The traditional Christmas has roasting chestnuts over a log fire. It's snowy scenes through latticed windows. Mulled wine and turkey. We all want to capture that cosy feeling of times past. But maybe there's a way of enjoying the festivities by adding a novel twist to your menu. With scaremongering tales of Turkey prices soaring to £100 a bird, following the recent outbreaks of avian flu, what better time to try something a little different.

Eating a meal together is about love and warmth. Food triggers memories and Christmas food even more so. How then to capture the spirit of the season and cook something that will tickle the taste buds, create a convivial atmosphere, and crackle with the snap of Christmas crackers? With warming spices and hearty food in mind, here's an alternative menu that should guarantee a memorable meal.

Starter

Do like the French do on Christmas Eve and think of smoked salmon. There are some lovely varieties on the market, some smoked over juniper, others over wood. A good smoked salmon will have a smooth consistency with lots of flavour. It's best to serve it simply with little toasts made from thinly sliced white bread and a squeeze of lemon juice. Nothing more, nothing less. Simple, tasty and not too filling before the main course.

Mains

Choose from a trio of birds. First up is roast pheasant. One bird is usually sufficient for two people, but you'll know best when you see the size. Although a game bird, the flavour isn't so strong and should appeal to all palates.

Secondly is guinea fowl. This competes with a good organic chicken with is our third choice. The differences are subtle. Guinea fowl will add that slightly more exotic quality. But don't underestimate an organic chicken that's roamed across grasslands.

"Food triggers memories and Christmas food even more so."

All three of these birds can be cooked with the same ingredients and each will have a slightly different taste due to the denseness of the meat. So here goes:

1) Start with a good base. Take four onions, chop finely and cook in a mix of butter and olive oil until tender but not brown, Turn up the heat, take the bird and brown in the pan.

2) Remove with the onions and put in a dish. Add garlic, ginger and cinnamon. Spread it over the breast and inside the cavity. For convenience you can use the lazy type of garlic and ginger already chopped. Use approximately three teaspoons of garlic, two of ginger and two teaspoons of ground cinnamon. For fresh garlic, crush six cloves, and for ginger grate a piece about the size of your thumb.

3) And that's it really, except for adding some red wine to the pheasant and white to the guinea fowl and chicken. Three glasses would be good but the choice is yours.

4) Cover with foil and bake. The sauce that's left can form the basis of the gravy.

Allow plenty of time to cook the birds. There’s a tendency to cook on too high a heat. Particularly with the pheasant - you need to leave plenty of time, as the bird can end up very dry and tough. And they all benefit from basting as they cook. For pheasant choose a gas mark 4, 350 F, 180 C for one and half hours. Guinea fowl and chicken will need gas mark 5, 375 F, 190 C and calculate 20 minutes to the pound (450g) as a guide, but check the juices run clear when you prick the bird to make sure it's cooked. Adding an extra 20 minutes never does any harm as long as you baste regularly. And remember when they're cooked they benefit from 'resting' before carving.

For the gravy, take the juices and reduce in a pan. Add a couple of glasses of whichever wine you've used and burn off the alcohol. Thicken with cornflour and add seasoning to taste.

"The most important thing is to savour this Christmas and make it memorable and traditional for you."

This seasoning, particularly, with the addition of cinnamon, gives a sweet, pungent flavour that's slightly different.

Accompaniments

Carrots and brussel sprouts are a good complement. Don't just boil them, try this:

1) Cook your sprouts and sliced carrots for about 10 minutes in boiling water.

2) Drain and refresh with cold water, which keeps their bright colour.

3) In a pan melt butter and olive oil.

4) Add the vegetables, turning and coating them. Season with salt and pepper.

5) Add chopped chestnuts, which you’ll find in tins.

6) Finish off with single cream.

For potatoes, take baby potatoes, toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary and bake in a hot oven - gas mark 7 or equivalent - for about 40 minutes, turning as they cook. You'll end up with truly scrumptious crispy potatoes with the taste of the Mediterranean.

Instead of the traditional Christmas pudding, how about trying something equally wintry, but lighter on the tummy? Baked apples or pears with cream or custard are a truly winter dish. The trick with apples is to cut a circle with a knife around its belly to stop it bursting at the seams when it bakes. For a Christmassy flavour why not stuff the cored centre with mincemeat topped with a dollop of butter and brown sugar. While it bakes - at gas mark 5 or equivalent - for about half an hour, baste it and watch the apple turn a glorious golden brown.

Baked pears are a bit different. Peel the pears, leaving the stalks, and sit them upright in a baking dish. For eight to ten pears, conference are best, mix approximately a quarter of a pint, or 150 ml, red wine with the zest of one lemon, half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon for Christmas flavour, and about 4 oz or 100gr of sugar. Bake in a gas mark 4 oven, or equivalent, for about 20 minutes, basting as they cook. When cooked, they will be a gorgeous red colour.

And if cooking really is just too much trouble...

The above menu should prove to be a tasty alternate to the traditional turkey dinner. But if you feel less inclined to cook and want someone else to take off the burden then why not try a company like the Christmas Dinner Company .

They will provide the best quality Kelly Turkeys and Duchy Original foods all ready to go. Everything is pre-prepared with cooking instructions. Food is delivered freshly chilled straight to your door before 12 noon on 23 December. It just couldn't be easier.

The choice is yours and the trick is to enjoy the festivities. The most important thing is to savour this Christmas and make it memorable and traditional for you. Whatever works for you, works.

By Michele Nevard