With its herb garden, deli counter and ‘living roof’, the M5 stop-off is definitely swish. But I’m a Monster Munch man at heart

If you know me, you’ll know there is nothing I like better than a good old-fashioned service station. Where else can you jump out of the car for an overpriced Burger King, a go on a driving arcade game from 1993 and – most importantly – a wee? Service stations are mini utopias, housing everything that a human being needs for basic survival. Come the apocalypse, you’ll find me happily holed up in my nearest Moto.

Rightmove recently published a list of the happiest places to live in Great Britain, and I suppose I can see why that might be of interest. But it was a survey of the UK’s service stations by the consumer group Which? that really caught my eye, partly for its ludicrous claim that “no one visits a motorway service station for fun”. What nonsense. Although with all the hassles of Christmas travel, I suppose some people may fail to find them quite so entertaining. In any case, ranking service stations is old news: my friends and I have been doing so for years.

Rich Pelley is a freelance writer

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Had enough of Christmas fare? Liven up your tastebuds with this Indian street food-inspired spiced cheese toastie

In the run-up to Christmas, I like to (mostly) embrace tradition, but as soon as Boxing Day hits, a veil is lifted. I need spice; I need fresh flavours; and I need all the excess cheese to be out of my house. These chilli cheese on toasts are inspired by an Indian classic, the Bombay or Mumbai chilli cheese toastie. I adore the flavours and they’re exactly what I crave right now. Also, feel free to use any not-too-strong melting cheese you have in the fridge.

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In my younger years I travelled all over China. But on a culinary tour of Bayswater with my son, I tasted belonging

• In our end of year series, writers and public figures remember the place or time when they felt most at home

In 2006, during his gap year before starting university, my son Pan set out to discover a “world beyond books”. After spending four months backpacking through Australia and New Zealand, he shared with me his most profound realisation from his travels: the meaning of home.

He told me: “Some people live in luxurious mansions but rarely share dinners or weekends with their families. Others, in crowded cottages, are enveloped daily by the sounds of children playing and the aroma of home-cooked meals. Some reside deep in the mountains, knowing every blade of grass, bird and rabbit, while others traverse busy city districts yet remain strangers to their own neighbours.” His words made me think about the places I have called home.

Xinran is founder of the Mothers’ Bridge of Love and the author of nine books, including The Good Women of China, China Witness, What the Chinese Don’t Eat, The Promise and The Book of Secrets

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Take it easy between Christmas and New Year with pre-prepped dishes and the joys of soup, says our panel of practical wizards

There’s a knack to feeding a crowd, so before we talk specific dishes, let’s nail down a few golden rules. First, be practical: “Most people have a single oven, so you don’t want five dishes that need to go in there,” says Phil King, executive chef of Pophams in London. “When I’m thinking of a menu, I want one dish that cooks in the oven, one on the stove and one that can be served at an ambient temperature, such as braised leeks.” Otherwise, favour things that like a rest, whether that’s a joint of meat (“cover with foil and a tea towel and leave for an hour”) or a veggie wellington (“that will sit comfortably for 30 minutes”). And remember, snacks are golden: “That’s anything you don’t have to prepare yourself,” notes King, be it olives, crisps, nuts – anything that will keep hunger at bay.

Menu decided, do as much as you can in advance and clean up as you go. “Worktop space is at a premium, so the moment you take a pan off the stove, get it washed,” King says. “That way, you’ll have a much calmer environment.”

Got a culinary dilemma? Email feast@theguardian.com

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Perfect sweet treats for a little seasonal excess

Choose 20 plump, soft dates. Using a small, sharp knife, make a long slit in one side of each and pull out the stone.

Break 250g of marzipan into 20 pieces and stuff into the hollows left by the stones. Put a medium-sized pan of water on to boil, then choose a heatproof bowl that will fit snugly over the pan without touching the water beneath.

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Our 20 favourite pieces of in-depth reporting, essays and profiles from the year

Nicholas Saunders was a counterculture pioneer with an endless stream of quixotic schemes and a yearning to spread knowledge – but his true legacy is a total remaking of the way Britain eats

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Show your support for the Guardian’s open, independent journalism in 2024 and beyond, including the long read

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Christmas has arrived at Comfort Eating HQ, so join Grace as she joyfully wallows in her annual Christmas baking session while musing on her favourite Comfort Eating yuletide memories. From multi-Grammy winner Gregory Porter on his mum’s festive cook-ups, to baking extraordinaire Nadiya Hussain on her childhood turkey midnight feasts, plus Craig David, Michael Ball and many more

New episodes of Comfort Eating with Grace Dent will be released every Tuesday

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Presenter who taught nation to love pigs in blankets says she is excited to put her feet up

Delia Smith, the doyenne of Christmas dinners, is taking a year off from cooking the festive feast for the first time in more than 50 years.

The 83-year-old has been dishing out Christmas dinners and advice on how to prepare them for more than half a century.

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A colourful and filling warm winter salad with roast squash, butter beans and pomegranate, plus a barnstorming chocolate-orange brioche pudding to finish

This wonderfully filling salad is perfect as part of a festive spread, or an easy, feed-a-crowd lunch with some crusty bread alongside; it really is worth getting hold of a jar of butter beans, too . The dessert, meanwhile, is the bread-and-butter pudding of dreams: an indulgent, chocolate pudding featuring a grown-up jaffa cake melting middle – just ask a bear to lend you a jar of marmalade from its hat. It’s best eaten minutes after coming out of the oven, but you can prep it the day before and refrigerate before cooking. Any leftovers are wonderful for breakfast.

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