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Woman's Hour: Christmas Day on Joy

Christmas Day on Joy

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, Christmas Day on Joy

Christmas Day with Jane Garvey and guests talking about Joy.

Jane Garvey is joined by the Rev Kate Bottley, Natalie Maddix of the House Gospel Choir, surgeon Liz O'Riordan, crime writer Sophie Hannah and food writer Tonia Buxton.

Christmas Day programme about Joy. 

Jane Garvey is joined by the Rev. Kate Bottley, who brings the Christian perspective of joy at Christmas, and talks about her personal passion for ice water swimming.  

Natalie Maddix is the founder and Creative Director of the House Gospel Choir. She describes the joy of communal singing and shares some of the choir's uplifting music.  

The breast surgeon and breast cancer survivor, Liz O'Riordan,  tells us the story behind her 'Jar of Joy'.
 
The crime writer Sophie Hannah explains her theory of finding joy - even in the most adverse of circumstances.  

Tonia Buxton is a chef and consultant at the Real Greek Restaurants.  She gives details of her family's ‘dirty’ Christmas sandwiches and her family recipes for Greek Liver stuffing. 

Woman's Hour listener Joy Barnard tells her story of being adopted at Christmas in 1961, and Lynette and Daisy reveal what brings them personal joy.

Presented by Jane Garvey
Producer: Louise Corley


RECIPES

Greek Christmas Liver Stuffing

Ingredients
50g/2oz butter
1 onion finely chopped 
livers from your turkey finely chopped ( I like to add another  pack of 200g )
½ cup/ 75g/3oz long grain white rice rinsed
½ tsp ground cinnamon 
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ cup/ 75g/3oz of sultanas.
½ cup/ 75g/3oz of pine kernels 
1 ½ cups/275ml/ 10fl oz water
sea salt & coarsely ground black pepper

Method 
In a frying pan add the butter & fry the onion until softened.
Add the liver & continue to fry till browned.
Then add the spices, seasoning, pine kernels & sultanas & rice. Stir in the water & bring to the boil. Cover with a lid & simmer for 10/12 minutes. 
You can either stuff the bird or put it in a shallow casserole dish, cover with foil & warm before serving. 


Melomakarona Greek Christmas biscuits 

This wonderful recipe is one I have taken (with permission ) from my friend Asimakis  Chaniotis  who is the most exciting young Greek Chef who has a Michelin star as well as many other accolades. He has refined this traditional recipe that is handed down from generation to generation.
https://www.asimakischaniotis.co.uka 

Ingredients

For the syrup
500 g water 
800 g granulated sugar 
150 g honey 
3 stick(s) cinnamon 
3 cloves 
1 orange, cut in half 
1st mixture

400 g orange juice 
400 g seed oil 
180 g olive oil 
50 g icing sugar 
1/2 teaspoon(s) cloves 
2-3 teaspoon(s) cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon(s) nutmeg 
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda 
orange zest, of 2 oranges 

2nd mixture
1 kg all-purpose flour 
200 g semolina, fine 

Method
For the syrup : Boil all the ingredients apart from the honey until the sugar melts and let it to be cold for 3-4 hours 

Preheat the oven 190 
In one big bowl mix with a hand whisk all the ingredients from the 1st mixture 
In a separate bowl mix the ingredients from the 2nd mixture 

Combine the 1st bowl to the 2nd and mix by hand gently 

Bake them for 20-25’
Soak the hot cookies to the cold syrup 
Let them drain on a wire rack 

Drizzle with honey (optional ) and walnuts

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