THE BROTHERS WHIM | Rob, left and Tom Aikens  Tom and Robert Aikens are squabbling when I arrive for our interview. They are wrapping up a photo shoot, and Tom is shouting, "He stuck my face in the goose's arse!" Rob mock-strangles him in a fight for the cameras. The 41-year-old British twins have reunited in New York to prepare a multicourse meal at the James Beard Foundation.  Tom is the chef/proprietor of London's Tom's Kitchen and the Michelin-starred Tom Aikens, which is set to reopen Jan. 12 after a six-month renovation. Rob, the older twin by 5 minutes, has lived in the United States for the better part of 20 years, working as a private chef for Citibank Chief Executive Sanford Weill before making his home in Philadelphia, where he opened the acclaimed Dandelion Pub early this year.  Though indistinguishable in looks, the twins have distinct cooking styles. Tom's posh presentations, such as poached turbot with truffle gnocchi, are popular with the English elite; Kate Middleton celebrated her birthday at his flagship restaurant. Rob proffers familiar gastropub fare, like rabbit pie with smoked bacon, cippolini onions and oyster mushrooms. It's not unlikely to spot an Eagle or Philly tucking into his civilized comfort food.  Before putting finishing touches on pan-fried sea scallops with black pudding for the Beard dinner, the duo sat down to discuss the holidays.  Rob Aikens: I like Thanksgiving in the States, but I would say as far as being with family, Christmas. That's when I try and go back to the U.K.  Tom Aikens: Americans have more celebration meals than we have in the U.K. For us it's primarily Christmas. I look forward to cooking then.  What about U.K. holidays like St. Andrew's Day and Boxing Day?  Tom: St. Andrew's is really only celebrated in Scotland, and Boxing Day is usually just a day of recovery.  Rob: On Boxing Day we have leftover cold turkey sandwiches with Branston Pickle. It's like a sweet, pickled relish.  Christmas turkey, goose or ham?  Rob: Our parents are separated, so we may change locations, but we always have turkey. Me and Tom make dinner and make a big mess in the kitchen.  Isn't pheasant popular in the U.K.?  Rob: I like pheasant but it's quite gamy compared to turkey. If you don't cook it right it can be dry. And it's small. Turkey is more of a sharing bird than pheasant.  How do you prepare the turkey?  Rob: I take the legs off and bone them and stuff the breast. I cook the legs separately because the breast cooks quicker.  Tom: He tries to not overcook it.  Rob: That's very funny, Tom.  Is Christmas goose still big in the U.K.?  Tom: Not as much. Ninety percent of the population will have turkey nowadays.  If you had to choose: goose or ham?  Rob: Ham. Goose can be a bit dry and gamy. And I like the flavor of pork.  Tom: I'm gonna go goose, because I don't have it all that much and it's a nice thing to eat. You can have it medium rare so the meat is tender, or well done so the skin is nice and crispy and the fat is melted and falls out.  Rob: I love roast beef on Sundays. I have childhood memories of having it with a lot of family around. You have to have the traditional accompaniments: roast potatoes, vegetables, horseradish sauce, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. We do that at the Dandelion Pub every Sunday.  Tom: I like a Sunday roast, too, because I like a big plate. Pile it up.  Tom, despite Rob's love of Sunday roast, has he become a bit of a Yank?  Tom: Yes, he says words like: "cilantro," "eggplant," "zucchini" and "expedite." Instead of "coriander," "aubergine," "courgette" and "pass chef."  Tom: One of the times we were in Auvergne on holiday with the whole family. We'd do barbecues on the beach, getting great meat from the local butcher.  Rob: Christmas is a thing you cherish a lot more when you're a kid, so I would say back in Norwich, when we were kids playing in the snow.  Rob: Mulled wine with cinnamon, juniper, orange, cloves, star anise, brown sugar.  Tom: That's all you need.  Tom: I'll give a chocolate log. It's like a chocolate sponge and you put in a chocolate mousse or a chocolate pot de crème and roll it up. Slather chocolate icing on the outside and then you stick your Father Christmas and reindeer on top.  Tom: I quite like a homemade pâté or a pot of foie gras mousse. Put a little bit of truffle in there. Serve with a nice big slab of brioche. That would be splendid.  Rob: That times two, please.  Beat 5 eggs with a whisk and let come to room temperature.  Make reduction: In 1 ounce butter, sweat 2 ounces shallots, finely sliced; 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced; 1 teaspoon thyme; and 1 bay leaf until soft. Add 100 ml each port brandy and Madeira and reduce till almost dry. Cool slightly.  Mix reduction with 10 ounces chicken livers at room temperature, 10 ounces foie gras, 1 teaspoon sugar and reserved eggs. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 20 turns black pepper. Blend in a blender until smooth. Slowly add melted butter. Pass mixture through a chinoise and pour into a terrine mold. Bake in water bath at 220 degrees for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through, then place on a clean tray and leave to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes. Place in refrigerator.  Serve a quenelle of the parfait atop a board, sprinkled with Maldon sea salt and alongside brioche toast. Serves 8.  Make dressing: Cut 2 pomegranates in half. Remove seeds (work over a bowl to catch any juice). Place seeds and 2 cups pomegranate juice into a pan and add 2 tablespoons sugar and zest of 2 lemons. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half, thickened to about 1 cup. Pass through a fine sieve, pressing down to extract flavor from seeds. Let cool.  Mix cooled liquid with ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil and season with fresh black pepper. (You may need to add a little lemon juice to contrast the sweetness of the pomegranate.)  To assemble: Slice 4 figs into four thick slices each and brush with a little of the pomegranate dressing. Grind pepper over figs, then place them under a broiler to warm through for a few minutes. Crumble 1¾ cups fresh soft goat cheese into a bowl and add 10 turns of black pepper. In a separate bowl, mix 8 cups baby mache leaves with some dressing and season with coarse sea salt and pepper. Place fig slices around the plate. Add some crumbled goat cheese and 2 tablespoons lightly toasted walnuts per portion. Place 2 cups mache in center of each plate and drizzle with more pomegranate dressing. Serves 4.
Good-natured bickering between twin Michelin-starred chefs Rob and Tom Aikens yields insight into food traditions here and there.