Christmas Nibbles And Drinks, Ireland 1985

Ronan Collins and the Widow Twanky get tips on what food and drink to serve guests at Christmas.

Cookery expert Denise Sweeney of the National Dairy Council is on ‘Christmas Company’ to talk to Ronan Collins and Frank Kelly about food to serve visitors and family at Christmas.

Make your own lemonade for children with oranges, lemons, boiling water and sugar, for example. A stronger Christmas drink for over eighteens only is Nollaig Glögg, a combination of gin, Burgundy, red lemonade, cloves and cinnamon sticks. After one sip Frank Kelly who is in character as the Widow Twanky issues a warning,

That’s not a drink, that’s a space shuttle.

Easy hors d’oeuvres are a good option for when friends and neighbours call in. Mini sausage rolls can be made in advance and heated up quickly in the oven. Small pieces of salami or ham rolled up with a little cream cheese filling topped with an olive or gherkin are visually appealing. Cubes of cheese on cocktail sticks accompanied by a small slice of red or green pepper or a grape are another option.

What about cures, for the morning after the night before?

A Bloody Mary is always a stalwart, but a concoction known as ‘Liam’s Special’ made with honey, orange juice and 2 raw eggs will also help a sore head. The Widow Twanky maintains that either one is preferable to a well-known brand which can be purchased in the pharmacy,

Never use Alka-Seltzer, it’s too noisy.

This episode of ‘Christmas Company’ was broadcast on 23 December 1985. The presenter is Ronan Collins.