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S ides at Christmas so often flounder in the chaos that comes with tradition. “Turkey with all the trimmings” means you have to have roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, sprouts, stuffing and pigs in blankets as a minimum, and they all end up being deeply average. I could go on and on about why I don’t cook turkey in my house, but the thought of doing a big “set-piece” meal on C-day is definitely a big reason. Truthfully, it is hard to cook that many things well at the same time; home kitchens aren’t made for it, and neither are we, the cooks. So give yourself a break and choose two or three knockout sides. Aim for a range of textures – one crisp, one creamy, one juicy – and methods (you don’t have to roast everything) , and you won’t go back to boring again. Sherry-braised parsnips with chorizo Parsnips are so often confined to the realms of roasting but, like every other starchy root, they have a lot more to offer. Their toffee sweetness is their strength, so it’s a good idea to pair them with deeply savoury things such as dry sherry and chorizo. Ovens are already at breaking point on Christmas Day, so it’s nice to have a stove-top option, too. Prep 15 min Cook 50 min Serves 6 225g good-quality chorizo , sliced 2 shallots , peeled and diced 50g unsalted butter 3 garlic cloves , peeled and sliced 3 sprigs rosemary , leaves picked and finely chopped 800g parsnips , peeled and cut into even-sized chunks 300ml dry sherry 350ml hot chicken stock Salt and black pepper Zest of 1⁄2 lemon 1-2 tbsp sherry vinegar 1 handful flat-leaf parsley leaves , roughly chopped Put the chorizo in a cold, large, wide casserole pan with a lid, and as you bring it up to a medium heat, it will release its fat. Once sizzling, cook the chorizo for about three minutes a side, until just crisp and browned, then remove and set aside, keeping the fat in the pan. Add the shallots and butter, and fry for about five minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and rosemary, cook for a minute, then add the parsnips and fry for a couple of minutes, turning them often and making sure they are evenly coated. Pour in the sherry, bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Add the stock, return the chorizo to the pan and season generously. The parsnips will not be completely covered in the braising liquid, and that’s fine. Cover with a lid, turn the heat down low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, turning the parsnips a few times. (Their thin, pointy ends might soften quicker than the other pieces, so check and lift out if they are done.) Take off the lid for the final five minutes of cooking. When the parsnips are knife tender, turn off the heat, check the seasoning and stir in the lemon zest and a couple of glugs of sherry vinegar. Pile the parsnips and chorizo on a platter, stir the chopped parsley into the sauce and drizzle all over. Make ahead Do this up to two days ahead, but don’t add the vinegar and herbs until you have reheated the parsnips and are about to serve. Swaps Waxy potatoes, celeriac, swede or turnip would all work beautifully instead of parsnips. To make this vegetarian, leave out the chorizo and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon of smoked paprika with the garlic, and switch the chicken stock for veg stock. Roast potatoes with chilli, basil and garlic Everyone says it, but I don’t care: my mum makes the best roast potatoes. I learned from her the cornerstones of my roast potato philosophy, which are: fully boil, not parboil; lots of salt and lots of oil; and they take as long as they take – you work for the potatoes, the potatoes don’t work for you. Roasties are not an exact science – ovens behave differently, and have cold and hot spots, potatoes have different sugar contents and cook at different rates, and some people like crunchy small bits, while others like a crunchy-fluffy hybrid. As a rough guide, though, they should take about an hour and 20 minutes in the oven, so long as nothing else is going in and out. Prep 15 min Cook 2 hr Serves 6 2kg maris piper (or yukon gold) potatoes , peeled and cut into large, even-sized chunks 600ml vegetable oil Flaky sea salt 20g fresh basil leaves , shredded 2 garlic cloves , peeled and very finely chopped 2 red chillies , very finely diced Put the potatoes in a large pan and cover with cold water. Salt the water generously – it should be salty like soup – bring to a boil, then simmer over a medium heat for 20 minutes, or until the thickest potatoes are tender. Some will start to crumble, but that’s OK. Drain, gently shake in the colander to fluff up the edges, then transfer to a couple of trays and leave to cool and steam-dry completely. Heat the oven to 230C (210C fan)/450F/gas 8). Divide the oil between two or three large, deep roasting trays and heat in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until shimmering. Working with one tray at a time, carefully lay some of the cooled potatoes in the hot oil, turn to coat, sprinkle with salt, then pop back in the oven and repeat with the remaining tray(s) and potatoes; don’t overcrowd the potatoes, or they will steam rather than roast. After 20 minutes, again working with one tray at a time, turn over the potatoes. Repeat every 20 minutes, lifting out any potatoes that are deep golden and cooked to your liking as you do so. Drain the cooked roasties on kitchen paper, then transfer to a platter. Scatter over the basil, garlic and chilli while the potatoes are still hot, toss and serve. Make ahead Boil and cool the potatoes up to 24 hours ahead, and store uncovered in the fridge so they dry out and don’t sweat. You can also roast them up to six hours before dinner and reheat – they hold well. Swaps Leave out the dressing, or switch the basil for parsley and the chilli for lemon zest, for a more mellow take. Cavolo nero, leek and brussels sprout gratin I am not a huge brussels sprouts gal, but in this gratin with fragrant leeks, soft cavolo nero and plenty of cheese and cream, they are pretty irresistible. I also love the idea of bunging three types of vegetables into one dish – it follows that weird Christmas rule of having loads of different vegetable sides, but requires a lot less work and oven space. Prep 15 min Cook 1 hr 2 0 min Rest 10 min Serves 6 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp butter 450g leeks (about 3 medium ones), washed, trimmed and thinly sliced 400g brussels sprouts , hard ends trimmed and any dark/damaged leaves removed, the rest finely shredded 300g cavolo nero , stems removed and discarded, leaves roughly chopped 900ml double cream 70g parmesan , finely grated Nutmeg 1 tsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 tbsp dijon mustard 1 bunch fresh tarragon , leaves stripped and chopped 2 garlic cloves , peeled and grated Put the oil and butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the leeks, saute for about five minutes to soften, then add the sprouts and cavolo nero, and stir in a tablespoon of water. Cover the pan and leave to cook, stirring every so often, for 10 minutes, until the veg are soft. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Mix the cream with half the parmesan, then add a good grating of nutmeg, the salt, pepper, mustard, tarragon and garlic. Drain any excess liquid from the vegetables, then spoon them into a baking dish – I use a large, round, cast-iron one. Pour the cream mixture over the veg in batches, stirring slightly and letting it settle and disperse evenly as you do so. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes,. Lift off the foil, cook for another 20 minutes, then remove and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Make ahead Assemble and keep this in the fridge for up to two days. Bring to room temperature before baking. Cook the gratin up to 24 hours before and reheat, covered, at 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 for 30-40 minutes. Swaps Leave out any of the vegetables and make up their weight with more of the others. I love making this with savoy cabbage and slow-cooked onions, too. Rosie Mackean’s book, Good Time Cooking: Show-Stopping Menus for Easy Entertaining, is published by Pavilion Books at £26. To order a copy for £23.40, visit guardianbookshop.comSpringfield Museums ring in holidays with Lighting of the Quadrangle (Photos)

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HAMPTON — When you’re given the name Tuff Robinson, there are certain expectations for how you play basketball. Diving on loose balls, being a hard-nosed defender, and giving high-effort all of the time comes with the territory. “I’ve played every position since I was little,” Robinson said. “I just do whatever it takes to win. That’s the mindset, whatever I need to do, I’ll do it.” Toughness isn’t just something Robinson showcases on the floor, but off of it as well. Being born the youngest of three, the Hampton guard said his father wanted him to be resilient around his older brothers. Especially since the siblings were 10 and 11 years his senior, respectively. “My dad – I have two older brothers – and he said I would have to be tough or die,” Robinson said. “So he named me Tuff.” More than being an energy player for the Bulldogs, Robinson has stepped into an expanded role to start the 2024-25 campaign. Head coach Ned Smith had to replace his entire starting lineup from a year ago, and Robinson was one of the names he called on to make the jump. The junior has made the move pay dividends, as he has been one of Hampton’s most consistent options on offense. A defining moment for Robinson came in the Food City Thanksgiving Classic at Sullivan East. With the Bulldogs trailing by six at halftime against Mountain Mission (Va.), Robinson took the game over. He scored the first six points out of the locker room and 20 points in the third quarter on the way to a win. The guard said the ability to be a scorer is a result of his surrounding cast. “We’ve got so many people that can score,” Robinson said. “Just getting everybody else open and I always just find myself open. I like to drive, so that’s my main goal. Everybody else being able to shoot it, Chase (Davenport) and Caden (Davis), being such good shooters, the lane is always open.” Despite the whole starting five being new from a year ago, there isn’t much new among the members of the unit. “We’re all good friends and we work well together,” Robinson said. “So it hasn’t been too hard. It’s a lot of pressure, stepping into the starting five, but I think we’ve handled it pretty well so far.” After starting the year 7-2, the Bulldogs got their first taste of conference play on Tuesday night against Chuckey-Doak. They cruised to an 81-43 win, and Robinson played a large role in the contest. He scored 15 points while going 5-of-7 from the field, while also getting seven assists and six steals. The guard said he feels as though he rises to the occasion for big games like conference matchups. “It’s a little bit more pressure, but I like to play with the mindset that it’s always a big game,” Robinson said. “I try my hardest to do what it takes to win, and I think everyone else does, too.” Hampton has another early-season Three Rivers Conference showdown upcoming on Friday, as they will play host to South Greene. Stay Informed: Subscribe to Our Newsletter TodayOpen Text Corp. stock rises Wednesday, still underperforms market

Has a waltz written by composer Frederic Chopin been discovered in an NYC museum?JD Vance, Tony Abbott and ABC chair Kim Williams (Image: Private Media) The ABC Chair that Loved a Sailor ABC Radio National staff in Melbourne this week were amused by a tongue-in-cheek email doing the rounds ahead of Friday’s planned Christmas party, titled “Singers needed for Xmas Party!” The email said the chairman (ostensibly referring to ABC chair Kim Williams) had “promised to make an appearance” at the party, and was “looking [to] sing a culturally appropriate number based on Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore — he’s looking for some chorus singers to help out”. Word is that rather than Williams actually stepping up to the mic, a member of staff pretending to be the chair might belt out a tune. We asked the ABC what Williams’ chosen Christmas karaoke tune might be, but didn’t get a response. We’d love to hear your hypothetical suggestions for Kim Williams, dear reader — call us cliched, but we have him picked as partial to Paul Kelly’s 1996 classic How to Make Gravy , despite competitor streaming outlet Binge picking up the streaming rights to the recently released film adaptation. ‘Deeply repulsive’: ABC chair Kim Williams rails against Joe Rogan amid pitch for greater funding Read More Stop the TEAL There is an interesting contrast in the narratives surrounding the Coalition this coming election. One narrative, from political commentators, is that through bloody-minded obfuscation, effective culture warring, an increasingly explicit propaganda arm in the media, and an increasingly flailing prime minister, Peter Dutton has unaccountably gotten a party that was utterly wiped out in 2022 back into a competitive position ahead of 2025. The other, which is coming from the Liberal Party itself, is that there is a growing threat from the forces that actually wiped them out in the first place: teal independents knocking off Liberal “moderates”. First, we had Minister for Liminal Spaces Paul Fletcher use his one (and it turns out only) memorable public utterance to complain of a left wing conspiracy (a teal candidate) threatening his seat before, hilariously, just quitting anyway . Now, member for Berowra Julian Leeser is sending emails to his constituents expressing his worry about the same thing. “This campaign will be unlike anything Berowra has ever seen,” he darkly warns. “A teal candidate has been selected and will become a real threat.” Leeser, like every moderate remaining in Parliament, must be wondering what he can sell as his major achievements, watching as the party lurches ever further to the right under Dutton. To pick one example; he took a principled stand on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, quitting the shadow frontbench over Dutton’s conspiratorial opposition. Leeser told the Sydney Institute in October last year that the argument that the Voice was “peripheral business” was: As false as the argument in this campaign that Aboriginal people are privileged and this referendum is about special treatment and creating two different classes of Australians. What concerns me about this argument is not that it is hopelessly false. It is the total absence of empathy for our Indigenous brothers and sisters. Paul Fletcher’s grand conspiracy theory is the most interesting thing he’s ever said Read More Peter Dutton has apologised for boycotting the Stolen Generations apology, though not for his refusal to meet with Indigenous leaders at the Garma festival or his unsubstantiated claims of “rampant child abuse” in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. Just this week, Dutton promised , apropos of nothing, his government would remove the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from his press conferences. So apart from the ongoing threat of the teal movement to his seat, one wonders how Leeser must have felt, given his stated views, begging his constituents to help him make Peter Dutton prime minister. Vance at a glance Fresh from telling Viktor Orbán’s favourite US think tank that “recent migrants from the Middle East” were behind rising antisemitism , former prime minister Tony Abbott snapped a pic with US Vice President elect JD Vance — “an honour”, in Abbott’s words. An honour to catch up with incoming Vice-President @JDVance . At a fraught time, America is blessed to have leadership of such calibre. pic.twitter.com/yjz78KemYS — Tony Abbott (@HonTonyAbbott) December 10, 2024 Abbott has long showered Vance in praise — perhaps after being turfed out of his gig on the UK board of trade , he’s looking for another foreign power to advocate for ? Fox in the hen house See if you can spot a subtle difference in Fox’s tone in discussing two deaths. Incredible pic.twitter.com/3krgpuIAtL — Majority Report (@majorityfm) December 10, 2024 Guests on Fox’s The Ingraham Angle were discussing with horror some of the veneration being lavished upon Luigi Mangione, the alleged murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. “The Instagram posts from nutbag people, which I was sent in the commercial break earlier: crazy,” host Laura Ingraham said. “Like ‘he’s cute’ and people celebrating this. This is a sickness. Honestly it’s so disappointing, but I guess we shouldn’t be surprised.” She had barely drawn breath before saying the following: “Up next, the other big news out of New York, Daniel Penny. A lot of people think he’s a hero and tonight he’s not guilty.” Penny was acquitted after being charged with manslaughter after he had choked a homeless man (“menacing lunatic” in Ingraham’s phrase) to death. His trial, according to Ingraham, should never have happened . Have something to say about this article? Write to us at letters@crikey.com.au . Please include your full name to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say . We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.

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