Going home for foie gras and wicked desserts
In the United States, multi-ethnic families mean a multi-cultural Christmas meal
Every Christmas eve, the Ward family sits down to a lavish meal in their cosy home in Cannes, in the south of France. The table groans under the weight of the food on it: roast turkey stuffed with carrots and broccoli, served with gravy; a seafood platter with oysters, prawns, foie gras and jam, and smoked salmon; a 'wicked' dessert — usually a Buche de Noel (Yule log); and lots of drinks. "Christmas is all about the kilos," said Charlotte Ward, operations manager at The Comedy Store in Mumbai, before going home for the holidays. "We eat everything very slowly, and drink lots of alcohol — it adds taste to an otherwise dry turkey."
Charlotte is half French and half English — her father Don Ward, founder of The Comedy Store in London, was responsible for changing the way Mumbai views comedy. But the family prefers to focus on their French heritage.
Christmas is a time when everyone in the family helps out. The youngest of three children, Charlotte is usually the one making the cookies, decorating the tree, and helping her mother with last-minute shopping. Charlotte's sister Natalie "is punished with preparing the vegetables", while her mother makes the main dishes. The men in the house collect wood for the fire.
After the meal, everyone gathers around the fireplace to exchange gifts and partake in an old French custom common to the Provence region. "The 13 desserts of Noel come from the 13 disciples at the Last Supper. The desserts are made using figs, apples, grapes, oranges, pears, etc —some dried and some served fresh," says Charlotte. These are served with nuts, butter biscuits and cookies, accompanied by tea, coffee or liqueur. While most Catholics in France follow a very traditional Christmas, a few succumb to time and work pressures. For them, the meal consists of just the turkey and the thirteen desserts are replaced with macaroons.
Before opening the presents, the Ward family has a round of speeches. "We take turns talking about the worst parts of the year and then raise a toast to the best moments. My father, the head of the family, gives a longer speech, thanking everyone and toasting to the future," she says.
Given the availability of turkey, fresh fish and different fruits, expats might find it easy enough to celebrate a traditional French Christmas in Mumbai. But for Ward, who can whip up a delicious Buche de Noel in two hours, Christmas is about spending time with family in France, and indulging in the one thing she misses in India: foie gras.
In the United States, multi-ethnic families mean a multi-cultural Christmas meal
Every Christmas eve, the Ward family sits down to a lavish meal in their cosy home in Cannes, in the south of France. The table groans under the weight of the food on it: roast turkey stuffed with carrots and broccoli, served with gravy; a seafood platter with oysters, prawns, foie gras and jam, and smoked salmon; a 'wicked' dessert — usually a Buche de Noel (Yule log); and lots of drinks. "Christmas is all about the kilos," said Charlotte Ward, operations manager at The Comedy Store in Mumbai, before going home for the holidays. "We eat everything very slowly, and drink lots of alcohol — it adds taste to an otherwise dry turkey."
Charlotte is half French and half English — her father Don Ward, founder of The Comedy Store in London, was responsible for changing the way Mumbai views comedy. But the family prefers to focus on their French heritage.
Christmas is a time when everyone in the family helps out. The youngest of three children, Charlotte is usually the one making the cookies, decorating the tree, and helping her mother with last-minute shopping. Charlotte's sister Natalie "is punished with preparing the vegetables", while her mother makes the main dishes. The men in the house collect wood for the fire.
After the meal, everyone gathers around the fireplace to exchange gifts and partake in an old French custom common to the Provence region. "The 13 desserts of Noel come from the 13 disciples at the Last Supper. The desserts are made using figs, apples, grapes, oranges, pears, etc —some dried and some served fresh," says Charlotte. These are served with nuts, butter biscuits and cookies, accompanied by tea, coffee or liqueur. While most Catholics in France follow a very traditional Christmas, a few succumb to time and work pressures. For them, the meal consists of just the turkey and the thirteen desserts are replaced with macaroons.
Before opening the presents, the Ward family has a round of speeches. "We take turns talking about the worst parts of the year and then raise a toast to the best moments. My father, the head of the family, gives a longer speech, thanking everyone and toasting to the future," she says.
Given the availability of turkey, fresh fish and different fruits, expats might find it easy enough to celebrate a traditional French Christmas in Mumbai. But for Ward, who can whip up a delicious Buche de Noel in two hours, Christmas is about spending time with family in France, and indulging in the one thing she misses in India: foie gras.
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