a supersize family comes
with
supersize
logistical
problems, which are magniﬁed when Christmas rolls
around. There’s a reason the
divorce rate spikes in January but when your family is
already divided, things are
exponentially more difﬁcult.
In an ideal world, my parents
and numerous siblings would
gather in one place for an
idyllic Walton-esque celebration, but the various factions
of divorced families don’t
tend to get on too well. Ours
is no different.
For the past few years my
dad and his stepdaughters
have been based in Hampshire where they do Christmas the traditional English
way - log ﬁres, dusky country
walks and novelty bow ties.
Meanwhile, every December
my mum decamps to her
home in Italy. My ever-patient
stepfather drives, so that she
can load the boot with all the
vital ingredients for a Tus-
I
at’s
salmonella
Kat’s
uck just as we
struck
re heading
were
o the Mointo
ccan Atlas
roccan
Mountains;
d another
and
here at least
where
ur of us had
four
ushes on the
crushes
me boy and
same
ren’t speakweren’t
g by the
ing
me we ﬂew
time
ck home.
back
Pre-Skype,
rememI
tearful
berr
one
calls
phone
on Christmas
morning, and there were
some mega rows over whether the tree should have tinsel
and what time dinner should
be served: my mum’s family
has a formal black-tie do in
the evening, my dad’s lot a
leisurely afternoon feast.
To complicate things further, the Christmas period
is stuffed with family birthdays. Things kick off with my
nephew Will, who this year
will turn six on December 18,
swiftly followed by mine on
the 22nd (our ﬁrst year to-
10.30am, convinced a McChicken sandwich was the
only thing that would cure
my hangover. Warning: never keep a planeload of Italians from their ‘mamma’ at
Christmas.
Now that we’re grown up
we have other considerations
- new partners with new families that need visiting and
new traditions to be assimilated - but this year (deep
breath) we just don’t want
to let anyone down. So we’re
going to try to do the impos-
My mum’s family has a formal black-tie
do in the evening, my dad’s lot a leisurely
afternoon feast
can Christmas: Heinz baked
beans, Nescafé instant coffee,
a whole Stilton and the family
Jack Russell, whom we dress
in a Santa outﬁt. No one does
Christmas as magniﬁcently
as my mum: the stockings
she spends the whole year
curating are the stuff of legend; her parsnips have been
known to inspire spontaneous applause. My two sisters
and I, however, are stuck in
the middle having to choose
which parent we see on the
day and, by horrible extension of logic, which one we
don’t. It’s an impossible and
heart-wrenching choice.
Each year, the protracted
discussion about where we
will spend the following holidays, or what’s come to be
known as ‘The Conversation’, starts on Boxing Day.
“I wonder what we’ll all do
next year,” one of my parents will sigh. My sisters and
I exchange kicks under the
table before someone nobly
steps up to deﬂect conversation with the announcement of plans to drop out
of university, have a baby or
experiment with recreational
drugs. But by June, we’ve
run out of stalling tactics. An
email pings into our inboxes.
Subject: ‘Christmas!!’ ‘Hello
darlings!’ Mum chirrups, ‘I
encourage you to think about
it sooner rather than later!!’
Ignoring the problem only
delays the hurt you inevitably inﬂict on the people you
dearly love, since, even with
the best of intentions and
hours of thought, I have never managed to keep everyone
happy.
When we were children, the
obvious solution was to alternate between households.
With my dad’s immediate
family numbering eight, including six ‘spirited’ girls
with just seven years between
them, he often decided to
plonk us on a plane and take
us on holiday when it was his
turn. This worked with varying degrees of success. There
was the year that 13-year-old
gether, my boyfriend ﬂoated
the idea of getting me a ‘really nice!’ joint present. I ﬂoated the idea of our split right
back at him); another sister
has her birthday on Christmas Eve. Then nine years
ago, we padded downstairs
on Christmas Day morning,
stockings in hand, to hear
that my sister Vicky had just
given birth on the newly carpeted bathroom ﬂoor.
I always celebrate my birthday (‘Luce-mas’) with an
epic party, at least partly in
an attempt to distract myself
from the looming nightmare
Christmas marathon. The
downside is that I invariably
wake up the following morning sweating tequila, with
minutes to panic-pack before hurtling towards whichever parent we are going to
see ﬁrst. I arrive in a messy
heap, while my sisters turn
up glossy-haired and brighteyed, with perfectly assembled capsule wardrobes,
which I then have to raid.
One year the ﬂight to Italy
was delayed because I ran
off the plane just before the
doors closed when I realised
that McDonald’s had started
to serve its lunch menu at
sible: rush around Europe to
see every single person for
one epic week of celebration,
in which we will cover over
2,000 miles by car, plane and
train.
We’ve mapped out our
movements with military precision. We will have my birthday party at home in London
(I will keep it together). The
following morning I will pack
in time, and I will make it
into the car to drive to Herefordshire, where we will see
my boyfriend’s family for a
meal on Christmas Eve. On
Christmas Day itself we will
drive to my dad’s for another
turkey, spend the night there,
and then catch the ﬁrst ﬂight
on Boxing Day to Italy, where
the whole bloomin’ thing will
start again.
We still can’t please everyone. My step-mother’s response, when we told her we
will be spending three hours
of Christmas Day in a car so
we can be there, was “ﬁne”.
It will be a bonkers, alcoholfuelled week and we may not
survive intact. And next year,
we’ve promised ourselves a
Christmas just for us, with a
take-away curry and a good
boxset. Fat chance.
For US stores it is ugly out there in more ways than one
THE 2013 holiday shopping season may end
up being remembered for its ugly sweaters
and, for many retailers, even uglier discounts.
With growing online competition, weak consumer conﬁdence and no fashion must-haves,
most US retailers will have to offer both big
discounts and stellar service to get consumers to spend freely, according to analysts.
“People are being a lot more selective in
where they spend their money,” said Wedbush analyst Gabriella Santaniello.
The battle for the consumer dollar is particularly intense in a year when taxes have
risen, unemployment has remained stubbornly high, and conﬁdence has taken a hit
from the recent government shutdown and
uncertainty over the introduction of Presi-
dent Barack Obama’s healthcare reforms.
Offsetting those negatives has been the
wealth impact of a rise in home prices and a
rallying stock market, although that is more
likely to help the luxury end of retailing.
Most industry forecasts show sales growing
modestly overall, with online retailers taking
a bigger slice of the pie and electronics stealing share from apparel.
ComScore, an analytics ﬁrm, this week
said it expected e-commerce sales, including
those made on mobile devices, to rise 16 per
cent this holiday season.
Santaniello is betting on Urban Outﬁtters
Inc, American Eagle Outﬁtters Inc, and other
purveyors of trendy sweaters featuring cutesy animals, phrases such as “totes amaze”
(slang for totally amazing) in curly cursive,
and “fair isle” patterns.
“This is going to be a Christmas of ugly
sweaters,” she said, eyeing an Urban Outﬁtters tan sweater with a pair of foxes knitted
into the pattern of the garment. “That’s the
hip thing now; bad sweaters are so cool”
among 20- and 30-year olds.
New must-have gadgets such as Sony
Corp’s PlayStation 4, Microsoft Corp’s Xbox
One gaming consoles and Apple Inc’s latest
iPhones and iPads could take a bite out of
other holiday gift purchases and hurt some
apparel chains, according to analysts.
“There’s a limited wallet, and there’s going
to be a lot of competition from outside the
apparel space, which means teens are going
to be spending much less money on clothes,”
said Bridget Weishaar, a retail analyst with
Morningstar.
Wendy Liebmann, CEO of WSL Strategic
Retail, expects teen apparel chains to offer
bigger discounts closer to Christmas because
fashions are “banal” and interchangeable this
year, and their customers have been trained
to wait for the best deals.
At department store chain JC Penney Co
Inc, analysts had mixed views about overstuffed racks of clothing. Some saw them as a
sign of weakness, but others said the company was trying to prove to shoppers that it
had overcome recent troubles that included
under-stocking of some store brands.
“What one may misconstrue as clutter is
merely a strategic effort to meet high customer demand,” said Penney spokeswoman
Daphne Avila.