FEW PEOPLE can recall going into the festive season at a time of such doom and gloom. Many of us remember when little treats were much looked forward to — a tangerine, some plasticine, maybe a few balloons or colouring pencils in our stockings.

Roast Goose with potato stuffing is almost my favourite winter meal. However, a word of caution, a goose looks enormous because it has a large carcass.

Christmas Gift Books

Recipe for Roast or Baked Apples

TRY TO snatch a few hours this week to stock up your pantry for Christmas.

Cranberry sauce is also delicious served with roast turkey, game and some rough pâtés and terrines.

Not surprisingly, many people hate Brussels sprouts because invariably they are over cooked.

I love bread sauce but if I hadn’t been reared on it I might never have tried it — the recipe sounds so dull! Serve it with roast chicken, turkey and guinea fowl.

Serves 4 — 6

THE tradition that every member of the Allen household could have a wish that was likely (note, never a firm promise) to come true, was, of course, a ruse to get all the children to help with heavy work of stirring the pudding.