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A Modern Rose

Light Meals and Weekend Treats from an English Woman in Berlin

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christmas

Honey and Hazelnut Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Poor old Brussels sprouts, they get such a negative reputation this time of the year. Always a compulsory side dish for the big Christmas dinner yet ridiculed for being the food that nobody really tucks into and instead stuffed inside a Tupperware box on the off chance someone is to make a Bubble & Squeak on Boxing Day. While sprouts are not particularly a vegetable that I would go out of my way for, I actually don’t mind them. But what I can’t stand is how we all feel a Christmas dinner isn’t right unless we have them but then a lot of us don’t actually eat them….

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Cranberry and Orange Pork Stuffing

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Personally I like to stuff the bird, whether it is a Roast Chicken for a Sunday Roast or a Turkey for Christmas Day, the stuffing keeps the meat soft and moist. But I know that a lot of people do prefer to cook the stuffing separately. If I am cooking my stuffing separately then I like to make it in a tin, like this Apple, Sage and Pistachio Pork Stuffing but it is also nice to serve them as little balls and scatter them alongside the carved up turkey. That way everyone can get a scoop of delicious stuffing to go with the main meat of the feast….

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Cranberry and Stilton Stuffed Mushrooms

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This is a recipe that can be used right from the start of the festive season when everyone is starting to cook something a little special in the kitchen, right to the end of the holidays when we are all rummaging in our fridges wanting to use up all those leftovers. These Cranberry and Stilton Stuffed Mushrooms can be made as a starter for the first dinner party of the season, served as canapés for your Christmas Eve drinks and nibbles or served at New Years Eve to make the last celebratory dinner of the year go out in style….

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Mince Pies

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It just isn’t Christmas until you have baked that first batch of mince pies! I have fond memories of this classic British Christmas treat. When I first moved to Berlin, each Christmas I would make my way to Broken English, a store full of British food that was a must for every expat. Sadly these days there are far too many online rivals (and rivals both in convenience and price!) that I now don’t visit the shop as often as I should. Unless there is last minute dash for some pickle! But mince pies do not travel well when thrown into a delivery box,…

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Pesto and Parma Ham Rolls

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The festive season is officially in full swing! I have the sparkly nail polish out and I am frequently visiting the local Christmas Markets. My home smells wonderful from the Christmas tree and the advent wreath and I have the scent of all things cinnamon and spice coming out of the oven. I love this time of the year and Germany especially really knows how to celebrate it!

And what else do I enjoy about this time of the year? Christmas parties! It feels like almost every meet-up, if it is a catch up with a friend,…

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Italian Chocolate Christmas Cake

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I like to call this my grown-up chocolate cake recipe. It is bursting with nuts and spices and is rich and aromatic, making it the perfect cake for Christmas! This is very much inspired by the traditional Italian dessert, Panforte and it really is pure indulgence. The middle is gooey with the chunks of chocolate while the rest of the cake has that slight crunch from the nuts. And of course, what makes this cake the ultimate Christmas treat is the orange lingering from the Cointreau. It is Christmas after all … …

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Pint of Prawns with a Marie Rose Sauce and a Chive Dip

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Two pints of lager and a … pint of prawns please! Some days a visit to the pub requires something a little more than a bag of crisps or a packet of pork scratchings. The British pub scene is probably one of the things I miss the most about the UK. Of course I am not talking about the large chains such as Wetherspoon’s that serve plastic food at knocked down prices. I am talking about real and good quality pubs. Pubs that care about their food and actually make the effort to make it something of it’s own, not a cheap two for one fish and chips with a free pint deal, …

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Cranberry Sauce

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cranberry_sauce

Christmas dinner just isn’t complete without cranberry sauce. A bowl of this bright red and shiny sauce will instantly brighten up your table and make it look and feel festive. You can also lightly drizzle some around the turkey so that your guests can instantly scoop up a bit of cranberry sauce when helping themselves to the meat. And of course it goes really well with leftovers. One of my favourite things about Christmas dinner is all the leftovers! In my home, we grew up with having Christmas dinner at lunchtime and in the evening we would serve up all kinds of delicious snacks and leftovers….

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