Centre Travel

2.7g loin of pork 60g dripping or butter coarse salt 6 cloves 12 small bay leaves Have the loin deeply scored into strips about 1 cm wide. For a crisp crackling: Place the skin side down, in a roasting pan and pour boiling water about 2.5cm. Set the pan just below centre of an oven, Gas mark 8 and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan, pour off the liquid and set aside for basting. Grease the pan with dripping and rub the skin of the joint with salt. Insert the cloves and the bay leaves in the score marks. Roast the pork, skin side up, at 180C at 30 minutes per pound. Baste every half an hour. Serve the pork garnished with roasted half apples filled with redcurrant jelly. Traditionally, the Christmas joint is served with red cabbage.

The Scandinavian's fully enjoy the Christmas season. December 13, is St Lucia's Day. The Swedish children dress up in white and sing carols in the street, candles in hand. There are celebrations for the whole period till the New Year. The tables are laid with rich cakes and biscuits. Spreads of smorgasbord with dishes of herring, ham and smoked pork sausage. The Christmas meal is served on Christmas Eve. The menu usual includes this popular loin of pork which has a crisp crackling.

The Scandinavian's fully enjoy the Christmas season. December 13, is St Lucia's Day. The Swedish children dress up in white and sing carols in the street, candles in hand. There are celebrations for the whole period till the New Year. The tables are laid with rich cakes and biscuits. Spreads of smorgasbord with dishes of herring, ham and smoked pork sausage. The Christmas meal is served on Christmas Eve. The menu usual includes this popular loin of pork which has a crisp crackling.

1carp about 1.4-1.8 kg 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 2 chopped carrots 1 chopped leek 1 chopped onion 1 bay leaf 1 clove salt and pepper 175g gingerbread 850 ml brown ale juice and rind of a lemon Clean the carp and leave it to soak for 1 hour in cold water and the vinegar. Put the chopped vegetables, bay leaf, clove, salt and pepper into a pan large enough to hold the carp. Add 1 pint of water. Simmer this stock, under the lid, for 1 hour. Break the gingerbread into cubes and soak in 285ml of brown ale. Put the carp into the stock, with the lemon juice and remaining ale. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes or until carp is tender. Lift out the fish and keep it warm. Strain the liquid, add the gingerbread and boil this mixture rapidly until it has reduced by half. Strain the sauce over the carp and garnish with lemon rind.

5 cm piece of cinnamon stick 6 whole cloves 4 cardamon pods 1 finger mace 115g blanched almonds, finely chopped 60g candied lemon peel, finely diced, or chopped mixed peel grated rind of 1/2 lemon 2 large eggs 115g caster sugar a few drops vanilla essence 150g plain flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder rice paper Preheat oven 1890C (350F Gas Mark 4) Grind cinnamon, cloves, the black seeds from thew cardamon pods and the mace until fine. Turn the powder into a bowl and stir in the almonds, candied peel and lemon rind. Whisk the eggs with the sugar until foamy and the whisk leaves a trail across the surface of the mixture. Sieve the flour with the baking powder, and fold it into the egg mixture with the vanilla essence and the spice mixture. Place a sheet of rice paper on each of three baking trays. Space level dessertspoons of the mixture, eight on each tray. Bake in the centre of oven for 15-20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool Makes about 24

Every Sunday in Advent a new candle is lit. When Christmas Eve comes the Christkind (Christ child) is the traditional bearer of gifts. Christmas fare in Germany includes roast goose or pork with red cabbage, and game such as hare , venison and pheasant. In households, the main dish is carp. The traditional " lebkuchen " (cakes of life) are a festive speciality.

Every Sunday in Advent a new candle is lit. When Christmas Eve comes the Christkind (Christ child) is the traditional bearer of gifts. Christmas fare in Germany includes roast goose or pork with red cabbage, and game such as hare , venison and pheasant. In households, the main dish is carp. The traditional " lebkuchen " (cakes of life) are a festive speciality.

A Christmas Pudding can be kept for up to a year. BUT if made with alcohol, dried fruit and sugar. These act as a preservatives. After cooling, take off cover, pierce the pudding in several places and trickle over 1-2 tablespoons of brandy. Wrap in greaseproof paper, then overwrap in foil or seal in a polythene bag. Store in a cool, dark place; moisten occasionally.