As another yummy year comes to an end, I have to share my foodie family Christmas dinner with you all. Of course, to non- christians and those who went to convent schools, we have mixed feelings about Christmas, unable to accept it’s spiritual import, yet wanting to be part of the magic and hoopla, which means commercial Christmas with Secret Santa, fairy lights, hopes of the perfect white Christmas and of course, feasting.

We had been planning an Annual Christmas theme BBQ and dinner for months, in perfect Pune weather, which it was not: just warm and nobody felt like BBQ, except some poor mutton chops that we forgot, and they tasted like leather, they were so dried out.

Jaymie and I decided to co-host but she did all the heavy lifting and I only showed up without my perennial roast chicken. Jaymie is a marvel and I am super thrilled she is my neighbour, once who sends me divine italian pork ragout, and takes me out for dinners at our favourite thai place. She won my heart the day she offered to bring me home a thai boba tea.

Jaymie’s house is beautiful, with all the symbols and accoutrements of deeply spiritual catholics, and all the bits of a Holly Jolly Christmas down to the paper plates and chilled, psychedlic Tang in a jug for the kids. Decorations graced every surface, transporting us to Christmas Land. We had eschewed Secret Santa in place of a pot luck and it was just fine. We would have done food gifts anyway.

The food was simply yummy. We just kept eating and talking, and nobody settled down, but everyone drank beer, and ginger rum-mulled wine cocktails, chomped on dip and chips, roasted carrots and goan green curry meatballs. No wonder we forgot the mutton chops flaming outside.

Jaymie made a splendid porchetta, crispy caramelised crackling with melt in the mouth insides,it was absolutely amazing. Ishan made a whole pomfret a la Bourdain in basil oil, and I served my very yummy chicken ghee roast .

We basically talked loudly over one another, as we ate our way through the evening with scant respect for anyone who wanted to have a proper sit down dinner. It was loud, raucous, and fun: like families tend to be when they are together. And as I looked around the room, I knew I was with mine. What better family than one who brings Strawberry Pavlova and Bouche de Noel for Christmas dinner??