Christmas in New York
1. What is your favourite Christmas food?
My Mum’s macadamia and maple-glazed roasted ham. More specifically the crispy bits on the edges when it’s cooked that we can steal “just to check that it’s cooked right!”
2. What is your favourite Christmas movie?
Home Alone 1 & 2.
3. Your favourite Christmas drink?
Champagne (with orange juice in it for breakfast of course).
4. Your favourite Christmas song?
“Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues, every Christmas!
5. Is there something you love to do every Christmas?
Just always taking the time to relax and enjoy the food and the good company.
6. How do you Deck the Halls? What is your favourite Christmas decoration?
I love lights! Fairy lights in trees everywhere, seeing city streets sparkling at night time, or if I’m at home, just the tree lights on in the evening making the room glow.
7. Do you have any Christmas family traditions?
My new favourite tradition comes from my partner’s family. They have ‘Irish Christmas’ which is a little like Kris-Kringle, but you don’t buy a gift for anyone in particular. All the presents are anonymously wrapped up and placed in a pile, then everyone draws a number and takes turns to either unwrap a gift, or steal a present someone else has already opened that they like the look of! It goes around and around and everyone has a good laugh trying to hide things they like or team up with Grandma to move “less favourable” gifts on…. It sounds a bit mean, but it takes the pressure out of gift giving and makes for such a fun afternoon with the whole family laughing together.
8. Do you have a favourite shop that you visit at Christmas time?
I feel like your reward for getting through Christmas shopping is to get away from the shops for a week or two! So possibly the corner ice-cream shop by the beach? The Myer windows in Melbourne are always my favourite tradition and I love to take time to see them every year.
9. Do you bake at Christmas time? If yes, what are your favourite things to bake? Would you share the recipe?
Yes – my Mum and I have a favourite we have made for every Christmas, birthday or other celebration since I was a child; it’s called the “Chocolate Explosion”.
It involves two sheets of chocolate meringue, layered with chocolate cream and chocolate chips, then a third sheet of meringue broken up covering the top. This is then finished with melted chocolate drizzled all over it to hold the mass together, and at Christmas we sprinkle shiny silver cachous all over and light sparklers in it so it really looks like its exploding!
10. Where will you be spending Christmas this year?
This year I have been in New York working with some amazingly talented Australian musicians over here, so I will be here for Christmas before heading home to Australia for some summer and beach time. It is so beautiful here in New York with all the ice-skating and Christmas lights starting this week. I am so excited at the possibility of my first white Christmas, sledding in the snow in the park and a real Christmas tree!
11.Where does Santa leave presents in your house?
Santa puts all the little things into a stocking by the window or fireplace if we have one, but the big things go under the Christmas tree.
12. What do you leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve?
Cookies and milk – and a carrot for the reindeer.
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