Pre-Christmas foodie stress

Sometimes, I think, it is possible to have too much of a good thing and Christmas seems to fit perfectly into this category. On the one hand, the 'pluses' are apparent: prezzies galore, over-indulging because you can (and because it is the 'done' thing given the fact that no other excuse is better than the 'festive' period), spending time with family and friends (which, on occasion, can be a bit of a double-edged sword)and for somebody like myself who is obsessed about food, it must be absolute heaven, right? Well, partly so...I absolutely adore entertaining but the excitement of the myriad of possible dishes I could offer sometimes gets too much and I feel like I want to hang in the towel and say: let's get an Indian! Thankfully, we came up with a cunning plan this year in order to please everyone and avoid over-exhaustion but the shopping, planning and tidying up still left me pretty shattered...I don't know how some people with huge families to feed do it, really as it was only four of us and it certainly felt like an enormous amount of work compared to the quickness with which everyone gulped it down! But I have to admit that I was pretty pleased with my efforts and those of my lovely fellow chef and partner in crime (i.e. Mike). Together we rustled up the following Xmas menu:

Starter

Home made empanadas (two per person: one filled with creamy sweetcorn, spices, and raisins and the other with buffalo mozzarella, basil, sundried tomatoes and olives)served with green leaves

Main

Roast Duck and pheasant served with a red wine and plum sauce (delicious!), roasted potatoes and parsnips, sweet potato mash and steamed broccoli and leeks

Dessert

White chocolate and mascarpone cheesecake erved with a warm dulce de leche sauce (scrumptious)

I made the starter and dessert and Mike took care of the main (with a little creative input from me). It was even better than I'd imagined it would be and I can still taste all three courses (I've got an expanding wastline to remind me of them too!)

In the evening we had cheeses, crackers, Branston pickle and tomato chutney (homemade and given to us as a present by a friend). We were certainly stuffed but with a gleeful feeling of 'mission accomplished' to match.

Here are some pictures of the food that speak louder than any number of words.

Happy New Year and here's to lots of gorgeous meals coming our way in 2009!

Brick Lane and the orgasmic virtues of a good curry...

It was ages since I had last been to Brick Lane (and for a foodie, I am ashamed to say that I have yet to visit the market on Sundays which, I am told, is something else...) so meeting up with María, my Spanish friend, last Wednesday presented the perfect occasion as she is quite mad about food herself and especially spicy, authentic Indian/Sri Lankan/Pakistani/Bangladeshi curries. After some research online, we decided to try the much raved-about Gram Bangla. As pointed out by many, from the outside it looks like any old greasy spoon but once you enter and check out the counter, it is a whole different story. 6 or 7 simple yet gorgeous dishes to choose from (and thankfully, helpful staff to decipher the lot for you in lay terms). We shared a portion of lamb curry, one of vegetable curry, some basmati rice and a type of bread similar to a chapati but thicker (he said the name twice but neither of us could make heads nor tails of it!) This is what fast food should be like...delicious, wholesome, filled with fresh ingredients (not a processed thing in sight) and ridiculously cheap! We paid less than £6 each for that feast and left with the undescribable feeling of warmth and happiness that only great food can ever provide.

As I had plenty of time to kill before catching my train back to my suburban parallel existence, I decided to venture into the marvellous universe of Bangla City and what a colourful dimension that is. If money and weight of goodies were no object, I would have probably done one of those supermarket sweeps from those ghastly, naff 80's shows but instead of Bisto, Beans and ready meals, mine would have been packed with a million different types of spices, rice and condiments. Considering the circumstances, I think I did pretty well...after examining every single item on offer drooling and panting as I went along imagining the many flavoursome combinations possible, I forcibly packed myself off with a few bags of spices and some poppadoms. From that moment and until Friday evening, I could not stop mentally projecting the curry I was going to create and I have to say that it certainly paid off as my homemade chicken tikka masala with sag aloo, coconut-infused basmati rice and just-out-of-the-oven freshly made naan bread was just the ticket. I think I was on a high for quite some time from inhaling the aroma of multiple spices sizzling and simmering whilst the cooking was taking place.

And now it's the Christmas menu to think of...We are having a dual celebration at home so more food to plan! The Christmas Eve dinner is entirely my responsibility so I'm thinking of something quite light to leave room for the inevitable stuffing (and I don't mean the turkey's) on the 25th. Christmas Day will be roast duck and pheasant with all the trimmings prepared by my better half and the starter and dessert provided by yours truly. I'm thinking of making some Argy-style empanadas to start with and a decadent dessert with loads of dulce de leche to top it all off in style. As Nigella would say, this is no time for restraint...although I cannot say I am very familiar with the meaning of that word at any time of year but hey...Christmas is the perfect excuse to throw caution to the wind and indulge without thinking about the ensuing pangs of guilt and tight waistlines as there will be plenty of time to tackle those or other new excuses not to so what's the point anyway? For me, a merry Christmas is one with lots of scrumptious home-made food to share with your nearest and dearest and this is the only religion I swear by as it certainly lifts my spirits and fills my heart (and stomach) with utter joy...

Christmas has exploded all over us

It never ceases to amaze me how early the 'Christmas brand' starts being brandished about in the UK in order to, in one way or another, get people into the 'spirit' which ultimately lures them into the mother of all modern activities: consumption galore. This year, more than ever, shops are desperate for our custom in order to make up for the slump in the economy so Christmas is, literally and metaphorically, a God-send; the perfect excuse to achieve that golden goal of persuading shoppers to buy unnecessary things spending more than they set out to do. Hence the abundance of 'buy one get 1 half-price'; ' buy 1 for £1.50, two for £2' and other marketing techniques that, we have to admit, manage to successfully dupe us into thinking we are getting a bargain when, in actual fact, we are probably buying stuff we wouldn't get if these 'offers' weren't shoved in our faces. The thing is, deep down, we know we spend too much and we know there will be lots of food uneaten and presents unused...However, and especially in times of crisis, we cling on to any excuse that can suspend disbelief for a while and pretend all is well so long as fridge is packed full of nice food, the tree shiny and surrounded by prezzies and all terrestrial worries pushed aside at least until the New Year...

I guess for the Christians, Christmas can be a bit of a bittersweet time. On the one hand, they are probably pleased that the birth of Christ has become so mainstream and widely celebrated by most in one way or another (albeit for some, just through buying presents for friends who do celebrate it or partaking in the office Christmas dos). On the other, many are unhappy about the fact that the 'true' meaning of Christmas has somewhat been diluted and 'commodified' into a feast of all things commercial which, clearly, goes against the Christian tenets. But, unfortunately, that is the price to pay for being the 'dominant' religion as far as the Western world is concerned. You cannot have one without the other and as the Western 'ideals' are so intertwined with consumerism, anything and everything becomes part and parcel of this modality. For me, as you probably have guessed by now, it is a great time as, for once, the UK is full of Christmas markets with lots of lovely foods that I normally wouldn't buy (being quite the thrifty type) but now you can't really deny yourself pleasure over the festivities, can you?

So yesterday I was in London again and as the friend I was supposed to meet up with took a rain-check (her words, not mine..you know who you are missy!), I found myself with all this time in my hands, a gorgeous day (no rain by the way) and a very Christmassy London. As my Argy friend is coming over to visit this weekend, I was determined to get some dulce de leche without which no Argy get-together could ever be complete. In case you don't know what it is, well...you haven't lived! It's not too late, though so I'd strongly suggest you try it but if you become an addict, it wasn't me! There are loads of blogs, sites and, yes, Facebook groups (surprise, surprise) devoted to the stuff and it is easy to see why...As I wandered around Borough Market taking in all those lovely sights and smells, I was looking down and suddenly my eyes stumbled upon some Argentinian empanadas...as I looked up I realised that I had come to find the Argy stall full of goodies from back home including the above-mentioned elixir! And not just any brand (there are loads) but one of the poshest, nicest ones...As I was rummaging through my purse to find the £6 for a kilo of my 'fix' my fellow compatriot, the stallholder, announced that it was £5 for Argies! As I said to him, it must have been the first time in my life that I'd ever felt at an advantage for being from Argyland and what better reason than to purchase the divine antidepressant commonly known as dulce de leche? I will definetely be going back to the stall whenever I'm next in the area or in desperate need of some home comforts.

After that, I walked all along the South and North banks from London Bridge to Victoria, admiring the beautifully-lit trees, the German Christmas market, a jazz band playing 'Sex Bomb' and other cheesy hits (funnily enough, it sounded fantastic), a bagpipe player and the stunning sunset over the Thames. After my previous experience in London when Sod's Law seemed to have been invented just to spite me, this time I was reminded of the reasons why it can be such a great place to be, especially around Christmas.