2017 Christmas eve dinner

Home cured salmon with smoked tea leaves

Celeriac Remoulade

Roast beef and shallot gravy

Brussels sprouts and chestnuts in lightly blued cream

Braised red cabbage with balsamic vinegar and cranberries

Chocolate mousse with raspberries

There are two stars tonight, salmon and red cabbage! More details on the salmon can be found in the link. I am really pleased with the recipe. The red cabbage was tangy, lightly sweet and savory, so good and addictive that I had every bite of my beef with it. 

Happy holidays.

2017 Weekly - Week 51

21/12/2017

Our six-day Rome visit was deep in history, culture and full of drama. Maybe I tell you a little about it when I recover from the whole thing. As always, it's good to be at home, no matter how beautiful and unforgettable another place can be.

Here are some snaps. Ciao for now.

2017 Weekly - Week 50

10/12/2017

Biggest snow since 2010 or 2011? No gym. La, la, la.

13/12/2017

Failed to go to the fitness classes completely this week. I did mean to go but the zero temperature and the rain etc. Excuses. I guess my mind was no longer on the gym since I achieved my running goal (twice!). Well, December is for Mariah Carey and Mince pies. Let's save gym for January.

2017 Weekly - Week 49

03/12/2017

It's official. I've reached my goal of 5000 meters. I finished it at 40 minutes and 30 seconds, just under 41 minutes set by myself a year ago. I have stuck at just over 41 minutes a few times, thinking that this may be it. But tonight I gave it a final push, thinking again that it's my last chance this year to reach my goal. I started this year at 44 minutes and now I finish 2017 with three minutes better. This is by no means a great running record but I said it before and I will say it again that running or fitness is a competition with oneself. We are all different, of different build, biology and daily lives. As long as I am better than myself a year ago, then it's a real and meaningful self-improvement.

04/12/2017

As entering the last month of 2017, I feel I need more motivation to finish everything, at least at work. A few weeks of holidays are waiting for me, I know. I just need to summon up courage to finish a few things off.

06/12/2017

I am still waiting for 10 Downing Street or TM to say the sensible things after this outrageous statement across the pond.

07/12/2017

Once my french teacher said to us about not drinking water after having couscous. I began to understand (painfully) what she meant tonight.

08/12/2017

5000 meters at 40 minutes and 27 seconds! I did it again, 5000 meters under 41 minutes, twice in a row! Beyond excited. What a nice way to end this year.

2017 Weekly - Week 48

29/11/2017

I just saw the panto this year which my second ever and I think I am getting to like this ritual. The one I go to is produced by ADC in Cambridge. It's just getting better and better.

The title of the panto this year is Hunchback of Notre Dame. Before I went, I was not sure how they are going to adapt Victor Hugo's masterpiece (one of) into a lighthearted family Christmas entertainment and also without feeling cliche. Wow, the troupe did not disappoint. The scripts are witty, full of puns as always. But the play also feels timely, relevant and well resonated with what's going on in the world. It made me laugh and think at the same time. I came home with lots of joy and gratitude in my heart. At the end of the show, they were asking for donations for the refugee charities. I didn't have money with me but I did go online and donate to two charities. This is the true spirit of Christmas, even though I am not religious. Time to reflect, share and be grateful.

I hope you are well.

2017 Weekly - Week 47

19/11/2017

I have been on a kick of pumpkin tasting recently. So that you know, pumpkins come from the squash family. I am mainly interested in winter squashes here, the ones which usually give glorious autumn color and sweet taste. Many years ago "exotic" winter squashes (i.e. non butternut) were hard to come but and only occasionally did I see them in my local organic food shop. I remember the first one I bought was called buttercup squash. I was hooked instantly by its dense and yet creamy texture. I am not a fan of butternut squash, despite its omnipresence. Butternut is too watery and tastes like orange watermelon to me. Buttercup is different. It's flesh is drier, slightly powdery and delightfully sweet. I love it.

Then it disappeared from the shop one winter and never came back. Well, isn't that the rule for good things in life?

Luckily, my local supermarket now has broadened its winter squash offering. Now they come in lots of varieties in a crate or two but without names. I guess it's because they are not in commercial production yet, hence no labels. That's how my pumpkin tasting started.

So far I've got a red kuri, an acorn, a blue hokkaido (or winter sweet). They all have appetizing orange flesh. Red kuri, most watery among all, reminds me of a better cousin of butternut. I don't think I will buy red kuri again. After that, I was pleasantly surprised by acorn. Its flesh is moist but without the butternut texture and much sweeter than red kuri. The flesh is not as dense as buttercup but definitely on the dense side than the watery side. I will buy acorn again. As for blue hokkaido, I have to wait until next week to tell you. As I am the only person eating the pumpkins in the household, there is only so much a person can take per week.

And you know the trick to cut a pumpkin easily and safely, right? Just in case you wonder, I first scrub the pumpkin clean and towel dry. I flatten one end of the pumpkin so that it stands firmly on the surface. This is optional. Then I wrap my cleaned pumpkin in two sheets of overlapping clingfilm and microwave it for 5 minutes. Depending on the size, you can adjust the time. I always start with 5 minutes and try with the tip of the knife. If the pumpkin resists the knife, microwave for another 1 or 2 minutes. The purpose of the clingfilm is to trap the steam so that the shell softens up quickly.

Remove the pumpkin from the microwave with a towel and place firmly on a board. Use a paring knife to cut along the stem. Remove the lid and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. The pumpkin now should much easily be cut into desirable shapes for further cooking. I learned the tip from the video below.

A glorious winter warmer

I didn't realize what a great combo lamb and beans are until tonight. Loosely based on Hairy bikers and Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes, I slow cooked lamb shoulder with overnight soaked cannellini beans for two and half hours in the oven. The lamb shoulder, possibly my favorite meat, is reassuringly tender but the star tonight is the beans. After sitting quietly all this time in the same broth as lamb, onions, carrots and garlic, the beans become unbelievably creamy and sweet. So full of flavor, this is my best tasting beans so far. This is definitely a winter dish, a humble and glorious warmer for a cold night.

Cannellini beans and lamb stew

- lamb shoulder with or without bone, dusted with salt and pepper

- 250 g/1.5 cup dried cannellini beans, soaked in water (with 1 tsp of baking soda, optional) overnight

- 2 onions, roughly chopped

- 1 chunky carrot, 1-cm dice

- 4 garlic cloves, smashed

- splash of white wine (optional)

- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

- 3 bay leaves

- 1/2 ground black pepper

- water or stock

- 3 tomatoes, quarters

Bring a pot of water to boil. Drain the soaked beans and put into the boiling water. Bring the pot back to boil. Turn off the heat while you prepare the lamb.

Put 1 tablespoon of oil in a casserole on medium heat. Sear the lamb shoulder all over. I grill the lamb shoulder as one piece, bone-in. Once the lamb picks up nice golden color, remove from the pan.

Next brown the onions, carrot, garlic in the same pan for a couple of minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine if using. Otherwise, pour some water to remove the brown spots from the bottom of the pan. When there is almost no liquid left, put all spices (cumin, turmeric, bay leaves, black pepper) in. Cook/toast the spices for 1 minute.

Mix drained beans into the lamb. Pour enough water just to cover the beans. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Put the lid on and transfer to 140C oven for 2.5 hours. Rotate the casserole half way and remove the lid for the final 30 minutes and put the tomato quarters on top. Test the seasoning before serving.