European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 18, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                .-.-. 1. Cd Leau Christmas serve your yuletide feast with a French twist  the associated Prest think of december holidays in France and visions of oysters and foie gras May dance in your head. While Nodi is still a religious and family moment it also Means j gastronomic fete. Goose is an All time favorite main course. Turkey is popular though some consider it a Parven from America. We Don t like Turkey much and prefer roast game from our property says Lisa de Cosse Brissac at her husband s 17th Century family chateau near Chartres. With her husband Emmanuel australian born Lisa runs the elegant chateau de Banville about six Miles from Chartres As a luxury bed and breakfast. They offer five double rooms with Bath precious heirlooms and portraits As part of the Charm. I prepare dinner for guests too says Lisa whose credentials Are impeccable. She trained at the cordon Bleu and put in More than a year working in Paris restaurants. She manages to juggle French and English style cooking especially at Christmas when she uses her ingenuity to please a variety of Ages at the dinner table. Foie gras and Venison Are the main features of my Christmas menu she says. We won t have paying guests it will be a family affair in her seven years in France Lisa has Learned All about French christmases rather different from those in Australia and America. There s a lot less on the decor presents Side she says and the custom is to celebrate after Midnight mass on Christmas eve with the main feast and presents then instead of Christmas  her Mother in Law countess Anita de Cosse Brissac who was raised mainly in America agrees that French Christmas is special. New York christmases were magical she says but i soon Learned to love Christmas in  she appreciates what she s observed of the various seasonal traditions such As the prevalence of st. Nicolas in Alsace and the East you see this rather gaunt Long bearded figure All Over. He brings oranges to children s stockings but he s nothing like Jolly old Santa  this year the children s Grandfather count Charles de Cosse Brissac will dress up to play father Christmas for the children but in the Jolly Santa manner not glum st. Nicolas. The family likes to emulate Provencal customs such As the creche scene from Anita s collection of figurines. The Provencal Call their Little painted Terra Cotta miniatures Santons she says. They re a Southern French tradition along with serving 13 special desserts. We Don t do that in our family but i do love my Little characters that go along with the holy family. Some of them Are typical costumed Arles Ennes there s a fishmonger a woman making bread a policeman even a thief for Good measure Anita will celebrate Noel out in the family chateau with Lisa Emmanuel and their three children Clemence 4, Hugo 18 months and a new baby due two weeks before Christmas plus Many other family members. Even my own parents and cousins from Australia will come says Lisa. What a change from an australian summer Beach Christmas if there s Snow it will probably be just flurries though chateau de Banville will be decked with Christmas style evergreens and a Bunch of Mistletoe plus a Christmas tree Cut from the family property. The Cosse Brissac Christmas is typical of country and family christmases All Over France the big moment being Christmas eve rather than Christmas Day. Well go to Midnight mass in the nearby 15th-Century Catholic Church in Saint Luperce says Lisa. It s totally charming in Stone with battlements on the Bell Tower though freezing cold at  As first aristocratic family in the area the Cosse Brissac will take their place in the first rows of hard wooden pews. The priest is there in his White vestments altar boys and nowadays altar girls. A local lady will play a primitive looking Organ instrument called a harmonium and everybody sings their hearts  Don t forget the live creche scene adds Anita. They always take a woman who s just had a baby to pose with her child usually a boy. But baby Jesus May be a girl As Well. In swaddling clothes it certainly does t  this year the Virgin Mary might even be played by Lisa with her new baby. After Church Well have our own version of a feast says Lisa. Drinks in the Library dinner by candelabra in the dining room Exchange of gifts though the children May have some of theirs the next  i Don t necessarily adhere to a traditional feast says Lisa. But i try to make it a grand occasion. Oysters Are de Rigueur m some households but so is foie gras which i la be serving. Well definitely have Cranberry sauce with the game. Probably a Chestnut pure As Well along with wild mushrooms from our  she explains that French people also love the Whit Boudin. Very popular at christmastide. I can make it but there s no Point since the sausage makers do it so  Many French families finish the Christmas eve feast with a Buche de Noel the creamy cake Roll garnished with icing to look like a Christmas log. But not the Cosse Brissac it s too Sweet says Lisa. We prefer the Christmas pudding or Rich Brandy soaked Fruitcake which is English in origin. And i la serve it with a very easy to make Brandy butter sauce. Another Choice will be a Fig  the Cosse Brissac will be pouring plenty of the Best champagnes and various red and White Bordeaux and burgundies since Emmanuel is a wine dealer and can furnish top vintages from his own cellar. Lisa de Cosse Brissac shows a Venison dish a Centrepiece of her family Celebration. Christmas menu foie gras. Sauternes wine roast haunch of Roebuck Venison with Cranberry sauce wild mushrooms from Banville Forest Fig tartlets served with Creme Fraiche Plum pudding served with Brandy butter recipes roast leg of Roebuck Venison with Cranberry sauce serves 8 1 leg of Small Roebuck Venison about 4 pounds 2 onions peeled coarsely chopped 2 carrots peeled Cut into 2-Inch pieces 3 Tablespoons Sunflower Oil 2 cups red wine 2 Tablespoons red currant Jelly 1 cup cranberries fresh or bottled place Venison onions and carrots in baking dish add Oil. Bake in a hot approximately 350 f oven about one hour or More if you like it really Well done. Remove meat add wine and stir Over heat to loosen sediments. Strain liquid from pan mixture reheat this sauce adding Jelly and berries until slightly thickened. Salt and Pepper to taste. Pour Over sliced Venison and serve. Fig tart serves 6 8 ounces approximately rolled puff pastry. 10 fresh figs sliced into rings 3 Tablespoons Lavender Honey 3 Tablespoons butter line a flan or pie tin with pastry and prick with a Fork Over base. Form rings of Cut figs to cover entire pastry base. Melt Honey and butter Over mild heat. Pour Over figs and bake 20 minutes at 180 c or 350 for until pastry is cooked and top caramelized. Brandy butter hard sauce for Christmas pudding or Fruitcake 3 ounces unsalted butter 3 ounces Castor Fine grained sugar 3 Tablespoons Brandy Cream butter and sugar. Beat in Brandy a few drops at a time. Leave to Harden and serve with warm Plum pudding. 18, 1993 stripes Magazine