Gourmet Today welcomes the Christmas season

December has begun and with it the promise of Christmas and with it the mad rush of shopping for presents and enough food for the big day. But aside from the stress that Christmas brings, it also brings with it family from overseas and time off work and school to catch up with family and friends.

Entertaining is high on the agenda at this time of year, so why not check out some of Chris Diacono's easy recipes ideal for dinner parties of six or more people.

Our homecooks make a great meal for entertaining, Gaby makes a blue cheese and pear parcel with a festive cranberry and port sauce while Ann makes an easy, prepare-the-day-before, spicy rabbit stew and Sandra rounds off the meal with a raspberry and torrone semifreddo that can also be made well in advance to take the pressure off while entertaining.

Keep the kids entertained and get them into the Christmas spirit. Get them into the kitchen to make Christmas biscuits, gingerbread men and candy canes, which not only make delicious treats but are also great gifts.

The Christmas period need not all be about decadence. Mark Morales goes to the gardens of Villa Bologna to cut some exciting vegetables grown by Emanuela de Giorgio to make an almost vegan meal (which can easily be changed into a vegan variety leaving out the yoghurt).

Whatever your choices this Christmas, be sure to spend it around a table with the people that mean most to you. We would like to take this opportunity to wish a very Merry Christmas to you and your family and look forward to hearing your comments or suggestions.

Don't forget to pick up your copy free with MaltaToday this Sunday, 2 December.