In the lead up to Christmas, we sat down with our favourite Author and Chef, Julia Busuttil in her Melbourne home and chatted food, family and Christmas traditions (new and old).
Christmas with Julia Busuttil Nishimura
Is Christmas Day important to you?
Yes, I love Christmas Day. It feels like the celebration of the year past, even more than New Years. It’s such a beautiful time of year. It was really special in my family growing up and now having kids of my own it feels even more special. It’s all about slowing down, cooking something and being able to spend time with your family.
What's on the menu?
This year it's really simple. Lots of seafood, oysters, crayfish, scallops and prawns, a few fresh salads and pavlova for dessert. We always end up making extra prawns for prawn sandwiches on Boxing Day.
Do you have any family traditions?
On Christmas Eve night it is customary for us to eat seafood and on Christmas morning we open our presents with some Pandoro and cherries.
Are you planning on introducing any new traditions?
This year I was thinking about making the coffee granita and brioche for breakfast instead, it feels perfect for an Australian Christmas. It's also Yuki's first Christmas so a new tradition will be having him apart of it each year.
"Family food is generous, unfussy and demonstrates love and care. No matter what busyness the day brings, the act of setting the table and enjoying a simple meal together is comforting and ever-reassuring."