Margaret Fulton and Christmas

I bought Margaret Fulton’s Christmas for my daughter last year and as I sit here today posting this article she’s in the kitchen beside me, making Margaret’s recipe for fruit mince with the scent of spice and all things nice filling the house. It seems so appropriate then to share with you what I wrote last year after going to a lunch where Margaret Fulton was the guest:

Food has become very serious lately. Lots of angst as we try to shop, prepare, cook and eat food that is organic, ethically treated, locally grown … What a wonderful restorative then to hear Margaret, the wag that she is, talk about food and cooking as enjoyable. Oh, she is passionate about the serious stuff too but she has not lost the knack of having fun in the kitchen. (Andrew Denton’s interview with Margaret shows just how much fun she likes to have!)

At almost 85 Margaret released Christmas in 2008. It’s her up-teenth recipe book and took almost 2 years to complete - I’m still learning and delighted to be doing so she proudly announced. Most people of her age would be tempted to rest on their laurels but you can see in her sparkling eyes and joyous smile that to stop doing what she loves is, well… incomprehensible.

Margaret as we all know is an iconic foodie in Australia with absolutely no pretensions about what she does. There were murmurs of consent from the audience as she ‘pooh poohed’ some of the current prima donnas of the cooking world. To Margaret, food and cooking is the stuff of life - done daily - with as much love and care as you can muster. Many women in the audience had obviously followed her recipes for years but it was heartening for her I’m sure, to see so many younger women there, listening, learning and laughing.

The lunch was on a hot, hot day, overlaid with a hot breeze, just for good measure. Our backdrops were the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. The delicious meal (inspired by the book) was entirely appropriate for Christmas Day in Australia, so long as your not a traditionalist.  We had Barramundi with Lemon, Thyme and Herb Mayonnaise, Roast Potatoes and a salad of Iceberg Lettuce, Radish and Capers. The summer pudding bursting with fresh berries looked stunning and festive for dessert. But don’t worry, the book is full of all the old favourites too.

Margaret spoke passionately about the book as a family affair. This very much reflects her feelings about Christmas  -  lots of discussions should occur as each member puts forward their particular likes and dislikes -  We had turkey last year;  Can’t we try a different stuffing?; I can’t have pork because I’m upset about the way they’re raised;  What about a barbecue? … it just goes on and on …  so long as it’s all discussed with good cheer! According to Margaret it’s proof that everyone cares and that’s important - We all have valid memories of what Christmas means to us so family and food should come together in a joyous compromise.

She is passionate that children have a special place at Christmas, so they need to be included in the discussions and the cooking. (In the cookbook there is a delightful picture of children making their own gingerbread men.)

Below are some words of wisdom from Margaret in answer to questions she was asked -

Things to avoid at Christmas?

• Don’t drink before you have the Christmas lunch cooked - She told her own tale of starting to drink with visitors on Christmas morning that led to a few catastrophes later in the day - something about singed eyebrows!
• Don’t run with the Christmas pudding just because it is alight  - there were consequences but she didn’t elaborate …?
  

Margaret’s personal passions?

• A knowledge and understanding of food, its history and diversity, still delights her.
• Commitment to causes that you believe in. One for Margaret is her intense opposition to the genetic manipulation of our food chain.
• The importance of caring about what happens around you, in your world
• Children should be heard and asked to contribute to family discussions. They should be allowed to cook. By doing so they learn so much about where food comes from, responsibility in the kitchen and an appreciation of other cultures, through their food.

Her favourite things to cook?
Anything cooked carefully and properly. It could be a perfectly boiled egg

Major mishap in the kitchen?
Burning the kitchen down. I was chatting to a friend from overseas on the phone, having a glass of wine as I did so, and forgetting about the cooking I had started before the phone call - you can imagine the rest …

Favourite ethnic food?
Indian - I appreciate the care that Indian women put into their amazing cuisine.  The spices they so lovingly use are so fresh. They have an intimate relationship with their food, regardless of how meagre or plentiful.

Margaret likens herself  to  Mr Toad, driving madly through life, and delighted that so many Australian women have been only too happy to go along for the ride. I think it’s because her recipes feel real, comfortable and doable. This is why we’ve been happy to join her on her ‘wild ride’.

Her final, delightful recommendation, so apt after the Christmas meal, is to have an electric foot bath on hand - It’s so lovely to sit and have your poor feet massaged after a hard day in the kitchen, possibly with a tipple of your choice in hand. What can be more real than that? It’s on my list.

Margaret Fulton Christmas by Margaret Fulton and Suzanne Gibbs. Hardie Grant Books

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