The cookbooks and magazines of culinary icon Donna Hay are a regular fixture in Aussie homes. Her stunning tablescapes and simple dishes have inspired everyday cooks to level up their dinner parties for years. When she was offered the opportunity to create a Christmas TV special, Donna didn’t hesitate in saying yes.
Donna Hay delivers delicious Christmas recipes in the 4-part series.
(Image: Getty)“I love Christmas, I love everything about it from the food to the decorations,’ she tells TV WEEK.
“When Disney approached me to do a show, I was on board straight away. My heart just exploded with excitement.”
The four-part series, Donna Hay Christmas, shows everyday Aussies how to put on a spectacular celebration without the fuss. Donna takes viewers on a journey through delectable starters, show-stopping mains as well as tasty desserts and sweet treats in the series.
The series is streaming on Disney+.
(Image: Getty)Best of all, Donna’s recipes are easy enough for even a novice cook with inspiration for go-to quick dishes. It’s something that the mum of two boys feels is important to convey.
“I wanted to get across that Christmas can be stress free and joyous and you can spend a lot more time with your family and friends rather than in the kitchen all day,” she says.
In front of the camera, Donna is a natural. “As long as I’m cooking and doing what I love, I’m in my element,” she shares. “I kind of forget the cameras are there. It feels like I am just cooking for my family.”
Donna Hay’s recipes are Aussie classics.
(Image: Instagram)For the cook, bringing in the elements of a quintessential Aussie Christmas onto the show was important. “We really wanted to include the outdoors,” she says, “That feeling where everyone’s spilling out onto the grass and playing some outdoor cricket and mucking around with kids. That’s what makes an Australian Christmas really unique.
What makes the festive period most special to Donna is the array of delicious fresh produce available. “We’re in the season of beautiful berries, cherries and mangoes. All that great stuff,” she explains. “To me Christmas is a celebration of beautiful produce, being able to go for a swim between opening presents and lunch time.”
WATCH: Donna Hay shares BTS snaps of her Christmas special. Article continues after video.
Cooking simple food means more time to spend with family and friends, instead of slaving away in the kitchen, she believes. Donna adds that the key to stress free hosting is to choose your recipes wisely.
“I’m not going to say you need to get organised because it’s that time of year where it’s almost impossible to get organised,” she chuckles. “But I think you just have to choose maybe a few of your favourite dishes instead of trying to over cater. You don’t have to do a ham and a turkey, you can choose just one.”
Donna hopes the audience will see her relaxed attitude to cooking compared with other celebrity chefs.
“You can be passionate about food or you can be serious about it,” she says. “I just choose to be passionate and celebrate feeding people and having a good laugh with friends and family.”
On Christmas Day, what could be better than that?
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