Scrooge (Alastair Sim) and the Ghost of Christmas Present (Francis de Wolff) watching the Cratchit family carve their Christmas gooseThe 1951 Christmas Carol (or Scrooge) is the definitive film version and Alastair Sim is the definitive Scrooge. I sometimes feel a little irritated when films are made of my favourite books (I don't think they've made a perfect Tale of Two Cities yet and the most recent Brideshead Revisited film was a travesty) but this Christmas Carol, while changing a couple of things, is the most faithful to Dickens' vision and spirit. It's inspiring. It's tradition.
CHRISTMAS IN ENGLAND WITH MULLED WINE AND ROASTED CHESTNUTS
Mulled Wine
2 x 750 ml bottles of red wine
2 oranges, sliced thinly
4 cinnamon sticks
10 whole cloves
1/4 cup dark rum
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring every few minutes or so, until steaming but NOT boiling!
Serve warm in mugs or heatproof glasses, garnished with a cinnamon stick. Mulled wine makes beautiful music, especially when accompanied by roasted chestnuts.
Roasted ChestnutsChestnuts (however many you can beg, borrow or steal ;)
Water (enough to cover the nuts)
Soak your chestnuts in room temperature water for 20-30 minutes to soften the shells.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
With a sharp knife, make slits in the flat side of each chestnut (to allow the steam to escape and prevent the nuts from exploding) in an X shape.
Place the nuts on a baking sheet with the cut sides up and bake for 20-25 minutes until fragrant and easy to peel (the nut inside will be golden brown). Peel when cool enough to handle and eat while warm.
God bless us, every one!
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