Christmas is a big deal at the Smos.’ It is all about the food. Not just eating the food but planning what we are going to be eating during the season.
by Leanne Smoliak
Even when our son Nicholas was very young, he loved to participate in the discussions as we went back and forth discussing menus, writing lists, going through back issues of Bon Appetit, Gourmet and Saveur until we had the perfect menu. Nicholas is a physics teacher in London. He loves teaching but his passion is cooking. (To keep his skills honed he works part-time at the Michelin-starred St. John Restaurant in Smithfield.) Now that he is living across the pond the planning hasn’t stopped, it just takes place over Messenger.
Christmas 2022 is shaping up to be an incredibly special holiday. Nicholas, his beautiful girlfriend Lindsey and her mum Marie, are making the jaunt from jolly old England to spend Christmas with us. Marie has never been to Canada, so we are rolling out the red and white carpet.
The theme for the holiday week will be none other than Canada meets Britain. The best of both countries. As much as I would like to be part of the menu planning, I have had little to do with it this year. Listening to Brad and Nicholas planning the menu is hysterical. They discuss food 365 days a year and when they have something to plan, things really ramp up. The two of them talk about the most ridiculous things. They can talk about butter for an hour. Last week it was about bread sauce and the merits of buying fish heads.
We can’t wait for Nicholas to unpack when he arrives. He keeps clothes here so he can fill his suitcase with food and goodies from abroad. Cheese, butter, puddings and of course duty-free Scotch always make an appearance.
I know the gals will have to stand back as Nicholas and Brad take over the kitchen. Pots, pans and pointy things will be flying about. We will happily watch from afar as we sip wine and snack on cheese, pickles, Ukrainian sausage, herring, pâté, headcheese and all the other goodies that are staples in our fridge during the festive season.
I will make one addition to the menu— Port and Stilton soup. I developed this recipe back when I ran the kitchen at Holt Renfrew Café. It’s rich, delicious and very festive.
Port and Stilton Soup
| 3 | lg shallots, fine dice |
| 4T | salted butter |
| 4T | flour |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| ½c | Port (you can use a Ruby Port for this. It does not need to be expensive.) |
| 3c | chicken stock |
| 3c | whipping cream |
| ¼t | cracked black pepper |
| 200g | lg crumbles of stilton |
| 2T | chives chopped very fine |
Sauté shallots in butter until translucent. Add flour, stirring to create roux. Add chicken stock a cup at a time, whisking to ensure no lumps, add port and bay leaf, bring to a simmer. Add whipping cream and cracked black pepper, gently simmer for 30 minutes. Just before serving remove the bay leaf, stir in the Stilton, reserving 2 T of crumbles back.
To serve, pre-heat teacups or small bowls. Pour about 3⁄4 of a cup of the soup into each one and top with a few Stilton crumbles and a few chopped chives.
Makes 8 small, very rich servings.
Rhubarb & Apple Chutney
This recipe makes quite a lot, but it makes a lovely gift to go with charcuterie boards, or dark roast meat. If you are roasting a goose this Christmas, this chutney is the ideal accompaniment. Make this one month in advance of Christmas as the flavours meld and get better over time.
| 10 whole | black peppercorns |
| 10 whole | white peppercorns |
| 10 whole | coriander seeds |
| 3 whole | bay leaf |
| ½ t | celery seeds |
| ¾ t | red pepper flakes |
| ¾ t | fennel seeds |
| ½ t | ground allspice |
| ½ t | ground cloves |
| ½ t | mustard seeds |
| ½ t | salt |
| 3 lbs | apples, peeled, cored, and chopped |
| 1 lb | rhubarb (if you didn’t save any rhubarb, you can add 1 extra lb of apples) |
| 3 lg | onions, chopped |
| 6 cloves | garlic, peeled and smashed |
| 2 lb | tomatoes, chopped |
| 3 lb | raisins |
| 1 lb | dates |
| ½ lb | fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely grated |
| 1 kg | soft brown sugar |
| 1 c | malt vinegar, or to taste |
Put all ingredients in large stainless steel, heavy-bottomed pot. Cook gently, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick. Cook at least 1 hour or until it looks rich, dark and thick. At 45 minutes, taste to adjust sugar and vinegar levels. This can be held in the fridge for up to 2 months in a well-sealed jar or can be processed.