Introduction

In 1978 Sainsbury’s decided they should start to publish small cookery books to be sold at the check out and asked me to write the first one. As the book would come out in late autumn, the run up to Christmas, and realising that no book on Christmas cooking existed at that time, I suggested Cooking For Christmas. I married into a large clan and had already been ‘doing’ Christmas for ten years. By then I had learnt how to cope with those few days that can seem as intense and complex as a military operation, and found ways to make them the most unifying moments of the year. I had discovered that planning and cooking ahead is the key to avoiding panic and stress, that you must give yourself time to think about the food, that even dishes you repeat each year can be given a new twist to make them even better. So I was glad of the opportunity to spread the word about my variations on a theme. Christmas is a time of heightened emotions that you can channel into your cooking; I believe the best dishes are made with love and that Christmas is an opportunity to make your family and friends feel your love for them, and exclaim that the feast is even more delicious than ever this year.