Christmas Cooking

Making food is my favourite part of Christmas and I have been planning the wood I will make for Christmas day this afternoon.

I haven't talked to Mum yet but I have already decided I will be in charge of salads and the vegetarian main as I am the only vegetarian, though usually everyone else eats some of it too, which is how it should be.

Plans so far

Mango and rice salad

I have made this a few times lately as I have been having a bit of a mango binge this year after not really liking them at all before. I think I smelled a mango at the Vic market a month or so back and just wanted one or six. The salad also has capsicum, red rice, white rice and green herbs and therefore fulfils my mum's desire for lots of different coloured foods (she is obsessed with this).

Green Bean and Pea salad with tarragon

Often someone makes a boring green salad and it upsets me so this year I will make one full of herbs and a few spices too.

Toss up between a cous cous salad and a lentil salad

I am leaning toward lentil as cous cous is similarish to rice. Will probably roast some tomatoes to go with the lentils and add herbs and maybe a cheese of some kind.

For the vegetarian main I am tempted by this broccoli and gorgonzola tart, though broccoli isn't necessarily great at the moment so another option is to make this surprise tatin, which I made before and looks pretty and includes cheese, I always make something with cheese in for my vegetarian main becuase I love cheese.

Even though desserts and sweet things are my favourite to make my brother is happy making dessert so I usually leave it to him. However, I will also do some baking so I can eat biscuits every day between whatever day I bake this week and New Year's day. I just found this article from the Guardian with recipes for Nordic biscuits and I think I will definitely make some of the ginger and pepper biscuits, and maybe the Vaniliekage too.

I might also make some honey biscuits with an old butter stained recipe I have had since I was a kid, you can even hang them on the tree as ornaments and they soften up and become tastier over the space of a week or so.

What are your cooking plans for the festive season?

Andrea del Sarto - Donkey

Found this while I was searching for other images today. Andrea del Sarto is better known for his 16th century Madonna and Child paintings. I always like collecting sketches and paintings and prints of animals from art history, though it is rarely what I am actually working on. I like ones that are touching or funny or... well basically I like most of them.

I really like this 17th century one by Stefano Della Bella of a sleeping puppy as well.

Oh and while I am at it I saw this painting in the Ballarat Art Gallery the other day. I love it. I think it is funny the way it is a huge huge bull but with pretty eyes and a girly face.

Spring

Things I am doing in Daylesford.

 Drinking delicious coffee at Wombat Hill House (and having breakfast but I didn't take photos of that, just ate it.)

 Trying to start some new research, this book has been on my to read list for months.

Enjoying the views, and the sun, although it has been pretty cold here apart from the weekend just past. Temps of -1 at night, brrrrrrr.

The garden is looking lovely, I can't take credit, I am just minding it. It looks tremendous, don't feel too sorry for the owners missing it, they are in Portugal and Spain.

 These magnolias are so beautiful, I stop and look at them every time I walk past.

 The cat is well. Though right now he is behind the couch hiding from the thunder.

Eggplant and potato pie

Look at this pie I made last  night! It came to me in a flash of inspiration after I realised that I had nothing to serve with the eggplant curry I had planned.

I cooked a tomato sauce with onions (chopped not too finely) and garlic, lots of chill flaskes and a can of tomatoes in a dish that could go in the oven. Scooped half the sauce out and layered thinly sliced eggplant, then a layer of spinach leaves, then a layer of thinly slice potato then a few eggplant pieces on top and covered with rest of tomato sauce and baked at about 200 degrees for about 35mins, then added some grated cheese and cooked for another 10 mins. DELICIOUS.

I ate it in the shivery cold of Daylesford in front of a roaring fire.

I am cat sitting again and have to stop myself taking photos of the cat all day. He is so funny. Here he is reading the epicure:

And the sports pages:

Thinking about espadrilles

I would liek some espadrilles for summer, I have an aversion to thongs and if I wear really open shoes every day my feet get all cracked in a painful way.

I like these but none in my size left

Maybe these, though I find ankle tie up type shoes don't always work out as planned...

But maybe I want an espadrille that takes me to the beach and the disco...

Duck and the Fountain

The Duck and the Fountain sounds like a name of an English pub. I took this at Castle Howard near York earlier this week.  There is a bigger album of photos here.

I am feeling a bit down about heading home soon. All things must end though I guess. Still I am feeling ever so good about having a decent whack of time away absolutely gorging on art and gardens and architecture. So much to write about and have had so little time. Even my own written journal is a bit thin. I am off to London tomorrow for a few days, which will be fun. I have plans for art and shopping and hopefully see some friends as well. 

UK Snapshots

Been a busy almost whole first week. Had a day in London, been to Lincoln, Stamford and Belton House. I also explored Sleaford and tried some nice local cheeses and ale and some less nice coffee and tea. I have seen a squirrel, a pheasant, a rabbit or six and three dead moles (which was sad they looked so little and pathetic).

A few photos from my first day in London wandering around Bloomsbury and the British Museum.

Easter

I am going away on Tuesday for 6 weeks to the UK, which will either mean I blog more as I feel my life is super fun and exciting and shareable, or less cos I have no internet or I am spending too much time frolicking in country gardens. Anyways I thought I would post some picture of my easter.

I spent good friday packing and tidying and editing and eating hot cross buns with lurpak butter and then a bit of apple to keep it all healthy.

Dinner in Daylesford, we had a curry festa. here is the autumnal centrepiece. I can't really take credit for it, but I did rearrange it a bit then realised my rearranging looked awful so I put it back the way it was.

Centrepiece with candles.

Centrepiece with candles and dinner guests.

My favourite beaujolais was in attendance.

As was some most delicious Chateauneuf de Pape.

And this slightly strange wine, which was like a sherry but without any sweetness. I wasn't entirely sold on it to be honest but it had a good bottle and a good label. 

My friend Nero the cat. He showed his affection for me by attempting to sleep on my bed and therefore suggesting to his owners that I was some kind of weak-willed-cats-on-beds type person, which I might be, or I might not...

Panforte remnants. Good plate.

Caravaggesque apples from the fruit trees in the garden.

Turkish delight.

I started making a tally of bottles the next day, not too bad really considering there were 8 of us.

I did need a recovery hot cross bun from the Himalaya Bakery and The Age crossword.

Lindt bunnies seem to be the easter chocolate du jour this year. Bloody nice they are too.

Sunset. My little camera can't really capture it but it was very beautiful.

Desserts at The Perfect Drop on Sunday night. I love that place. We also ate cheesy fritters, saganaki, potatoes with harissa and the meat eaters ate some duck and stuff. T 

 Drinks with friends after dinner with the iPhone DJ. they were linked to the stereo or some smarty pants shit. Note the empty bowls. Yes I had second dessert.

 Reidel wine glass. I love this so much, must buy my own.

A nice easter, though one of those ones where you feel like you need a day off after your holiday. So that's what I did. Now I need to start packing and keep planning for the UK.