Christmas comes but once a year, so the saying goes. Those with half an eye on the calendar will know better than any of us just how soon that is.

So what will the season bring for the adventurous cook to experiment with? What subtle flavours and textures can we look forward to?

For those of us who found 2009 was not a good year for mushrooms, look no further: inspiration is at hand!

Just for the Christmas and New Year festivities 2009-10, the Isigny Sainte-Mère dairy cooperative has prepared a special edition collection of dairy products under the Excellence label and based on Isigny AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) Crèmes fraîches and butters, as well as Isigny’s Camembert. This year’s guest flavours are all mushrooms: truffles, morels and ceps no less. The spectacle is staged by Truffières de Rabasse and their chef, Christian Etienne, is waiting in the wings with some festive recipes.