I’m wondering, is it allowed, to recycle stuff off your own blog? the fact of the matter is, all the info, all the good advise, and all the recipes (recipes especially! Can you really change an old Christmas favourite? Can you replace Traditional Christmas Pudding), still stand.

I can’t believe I’ve made it through one whole year of doing this blog site. Some months have been very active, and some totally lazy. But by and large, it hasn’t been too bad at all, even though I do say so myself.

I’m wondering, is it allowed, to recycle stuff off your own blog? Last year after Thanksgiving, I started a Countdown to Christmas. It was fun doing, and I admit, stressful, keeping it up everyday. But the fact of the matter is, all the info, all the good advise, and all the recipes (recipes especially! Can you really change an old Christmas favourite? Can you replace Christmas Pudding?), still stand. Besides, I see all over the internet, articles that more or less replicate the same things.

Like this article on Holiday Gifts for Foodies or I can shamelessly lead you back to my back articles on X’mas Gift Ideas, here or here.
The same goes for Tips for De-Stressing Your Holidays and Managing Holiday Stress from this blog. (If you were stressed last year, it was probably because you didn’t read my posts. So read on!)

Just kidding. I wouldn’t want to add to your Christmas Stress by adding to the things that should go on your TO DO list. Just relax and enjoy this time of year. And keep warm.

Christmas Eve wishes, tips and some lovely mulled wine.

24th December.
Signing in on Christmas Eve, I can suddenly think of 20 things that should maybe have been added in earlier Countdown posts, but well it’s to late and no point stressing everybody. Including myself. Today is going to be really lazy, have an afternoon siesta, I’m going to try making some Mulled Wine (see recipe below), and maybe at night, take up a friend’s offer to go to Midnight Mass with her family.

- By now hopefully the gifts are as done as they’re likely to be. For those unexpected drop-ins have a few assorted chocolates handy, wrapped in pretty paper or clear, and festooned with ribbons, there’s only so much you can do.

- Concentrate instead on the food aspect now. How it’s going to turn out, (without driving you up the wall) and how you’re going to enjoy it.

Whatever is the menu you’ve decided on this Christmas, chances are you’ll be roasting some poultry. The Internet is full of how to turn out the perfect roast but in short what you need to tell yourself is, “it’s going to turn out great! I’m going to have lots of patience and not keep staring at it, and if everything isn’t absolutely perfect, so what, it’s only one day of the year, and if I keep a good sense of humor about it so will everyone else!” Apart from that, a few pointers…

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Sorpotel gets more potent and tastes better on the third or forth day after cooking, so build that into your schedule. Warm it up once a day till the day it is served.

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SORPOTEL Serves 8
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Sorpotel gets more potent and tastes better on the third or forth day after cooking, so build that into your schedule. Warm it up once a day till the day it is served.

INGREDIENTS
1 kg boneless pork
1 pork liver, 1 heart, 1 tongue, 2 kidneys
4 cups water
12 red chillies/peppers
12 peppercorns
12 cloves garlic
1 inch piece ginger
1 tsp cumin seeds
8 cloves
2 one-inch pieces cinnamon
1 cup vinegar (coconut vinegar preferably)
A marble sized ball of tamarind soaked in 3/4 cup of water
1/2 cup oil
1 peg coconut feni * (You can eliminate this if you just can’t get your hands on any)
salt to taste
6 green chillies/peppers, chopped
4 medium onions, chopped fine
1cup pork blood (yes, really!) mixed with ½ cup coconut vinegar (optional)

PREPARATION
Put the meats in water in a deep pan on medium heat. Cover with a lid and parboil the meats for about 20 minutes. Remove from the fire, cool and dice the meats fine, this is a very important part of making Sorpotel. Set aside the water for re-use.

Meanwhile, put all the spices except the green chillies and onion, into the blender/grinder with the vinegar and grind to a fine paste. (more…)

December, 19th. I just finished re-reading “Smell” by Radhika Jha. It’s a must-read for anyone interested (read, obsessed) in cooking. The language is rich and descriptions really good.

December 19th.
I just finished re-reading “Smell” by Radhika Jha, a book I’d read almost 3 years ago. It is the story of Leela, a girl of Indian origin, cruelly lifted out or her native Nairobi, and deposited in France with an uncle who runs an Indian spice store and a reluctant aunt who has nothing to offer her except teaching her to cook. The book journeys through many aspects of her life, but particularly stunning is her love-hate relationship with food, cooking, and smells and odors that literally speak to her. I thought the end didn’t quite keep up with the rest of the book, it’s a must-read for anyone interested (read, obsessed) in cooking. The language is rich and descriptions really good.

Here’s an excerpt that more or less encompasses it…

‘I went over to the stove and grasped the flat spoon-like implement she was using. “Keep turning the onions till they become transparent,” she commanded and swam away to the other side of the room. I peered into the mist that arose form the pan. The steam wet my face like a warm kiss. I moved the little white cubes around gently in the frying pan. Suddenly a new odor hit me, completely different, an ugly death smell. I jumped away from the stove, as if I had been slapped in the face. (more…)

Crudités is a French term that refers to “raw vegetables,” so a platter of crudités typically consists of one or more types of raw vegetables served with one or more dips. These are great for parties and can be served as an appetizer

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CRUDITES
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Crudités is a French term that refers to “raw vegetables,” so a platter of crudités typically consists of one or more types of raw vegetables served with one or more dips. These are great for parties and can be served as an appetizer.

Tips - Make the vegetables as appetizing and ready-to-eat as possible: rinse well, trim stems, remove spots and seeds, peel (if necessary), cut into sticks or rounds
- Arrange the vegetables on a nice platter with the dip(s) in the center
- Garnish the platter with slices or wedges of lemon, lime, orange, and/or tomato
Garnish the dips with minced parsley and/or a sprinkling of paprika and/or black pepper. Here are some ideas for Christmas or anytime else…

Vegetables
Asparagus (steamed)
Bell peppers
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumbers
Mushrooms
Radishes

Possible additions
Bread
Cheese
Crackers
Potato Wafers/Chips

Dips
Salsa
Tzatziki
Hummus

If you’re really short for time, mix half a teaspoon into some ketchup. Add a teaspoon of Soya sauce, and som very finely chopped celery or coriander and you can pass it off as an exotic dip.
Or just about anything out of a bottle.