- Tips and treats for the festive season, from ‘Anoma’s Kitchen’ to yours
By Ravini Perera
We Sri Lankans are well-known for our festivities and ability to celebrate in style. Our calendar celebrates numerous cultural and religious events throughout the year, and brings together people from many different walks of life. As 2021 comes to an end, we brace ourselves for yet another season of celebration – the end of a year, the birth of Christ, and the beginning of a new year celebrated back to back, tripling the reasons to be joyful.
No occasion is complete without good food and great company (though which is more important is up for debate). However, with the pandemic overshadowing our lives and bringing about financial difficulties, celebrations may either have to be simplified or even limited.
Ahead of this Christmas season, Brunch sat down with culinary expert, beloved chef, and the host of “Anoma’s Kitchen” Anoma Wijetunga for some useful tips on planning, saving money, and prepping food for the season ahead. “There are numerous ways to learn how to cook. However, one must be smart and keep their budget in mind,” Anoma shared with us. “In other words, the food we prepare must suit our pocket. Although people believe that good food is costly, in reality it is not. We can prepare delicious meals at home even with a small budget. The secret is to be creative and smart,” she said.
Menus and money: Some planning hacks
Planning menus in advance and spending money accordingly are two of the most fundamental ways to cut down on expenditure. It is easy to spend money, whereas it is difficult to earn it, and so, one must be mindful of the money they spend and be willing to change any habits if needed to increase savings. “The festive season is a time when people spend a lot of money and energy on food and cooking. However, that need not be the case if you plan ahead. This will make your experience in cooking food less stressful and more enjoyable,” added Wijetunga.
Tip #1
Spare 15 minutes of your time every week to note down the meal plan for the upcoming week. Furthermore, shop according to this plan.
Tip #2
Record all expenses surrounding the kitchen and the food consumed. Additionally, list out all unnecessary expenses that can be reduced. Add homegrown herbs, fruits, and vegetables to the diet plan to increase health benefits and to save money spent on groceries.
Tip #3
Maintain a separate book for noting down the menu plans for events and gatherings during the festive season. Keep track of the number of guests, quantities of each dish prepared, and the varieties served.
Tip #4
Be sure to amend these lists and books when needed, highlighting the likes and dislikes of the crowd. This will set a guideline for you when preparing for future events while minimising food wastage.
Tip #5
Get the cleaning and marinating out of the way as early as possible. Fish and meat items can be cleaned, seasoned, and left to be marinated in the freezer. Prior to the event, the meat can be defrosted and cooked. Different flavouring and seasoning agents, for these food and meat items, can also be prepared at home.
Think on your feet
The festive season is filled with love and laughter with family and friends coming together. However, we can always be caught off-guard by an unexpected guest. At such times, it can often be challenging to put together some light refreshments or a meal, especially if you’re on a budget. “This will no doubt put your creativity to the test,” Anoma said: “But be it a large crowd or a small group, there are incalculable amounts of food options to suit everyone and every occasion.”
Tip #1
A charcuterie board is the best option for entertaining a group of guests on short notice. This is where a range of meats, cheeses, breads, biscuits, olives, fruits, berries, vegetables, dips, and nuts can be artistically arranged on a serving board.
Tip #2
Omelettes are also a good option, as they can be made with a variety of herbs and spices to suit the guests’ palates. A salsa served with chips, Krisco biscuits or crackers, or a spicy yoghurt dip paired with steamed vegetables can also be some of the other options, especially if you’re looking to be frugal.
Tip #3
One may also opt for food items such as chicken wings which are widely available at affordable prices. There is only the simple task of buying, cleaning, and leaving the seasoned chicken wings in the freezer to marinate, which can be air fried and served upon the arrival of guests.
Tip #4
Another clever way to present everyday food items is by preparing them using unusual techniques. In other words, traditional rice and curry can be reintroduced to the dinner table, prepared in a Thai style.
Tip #5
Given the pandemic situation and various concerns raised about sharing food among numerous guests, the hosts have the option of serving individual portions and dips presented in separate containers. This can prevent many people from consuming from the same serving, and contribute to overall health.
Sharing is caring
As Sri Lankans, we are renowned for our hospitality. Christmastime is no exception. In addition to entertaining guests at home, we also spread the holiday cheer by giving out Christmas goodies to our neighbours. This is a tradition that is widely practised within the community during any celebration or festive season. Moreover, visiting our loved ones during special events is also an important custom.
“This is another opportunity for us to get creative,” Anoma explained, saying: “If we all put our thinking caps on, we should be able to come up with cost-effective and easy food items to be presented as gifts.”
Tip #1
Maintain a collection of reusable containers and glass jars throughout the year. Utilise these containers during the festive seasons to distribute food items. These containers can be decorated with ribbons, tags, and stickers to suit the season.
Tip #2
Homemade cookies, jams, chutneys, pickled food, cakes, and other sweetmeats can be sent out in these jars or taken with you on your Christmas visits.
Tip #3
Unlike store-bought goodies, homemade products are made with the best ingredients and without any added preservatives. This is a great gift for any person with a busy schedule who can easily incorporate these rice pullers and sweets into their daily meals and snack times.
Tip #4
Make use of homegrown ingredients or ones that can be easily acquired during harvesting seasons to make batches of jams, chutneys, and pickled food. This can either be for home consumption or be used as an exceptional gift idea that will be highly appreciated by the receivers.
Tip #5
Tonnes of food tend to get thrown out during festive days. To avoid such occurrences and to save money, develop ideas to mix and match food items. Make use of leftovers and do not let any food go to waste. For instance, a dessert can be made by stacking a layer of sliced fresh bananas over a homemade caramel, topped with a homemade butter cake and vanilla ice cream. A bruschetta can also be put together with just about any ingredients you have lying around at home.
It’s always important to be healthy
Due to numerous health conditions, many people are prevented from satisfying their taste buds as they wish. One of the most common factors that contribute to conditions such as diabetes and cholesterol is living on an unhealthy diet. Speaking on the need to embrace healthy eating habits for 2022, Anoma said that freely available take-outs, dine-ins, delivery services, and drive-throughs have posed a new challenge to our health and wellbeing. With the pandemic restricting people to their homes, there was a significant increase in the use of delivery channels and consumption of fast food items.
“The money wasted on food bought from restaurants is unimaginable. Moreover, the risk of developing diseases from such takeaway food is even greater. People, especially the younger generation, are unaware of the importance of saving and investing. This has led individuals to spend a significant portion of their earnings on food, which is incorrect and unhealthy,” Anoma highlighted, before going on to talk about the importance of cooking at home. “When we cook food at home for our loved ones, we cook with love. It is my opinion that we should gradually adopt healthy eating habits in our daily routine and abandon eating unhealthy foods. This will reduce the risk of our loved ones developing any adverse health conditions,” she said.
She went on to explain: “The beauty of these habits is that they can be put to use this holiday season and in the years ahead. These changes will yield great rewards. One must live and enjoy life to the fullest, but live it in a healthy way.”
Sharing tips on being healthier in general, and especially following an indulgent Christmas season, Anoma recommended the following:
Tip #1
Reduce the incorporation and intake of sugar, salt, and oil through food. Use natural substitutes. For instance, sugar can be replaced with dates for sweetening purposes.
Tip #2
Invest in electrical appliances such as an air fryer or a multi cooker. Although they are costly, buyers will not be disappointed but rather astonished at their long-term benefits. These appliances can even be used to make desserts such as cakes.
Tip #3
Promote the consumption of fruits and vegetables within the family. Sri Lanka possesses countless varieties of nutritious fruits and vegetables. Incorporate such items in your daily diets. To give an example, finely diced vegetables and leafy green vegetables can be incorporated into waffle, pol roti, and pittu mixtures to add depths of flavour and nutrition.
Tip #4
Practice the “five-a-day” rule. This is where you add one leafy green vegetable, two vegetables and two fruits to your daily diet. Often people tend to overlook the nutrition provided by fruits and vegetables found locally, and resort to imports that lack such nutrition. Nelli, sapathilla, star fruit, and naminam are great additions to our lives. If these fruits are paired with other desserts such as jellies or even served as fruit kebabs, they might be voted to be a family favourite.
Tip #5
Discuss the benefits of eating healthy food amongst family members, but do not overemphasise on the topic to make children evade such discussions. Allocate time to exercise. This is an extremely crucial step towards leading a healthy lifestyle.
To learn more about Anoma’s amazing yet healthy recipes, please follow Anoma on her social media channels:
YouTube: AnomasKitchen
Instagram: @anomaskitchen
Facebook: @anomaskitchen
