From the Introduction to Elizabeth David’s Christmas

Christmas comes but once a year. Don’t ever say that to a cookery journalist. Cookery journalists know different. For them, three times a year would be nearer the mark. First, around mid-August, when they must start work on the recipes, at any rate if they contribute regularly to a glossy monthly. There’ll probably be colour photographs to cook for and supervise as well. The next round comes about the end of September when the article has to be written and something original - well, anyway different from last year - dredged up in the way of advice about the turkey and the leftovers. The third time it actually is Christmas, when it’s all cooked for real, although not without notes being made for next year’s stint. In between delivery of the monthly article there will almost certainly be another couple of Christmas pieces to write, for a weekly, a wine merchant’s newsletter, a Sunday, a daily.