Welcome to December

There seem few beter ingredients to focus on than chocolate in December – from Nutella beignets and biter chocolate syllabub, to white chocolate and peanut buter tart, and chocolate, cofee and caramel ripple ice cream with pretzels: these are recipes I challenge you to resist addiction to. They’re the types of pudding you can make ahead of any parties; they’d even suit the big day if you’re not a fan of traditional Christmas pud. And there’s plenty more to make entertaining easy in this issue. There are top roasts – think stufed leg of lamb, golden goose with madeira gravy, and a healthy mustard-crusted pork loin with swede and carrot mash (my childhood favourite). There are some truly great crowdpleasers (meaning they didn’t last long in our test kitchen): an oven-roast veg fritata that will feed the family quickly, while tear-and-share pizza rolls are a kitchen cheat that could become your new weekend regular! If you’re anything like us, you’ll also be craving quick, easy meals for the days the whole family (and the next-door neighbour) aren’t demanding fve-course meals. The nights when cheese, goose fat and sherry all feel like dirty words. Don’t worry, we’ve plenty of ideas for dinners that will help restore normality. Me? I’ll be tucking into chicken madras or sausages braised with fennel and red wine. Or I’ll be eating out. It’s party season, afer all, and in that spirit we’ve tracked down the restaurants where you can eat, drink and dance into the wee hours. Just don’t ask our grumpy columnist Tony Naylor about the hangover the morning afer (he’s not got much sympathy, unsurprisingly…). If you want to travel further afeld for your festive fx, travel editor Rhiannon’s been busy rounding up her favourite yuletide getaways, and Marina O’Loughlin can’t get enough of Vancouver. And for all the time between the Queen’s speech and facing that ever-growing pile of washing up (I know it needs soaking, you don’t have to justify that to me), do make sure you check out Omagazine.com for the latest food news, our top UK-wide restaurant recommendations, recipes for any mood or time of day, and much, much more. Have a very happy Christmas, a memorable New Year, and here’s to 2016 – an exciting time for us here at O. Great things are underway… Watch this space! Laura Rowe, Editor @Omagazine @lauraroweeats

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