jackal10

Thankyou Ronnie. I always enjoy your posts, and especially your blog. Much better than mine, and an example for all. Wish I had been at the party! hjshorter; Any requests or suggestions on how I should cook the salt cod? The turkey has just arrived from Kelly's Turkey's. Organic Norfolk Bronze. Looks great, beautifully packed with cold packs and foam insulation, and a helpful recipe book,...

The pompe a l'huile dough Before the chaos starts, here is a picture of the working end of the kitchen. The sink is to the left, the door to the rest of the house to the right, the laundry room behind. The sourdough starter is quetly fermenting in bowl on the left . Looking the other way, Mistletoe is top centre You can see the bread oven outside. On the left which you can't see, is the fridge, aand a range of cupboards, pull-out larder units, and a small TV on the side table.

Mistletoe is a fascinating plant. It is parasitic on apple and oak trees, and has long been held sacred. Mistletoe myths. I've never been able to establish it here, and I believe most of the mistletoe sold in the UK is imported. Christmas Eve I plan in the southern French (Provencal) style. Tradition dictates a "Gros Souper", maigre, that is without meat since it is before the midnight mass. After Mass there is the "Souper Gras", that is with meat. Since we aren't church goers, nor do I have the capacity or stamina, we will have the meat for an English Christmas lunch next day. The Gros Souper has seven dishes, though we might combine some and leave out the snails. The are: Celery with anchoïade (Anchovy, garlic and olive oil dip) l'aigo boulido, a garlic and herb soup, Cauliflower, Crouzet (small cross shaped pasta pieces), snails, (not for us) a fish dish of salt cod or shell fish, The "Thirteen deserts" The thirteen are: "Les quatres mendiants" or four beggars, representing the four holy orders: Almonds for the Carmelites Figs for the Franciscans Raisins for the Dominicans Walnuts for the Augustines Four plates of fruit: Apples Pears Tangerines Grapes or Melon Black Nougat (evil) White Nougat (good) Pate des Coings (Membrillo - Quince cheese) Pompe a l'huile (sweet olive oil bread) Dates I will also make Mince Pies, to the sound of carols from King College. This service of nine lessons and carols is broadcast live around the world on the BBC and public radio, from just down the road, and I urge you to listen Its at 3pm GMT . It is a beautiful experience, and the sound of the solo boy chorister singing in procession "Once in Royal David's CIty" marks the start of Christmas for me. It is alos broadcat on the web. You can also listen to it on the Web from The BBC Radio 4 site. Most of the seating is reserved for the college, but the public is admitted on a first come-first served basis, and people are already queueing. King's College was founded in 1441 by King Henry VI, and the magnifigcent chapel has one of the finest fan-vaulted ceilings in Europe, if not the world. The college maintains its own choir school, and is always divided whether to be known for the excellence of its music, or by its academic reputation. It has a reputation as a somewhat liberal and even left wing college, for example it was one of the first to admit women on equal terms. Pomp a l'huile - typical sweet dough recipe, with olive oil, aniseed and orange flower water 100g sourdough starter 500g flour 80g sugar 10g salt 100g melted unsalted butter 5 Tbs Olive Oil 1 Tsp Orange Flower water 1 Tsp Aniseed (I used caraway) 1/2 cup water 1 egg yolk Mix, leave to prove in a puddle of olive oil. Fold sides to middle every hour or so for four hours. Make into fougasse shape, retard overnight.

Stollen for elevenses, and the third mug of coffee..Here also showing the Pannetone texture The stollen was also from Cresci, but with the marzipan cente added. Mine is much more rustic and not as pretty as theirs. Put up the Mistletoe, hanging from the end of the track light near the big sliding glass doors from the kitchen to outside. See if we get any kisses.

Many thanks, but all the advise I've got here is that if they have some bark left they will be OK, but somewhat stunted and possibly more suseptible to disease; the ones that have been completly ring-barked, that is the bark removed all the way round for perhaps a depth of 18 inches are beyond saving. Apparently you can replant in the same place if you replace at least 20l of soil, and sterilise against nematodes. Again advise you can get would be most welcome.

Ahh, the wonderful morning mug of coffee... Anybody there, or am I talking to myself? Today I will make doughs for the holiday breads: white and brown sourdough, and a new one for me, a "pompe a l'huile", a rich sweet fougasse with olive oil, flavoured with orange flower water and aniseed or caraway. Its part of the traditional "treize deserts", the thirteen deserts for Christmas eve., symbolic of the apsotles etc. Also as prep for tomorrow I put the salt cod (aka stockfish, bacalao, saltfish) into soak. Stockfish starts thin, and as hard as a board, covered in a salt crust Alas cod is now a threatened species from over-fishing. Mark Kurlansky's excellent book "Cod" (ISBN 0-09-926870-1) documents how important the cod trade was, and he claims it changed the world. Salt cod was an important source of protein, and features in many cuisines, French, Portuguese, and especially West Indian, where it was introduced as cheap food for the slaves, who of course transformed it to deliciousness. Still undecided how to cook it. I was going to make fish cakes and Brandade, but I found a tin of Ackee yesterday, so it might first be saltfish and Ackee, and the remains turn into fishcakes. At home most of today. I've got lots of stuff I need to catch up with. Top of the list is writing exam questions for next years final exams for the courses I teach at the Computer Lab in the University. Due in just after the holidays. Writing them used to be fun, but nowdays they make you write model answers to go with the questions, which is much harder. These then get checked by the examinations committee and by the external examiner for correctness, fairness, comprehension etc. As an examiner I have some flexibility - the tradition is I can ask anything that a student should be expected to be able to answer, that might be relevant to the course and at a suitable level of difficulty, regardless of whether or not it has been taught or is on the formal syllabus. Similarly lectures are optional (although advised) for the students. If they feel they can learn more by reading or (or anything else, like playing sport or drinking), that is up to them. I must also make a start on my new book on Ultrawideband Wireless (UWB), to be published by Wiley back end next year, but I promised some sample chapters after the holidays. Otherwise it's the company Xmas dinner this evening, and I guess I;ll do some chores like clarifying the stock and emptying the grate of the living room fireplace ready for the holiday fires. According to the TV news it snowed about 24 miles to the east of here yesterdays, but here it was bright blue skies and sunchine - that really clear blue you get on cold winter days. Today its has warmed up (10C/40F) and raining. Jill is making Sherry Trifle.

Many, if not most cultures have some sort of winter festival. In Europe these also marked the start of the agricultural year. Yule is the pagan, driudic or wiccan festival, and possibly the ancient pre-christian northern European winter festival. It is associated with the solstice - the shortest day. Christmas is the Christian festival, and some of the ancient rituals, have been incorporated by inclusion, either by the early proselytising church, or by Victorian romantics. In turn, some of the modern Druidic or Wiccan practices are Victorian fantasy. Boxing day is the day after Christmas, 26th December. Traditionally it is the day one gave boxes, or tips to the tradespeople and servants who had given service during the year. This is no longer done, although we still give some before Christmas to the postman, the milkman (we still have daily milk deliveries in returnable glass bottles in the UK), and the person who delivers the papers. They give fantastic, cheeerful service in all weathers, and it seems a small way to say thankyou. No particular Boxing day food traditions that I'm aware of, except eating up the leftovers, and a bracing walks to counteract the day before's over-indulgence. Traditionally there are foxhunts on Boxing day (with stirrup cups drunk in the saddle before setting off). Fox hunting is soon to be banned - as Wilde said, the unspeakable in persuit of the inedible. Leftover Xmas pudding is great fried for breakfast with a full English breakfast: Bacon, eggs, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, black pudding, fried bread, fried potatoes; toast, marmelade, tea or coffee. Optional are porridge or cereals, devilled kidneys, kippers, kedgeree... For supper we ended up with an omlette of wild mushroom, ham and cheese (aged Vintage farmhouse cheddar); salad; pannetone and tangerines Ch. Mourgues du Gres (Costieres de Nimes) Galets Rouges 2000

The Pannetone had risen nicely overnight, maybe even a little overproved. Its a very soft dough. 40 minutes in a 350F oven, with, in the Milanese fashion, a knob of butter on top. Alternatively you can glaze them and add almonds Off to the office. We have a Jura Impressa X90 automatic expresso machine there, Lavazza beans, and that was one of our better acquisitions. Quite a decent cup of expresso ground and pressed at the touch of a button. Apparently you can even connect the next model to the internet so it can order its own supplies... We are a high-tech start-up, which for those who have been involved in similar is a fairly high pressure environment. The office is in the middle of town, so there are many choices of quite decent pubs and sandwich shops. However, as is fairly common practice round here, the company maintains a small freezer of instant meals, mostly (by request) home made vegetarian curries and rice from the local Indian shop, and a microwave for those working long hours. The informal practice is the food is free if you are working before 8am or after 7pm

The HAM After most of the day in a cool oven, reaching an internal temperature of 55C/130F Peel the skin - it seperates from the fat Score into diamonds with a sharp knife Paint with warmed honey. Some add mustard or demarara sugar. I don't. Much easier to do this before you put in the cloves. I often forget. Stud with cloves. Some put the cloves at the intersections of the scores, but I prefer them in the centre of the diamonds, as they help anchor the fat layer Hot oven for half an hour, or until it looks right. May need to turn it halfway if the oven heat is uneven. Ham for supper with, at Jill's suggestion raisin sauce: the cider cooking juices, reduced, with raisins added, thickened a little with arrowroot. We also had rice and a simple salad. Happy Yule! Tha ham will provide standby protein for the ravening hordes to come..

Cusina: The farm cats make next door no impression on the rabbits. Neither do the foxes, who have become lazy and prefer to get their meals from trashcans, that don't run away. Whippets might work (a neighbor has one), but would also scare the pheasants. However Marge, a basset hound is coming with one of the vistors for Xmas. My apologies. I put a link to the wrong recipe - that is Cresci's Stollen, more about that later. The correct formula is here. I made 10% of the original to give two 1Kg loaves, dough weight Panettone Cresci Bakers% 10% grams First Dough Starter 1000 18.18% 100 Flour 4000 72.73% 400 Sugar 1250 22.73% 125 Butter 1450 26.36% 145 Water 1300 23.64% 130 Egg yolk 1400 25.45% 140 Prove overnight at 85F Second Dough. First dough plus Flour 1000 18.18% 100 (I used more +50 to get it to hold together) Egg Yolk 1300 23.64% 130 Sugar 1000 18.18% 100 Honey 250 4.55% 25 Butter 1550 28.18% 155 Salt 80 1.45% 8 Water 700 12.73% 70 Sultanas 2000 36.36% 200 Candied orange 1500 27.27% 150 Candied lime 500 9.09% 50 Total 20280 368.73% 2028 This dough moves very slowly, being so rich, so I proved it overnight, until it triples. Its important to let the first dough fully develop, The second has proved all day, and I guess I will retard it overnight. Sultanas are dried grapes, like rasins, but golden in colour. I used mixed fruit for those and the peel, since that was what I had on hand. Also some vanilla.

One of the problems of living in the country is that th net connection is not always reliable. I just lost my previous entry, so here goes again. Mabelline: Thanks. Snow is forecast for tomorrow, but I doubt if it will lie around for long, if at all. Here is a picture of our wood in snow last winter, that we are using for our Xmas card this year. Even if it does snow here it usually doesn't last for long - Since it is not that severe, it always takes people by surprise and causes chaos on road and rail.

Yes, you can cook with rosehips, and they are meant to be a good source of Vitamin C: rosehip syrup, tisane, jam etc. However, mostly not worth the trouble, and beter decorative. Schoolboys used to know that the seeds inside have little barbs on them, and if dried make excellent itching powder... The squirrels both eat well, but also puff up their fur against the cold. The ham this year is Wiltshire cured, but unsmoked. The smoked ones were sold out by the time I got round to it. I'll glaze it with cider, cloves and sugar, and probabl serve it quite plainly - parsley sauce, baked or mashed potatoe and cabbage or even Saurkraut. Squirrels are much too intelligent to get caught that way..

Ai, woe is me! Walking round the garden (more of that later), I noticed that in the orchard the rabbits have seriously debarked many of the trees Surprising, since these are mature trees, and not usually attacked. Spent the afternoon frantically tying building plastic, wire mesh and anything that might ast as a rabbit guard round the remains. I guess we've lost 7 or 8 trees (out of 30 odd) that have been completely ringed, the most serious being a delicious Laxton's, and about another 6 damaged. We will see if they survive in the spring, but looks like some serious replanting. I wonder what varieties... The late Laxton Superb However other things in the garden are rosy. Rose hips Haws in the hedgerow on the hawthorn Even a few sloes (wild sour plum) not eaten by the birds Crab Apples (John Downey, I think) In the vegetable garden there are still leeks (some leaf celery in the background) Chard (Blette) Jerusalem Artichokes and yellow Carrots for digging Purple brussel sprouts. Small, but might make a dish for Xmas In the greenhouse ther are even a few late alpine strawberries - they got scrumped before they reached they kitchen and even the odd tomato still . These are Sungold Got the tree, which Jill decorated. This is a rooted tree, so it might live after the holiday. Still need select a log, and get in holly, ivy and mistletoe. You can soak the log in various chemicals so that it gives off coloured flames, but I'm not that organised. Mixed the Pannetone second dough, and put to prove. Put the ham on to bake with cider and cloves in a very low oven - the plate warming oven of the Aga One disaster: so engrossed was I in egullet I that I let the stock reduce to nothing and burn. Fortunately it was a non-stick pan. I can use the jus from last night's seasonally spiced beef instead, which might be even more interesting

Ahh, the first hit of coffee in the morning...almost as good as the first puff of tobacco in the days when I smoked.. This moprning a family of grey squirrels moved into finish the peanut crumbs the pheasants had left. I know they look cute with big eyes (night vision)and bushy tails, and have great intelligence and pre-hensile hands, but they are really just tree-rats, and are the reason why our hazels and walnut trees bear no friut. Aslo we find acorns growing in surprising places, like the potted plants. I'm sure they are deliberately planted, rather than food stores, forgotten. Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day, and hence the ancient pagan. modern wiccan festival of Yule. Holly, ivy, Xmas trees, and especially mistletoe are ancient and powerful symbols for those who care about such things. Sir Gordon Fraser in his famous book The Golden Bough describes the myth and history of Mistletoe. Although his theories are now somewhat discredited it is an intruiging and fascinating tale well told, and I urge you to read it, if you have not already done so. Today has dawned cold and windy, but the sky is clearing and the sun beginning to shine. Time to get on. The pannetone first dough has nicely tripled overnight in its warm spot next to the Aga. The ham has soaked overnight, but the water needs changing Thank you for all your kind words. bloviatrix: The brisket was good. Next time I think I might increase the spice (say double), and decrease the sugar, or increase the salt - you could taste an edge of sweetness. kimabima: There are over 1000 ft of cookery and books on related subjects. I'm sure it would bore everyone and exceed my storage linits if I was to take closeups so you could read them all. wesza: Alas, the health as safety food police mean that very few butchers shops still display turkeys outside. Although there are a few small independent producers, they tend to come plastic wrapped from the supermarkets, which have mostly driven the small shops out of business. The health regulations have shut down almost all of the small abbatoirs, which means that animals now suffer much greater stress being driven long distances to slaughter, and th econoics has become marginal. We are fortunate as we are in a prosperous part of the country where many city folk hobby farm, so for example our neighbor keeps rare breed cattle, even if uneconomic. She takes one to slaughter occaisionally, and we get a quarter for the freezer. Sandra; Just got the Cordon Bleu baking book, and was not that impressed. Its very cookery school - the recipes mostly work, but are rather old-fashioned and to my mind uninspired.

Thanks! Maybe for the rest of this year, but I'm sure you'd get bored if I were to do this all year. Jill mostly gets lumbered with the clearing up, but she does cook herself. She is the cake baker, so the Christmas cake is hers, and the trifle to come...

Pheasants, or at least these ones will do almost anything for peanuts. One day I will leave a trail fom the kitchen door to the oven... Apparently one pachers trick is to put peanuts in the bottom of a sticky cone of paper. The pheasant pecks at the peanut, and get the cone stuck over their head. Not being able to see they assume its night and settle down. Another trick is to feed them raisins soaked in rum. They get drunk and can then be caught easily. However be sure to kill them before plucking. The story is told of one poacher;s wife, the phesant being in a deep alcoholic coma, who plucked the bird and left it in the larder. After a while the pheasant sobered up, and the poacher's wife got the shock of her life as the naked pheasant tried to escape.. About one third of the cookery books in my study, just to the left of the desk Latkes frying Latkes, Brisket, Dill pickles (see egCI Preserves 1 - home grown and made), kale. 1999 Anjou VIllages Domaine des Forges (Brancereau) Gold Medal Paris 2001 Happy Hanukah!

It's a brand name of a small food producer... never tried it. Prefer to make my own

The last line on the left column says "Lots of Xmas ales"

Turkeys and Tobacco came to England in 1524. This will work best if there is lots of feedback and you ask lots of questions, or for recipes to be demonstrated..How many pix can you stand? We feed the pheasants with birdseed and chopped peanuts from the kitchen door. They now expect it and come and tap on the door if they don't get their breakfast. These one are for decoration only, not eating... Most mornings we get a dozen or so. The most we have had is 29, one very cold day. Here is the alpha male.. Went to the hell that is the supermarket on the weekend before the holiday. Came out £300/$500 lighter although a lot of that was booze, but got most everything until the New Year. Still to come the Turkey, an organic Norfolk Bronze from Kelly's Turkeys, and the cheese and some goodies from the Cambridge Cheese Shop. May need to get some milk and last minute things Xmas eve. Also went to Burwash Manor at Barton for their farm shop. USed to be just a frm sho for their wonderful asparagus years ago, now is a whole complex of knick-knack shops, but "The larder" still sells some good things, in particular unpastaurised cream. Also selling Xmas trees (though I did not buy one) Picked up some sprouts still on the stalk, and some proper dirty fen celery, sweet and nutty after the frost on it. Put on the Brisket. Mixed tradition here...its a cross between Deli brisket and Xmas spiced beef, except I haven't salted it for a fortnight. However the spicing is reminiscent of the old spiced beef preserved for the winter and served at Christmas time. Holiday Brisket. About 2 lbs/1Kg brisket 2 onions peeled and coarsly chopped 2 carrots, the same 2 sticks ceelry chopped 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves, allspice, macecrushed black pepper sprig thyme Bay leaf 2 Tbs dark brown muscovy sugar pinch salt Soy, worcester, tabasco to taste 2 glasses madeira or port Water or stock Make a bed of the veg, put the brisket on top. Mix everything esle and pour over. bring to boil, and cook at 350F for 3-4 hours or longer. Made the first dough for the pannetone. This is a very rich sweet dough Recipe is On this thread

8am... Why did I volunteeer for this? I'm sure I will lose any reputation that I might have as a serious foodie...need more coffee. This is not going to be about elelegant restaurant food, but bourgeoise domestic cooking. For those that don't already know Jill and I live about 5 miles west of Cambridge, UK where it is currently dank and raining, but not too cold. Some forecasters predict the weather will turn cold and snow, but a white Christmas is unlikely. Our main meals tend to be in the evening, except for holidays and the odd Sunday. Unless otherwise noted, breakfast for me is a mug of coffee (mix of 1/3rd Old Brown Java, 1/3rd Kenya Pea Berry, 1/3rd Mocha Mysore, all medium roast and made in a press pot) with semi-skimmed milk. Probably made stronger than coffeee in the US, and when I'm in the US I find there is something strange about the milk usually served with US coffee. Powdered milk, or NDC is not acceptable at any time. I usually skip lunch, or graze. For the holidays this year we are expecting this year Jill's grown up sons plus their partners, one of whom is vegetarian, and various waifs and strays. We are not religious, so this is a secular celebration, encompassing as many traditions as possible, but rooted in English customs with a fair bit of Provence influence. Currently I plan. eG folk, please comment and advise. Circumstances may change, and it may not all happen. Today Saturday 20 Dec. First day of Chanukah Supermarket shopping at Tesco's, 100,000 sq ft of supermarket for most of the basics. Start making Pannetone. Has to be Latkes, and I guess Brisket for supper. Maybe kale or cabbage or sourkraut to go with. Sunday 21 Dec Winter Solstice, Yule Get in Yule log, holly, Mistletoe, Xmas tree, (which my brother, being frum, calls a Hannukah bush) Finish Pannetone Baked Ham, parsley sauce Monday 22 Dec Dunno. Leftovers or take-out Tuesday 23rd Dec Company (www.artimi.com) Xmas dinner at the University Arms Hotel. Rubber turkey I expect Wednesday 24th Dec Xmas Eve Bread baking: Pome a l'huile Making mince pies to the sound of King's College Carols Provence style Gros Souper, meat free maybe: l'aigo boulido, a garlic and herb soup, cauliflower (gratin), Salt cod balls or en raito, celery with anchoïade. Cheese. Trifl; the "trieze deserts". As we don't go to Midnight Mass, we wont follow with the Souper Gras Thursday 25th Dec Xmas, and Sir Isaac Newton's Birthday. Late Xmas lunch Amuse: Truffled Brandade and Tapenade crostini Caviars, blinis etc Truffled consomme dore (shot glasses) -o0o- Turkey, with all the trimmings - Fois gras truffe - Sausage meat and a vegetarian chestnut stuffing (for the veggie) - chipolatas, bacon rolls - cranberry and bread sauces, Jus - roast potatoes, parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) - Sprouts, carrots Christmas pudding, hard sauce Cheese Mince pies, tangerines, walnuts etc Friday 26th Dec Boxing Day Brunch Invited to supper by our neighbors Saturday 27th Leftovers: Soup, maybe devilled turkey wings, a pie, or Risotto... Sunday 28th Standing rib roast Monday 29th Leftovers: Tuesday 30th: Stew? Wednesday 31st New Years Eve Cock-a-leekie Haggis Syllabub and shortbread Cheese

My family come from there. I can't help, alas, as it was seven or eight generations ago... However you are close to Alsace for some wonderful regional specialities.

Barham and Blumenthal claims its the calcium/magnesium in the water that causes green vegetables to discolour. Use a low calcium water like Evian to cook your veg. http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/...4299611,00.html

I guess in the Weber the gas combustion products exhaust via the oven, so the atmosphere is much damper.

Smoked Salmon Cock-a-leekie Haggis, neeps and tatties Syllabub, shortcake

Start cooking potatoes and root vegetables in cold water, green vegetables in hot.