Merry Christmas …..

This has certainly been the year of photos, walking and cooking and its all about to pay off for Xmas, the

Sloe Gin

Hawthorn Schnapps

Found recipes online its basically berries and vodka…apparently Hawthorn schnapps is a very delicious schnapps. Soft, round and aromatic…. ….got 6 weeks to wait http://www.danish-schnapps-recipes.com/hawthorn.html

Coarse Pate

From Nigel Slaters recipe in the Observer Magazine found on the train this week . observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,,1970412,00.html

I have never made pate before but if this tastes as good as it looks will make it a regular thing . One has been delivered to my Mums . My tip for getting the pate out the dish would be to place in a low dish of warm water it then slides right out

Spiced Ham with Chilli and Cloves

Get the big Le Cruset pot stick in ham which has had cloves stuck in the surface …..our over half a carton of apple juice , crushed corainder seeds a handful of brown suger /or honey , six dried red chillis few cloves of garlic …. Bring to the boil simmer for 20 mins . Turn of heat and leave for 1 hour . slive and serve

Rowanberry Relish

Rowan jelly is more traditional but fancied something a bit spicier rowan berries gathered from city centre roundabout recipe here

Hawthorn and Crab Apple Cheese

Chop Crab Apples , place in pan of water with approx half the same amount of hawthorn berries . Cover with boiling water and bring back to the boil simmer until the apple has mushed. Sieve into a a clean pan and bring back to the boil add a dash of cinamon , crushed cloves and a dash of nutmeg.

Add an equal volume granulated sugar to the volume of puree. Boil until it begun to thicken and set . Place in preserving jars …… Good with cheese pork game …..but also good with ice cream ….

Great with leftover turkey or some of the liberated stilton lurking in the freezer….. a fantastic spicey way of using it up will be in my Leftover Laksa.

Leftover Laksa

Pour boiling water of dried egg noodles and leave in bowl . Make a paste from Red Chilli , Fresh Ginger , Coriander leaves and roots, Garlic, oil in the food processor. Fry the paste with leftover chicken . Inhale deeply . Add a glug of coconut milk , pour in the noodles including the water , chopped mushrooms & a dash of fish sauce . Simmer gently for two minutes. Add chopped coriander , mint and a squirt of lime.

and if you are still stuck for a present or stocking filler maybe make your own Tetrapak wallet

For recipes click on any of the photos or visit Junctified @Flickr

Party – Stealing Stilton

Ok so about once a year I can be pursuaded to wash the fungus , mud and flour from my body and pop on a dress and go to a party .This season of course its the the big work Christmas do. However I maintain my keen hunter-gatherer instinct and on Friday night bypassing the distractions of the chocolate fountain, sorry I just can’t see the attraction.

I had noted the large cheese platters neglected in the stampede for liquid chocolate.

and by the end of the night there was a lot uneaten fortunately I had brought my large backpack and rather than see it go to waste I liberated the remaining stilton and brie ( why do people not eat stilton ) the kitchen even provided me with a bin bag.

my big tip with stilton is to use it when making the roux sauce for lasagne adds a delicious richness and especially good for using up the end pieces.

Oxtail Stew and Flapjack

Have had one of those blessed days . I got up early to mop the floor of my flat whilst downing a pot of tea and marmite and banana sandwiches ( do not knock it unless you have tried it ) plus I suspect bursting with nutrition….

I had had a lovely Friday night making flapjack , chicken stew and oxtail stew so feeling domestic godess-like I like to get as many dishes in the oven as possible and dancing round the flat listening to music way to loud partly to drown out the noise of the pimp arguing with the crack-whore on the street …. I say arguing it was mostly just yelling Fuck at eachother.

Managed to get out to the woods good and early , the light was just being stunning after a good few hours of walking barely seeing a soul but harassing a good few dogs remembering to take of my earflaps hat that for some reason scare the pants of the ( I might put a picture up here of it someday). The fungi are definitely on their way out but its been a fun autumn so I won’t complain

got back home and snuggled down with the Saturday papers a pot of tea and aforementioned flapjack ..I have distributed half to the neighbours way too moreish to keep in the flat.

Flapjack

Made with oats cranberries hemp seeds , pumpkin seeds , sunflower seed goji berries.
* 250g oats
* 250g soft light brown sugar
* 225g butter
6 tbsp of golden syrup
* 100g of the cranberries hemp seeds , pumpkin seeds , sunflower seed goji berries.
Baked at 175degC for 30 mins , I found it best to then leave overnight and cut the next day

After being fairly sociable last weekend figured I had earned a weekend of hibernating so settled down with new pile of books and oxtail stew , I thought mentioning I was planning such a horrible sounding supper would put people off but I wound up with company anyhow and the usual discussion as to why I wouldn’t eat til I had taken a picture.

Oxtail Stew

Oxtails, onions, carrots, red chilli, red wine , garlic, dried thyme thrown together in a pot.Place on a low oven for pretty much a long as you can …… but reckon this probably had 2 hours over two days , plus its a heavy pot that retains a lot of heat . To serve stir in a can of butter beans and sprinkle with fresh thyme if you have it.

Its probably a further sign of my deep seeded disorders but these days make me indescribably happy just the right level of exertion and inactivity . As I write I am contemplating going and dipping some more bread in the gravy…oh the joys of living alone….. no-one to witness my depravity….sssssshhhhh