Rice Bowl Tales: 聖誕大餐 Christmas Dinner

每年為家人準備一桌豐富美味的聖誕大餐，對有些人來說好像要備戰一般，先要决定今年的主角是烤火雞、牛、羊、豬、雞還是火腿，然後每一道配菜和醬汁、烤肉汁都要算準時間熱騰騰端上桌，嚴謹仔細地掌握各項時間。

For some people, cooking a Christmas dinner is like going into battle! Firstly you have to decide which meat to roast, whether it’s going to be turkey, beef, lamb, pork or gammon. Then comes the question of the trimmings; what side dishes should accompany the main meat, and what sauces should be prepared to go with them? On top of that, precise timing is required in order to deliver the feast piping hot and fresh to the table. It’s no mean feat!

不過，我認為用輕鬆的心情安排料理更是重要，這樣才能讓自己與家人親友一起愉快地享受這難得的一個聚會。請記住，家中的飯桌不是餐廳，不需要求得太完美。桌上有自己親手煮的菜，圍坐桌旁有自己愛和關心的人，大家盡情地把食物傳來遞去，堆滿一碟；吃得飽滿幸福，才是過節的意義。

I personally think that having an enjoyable, memorable dinner with those you love is the most important part of the occasion so preparing the meal itself should be relaxed affair. Don’t forget, your dining table is in your home and not at a restaurant; you don’t need everything to be perfect! As long as you are serving good food, sharing it with people you love and care about – everybody passing the dishes happily, helping themselves and piling up their plates – then you have served up a successful festive meal!