For most of us, Christmas calls for big birds, crisp spuds and enough gravy to fill a small swimming pool. Each of us also has at least one non-negotiable treat or drink, and each will argue that it’s just not Christmas without it.

Christmas must-haves are a hot topic at the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen right now, and, as it turns out, we all have very different ideas – surprise, surprise! Jake Norman swears by brandy butter on toast, Chaya Maya opts for fresh pineapple and lychee (but only when she’s back home in Mauritius), while Milli Taylor shocks us all with a Christmas Day piña colada.

But what sparked the biggest stir? Stuffing, that’s what – and it prompted the Great Stuffing Debate of 2023. Verena Lochmuller stuffs her bird and makes a separate loaf, too – the juices from the stuffing make for a delicious, savoury gravy, she says. Milli, meanwhile, insists that you should never stuff a bird – it adds to the cooking time, which risks ending up with a dry turkey. It’s all about ensuring maximum airflow, apparently. (Which led Verena to mutter: “Oh, so that’s why my turkey’s dry …”)

Of course, stuffing isn’t even in the equation for some of our team. David Bravo, for example, always has roast pork, potato salad, aji (an Ecuadorian hot sauce) and rice on the big day, so hats off to Ecuador for that.

Jessie Ware and her mother, Lennie, of Table Manners podcast fame, are popping into the Test Kitchen next week, and we’ve heard that, for them, Christmas isn’t Christmas without stuffing or parsnips. Good job we perfected a parsnip and pecorino stuffing just in time. We’ll recommend they also check out Nigel Slater’s classic sage and onion number or his sausage, cranberry and chestnut stuffing, or Thomasina Miers’ clever fino sherry, apricot and thyme stuffing rotolo.

When we’re not swapping stories of tasty traditions, we’re knee-deep in menu tastings, soft-serve experiments and dotting the Is and crossing the Ts for the forthcoming Ottolenghi Hampstead. Even after so many restaurant and deli openings, I still underestimate the work involved in creating a new one – but the excitement never fades.

Finally, in case you were curious, for me Christmas isn’t Christmas without an amontillado sherry with a cheesy (ideally parmesan) savoury biscuit. Just that to look forward to keeps me going all day.

I’ve not stopped thinking about | The roast duck with freekeh, toum and shawarma oil that we’re developing for Nopi’s New Year’s Eve menu.

What I’ve read | Russell Norman’s Brutto: A (Simple) Florentine Cookbook: smart, handsome, engaging, insightful, urbane – much like its author, the pioneering restaurateur who died a fortnight ago. Small plates, no reservations, (many) negronis, bare bricks, filament lightbulbs … his influence reaches far beyond the confines of the London restaurant scene, and he will be very much missed.

What I’ve eaten | I had a lovely evening at fellow Feast contributor Ravinder Bhogal’s Jikoni restaurant last week, to celebrate Nik Sharma’s latest book, Veg-Table. Two standout moments from our meal were his brassica fritters, okonomiyaki-style, and kung pao sweet potatoes with sticky garlic rice.

On my radar | Bouchon Racine in London’s Farringdon, for a masterclass in classic French cooking and rich, glossy sauces. They have a pared-back dessert menu, but I’ve heard wonderful things about the creme caramel.

What I’ve cooked this week | Spaghetti with meatballs, which tops the charts for my kids (and causes skirmishes between otherwise civilised adults once the children have had a go). I make mine with a mix of pork and beef mince, plus fried onion, ricotta, parmesan, oregano and breadcrumbs. The tomato sauce I cook them in is pretty traditional, too: olive oil, celery, carrot, onion, thyme, tinned tomatoes and one ancho chilli.