After a particularly arduous year, we find ourselves in the holiday season and facing the conundrum of how to celebrate in this environment. While many of us won’t be able to spend it as we normally would, travelling, in large gatherings or dining out, this is the perfect opportunity to host a beautiful Christmas at home with your nearest and dearest. Here are my suggestions on how to decorate, what to eat, drink, wear and play – and I promise you won’t miss being anywhere else but home for the holidays.
How to decorate
When it comes to decorating the home for Christmas, I abide by two rules – less is more for the entire home, but more is more for the tree. Meaning rather than making the entire house look like a Christmas market, a couple of focal points and strategic placements of holiday decorations are more than enough. The Christmas tree on the other hand, is where you can really unleash your creativity and go all-out.
Sticking with a theme and using a uniform colour palette makes the process easier. This year I decided on a ‘Snowy Woodlands’ theme and combined all my old white and silver ornaments with new wooden woodland creature ornaments, along with lots of ribbons and sparkly picks, making for a neutral but lush Christmas tree. And remember, as you’re decorating the tree, just when you think it looks about right, add even more ornaments. More is really more here!
How to set the table
As with everything else, I tend to lean towards a monotone table setting, with lots of varying textures that create an elegant effect. One of my favourite tricks is to use an unexpected fabric for the table cloth and this year I’ll be using a wool tartan in beautiful shades of olive, layered with green and gold plates, Venetian glassware, eucalyptus branches and lots of brass candlesticks.
What to wear
Hosting at home means you probably want to be both glamorous and comfortable. Here are a few of my picks for what to wear that combines the best of both worlds.
What to cook
Most of us will probably be having a smaller Christmas dinner than usual this year, so, rather than going through the trouble of roasting a big bird, here’s my foolproof, extremely easy recipe for delicious juicy roasted chicken thighs that I cook from summer to winter – basically any occasion!
One Pan Roast Chicken Recipe
- Chicken legs and thighs (as many as you need)
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion (or any root vegetables you like)
- Quartered lemons
- Halved whole garlic
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Fresh thyme
- Rosemary
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius
- Roughly chop all the vegetables and toss in the roasting pan with the lemons and garlic and a generous amount of olive oil, salt and pepper
- Lay the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables
- Brush melted butter onto the chicken skin, then generously sprinkle salt and pepper on the skin – this helps it crisp up later
- Crumble up herbs and sprinkle all over
- Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake at 200 degrees celsius for 40 minutes, then crank up to 220 for the last 20 minutes to crisp up the chicken skin
- Transfer everything onto a serving plate and reduce the leftover jus on the stove top
- Serve with additional fresh herbs of your choice and/or grated lemon zest and jus on the side
*But if you don’t feel like cooking yourself, Rosewood Hong Kong can deliver a luxurious Christmas roast set that covers everything you need
What to drink
Even though we’re dining at home, festive drinks are still a must. Rather than the typical Christmas drinks, my recent favourite comes from Fernet Hunter, a complex spirit made with a unique combination of botanicals that makes for cocktails unlike anything you’ve tried before. Here are three festive cocktail recipes from Fernet Hunter co-founder and expert mixologist Raphael Holzer that will definitely impress your guests.
The Winter Fritzi
- 50 ml Fernet Hunter
- 100 ml Wilkinson tonic
- 15 ml grapefruit juice
- Grapefruit peel
- Freshly ground cinnamon
- In a 300 ml highball glass, build the drink
- Pour in Fernet Hunter and top with ice
- Fill with tonic water and grapefruit juice
- Add freshly ground black cinnamon and grapefruit peel
- Give it a lift to mix all ingredients
William Tell
- Baked spiced apple
- 1 litre apple juice
- 5 apples
- 1 lime
- 1 lemon
- 3 cinnamon
- 6 cloves
- 3 pcs cardamom
- 3 pcs Star Anise
- 0.5 +0.5 pcs vanilla stick
- 100g sugar
- Toast all the spices in a large pot for about 2-3 minutes, add apple, lime and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Serve with 40 ml Fernet Hunter and 160 ml baked spiced apple cider
- Garnish with a cinnamon stick
Red Clover
- 9 raspberries
- 40 ml Fernet Hunter
- 1/2 lemon
- 15 ml sugar syrup
- 1 egg white
- Add eight raspberries to a shaker and press them against the bottom of the shaker. Add all other ingredients into the shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously.
- Use a strainer to strain the now frothy beverage in a coupe or martini glass and garnish with your last raspberry.
What to play
Do or Drink
This party card game is dangerously fun to play! Do or Drink is exactly as the name suggestions – do a dare, or drink! But don’t worry the dares are all witty, nothing too crazy but not boring either, and will most definitely make for a hilarious night.
Editor
Feiping Chang
