Rachel Allen gets set to bake up a storm

Dec 7 2008 By Andy Welch

Rachel Allen's Christmas Bake was featured on UKTV Food on Monday December 8. The Irish domestic goddess tells us about the show and shares her top Christmas tips.

For a few years now, Rachel Allen has been cooking up a storm - whether on UKTV Food or the BBC (her series is shown as part of Saturday Kitchen).

On UKTV Food, Rachel turned her attention to Christmas in a one-off seasonal special of her Bake series.

Listening to Rachel describe festive baked goodies like her date and apricot-studded Christmas cake is enough to get the mouth watering.

It's hard to know if it's the ingredients or her soft Irish lilt that make things sound so appealing. Either way, if you ever have terrible news, Rachel breaking it to you would certainly soften the blow.

The way she describes it, Christmas with Rachel must be fantastic, with gingerbread houses, cookies and other confections springing out of the oven with conveyor-belt regularity.

"I plan for quite a while in advance," the 36-year-old says.

"When you've got children (Rachel's got two boys, and another in the oven, so to speak, due in January) they make sure you plan ahead because they're so excited.

"As soon as Halloween is finished, the children start on Christmas, so by November we get cracking on the gingerbread house."

But wait, what's this? Rachel's not even started on her Christmas cake or pudding yet? Tut tut. A true domestic goddess would have had that sorted weeks ago.

"I know, I know," she admits.

"I haven't had time yet, but I'm going to do both in one afternoon this weekend."

The Christmas special of Bake follows on from the successful series of the same name, shown on UKTV Food in October.

In a change from her past programmes, which were filmed in Rachel's own family kitchen, Bake was largely shot in the world-famous Ballymaloe Cookery School.

The school, owned by Rachel's mother-in-law Darina, welcomes students from all over the world, and boasts more than 30 courses in all cuisines and styles of cooking. Rachel herself was a former student and now works there as a teacher.

Despite being so immersed in the culinary world, Rachel still enjoys talking to other chefs and picking up ideas. In Christmas Bake she meets Italian food guru and friend of Jamie Oliver Gennaro Contaldo.

"Gennaro told me all about panettone," she says.

"I didn't realise it was such a big thing but every Italian house has it at Christmas.

"He makes a beautiful pudding using leftover cake, ricotta and chocolate, almost like a trifle. I hadn't seen anything like that before.

"That's what so great about food, you can always learn things," she continues.

"I think a cook who doesn't learn something from another has a very closed mind. It's amazing how one can keep hearing about new things, seeing new things and tasting new things, no matter how much you've done before.

"Gennaro was so inspiring."

As soon as Rachel gets back to her home in Ireland, she says she's going to start decorating the place. She's not going to relax until the house "looks just how I want it to".

Of course, with a baby due in a matter of weeks, it's important she gets a bit of rest, but she says she finds relaxing difficult.

"I fly back and forth from Ireland to London a lot for my work, but I'm actually not allowed to fly after next week," she says.

"That'll make things a lot easier, so I am really looking forward to being at home and putting my feet up.

"I really love Christmas anyway, and kind of feel sorry for those who don't, but this year will be especially good.

"I love it for the family and social reasons, and I love the fact you make your home into this lovely, cosy place with all the lights and things. Shame it's not like this all year round. I hate taking the decorations down, the house always looks so cold and bare afterwards."

So what tips can we get from someone who so clearly has Christmas entertaining down to a fine art?

"Doing things in advance and getting organised is the way to do it," she begins.

"If you're cooking for a group or making food for a party, choose some things you can make in advance, because if you don't, you'll be so stressed, and there's nothing worse than a stressed host.

"A party is so much more enjoyable when you're round at someone's house and the host is relaxed, and not just getting out of the shower when guests are arriving, rushing about," she adds.

"Write a few lists as well. I'm a list-maker, and my husband always laughs at me, but they do help and that way you don't suddenly remember things at the last minute."

Aside from having another baby brother or sister for her sons Luka and Joshua, what does 2009 hold in store for Rachel?

"More of the same, hopefully," she says, smiling.

"We weren't aiming for January with the baby, but it's actually great timing because of the way things have worked out.

"I might have a baby on the hip, or there might be screaming in the background, but yes, hopefully there will be another series next year.

"We haven't decided what the theme will be, but that's another great thing about food, you can never run out of ideas."

RACHEL FACTS

After encouragement from her family, Rachel left home when she was 18 to train at Darina Allen's famous Ballymaloe Cookery School. Darina is now Rachel's mother-in-law.

Rachel has a food column in Irish paper The Sunday Tribune, and regularly contributes to the BBC Good Food magazine.

Rachel is married to Isaac, also a chef. The couple have two sons, Luka and Joshua, with another baby due in January.

Rachel's original TV series, Rachel's Favourite Food, was first shown on RTE in Ireland. It was later sold to the BBC and shown all over the world, including Australia, Italy and parts of Africa.

Rachel has published a number of cookbooks including Food For Living and Rachel's Diary.