Food, Glorious Food

[Scepticalscribe]

Thanks! Time will tell… but it is looking/smelling promising.
I have a base recipe but every year it gets a bit of a tweak… This year it is using Whisky instead of Brandy.
My sister in law left a 3/4 bottle with us after a visit this year and we're both not overly fond of the stuff, so a good
1 1/2 cups went into this cake.

Soaking the fruit in whiskey or brandy (for ages, one assumes) is an excellent idea.

I think this year we may well forgo the Plum Pudding and go for something lighter that we can actually eat as part of the Christmas dinner instead of much, much later…

I have never subscribed to the idea of serving plum pudding after Christmas dinner - tradition be damned; it is too heavy and too filling.

For Christmas Day, I always far preferred a cheeseboard, served several hours later.

And the plum pudding works well on St Stephen'sDay/Boxing Day, when one is snacking on cold cuts and tasty remains; that is when a hot, filling, pudding will (or can) go down awfully well.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

That looks fantastic. I was considering doing an English Christmas tradition like a pudding or fruit cake for this years holiday meal.

Maybe both! 😀

My wife is a fan of and received a Nigella Lawson cookbook as a gift from one of her book club friends and in there is her pudding recipe. It’s been hinted at multiple times that I should make it lol 🙂

 

[arkitect]

That looks fantastic. I was considering doing an English Christmas tradition like a pudding or fruit cake for this years holiday meal.

Maybe both! 😀

My wife is a fan of and received a Nigella Lawson cookbook as a gift from one of her book club friends and in there is her pudding recipe. It’s been hinted at multiple times that I should make it lol 🙂

The Nigella recipe is a good place to start. 👍

If you do try it, get going sooner rather than later as the cake and /or the pudding really become magical as they mature for a few months… The flavours age and blend.
Like good red wine or brandy…

Soaking the fruit in whiskey or brandy (for ages, one assumes) is an excellent idea.

Indispensable! 🙂
The cake now gets sprinkled with extra Whisk(e)y every week and then re-wrapped and kept in the sideboard.
Since I do love Marzipan it will get iced…

I have never subscribed to the idea of serving plum pudding after Christmas dinner - tradition be damned; it is too heavy and too filling.

For Christmas Day, I always far preferred a cheeseboard, served several hours later.

And the plum pudding works well on St Stephen'sDay/Boxing Day, when one is snacking on cold cuts and tasty remains; that is when a hot, filling, pudding will (or can) go down awfully well.

Agree.
Last year that happened. It became our Boxing Day dessert.

 

[decafjava]

I really don't mind this Yuletide discussion as it is one of the things that make winter bearable.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Yesterday, I tried out the grilled chicken and jollof rice - they served a tasty salad with it - at a recently opened (and surprisingly reasonably priced) African restaurant; it was delicious. In addition, - as it was alcohol free - they also served their own homemade hibiscus juice, which was a revelation.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I really don't mind this Yuletide discussion

Likewise.

as it is one of the things that make winter bearable.

To my mind, I'm not sure that there is much that makes winter bearable.

Personally, I'd happily hibernate until mid March, sleeping soundly through the months of darkness, light deprivation, cold, and bleak, dismal, dreary, skies.

 

[adrianlondon]

Likewise.

To my mind, I'm not sure that there is much that makes winter bearable.

Personally, I'd happily hibernate until mid March, sleeping soundly through the months of darkness, light deprivation, cold, and bleak, dismal, dreary, skies.

It's worth staying awake for the occasional bright, blue-skied sunny days. Maybe.

Plus, coming home after being out in a damp, cold day just feels all nice and warm and tingly. Add the aroma of a freshly-made coffee and it's so relaxing.

(I added the coffee description to try and wake you out of hibernation, Scepticalscribe!).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It's worth staying awake for the occasional bright, blue-skied sunny days. Maybe.

Maybe.

Plus, coming home after being out in a damp, cold day just feels all nice and warm and tingly.

Yes and no.

Add the aroma of a freshly-made coffee and it's so relaxing.

Well, yes, agreed.

A freshly made coffee is always appreciated, and, above all, always greatly welcomed.

(I added the coffee description to try and wake you out of hibernation, Scepticalscribe!).

Thank you.

Your thoughtfulness is appreciated.

 

[anika200]

It is cold here today so I was thinking back on my country pie I made for St. Patrick's day. The filling was venison with Lima beans, corn and a shiitake mushroom and onion gravy, plenty of garlic and rosemary of course. The topping was mashed potatoes and parsnips with some Parmesan cheese. Very warming meal.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It is cold here today so I was thinking back on my country pie I made for St. Patrick's day. The filling was venison with Lima beans, corn and a shiitake mushroom and onion gravy, plenty of garlic and rosemary of course. The topping was mashed potatoes and parsnips with some Parmesan cheese. Very warming meal.

View attachment 2617728

That looks amazing, and I will wager that it was absolutely delicious.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Breakfast was glorious today: Scrambled eggs, baked ham (served with a glorious apple horseradish sauce), tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, sausages (for those who wished to avail of them), breads, (including a seasonal brioche), excellent, fruit laden jams, juice and coffee.

 

[anika200]

Breakfast was glorious today: Scrambled eggs, baked ham (served with a glorious apple horseradish sauce), tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, sausages (for those who wished to avail of them), breads, (including a seasonal brioche), excellent, fruit laden jams, juice and coffee.

Wow sounds delicious, that apple horseradish sauce is interesting, I am down with almost anything horseradish.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Wow sounds delicious, that apple horseradish sauce is interesting, I am down with almost anything horseradish.

The apple horseradish was divine, and seems to me to be a perfect accompaniment to anything - and everything - from the ham, or bacon, or pork, family.

 

[anika200]

Pork and Beans from fire cooked pork shoulder out of the freezer and a couple bean types, onions, peppers spice etc... For some reason we have started eating coleslaw with it and it has cilantro, chives, dill from the garden.

 

[maflynn]

What could only be deemed as near gluttonous, I treated myself to such an extravagant breakfast sandwich. Pillsbury Grand muffin biscuit, freshly baked, eggs, bacon and cheese. So large, I had to use a fork and knife. So worth it though