I like Kwanzaa because it's a festival that I know so little about but still so closely connected to Christmas. I use it because I think it's esoteric and makes me sound high-falutin' and a little camp. Also, it's one of my hilarious friend Matt in Melbourne's sayings and I think of him when I use it.

 

This year I spent Christmas with Leon, his mother, her boyfriend and his children at their house in Kensington. A beautiful studio/loft space down a quiet street. Dinner tonight was:

 

Roast turkey

Baked gammon

Roast potatoes

Cauliflower cheese

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Roast parsnip, carrot, pearl onions and garlic

 

A few little modern, decidedly inncer-city London-living tweaks to the whole thing, though. The turkey came pre-steamed, i.e. already cooked and ready for browning in the oven. The brussels sprouts were reheated - but everything else was home made. Michael's daughter took care of the gammon whilst I made the cheese sauce for the cauliflower cheese. A standard roux with grated cheese enhanced with a bit of Marigold vegetable stock. This we poured over steamed broccoli and grilled till the sauce bubbled and blistered. We used goose fat to roast the parboiled potatoes in, which made for the most delicious crispy crunchy spuds with creamy soft centres.

 

After the first installment of Hogfather we had mince pies with ice-cream, cream and brandy butter.

 

The present frenzy this morning culminated in some great presents. Since our disengagement, I've been borrowing Leon's shaver and all his bodyhair trimming apparati. I thought we'd be living together forever, so never bothered to get my own nosehair trimmer, clippers, shaver, etc. It's true intimacy when one shares one's follicular flitches with one's loved one. He doesn't want his manscaping mini-mills to leave the country though. So an electric shaver was a welcome gift. A beautiful aduki bean Mathmos light, pair of brown boots, belt and USB hub to boost my piddly USB 1.x built in sockets.

 

Some others got fried ants and African worms. Leon got some weasel regurgitated tea - I managed to get monkey-picked tea from China. My sister asked if the monkeys used the tea leaves to wipe their bottoms before being made into beverage material.