Happy Christmas and New Year!

This is the 1st year that I decided work between Xmas and New Year. The main reason being that my new company only gives me a paltry 23 days leave (sorry if you work in HK or US!) compared to 30 at my previous employ, so I wanted to carry over 2 precious days for proper holidaying in 2007. Also, because I'm told, banks are supposed to be quiet during this time, (the traders presumably flashing all that bonus cash - not envious naturally) so you can work a real 9-5 day (yey) and perhaps even squeeze in a session at the gym to undo all the Xmas excesses, getting a good headstart on all those January gym joiners.

All of which however means that you dont get a lot of time to recover from all the festivities that are then duly crammed into the four short days over Xmas (not that I'm the biggest drinker as most of you will know ^_^) - but at least I get to avoid all that crap Christmas TV.

The 23rd was spent panic present buying, the biggest challenges in fact being what to buy for 5 babies and toddlers. I have no idea what toys are en vogue at the moment, but the Disney store in Oxford St thankfully came to the rescue. I also had to do grocery shopping for the next day where I would be hosting the 3rd dinner party in 2 years of residence at my current abode. Tumbleweed rolls around my kitchen. Sadly for me, but not my life assurance company, my oven got fixed, so I couldn't leverage the electric shock excuse any more.

On the 24th, my Xmas present from my bro last year got used for the 1st time - "Gordon Ramsay makes it easy" fulfilled its promise and I surprisingly managed to knock up some pretty edible (if i may say so myself) brocolli soup with baby chevre and roasted flaked almonds, followed by oven-roasted gressingham duck on a bed of caramelised swedes, with fondant potatoes, for my brother's in laws. Midnight mass with some hearty song followed in the nearby Swiss Cottage, whilst constantly trying to fight off the effects of the sleep inducing carb potatoes and the advancing clock.

The following morning, whilst still trying to digest the apple crumble we were invited to a proper feast at my brothers place (with Gisele as head chef and her father as sous) and devoured between us, a wonderful 5 kg turkey and the nicest brussel sprouts and chestnuts I've possibly ever tasted. In the evening, the traditional fixture was (more food *groan* ) at my Uncles place in Harrow, which is where we got to meet for the 1st time, 2 cute new additions to the extended family.

Anywho, the fab four day fest was rounded off nicely with yet more gorging at Patrick and Vivs on Boxing day, where I duly played the role of uncle Ian with 3 toddlers and 2 bebes. Much more manageable than conversing with real adults, I hasten to add ;-)

I'm now back in the office and it's sadly not as calm as I'd been promised. But hopefully compensation day, sometime mid Jan will lift my mood. That is if my boss makes it back from down under where he must be getting the worst ribbing ever abt the state of English cricket.

My friend Cam has kindly arranged a NY party for a few of us at Taboo in Soho this year, which looks pretty cool. It used to be the private club, Abigails party, so hopefully should help ring in the New Year with a bang. Missed out on a Christmas kiss under the mistletoe this year.........wonder if there'll be anyone to grab at midnight on New Years eve (hopefully not a granny ^_^)

Happy New Year and all the best for 2007!

Hmmm.....time to start thinking abt those resolutions......

Home made mince pies!

Finally, after a few weekends of procrastinating, here are the efforts of my labours. I've just finished my first batch of mince pies. OK, so the glace cherry isn't traditional, but I thought if it didn't come out as expected, I could say that I was going for a variation on a theme, and that it was supposed to taste different!

The proof however is in the pudding (pardon the pun) and in fact they were quite edible and particularly nice, hot, straight out of the oven, with brandy double cream. Yum. I definitely overdid it on the icing sugar though (which I overused to hide the excessive beaten egg I added to the top of the pie in order to brown it.) I will dial the egg and the icing sugar back for the next batch. In cooking, don't they always say less is more?

From this cooking experience, I certainly got more than I bargained for. On opening the oven whilst preheating, I touched the controls and suffered a rather nasty electric shock which must have arisen from the earthing wire having worked its way loose rendering the casing LIVE!

Far too dangerous this cooking mallarchy.
I knew there was a good reason why I don't cook. ;-)
Better not cook again till the casing is fixed.....what a shame I haven't got a yellow pages.

BCS Xmas Party 2006

Yesterday, around 400 BBCs (British born chinese) and those interested in the culture (or their women) congregated in a hotel in Holborn for an evening of food, drink, entertainment, general merriment and perhaps even a chance to swap some saliva under the mistletoe.

With a price tag of 50GBP for the food alone, and no wine on the table, expectations were riding high, however, sadly the culinary delivery was more "bah humbug" than "ho ho ho". Turkey was replaced by bone dry chicken.

The theme this year was passion (with last years being "ice") so I guess last year the colors were blue and this year, there were trimmings of red and I as ever obliged, turning up in my blue tie.

The surroundings and the entertainment however made up where the food let down. A drunken outbreak by a guy centre-stage was the convincing intro for an amazing display of the versatility of the human mouth, where the uk beatbox champion reprised amongst others, billie jean and other beats using only his mouth and a mic. Awesome. Search youtube for beardyman to see him in action.

He was followed a little later by a classical opera outfit doing the bog standard nessun dorma numbers and a half-hearted blind date mockup where the girls were outrageously honest in their assessment of their date after the screen went back......and as a guy, all I can say is ouch!

Drunken dancing ensued and was punctuated by a raffle competition with some respectable prizes which were supplied by the evening's sponsors, but sadly, none came our way......I guess I will have to write my letter to santa after all. I wonder how he'll get a plasma TV in his sleigh? ^_^