ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
From gingerbread to paddleboarding, four tastemakers share their personal silly-season traditions
Four of our favourite design and foodie personalities reveal their festive traditions
Hetty McKinnon
A family move from Sydney’s Surry Hills to Brooklyn, New York, means new traditions for this cook. Hetty’s new book, Neighbourhood, builds on the idea of local food for local communities I just adore Christmas! My ideal day starts with gift giving with our three kids. After that initial frenzy of torn paper and new possessions, we move onto a light breakfast, which is usually something like homemade focaccia bread dotted with rosemary, cherry tomatoes and handmade mozzarella from our local Italian deli. My favourite part is bringing together a beautiful feast while listening to tacky Christmas tunes (think Michael Bublé). And it wouldn’t be Christmas without my husband, Ross, suddenly deciding to make his mother’s non-traditional Christmas pudding recipe at the very last minute – usually around 11pm on Christmas Eve! This year, I’m buying plants. My happy place is domestic greenery, so I plan on filling my house with as many plants as I can this festive season. All I want for Christmas is the Herman Miller ‘Eames’ moulded fibreglass chair in Ultramarine – a classic gift that will last a lifetime and this denim colour would look stunning next to my fire escape window. I start prepping during the first weekend of December. This has been a family ritual for as long as I can remember. To be honest, I cannot wait to start decorating my house with Christmas trimmings, mostly collected over the years and all representing wonderful memories. My top tradition is going to see The Rockettes in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Hall, followed by wandering past the ice-skating rink at Rockfeller Centre (pictured, far left) and then onto the amazing Christmas windows at Saks Fifth Avenue. And finally, dinner at Joe’s Shanghai on West 56th. This is a perfect Winter’s evening, where we can revel in the lights and decorations of New York City. I will definitely be serving roasted eggplant with beetroot tzatziki, haloumi and yoghurt flatbreads. It’s a beautiful celebratory dish and visually stunning – the vibrant crimson adds a bright burst of colour to the table. I think it’s perfect for Christmas because it is no ordinary salad: it is a little bit special, with the handmade flatbread, but all the elements are super-easy to make. And you can prep the eggplant and the beet tzatziki ahead of time, which is all important at Christmas time. Follow Hetty on Inst agra mat@ arthur street kitchen. Hetty’s new book, Neighbourhood, is out now ($39.99, Plum).