Varuni Perera’s tips make it simple and easy :

Cooking for Christmas a piece of cake

Ruwini Jayawardana

With the Christmas breeze and New Year hopes sweeping in this is not only the time of loving and giving but the time in which you pamper your friends and family with scrumptious festive dishes. Chefs from all parts of the world have devised different cooking techniques and come up with a range of mouth-watering recipes for the season.

Some of these are simple and easy to make within minutes and all you need are some great ingredients, clear instructions and an expert hand at blending to set a table of intoxicating delicacies. Renowned culinary expert Varuni Perera offers you tips for a host of dishes to opt for the best way to warm up your oven with delectable eatables.

“Though some like to go for shades like blue and silver, green and red are the traditionally accepted Christmas colours. The décor and the food need to go along with these colours. We may not have original hollies and poinsettia flowers but the locals are keen to go along with the Christmas cheer and bring the festivity into their home with glittery decorations, Christmas trees, cribs, dry pine flowers, dry ferns, artificial poinsettia flowers and holly leaves.

Christmas cake wrapping is sold at supermarkets and we should choose the colour combination with care so that they suit our colour theme,” Varuni noted.

She says that though Christmas cake is somewhat similar to wedding cake the difference lies in the fact that original Christmas cake comes without almond paste.

“It all comes down to how you prefer to prepare it. Some wish to include the almond paste while others might omit certain ingredients like cashew or brandy. We consider any form of rich cake as Christmas cake so the absence of one or two ingredients does not make it less of a Christmas cake. Many actually serve love cake or fruit cake during yuletide,” she said while adding that many of the cakes are not made according to the expected quality.

“It is better to make normal butter cake and serve your friends rather than attempt to give a low quality cake. You can even serve some juggery cake or fruit cake.”

A lot of oily food and meat products are part of the festive menu. Varuni advises housewives to roast most of the eatables instead of deep frying them.

“The roasted turkey or chicken is the main course. Season it with spices and put it in the oven with a lump of margarine. Try to include red rice and Kola Kanda as part of your daily diet. Breudher or yule logs are part of the morning feast after the church ceremony. Breudher is a form of sweetened bread which is only found during Christmas and is normally consumed with cheese,” she explained.

Focusing on beverages wine takes centre stage during the festive season but Varuni suggests buying some emulsion bottles in a variety of flavours and adding sugar, water and citric acid. We can keep these in the refrigerator and serve them topped with some kasa kasa seeds,” she said.

Cookies, marshmallows, kisses and cake can be seen in most homes, not only in Christian homes, during the season. Varuni says that something other than such stereotype food will bring a refreshing change for visitors.

“Some housewives buy cakes and biscuits from the market and continue to serve them to all who visit their homes throughout the month. Many are fed up of sweetmeats during this time so it would be nice to have something savoury like cutlets, patties or sandwiches on the side for a difference. You can make some patties in advance. Bake them slightly and keep them in the freezer.

Two hours before the guests are expected, take them out of the fridge and bake them till golden brown. You need not fear that they will become spoilt as they are half cooked. The same method can be practised with food like cutlets, rolls and fish fingers,” she explained.

Considering people’s hectic lifestyles Christmas, New Year and the Avurudu season are the only periods that relatives are able to unite and spend some time together.

Therefore Varuni believes that the housewife should take a bit more care in deciding her menu for the season for it is not everyday that she is able to treat her loved ones. “There is immeasurable value in the way you treat them. They would at least praise your cooking with others and you would be a cut above the rest,” she opined.

Frustrated by the fact that most young girls do not possess the flair to cook, Varuni was inspired several years ago to produce simplified and healthy versions of some of the country’s favourite dishes. Along with these she added a few more innovative recipes and

Western dishes to publish her cookbook, Rasin Rasa in 2007. The book became an instant sell-out and many requests had followed for her to get the work republished.

“I aim to write some booklets, each for a special category of dishes. They will include an easy-to-use foray into the flavors, ingredients, techniques, and tips for home-style cooking,” Varuni revealed her hopes for 2010.