My nightmare before Christmas dinner: top chefs and cooks reveal how they turned fiasco into feast
Turkey troubles, thieving pets, fire drills – all manner of things can jeopardise the most important meal of the year
From Caribbean favourites to everyday vegetarian recipes: Observer Food Monthly’s best food books of 2024
Essential reading for would-be top chefs, stocking fillers for the fermentation curious and odes to the simple pleasures of the kitchen. Ask Santa for the set
Tim Minchin: ‘Maybe scrolling the traumas of the world is not in itself a moral act’
The comedian, actor and Matilda songwriter on the benefits of quitting social media and why happiness is like an orgasm
Edd Kimber’s secret ingredient: cardamom
The baker and food writer on the bold spice that ‘goes with just about everything’
Christmas biscuits, cakes and crisps – tested by Ravneet Gill
The chef, author and TV presenter rates snowman cupcakes, sticky toffee cookies and turkey tortilla chips in our blind taste test
Christmas cheese, chutney and mince pies – tested by Cynthia Shanmugalingam
The chef and owner of Rambutan restaurant gives her verdict on maple and pecan pastries, fiery chilli jam and a remarkable limoncello stilton
Christmas chocolates and drinks – tested by Georgina Hayden
The food writer, cook and presenter samples liqueurs and no-alcohol punch, luxurious winter truffles and a dairy-free chocolate gonk
Hachi Japanese BBQ, London: ‘Proper fun’ – restaurant review
Japanese grill fans will love Hachi in Soho, especially those rich enough to indulge in the wagyu beef offering
I’ve never been keen on turkey. Now my aversion is approaching outright loathing
The Christmas bird has now been financially weaponised
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall: ‘I’ve never thought of myself as eccentric. I still don’t’
The chef, author and broadcaster on the secret to plant-based cooking, what to eat – and how to name your livestock
I’ve made Christmas lunch for the past 30 years. Now I want a year off
Roll your eyes all you like at restaurants’ Christmas prices, but remember there are people giving up their day to cook for you
Desi Yew Tree, Wolverhampton: ‘Part of the brilliance of Desi pub culture’ – restaurant review
This place has masses of appeal and real star potential – if only someone had made a film about it
The Martlet, Rochdale: ‘A victory of professionalism’ – restaurant review
Civic pride meets glorious cooking at a remarkably fair price
Parsnip tarte tatin, roast turkey, zabaglione – Angela Hartnett’s fuss-free Christmas recipes
A classic roast bird with perfect sides, a vegetarian main of mushroom and pumpkin crespelle, and a speedy alternative to the traditional pudding – as simple as it is delicious
The 20 best Christmas wines for 2024
Spicy Rhônes for the roast, aromatic riesling for the leftovers, and excellent value fizzes to bring in the new year