0:00:02 > 0:00:03Christmas, we love this time of year.
0:00:03 > 0:00:08Yeah, wrapping presents, decorating the tree and generally making merry.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13And nothing beats a bit of Christmas home cooking shared with
0:00:13 > 0:00:15family and friends.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Delicious festive food for all occasions,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20packed with flavour and full of love.
0:00:20 > 0:00:21Ding-dong merrily on high!
0:00:21 > 0:00:24And we'll be joined by some familiar faces
0:00:24 > 0:00:26to get us all into the festive spirit.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27Oh, my goodness.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29That is preposterously wonderful.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Merry Christmas.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33We'll also find out how to make
0:00:33 > 0:00:36someone's day with delicious home-made
0:00:36 > 0:00:38foodie gifts.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44So, hang up your stockings, tweak your tinsel...
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Turn on your fairy lights and relax.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48BOTH: We're home for Christmas.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Now, while Christmas Day's about
0:01:05 > 0:01:08putting on that festive spread for family and friends,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10the days after should be all about you.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14So hit the sofa and relax with a mince pie and a glass of sherry
0:01:14 > 0:01:17in one hand and the TV remote in the other.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19You see, just because you are stuck to the couch
0:01:19 > 0:01:21with your favourite telly
0:01:21 > 0:01:24and tunes, it doesn't mean that you can't refuel in style.
0:01:25 > 0:01:31So today, we're cooking pici verde with Christmas meatballs and roast tomatoes.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35And a delicious turkey tortilla soup.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Sally Lindsay joins us for some festive fun
0:01:40 > 0:01:42and shares her couch potato secrets.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46I remember as kids, everyone was slightly drunk, all the time,
0:01:46 > 0:01:47constantly just topping up.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49- Tipsy.- Tipsy, that's it.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51- A little bit tipsy.- On Martini rose.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Martini Rosso.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00But first, let's cook our beetroot and goat's cheese risotto with some
0:02:00 > 0:02:02crispy deep-fried kale chips.
0:02:02 > 0:02:03Ooh.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Just cos it's comfort food doesn't mean to say it has to be lazy or
0:02:09 > 0:02:11- too simple, does it?- Or stodgy.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15And, again, it's colourful, it's Christmassy.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18You see, goat's cheese and beetroot, they go together, well,
0:02:18 > 0:02:20- like me and him.- Yeah, you know, like Fred and Ginger.
0:02:20 > 0:02:21Kermit and Miss Piggy.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24- Chocolate and orange. - They were born to be together.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27But when you put it in a risotto, you got that crunch on the top,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30- it's brilliant.- Now, while Dave's doing the beetroot,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34I'm just going to melt some butter and equal amounts of oil into
0:02:34 > 0:02:36the frying pan and saute off some onions.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Now, this is the good bit, this, I put some stock...
0:02:40 > 0:02:42..into my processor.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Now, this is vegetable stock,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46but you could use chicken stock for flavour.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49So put half the beetroot in here, the other half,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53we save and dice to fold into the risotto when it's done.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55And this is just plain boiled beetroot.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Don't use pickled beetroot, it's going to give it a funny taste.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00And it's a much maligned vegetable.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Beets are great.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Another top tip, you see when the butter starts to bubble in the oil,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08that is when you add your onions.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11And we are going to saute those down until they are really soft.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15We don't want any colour on them, we just want them to be translucent,
0:03:15 > 0:03:16unctuous and gorgeous.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Now, we're going to add, as I always do,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22a little bit of salt to bring all of those sweet acids out of the onions.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Now, when you make a risotto,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31you always work from hot stock.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33You add the hot stock to the rice.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36If you keep adding cold stock, it just doesn't work,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39it just goes cold and hot and it never has the right texture,
0:03:39 > 0:03:44so we bring it to a gentle simmer and we add it ladle by ladle, and we
0:03:44 > 0:03:48produce the most wonderful, reddy-pink risotto.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50It's like Christmas risotto.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54You can chop your garlic, but I'm going to grate it
0:03:54 > 0:03:57because I want it to permeate all the way through.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01I think risotto's one of the best couch potato foods.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03It is the sort of food that gives your stomach a cuddle.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04It does.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Right, we add the wine.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Now, we add the wine at this stage.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Get it to bubble and basically,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15you are burning the alcohol off but keeping the flavour, so we want that
0:04:15 > 0:04:17to go until there is virtually no wine left.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19I'm just going to chop through some thyme.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24- Oh, nice.- There we go.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Thyme's quite an earthy herb that goes so well with goat's cheese and
0:04:28 > 0:04:30- the beetroot.- And now for the rice.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36What we need to do is we need to coat that rice, so stir it,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38and it should go slightly glossy.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Risotto is one of my favourite things to cook.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44If you do obey the few basic rules, it makes all the difference.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47So, a ladle at a time, we add the stock.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50And stir it in.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02There. I'll tell you what, mate, the couch potato days for me,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05they are the best days of Christmas.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07You just kind of live on leftovers.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11You cook food that is kind of just for you, not for anybody else, and,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15you know, you have this well-trodden path between couch and kitchen.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Yeah, in your onesie or your jammies, it's great.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19- Do you have a onesie? - I do have one, yeah.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- I do too.- I love it.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23Have you noticed how dry this is?
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Dave's just adding a little bit at a time, because what we want to do,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30we want the rice to absorb all that beautiful, beautiful stock.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36It is lovely to have everybody round for Christmas, friends and family.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38But by 'eck, it's nice when they've gone.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40And you can settle down, can't you?
0:05:40 > 0:05:43What's your favourite telly repeat at Christmas?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45White Christmas. I love it.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47- What's yours?- Morecambe and Wise.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48Oh, of course!
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- Of course. - I remember back in the day,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54I think viewing figures were something literally like half
0:05:54 > 0:05:57the population of the country watched the Morecambe and Wise shows
0:05:57 > 0:05:59and I don't think they've aged at all.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00Oh, they are absolutely superb.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03That's the last of your stock.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05That should be enough.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07If it's a bit dry, just put some boiling water in,
0:06:07 > 0:06:08but that's spot on.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10I'm just going to put some more butter in
0:06:10 > 0:06:13and I'm just going to put this beetroot...
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Just fork this through so you don't break up the rice grains too much.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24I'm going to do some crispy kale, like kale chips,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26to serve on top of the risotto.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27Now, watch this, it's great.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29BUBBLING AND CRACKLING
0:06:33 > 0:06:37They take about 30 seconds to cook and about three-and-a-half hours
0:06:37 > 0:06:40to clean your kitchen. And I've got my Christmas waistcoat on,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42that's why I'm stepping back.
0:06:42 > 0:06:43I don't want to get grease on this.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44Let's go for a big one.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52That's what you call a Christmas cracker.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55What we're doing is we're folding the goat's cheese in.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58OK? We're there.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59Perfect.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03It's a comfy big bowl of food.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07- Look at that.- Lovely, mate, lovely.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- Beautiful. Sea salt.- Black pepper.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17I love the contrast with the texture of the risotto
0:07:17 > 0:07:19and then the fab crisps.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20Oh, it's good, innit?
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Love it.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- Perfect.- It is lovely, isn't it?
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Shall we go and take this and have a sit down before the next bit?
0:07:28 > 0:07:29- Yeah.- Because we can.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Beetroot and goat's cheese risotto with deep-fried kale crisps.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Perfect for a lazy Christmas afternoon on the sofa.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Christmas is all about sharing.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Food, memories and, of course, presents.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56And if you're stuck for that perfect gift,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00food blogger Eshe Brown has a delicious home-made idea
0:08:00 > 0:08:03which is ideal to share with your fellow couch potato.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Today, I'm going to be making hot chocolate spoons.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14So it's melted chocolate in a mould with a spoon pushed into it and then
0:08:14 > 0:08:18it's set, so the idea is you just drop the spoon into the mug
0:08:18 > 0:08:21and you stir it and the chocolate melts into the milk
0:08:21 > 0:08:23and you have a really rich hot chocolate drink.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26They are a lovely gift to give and they are really easy
0:08:26 > 0:08:27to make as well.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35You can go all out with the type of chocolate you buy.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37You can get a really expensive chocolate
0:08:37 > 0:08:39or a very luxurious chocolate.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Here we go. Oh, yeah.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42It's very good now, very velvety.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49I absolutely love chocolate.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Every dessert I have, it has chocolate in.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53It makes me so happy.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55It's just thick and velvety
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and quite hard to not stick my finger in and have
0:08:58 > 0:08:59a little taste.
0:09:02 > 0:09:03Really good.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07And when it's slightly set,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09you can put little decorative spoons in there.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11They are also nice gifts if they are silver-plated.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15You can pop into charity shops, car boots, junk shops
0:09:15 > 0:09:16is the best place to get them.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21The technique with this is to make sure it goes all the way down
0:09:21 > 0:09:24to the bottom, give it a little wiggle
0:09:24 > 0:09:26and hold it, and it stands.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Yeah, you've got something you can remember that someone gave you when
0:09:30 > 0:09:33you use that spoon again, you can remember it was a lovely gift
0:09:33 > 0:09:35that you gave and they look really pretty as well.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37And once that's done,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40give them another five minutes and then you can top them
0:09:40 > 0:09:42with sprinkles, or nuts.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47It's a little bit messy, but it's fun.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Pop them in the fridge and then, yeah, just leave them to set.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55They are really easy to pull out of the moulds after that.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Give them five minutes to sort of come to room temperature and then
0:09:58 > 0:10:00they'll slide out really easily.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04And they just make a beautiful gift to give and my friends all love them
0:10:04 > 0:10:06as well, I give them to them at Christmas.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08So I definitely recommend giving it a go.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21We've got a great guest today.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22It's the fabulous Sally Lindsay.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Sal in the house.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Thank you very much for coming round to our house...
0:10:27 > 0:10:30- It's beautiful.- It's our comfy house and it's comfy food.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33It's one of those days in between Christmas and New Year
0:10:33 > 0:10:36where you just want to cuddle up on the sofa and it's a bit raining
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- and cold outside.- And nobody really knows where to go or what to do.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Yeah. Well, what we're going to do is cook some dishes for those days.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47- Fabulous.- Is it those sort of days at Christmas, or is it, like,
0:10:47 > 0:10:48the day itself that you prefer?
0:10:48 > 0:10:51I think because I've got seven-year-old twin boys,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55it's Christmas Eve for me, because you're sort of reliving it again.
0:10:55 > 0:10:56The sense of anticipation is fab.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59I think I've only sort of got a few years left of that,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02so it is like magic for us, so we do make a big, big old deal of that,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I've got to say. But, yeah, I do love those bits in between,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07because of the kids, really.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Well, we started thinking about food and what we're going to cook for you
0:11:10 > 0:11:13first, it's a pici verde, a big hand-rolled sausage pasta.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17All it is basically is washed spinach and flour.
0:11:17 > 0:11:18That's it, no eggs.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21- And Mr King...- I've got something for you here, Sal.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26- I can't wait.- Paprika meatballs - a hot, sweet paprika, smoked,
0:11:26 > 0:11:30and then just a beautiful, sweet, smoked paprika.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32- Oh, it's going to be great. - Yeah, that sounds fantastic.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35- Shall we get on?- Yes, please. - First, I've got to make the pasta.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36Pack the spinach in here.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Just flour and spinach?
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- Oh, yes.- I'm absolutely aghast at that,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43because I absolutely love spinach and try and get it in everything.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47- Do you? Good lass.- Yes, my doctor said because of the cholesterol,
0:11:47 > 0:11:48which is an amazing thing,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51spinach is a thing that brings your cholesterol down.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55When I was a kid, I used to watch Popeye and made my mum go out and
0:11:55 > 0:11:57buy cans of spinach and I kept thinking,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59"Ooh, this is filthy,"
0:11:59 > 0:12:01but I'm still eating it.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02Like this, going...
0:12:03 > 0:12:05- I know.- Bing.- Bing!
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Well, this is an homage to spinach.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08Put the flour in.
0:12:11 > 0:12:12Wow.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17I'd never have put those two ingredients together, ever.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Well, you know you get lasagne verde, that's all it is.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24Of course. Oh, right, of course, never thought of that.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27- That's where the green comes from. - Oh, I'm an idiot.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Very festive colour.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33Have a feel.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37And that's it?
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- I think that's all right, you know. - It's-a perfect.- I don't want it too...
0:12:40 > 0:12:41It's-a perfect, innit?
0:12:41 > 0:12:43So I want to pop that into the fridge, just to rest.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45So what's Christmas like in your house, Sally?
0:12:45 > 0:12:47It's very exciting, actually.
0:12:47 > 0:12:48We're going out this year.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51- Are you?- I cooked last year and it was like, 17 people came to the house.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53I haven't even got a table big enough,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55so we sort of did a Christmas buffet last year
0:12:55 > 0:12:58and there was a bit of that, in the corner, when everybody
0:12:58 > 0:13:02is trying to eat dinner. Christmas Eve, we always sit down and watch A Christmas Carol,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04absolutely standard. The day before, we watch Elf.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06That's brilliant, that. Do you get dressed up?
0:13:06 > 0:13:07We all wear elf hats...
0:13:07 > 0:13:08No.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11You nearly had us there, Sally.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13I was thinking, "Yeah, that's great, what a good idea."
0:13:13 > 0:13:15And what are the little traditions that you keep,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17that you maintain with the kids?
0:13:17 > 0:13:18Always have stockings,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21but it's really funny because I used to have stockings at the bottom of
0:13:21 > 0:13:24my bed, and it was my dad's work stockings, it wasn't like...
0:13:24 > 0:13:27They've got really glamorous ones now, but my dad was a flagger.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31For posh people, that's people who lay stones in the road.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35POSH ACCENT: In the road, where other people walk on.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38He was a flagger and he had these really massive work socks,
0:13:38 > 0:13:39so that is what I used to have.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42So I said to the boys, "Shall I leave your stockings at the end
0:13:42 > 0:13:46"of the bed?" And he went, "Oh, no, I don't want him coming in my room.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49"Put them downstairs in the fireplace."
0:13:49 > 0:13:51And I went, "All right, then."
0:13:52 > 0:13:55So, they are very funny, very cute, yeah.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58What we're going to do, we're going to do some of these
0:13:58 > 0:14:00fantastic paprika meatballs.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02- Really looking forward to these. - So what we have got is
0:14:02 > 0:14:05got some beef and some pork, and we're going to mix that together.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08- Oh, right.- Slightly different flavours, but slightly different textures
0:14:08 > 0:14:10as well, because the grains of the meat are different and the pork,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13it's not too fatty but it will just keep the beef really,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16really nice and moist during the cooking process.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18- That's interesting. - So what we're going to do,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21we're just going to put our sweet, smoked paprika in.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23So, that's the one that's not too hot?
0:14:23 > 0:14:29Yes. And then we've got some smoked, sweet, hot paprika and some oregano.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- Good old oregano.- You cannot whack a bit of oregano.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35I've had oregano in my cupboard for about 20 years.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37- It won't be any good, Sally. - And I keep buying it.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40- It'll be sawdust.- Got to clear it out, it's ridiculous.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42And then breadcrumbs give it...
0:14:43 > 0:14:45..a great texture.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47And a bounce on the mouth and, again,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- it keeps all of that moisture in those meatballs.- OK.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51So what I've done here,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54I've sweated down some onion and some garlic
0:14:54 > 0:14:57in a little bit of olive oil and let that go cool.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58So that's got to be cool?
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Yes, it has to be cool.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01An egg.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04And then, basically, and it's great for the kids, this,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08you just get stuck in and make sure that it's as mixed as it possibly
0:15:08 > 0:15:10- can be.- Shall I chop you some parsley for those?
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Would you mind? Thank you.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Then we're going to season with salt and pepper.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16And then some creme fraiche.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Oh, now, that's interesting.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23Rich balls. These are going to be the best Christmas baubles you've
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- ever tasted.- It's Christmas, it's a little bit indulgent, it's lovely.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Comfort food, isn't it?
0:15:28 > 0:15:31- It is.- Here you are, mate. - Thanks, mate.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36Beautiful. So, Sally, what's your favourite couch potato night?
0:15:36 > 0:15:39You know what, I love doing my ironing
0:15:39 > 0:15:43in front of some really rubbish sort of American formulaic
0:15:43 > 0:15:47police nonsense that you could literally write
0:15:47 > 0:15:49yourself, because they're all the same.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51- Brilliant.- I always used to do my ironing in front of
0:15:51 > 0:15:53- Saturday Kitchen. - Saturday Kitchen's good.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58DIY SOS, I love that, because I like a good cry.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00- Gets it all out. - I know, it goes, it does.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03I don't watch it any more, because I go...
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- I like a good cry.- But you've got something great on Boxing Day that
0:16:06 > 0:16:09the whole nation can couch potato in front of, haven't you?
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Yes, I have, Still Open All Hours, which is our fourth series.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- Brilliant.- So it's the Christmas special, Boxing Day,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18all the favourite characters are in.
0:16:18 > 0:16:19It's a really interesting programme,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22because it has really worked as a reboot, you know,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24and I think obviously that is down to David,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27but it's interesting that me and Johnny Vegas are, like,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30the juvenile leads, because we are the youngest.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33So it's brilliant... Apart from James, who plays Leroy.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35So this is my dough, that's been rested.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Now, this is a great one to do with the kids.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40No pasta machine involved.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Clean hands, flour...
0:16:44 > 0:16:46- They would love this. - And you take...
0:16:47 > 0:16:51..about a grape sized-bit, bit bigger than a marble,
0:16:51 > 0:16:52roll in your hands,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54go like that, make a little sausage.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58And start rolling it out. I always put, like,
0:16:58 > 0:16:59Dean Martin's greatest hits -
0:16:59 > 0:17:02it's always a bit of Italian when I'm doing pasta.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04You know,... # When the moon hits your eye... #
0:17:04 > 0:17:08My boys can sing that. They love a bit of Dean Martin, my kids.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10They're very eclectic in their music tastes.
0:17:11 > 0:17:12Justin Bieber and Dean Martin.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Oh, flipping Nora, you were doing so well.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- I know.- And do you get them involved in Christmas?
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Yeah, food, decorations, they love it.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23When they're gone to bed, obviously, I do the tree again,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25because it's just a mess, like someone has just chucked
0:17:25 > 0:17:26all the baubles on it.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28But I let them do it, you know.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- And it's all on one side. - On one side or that high,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33because they're only that big.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Have you had the argument, you know,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38when they've come in from school and it's always that season when they
0:17:38 > 0:17:42- come in from school and they've all made fairies?- Yes.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Well, as the kids get older, you'll be able to have the argument that happens in
0:17:45 > 0:17:48our house every year, still to this day, me eldest son is 28,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50James is 25 and Dale's 17,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53and they go, "Where's the fairy I made at school?"
0:17:53 > 0:17:55I say, "It was year six!"
0:17:55 > 0:17:59"Well, where is it? It's my turn to have the fairy on the top of the tree!" You go, "For God's...
0:17:59 > 0:18:01"Will you get over it?"
0:18:02 > 0:18:05"You're a doctor of physics, can you get over it?"
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Can you just not mention the flaming fairy?!
0:18:08 > 0:18:09Must have been great having twins,
0:18:09 > 0:18:13because obviously their discovery and awareness of Christmas would
0:18:13 > 0:18:15- have been at the same time. - It's beautiful.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18And do they kind of wind each other up with excitement?
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Oh, well, I've got a trick, you see.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25You know the alarm flashing thing in the corner of your house?
0:18:25 > 0:18:26- Yes.- So,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30when it gets to about October and Christmas comes about and we start
0:18:30 > 0:18:31chatting, if the alarm goes off, I go,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34"That's Father Christmas watching from Lapland,
0:18:34 > 0:18:35"I hope you're being a good boy."
0:18:35 > 0:18:37And it works like a treat.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39You know what, that is sheer and utter genius.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41I know. Thank you.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43There you go, you can have that one, parents.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Well, it is, he's looking at them and just checking that they are
0:18:46 > 0:18:48being good boys. That's it, you see.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49- It works for me.- Absolutely.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Do you have any guilty Christmas snacks?
0:18:52 > 0:18:54What's the thing that you'll savage?
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Mince pies, I adore.
0:18:56 > 0:18:57I love mince pies.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01My gran used to make them in, like, in industrial numbers
0:19:01 > 0:19:02when I was a kid.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04We used to just have boxes of Tupperware full of mince pies.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06"Go on, take that to your Auntie Winnie."
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Do you know what I did once with this?
0:19:08 > 0:19:10I rolled it out, but I made one piece
0:19:10 > 0:19:13that was about a metre-and-a-half long.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16And there was somebody coming to dinner that was always a bit pompous,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19so I put it in carefully, like a cobra,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22so, they're winding it up and I knew,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24and I told everyone one else that they just had
0:19:24 > 0:19:26this metre-and-a-half-long piece of pasta.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28On the fork...
0:19:28 > 0:19:29Yeah, it was great.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31There was plenty of jumper at the end of it.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37What we are going to do, because we're going to put these tomatoes in
0:19:37 > 0:19:38at the same time.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40If you halve them for us, Kingy, that'd be brilliant.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42I'll just chop the garlic.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45So just a load of oil, tomatoes, garlic...
0:19:45 > 0:19:50- Thyme.- And thyme.- You can fry your meatballs all the way through and
0:19:50 > 0:19:52cook them, you can fry them a bit then put them in the oven,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55but we're just going to put these in the oven, shall we?
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Yeah, let's do that. And, honestly, they will colour up just as nice.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01And there's going to be juice from the tomatoes with the olive oil and
0:20:01 > 0:20:03the thyme. There's going to be juice from the meatballs.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05- That's your pasta sauce. - Let's get them in.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08200 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12You know what it is time for now, David?
0:20:12 > 0:20:14I think it's time for a cup of tea.
0:20:14 > 0:20:15- Exactly.- Pasta can look after itself.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17- Ooh, nice.- Let's get a brew on.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32So, Sally, what was the first job that you wanted to do when you were little?
0:20:32 > 0:20:35What was it? What ideas did you have?
0:20:35 > 0:20:39It wasn't... I didn't want to be an actress or anything.
0:20:39 > 0:20:45I wanted to be the curtain buyer for a well-known high-street store.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47- Curtains?- That sells curtains.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49- Yes.- Pull yourself together!
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Hey, hey!
0:20:51 > 0:20:55My mum had a mate who worked in the textile industry and I just thought
0:20:55 > 0:20:58it was so glamorous, because she flew everywhere round the world
0:20:58 > 0:21:00looking at material. And I thought...
0:21:00 > 0:21:02And my gran was a seamstress.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07And I thought, "What a wonderful existence to fly around the world looking at gorgeous material."
0:21:07 > 0:21:10So when I was very little, that's what I wanted to do!
0:21:10 > 0:21:12How bizarre.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14- What happened then?- Bizarre.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Then I got a big thing about going to university,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19cos there's not many people have been to university in our family.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20- Right.- So I wanted to go to university.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22I was quite good at English.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24And my brother did as well.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26And then my mum decided to go back to university.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28So all three of us were at university at the same time.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32I was at Hull, and my brother was at Sheffield, and my mum was at
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Huddersfield, and when we got sort of any money,
0:21:34 > 0:21:39we used to send money round, like a tenner, cos everybody was so skint.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42But then what happened, the acting thing,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46it was the second to last term of my last year
0:21:46 > 0:21:48and there was a fella in the drama society,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51he was a lovely mate called Charlie, Charlie Pickerell.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53I remember him, he was such a nice fella.
0:21:53 > 0:21:54Dead, dead posh. And he went,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57"Somebody's dropped out of the play, Sally, could you possibly fill in?
0:21:57 > 0:22:00"You know, bit of a laugh, aren't you?"
0:22:00 > 0:22:02And I was like, "Well, yeah, that sounds like a laugh."
0:22:02 > 0:22:05And it was just fantastic, cos I went to all the rehearsals,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09I just saw this sort of amazing thing come together,
0:22:09 > 0:22:11it was like a non-aggressive sport, really.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13- Yeah.- And I just thought, "God,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16"all these people are just fighting for the same thing."
0:22:16 > 0:22:17And I got the bug then.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20And I auditioned for the next play and I got the lead part.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Ooh, that caused ruffles.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23- Ruffles?- Ruffles.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Ooh, ructions in the university.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29I mean, to be fair, I wasn't that great at the time,
0:22:29 > 0:22:30but I sort of knew I had something.
0:22:30 > 0:22:31And then that was it.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33I went for it, I got the bug.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36And that was... Got my first job when I was 24,
0:22:36 > 0:22:37that was 20 years ago now.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Wow. Dave and I have got a pressie for you.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Thank you. Ooh!
0:22:42 > 0:22:43What's this now?
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Very well wrapped, boys.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52SHE LAUGHS
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- I see!- It's a sort of gold record.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03I tell you what, took us ages to find that spray.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Well, now, so, the story behind this,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08There's No One Quite Like Grandma,
0:23:08 > 0:23:13so, I had a Christmas number one in 1980 when I was seven,
0:23:13 > 0:23:14with the St Winifred's School Choir,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17and called There's No One Quite Like Grandma.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19That is some going, isn't it, really?
0:23:19 > 0:23:20- It's brilliant!- I was seven.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23It annoyed every single adult, I think, in the world.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25- Yeah.- Apart from if you were a grandma.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26Every kid bought it.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Sally, what was it like, that Christmas?
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- Oh, yeah.- So you had this huge success, what was all...
0:23:32 > 0:23:34- How did that work?- Well,
0:23:34 > 0:23:38cos you're little and because I'm from such a down-to-earth,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42working-class family, I wasn't really allowed to have any sort of
0:23:42 > 0:23:44airs and graces about me or the kids...
0:23:45 > 0:23:47It became normal.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51That sounds weird, but choir practice in Strawberry Studios became normal.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54I think I was too young to sort of really appreciate it.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57- Yes.- When I look back, I think, "Actually, good grief,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59"that was pretty amazing." Yeah, it was like, whatever.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01My grandma got one, she liked it.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02She got her single.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05One of the kids that used to live next door goes,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07"What am I going to do? I haven't got a grandma."
0:24:07 > 0:24:09I goes, "Well, buy it for your auntie."
0:24:09 > 0:24:12And he goes, "I know, but it's not the same, Kingy, man,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14"it's not the same. I haven't got a grandma!"
0:24:14 > 0:24:16I'll never forget that.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18- It was massive, wasn't it? - It was huge.- It was huge.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- Everybody, everybody.- I know.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22Brilliant marketing, isn't it?
0:24:22 > 0:24:27- Can you smell?- That's the smell of meatballs and tomatoes roasting.
0:24:27 > 0:24:28- Oh!- Should we?
0:24:28 > 0:24:30- I think we should. - I think we should.
0:24:30 > 0:24:31- It's imminent. - I'll get the pasta on.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33I'll get the meatballs out.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41Oh, they ain't dry!
0:24:41 > 0:24:43That's what we're after.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45That's what you want. Oh, they're gorgeous.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48I'll take this one and then I'll get the tomatoes out as well.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52- Oh, look!- Look, lovely little confits of cherry tomatoes.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53Beautiful.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Squish them onto the pasta.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Talking of pasta, you want to put your pasta into boiling water.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01If you put your pasta into cold water,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03you'll get soggy, sticky pasta.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05So... And plenty of salt.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07- Boff!- Lovely.- Gorgeous.
0:25:07 > 0:25:08And while it's on the boil,
0:25:08 > 0:25:13we just drop these in and basically when it floats, it's done.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Bit like myself!
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Take your wiggly worms...
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Ooh. My little friends, you will swim.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Now, as you can see,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Dave is putting them in quite quickly one after the other,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29it's important that you get the pasta in as quick as you can
0:25:29 > 0:25:30so they all cook at the same time.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Yeah. And at this point, aunties come in and go,
0:25:33 > 0:25:35"Where the hell did you get those French beans from?
0:25:35 > 0:25:37- "They're massive."- They're massive.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Just give them a little shake and just wait for them to float.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43- And that's it.- Gorgeous.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47So, given half a chance, Sally, are you a couch potato at Christmas?
0:25:47 > 0:25:49I do like a snooze in front of the film, yeah,
0:25:49 > 0:25:50bit of cheese and pickle.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52What we do is, we've got this sort of corner couch.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54So there's me, Ste, my husband,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58and the twins and we all sit with this massive blanket over us.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00- Aw.- And then if anybody wants the loo,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03we get dead annoyed cos they have to get up and disturb us.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05And it's always the one in the middle, isn't it?
0:26:05 > 0:26:07It's always the one in the middle.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09- Yeah, the one with the weak bladder, get on the end!- Yeah!
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Sometimes with lasagne verde, it's like green pasta, yeah, so what?
0:26:14 > 0:26:16This tastes of spinach.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18It tastes of what it's supposed to be.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22And because you use fresh spinach, look at the colour of that.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23It's just amazing.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25That's comfy pasta.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27All I need to do is to strain that.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Oh, it's gorgeous.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31Look at that.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Amazing.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35But as a family Christmas...
0:26:35 > 0:26:39- Yeah.- ..comfy treat, I think this takes some beating.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42So the pasta goes on the plate, look at that.
0:26:42 > 0:26:43Wow.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47And then we're just going to drizzle over this beautifully garlicky tomato oil,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and look at the colour of that, Sally.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51- Thyme.- Beautiful.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55- Wow.- Just put those over here.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57- Gorgeous.- Beautiful.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00- I love food like this. - It's so colourful, isn't it?
0:27:00 > 0:27:04But it's also so simple and it's not, you know,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06it's not challenging and it's flippin' quick.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Oh, what, look at that.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12And then a little bit of oil.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16The challenge is to make a pasta dish that was Christmas and
0:27:16 > 0:27:18not just like a turkey leftover.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21We want something that's a comforting treat.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23That's amazing.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24Absolutely amazing.
0:27:26 > 0:27:27What flavours in that.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Wow, look at this.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Oh, boys, this is unbelievable.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33Bit of that, bit of everything.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37The pasta's got a good bite to it.
0:27:37 > 0:27:38Oh.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40That is amazing. Oh.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41That pasta...
0:27:43 > 0:27:44- ..is...- Pasta's superb.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48..stunning. The meatballs are amazing and you can taste the texture of
0:27:48 > 0:27:50the two, which is really clever.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51They're good, aren't they? Good.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54- Really clever.- I'm glad you enjoyed. There's nothing better than that,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56is there? Cooking for people that you like and love.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58- Amazing.- Watching them eat the food.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00- Yes.- Perfect.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02That's proper feet up, slippers on food.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03Result.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Pici verde with roast tomatoes and paprika meatballs,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11the perfect dish to snuggle down with at Christmas.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Now, Christmas is the season to spread peace and joy,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23so why not make a thoughtful Christmas gift yourself this year?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Home cook Jo Ingleby has the perfect festive treat,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28and it's a great gift for your friends.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36Stollen is a lovely thing to make at Christmas.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39It fills your house with the smells and the lovely aromas
0:28:39 > 0:28:43and it's really satisfying and hands-on and warming food to make.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47And also the fact that you can give it as a gift
0:28:47 > 0:28:49is just perfect this time of year.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53So I'm going to make some really small, mini Stollen loaves.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56So they're bite-sized.
0:28:56 > 0:28:57A little bit more than bite-sized.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00People love these.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03They're just really indulgent, they're really Christmassy.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05They taste like Christmas markets
0:29:05 > 0:29:07and the smell of warm spices.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12So, today I'm using cranberries to be Christmassy,
0:29:12 > 0:29:13but you could use dates,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16you could use apricots, raisins, anything you have.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22It is a bit of effort required with this, it's hands-on.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25There aren't many short cuts, but it's actually,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28that's quite appealing at Christmas to put a bit of love and a bit of
0:29:28 > 0:29:31effort into your food, and then you give gifts that actually mean
0:29:31 > 0:29:34something and they've taken a little bit of time to make.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37The smell will fill your house, it will be delicious.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50And we're going to wrap them nicely so they can be given as a gift,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53or it might be that you're having a party and you want to just pass them
0:29:53 > 0:29:54round to friends.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58And it's also a really nice thing if you're popping round to a friend's
0:29:58 > 0:30:00house for a coffee around Christmas time,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03turn up with a few mini Stollens and you're going to be
0:30:03 > 0:30:04everybody's best friend.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Cheers, Sally. It's that time again!
0:30:14 > 0:30:16- Merry Christmas!- Merry Christmas!
0:30:16 > 0:30:18Mmm!
0:30:18 > 0:30:21- It's a nice drop, that, isn't it? - Chardonnay.- Oh, yes.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23- Good sip in your pip.- Very nice.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Just the thing to go with our next couch potato treat.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28- Ooh, what's next?- It's a good 'un, it's a good 'un.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Do you know, we've never run out of ideas of things
0:30:31 > 0:30:33- to do with leftover turkey. - No, we haven't.
0:30:33 > 0:30:34This one's a belter.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39It's our turkey leftover tortilla soup.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41- Wow.- It's got a taste of Mexico.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44- You're going to love it. - I've got a really hot pan.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46So my tomatoes go in a pan...
0:30:46 > 0:30:48- Oh.- And effectively, I'm going to burn them.
0:30:48 > 0:30:53Along with some cloves of garlic and ancho chillies.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56We put them in and just wait for the fumes.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59And I do want them kind of charred and burnt.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02And while Dave's doing that, I'm going to make the base of the soup.
0:31:02 > 0:31:03So we start with some onion.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05It's just like the creole, isn't it?
0:31:05 > 0:31:07- The cajun.- Yeah, it's very similar, yeah.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09- Some green peppers.- Wow.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Some red peppers. And I'm just going to chop some celery.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16And look at this, it starts to wilt.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19And would you say that's like the taste of Mexico, the burnt...?
0:31:19 > 0:31:23It just gives it a little extra edge, Sally, which is lovely,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25and a depth of flavour, which is why they do it.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29And it's interesting that you put the garlics in with their skin on.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31I've never seen that ever.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33See, I don't want to burn the garlic itself.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36- Yeah.- So I'm hoping that the husk will take the heat.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39I see, right, yeah.
0:31:39 > 0:31:40Those are blistered now.
0:31:40 > 0:31:41Put them in a bowl.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45We cover them in water and leave them to soak.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49Now, a Mexican soup at Christmas,
0:31:49 > 0:31:51it's just one of those things, isn't it?
0:31:51 > 0:31:52You just, you know, you've got to get creative
0:31:52 > 0:31:54with your leftover turkey.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57Yeah. Cos what we do is we garnish the soup with spring onions,
0:31:57 > 0:31:59cheese and fresh avocado.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02So you've got some freshness to it as well.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- Glorious.- What I'm going to do, so in the pan we've got some onions,
0:32:05 > 0:32:09we've got some celery, we've got some red and green peppers
0:32:09 > 0:32:11and now we've got some salt.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13The reason that I'm putting the salt in,
0:32:13 > 0:32:16it just draws all of that moisture out into the pan
0:32:16 > 0:32:17from those lovely veggies.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20So, Sally, give us a flavour of what Christmas
0:32:20 > 0:32:22was like for you when you were growing up.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26All I remember of Christmas as a child, we lived in, my gran lived in
0:32:26 > 0:32:32a sort of terraced house and at the end was my two aunties and then us,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35and all I remember as a kid was everyone was slightly drunk...
0:32:35 > 0:32:37- Yes.- ..all the time, constantly just topping up.
0:32:37 > 0:32:38- Tipsy.- Tipsy, that's it.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41- Little bit tipsy.- On Martini rose.
0:32:41 > 0:32:42- Martini Rosso.- Rosso, oh!
0:32:44 > 0:32:47And I remember me and our Chris used to go, like on New Year's Eve,
0:32:47 > 0:32:49they all used to dress up and get hammered...
0:32:49 > 0:32:52- Yeah.- ..and I used to sort of nick a bit, you know, a bit of snowball.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54Leonard Rossiter and Joan Collins, isn't it?
0:32:54 > 0:32:56The advert?
0:32:56 > 0:32:57- Oh, yes!- That was it!
0:32:58 > 0:33:02That's what they used to... And I remember just having such fun times,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05cos in those days people had to work, well, they still do,
0:33:05 > 0:33:09but work really, really hard and that was the day that they just...
0:33:09 > 0:33:11- Yeah.- ..everybody just went for it.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13- That was it.- I just remember, those times were so special.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19With fresh bay leaves, give them a good scrunch up,
0:33:19 > 0:33:21- and then I'm going to add some cumin.- Cumin.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27And some oregano.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29And some thyme.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31And then we're just going to chop through that.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33And some coriander stems.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35Look at these, these are the dry-roasted garlic cloves.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38You can just pop them out the skin.
0:33:38 > 0:33:39These tomatoes, look at them.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42I like them proper burnt.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45- Lovely.- So when you were a little girl,
0:33:45 > 0:33:47was your Christmas food quite traditional?
0:33:47 > 0:33:48- What did you have?- Well,
0:33:48 > 0:33:52my gran used to put the cabbage on sort of in September.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56- Yes!- And it'd be sliding off the plate.
0:33:56 > 0:34:01- Lush.- And then my grandad used to say, "Save the water, Nelly,
0:34:01 > 0:34:02"save the water," cos she used...
0:34:04 > 0:34:08And he used to drink, like, that much of cabbage water,
0:34:08 > 0:34:10- cos it was good for him. - It's good for you.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12- Well, it is good for you.- It is good for you, very good for you.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Yeah, cabbage water was like elixir in my gran and grandad's house.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18We used to spend it there and it was only a little terraced house.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21She used to put all the tables together so everything was like that
0:34:21 > 0:34:23and all the chairs. We used to bring tables and chairs
0:34:23 > 0:34:25from my auntie's house. It was brilliant.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28- Emergency chairs.- Emergency chairs, absolutely, yeah.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31And it was just great. A tiny little Christmas tree,
0:34:31 > 0:34:32dead '70s.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35The juice of a lime just sharpens it up a little bit.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Some sweetcorn and some black beans.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41- Nice.- Can't have Mexican without black beans.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Absolutely.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46See, that's what you want for Christmas, colour.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48- Oh.- Have a sniff. - Oh, that's gorgeous.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51- That's your five-a-day. - So I've got my peppers,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54and they've been charred and soaked,
0:34:54 > 0:34:56and we pop them in the food processor.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58Oh, lovely.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02Along with...this is about half a head of the dry-roast garlic.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05Now, the tomatoes, they're going in as they are.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08- Lovely.- No fancy peeling, we want all those lovely burnt bits.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Go on, lads, in the deep end.
0:35:12 > 0:35:13Oh - wait for me!
0:35:17 > 0:35:18Fantastic.
0:35:20 > 0:35:21Now just blitz this until we've got a sauce.
0:35:21 > 0:35:22WHIRRING
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Oh, smell that.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32- Oh.- I mean, just because it's leftover turkey,
0:35:32 > 0:35:34it's a little bit proper Mexican.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37And we've got some chicken or turkey stock here.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41- Oh, man, look at that.- You can smell the smokiness, can't you?
0:35:41 > 0:35:43- Yeah.- Yeah, you can.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45- Gorgeous.- Then just stir that in.
0:35:45 > 0:35:46Amazing.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50- Amazing stuff.- So, Sally, what was
0:35:50 > 0:35:53your favourite Christmas present as a kid?
0:35:53 > 0:35:55- Oh, wow.- What did you get that stuck with you?
0:35:55 > 0:35:57I didn't like dolls.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59I used to get really annoyed because my brother is 15 months older
0:35:59 > 0:36:03than me and he used to get ace toys, like bikes and skateboards,
0:36:03 > 0:36:05and I used to get, like, dolls.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09I would be like, "What do I do with that?" I was very ungrateful.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13And then... one year I got a Girl's World.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18Now, a Girl's World was basically a massive human-size head with hair on
0:36:18 > 0:36:20- the top of it.- I remember them.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Do you remember them? I absolutely loved it.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25I used to carry it around like Anne Boleyn, under my arm.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27I wouldn't go anywhere without it.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29I just loved it so much.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32And it was the best, it's still now, until this day,
0:36:32 > 0:36:33the best Christmas present I've ever had.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35- A Girl's World.- Oh, I loved it.
0:36:35 > 0:36:36I loved that head!
0:36:36 > 0:36:39I loved that head.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41It came in so handy at Halloween.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43Let's see how we're going so far.
0:36:43 > 0:36:44Wow, amazing.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48- Oh, it's all there, ain't it? - Oh, yes.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50- Wow.- Oh, that's great.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Was food a big thing in your house growing up, Sally?
0:36:52 > 0:36:54Mum used to make this amazing neck end stew.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57- Oh!- It was just stunning.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00It was nothing, it was probably, like, a quid to make it.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02- Yeah.- That was your dinner and a bit of bread.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05- It was gorgeous.- Me mam was the same - pan haggerty,
0:37:05 > 0:37:06which was a local Geordie dish.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09- Same kind of thing. - Same kind of thing, and...
0:37:09 > 0:37:11They do it in Liverpool, Scouse, don't we?
0:37:11 > 0:37:13Scouse as well. Yeah. Everybody's got...
0:37:13 > 0:37:16- Cobble in Ireland. - Cobble in Ireland.- Hotpot.- Hotpot.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19Yeah, your lot. Yeah, that was your dinner.
0:37:19 > 0:37:20- Yeah.- It was lovely.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22So I always encourage the kids to sort of...
0:37:23 > 0:37:25We cook from scratch, because it's just...
0:37:25 > 0:37:27I just think it's easier.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30It's that knowledge of food, when you are brought up like that,
0:37:30 > 0:37:31- you just crack on.- Yeah.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33It's easier, it's cheaper and it's better for you.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36- Miles cheaper, yeah. - What we do now is,
0:37:36 > 0:37:40we're going to turn the heat off and I'm going to pop in this big bowl
0:37:40 > 0:37:42of turkey leftovers.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45I know everybody does it with turkey leftovers, you can't not, can't you?
0:37:45 > 0:37:48You can't help it, can you? You've got to do a bit.
0:37:48 > 0:37:49- Oh, get in.- Oh, very moist.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54Now, the mistake a lot of people make is if they're using cold
0:37:54 > 0:37:57leftover turkey, you put it in too soon.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00You either stew it and it goes kind of like hay,
0:38:00 > 0:38:01or else it falls to pieces.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03What I've done is I've turned the heat off
0:38:03 > 0:38:06and I'm just going to let this warm through
0:38:06 > 0:38:07in the residual heat from the soup.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11- Oh.- That soup really is a bath of flavour.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15It's a jacuzzi of joy.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18- Oh.- A spa of sensation.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21It's a firecracker of flavour.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Christmas alliteration, that's what I like.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25Aye.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28Now, these are corn tortillas, the ones that you buy in all the shops.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31You can tell that they're corn because they're slightly yellow in colour.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35Now, what we're going to do is, I'm going to paint them with some oil.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38I'm going to cut them into quarters and I'm going to lob them in
0:38:38 > 0:38:41a very hot oven until they go crispy,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44and that is going to be our spoon for that.
0:38:44 > 0:38:45That's your nachos!
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Clever.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49Now, avocado.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Around Christmas, there are so many people get hospitalised
0:38:52 > 0:38:55- by stoning avocados.- What?!
0:38:55 > 0:38:56It's true.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58- Why is that?- They keep cutting their fingers off.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Oh, yeah, they are tricky, aren't they, actually?
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Cut in half and then take that off there like that.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Then I'm going to peel the outside.
0:39:06 > 0:39:07Look at that. It's perfect.
0:39:07 > 0:39:08It just comes off...
0:39:10 > 0:39:13..like so. I only want half of one.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16I don't want it to go brown, so I'm just going to cover it
0:39:16 > 0:39:17in lemon juice.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20Now what we do with Mr Avocado is that we want that thing
0:39:20 > 0:39:24where it's like a little armadillo on the top of the soup.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26We're going to flare it.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29Avocados, that's something I never had when I was a child.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32I mean, the only avocado I had was a bathroom suite.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34Yeah, they were really trendy at the time.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36- Yeah.- What we do is, we've got lemon juice on that,
0:39:36 > 0:39:38so we're going to fan that out.
0:39:38 > 0:39:39We lay that provocatively...
0:39:40 > 0:39:41..rudely almost,
0:39:41 > 0:39:44on top of the soup so that you can take a leaf of that in your soup
0:39:44 > 0:39:46and the avocado.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49It's trendy, it's lovely - just like us, really.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52I remember my Auntie Anne had an avocado bath suite.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55- Yes.- And we all went round for the grand opening of it.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57- Because it was a new bathroom suite. - It was such a big thing.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Talking of my Auntie Anne, she used to get me round to wrap her presents
0:40:00 > 0:40:02because she hated wrapping presents
0:40:02 > 0:40:03and she used to love it and then she'd
0:40:03 > 0:40:06feed me chocolate and I'd be listening to Wham.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08- It'd be brilliant.- Ah. Brilliant.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10Best ever. Loads of Christmas memories like that.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12Wham Christmas music.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14Was that your favourite?
0:40:14 > 0:40:17I love Last Christmas, that's my karaoke song, that.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20- Is it?- Yeah, any time of the year!
0:40:20 > 0:40:23Now, I'm going to stick these into the oven.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Hottest oven, about 200 degrees C,
0:40:25 > 0:40:27until they are all crispy and lovely,
0:40:27 > 0:40:29which should take about ten minutes.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Because, after all, it is a turkey tortilla soup.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35So, Christmas dinner when you were a child, what was it, Sally?
0:40:35 > 0:40:38It was usually pretty traditional, actually.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41I love sprouts, from being a little girl.
0:40:41 > 0:40:42Which is weird for kids, ain't it?
0:40:42 > 0:40:44It's ridiculous. My boys love sprouts as well.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46I don't know, it must be genetic.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48I used to say to people at the Christmas dinner,
0:40:48 > 0:40:50"Have you finished with them sprouts?"
0:40:50 > 0:40:52My mum were like, "She's weird, that kid.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54"She's weird, she loves sprouts."
0:40:54 > 0:40:56I love them, absolutely love them.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58I love sprouts, there's nothing better.
0:40:58 > 0:40:59I have sprouts with everything.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02I bet you're a pleasure to live with!
0:41:02 > 0:41:04She was weaned on cabbage water.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Weaned on cabbage water, loves sprouts -
0:41:06 > 0:41:08and don't follow your mother up the stairs.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14- Here we go.- Oh, they're nice.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19You could, of course, just buy a packet and tip them in,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21but it's not the same. Listen to that crisp.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28- Lovely.- I've got a big bowl because it's a big bowl of Christmassy love.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30- Ah.- Pop that there.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Oh, look at that.
0:41:34 > 0:41:35Oh, yes.
0:41:35 > 0:41:36Oh.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38That's absolutely stunning.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40It's more of a stew, really, isn't it?
0:41:40 > 0:41:41It is. It is.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45You just lay some avocado in there, like that.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47Oh, gorgeous.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49- Beautiful.- Some spring onions, again, quite chunky.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54- This is amazing.- Some creme fraiche.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58Oh. Wow, look at that.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01It can't be a Mexican soup...
0:42:02 > 0:42:04- ..without... - Lots of tortillas.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08- Stunning.- It's absolutely stuffed with these because, after all,
0:42:08 > 0:42:09it's a tortilla soup.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14Now, that is one of the best turkey leftover soups
0:42:14 > 0:42:16I reckon you could have.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19It is a meal. It has to be something you put on that cushion,
0:42:19 > 0:42:21on your lap and go, "Mmm!"
0:42:21 > 0:42:24It's hearty, it's nourishing, it's healthy.
0:42:24 > 0:42:25Look at that, I don't know...
0:42:25 > 0:42:28I just don't want to ruin it, it just looks so beautiful.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31This is a bowl of joy you can dive into.
0:42:31 > 0:42:32I'm diving in.
0:42:34 > 0:42:35Absolutely beautiful.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39- Oh.- It's good.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41There's integrity to all the flavours.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Just amazing.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46What better way to snuggle down in front of the telly,
0:42:46 > 0:42:48at Christmas time, with a big bowl?
0:42:50 > 0:42:54Cuddle up with turkey tortilla soup, it's delicious.
0:42:55 > 0:42:56Oh, I'm still eating.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01- Sally, a very Merry Christmas to you.- Merry Christmas to you...
0:43:01 > 0:43:04And your family and all who you love.
0:43:04 > 0:43:05Merry Christmas to you two as well.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08- Merry Christmas.- Merry Christmas. - Merry Christmas.