I have edited a lot of turkey recipes this week and this, I have decided, is my favourite. We're talking shallots, chipolatas, bacon, garlic, bay leaves, lemon, nuts - gorgeous!

TRADITIONAL ROAST TURKEY RECIPE

And if you don't want to massacre your bird, here's how to carve it, courtesy of Paul Kelly of Kelly Bronze award-winning turkeys fame, who turned up at the Taste of Christmas show on Friday to demonstrate his method.
1) Cut the wing tips off.
2) Cut the legs off.
3) Cut the whole breast off, easing it away from the bone.
4) Then carve from all three and present on a platter.

Jamie Oliver was at Taste of Christmas too, and he was on great form demonstrating his Christmas Carpaccio of beef with roasted squash. But the best thing about Taste of Christmas by far, was being able to sample sumptuous foods from the exhibitors. My six favourites, in no particular order, were...

Morton's Norfolk Bronze Free Range Turkey - sumptuous; even the breast was moist.
www.freerangeturkeys.co.uk

Pear and Walnut Paté from www.cornishcheese.co.uk - a gorgeous experience.

Proper Porcini Mushroom Sauce from www.thesaucequeen.co.uk - this has to be tasted to be believed; I will be pouring it on chicken breasts and pasta from now to eternity.

Kinvara Smoked Salmon from www.kinvarasmokedsalmon.com- soft, just salty enough and cut into perfect strips, I bought a large pack of this and it didn't survive the weekend.

Denhay Award Winning British Bacon - everyone was oohing and ahhing over the oh-so-subtle smoked variety.

Better put up some more Christmas recipes for you all - bye for now...

Carol, the hassled but happy Food Editor