With the arrival of Christmas this year, I was both the Santa of chocolates and the British Christmas tradition. It seems many students have done the same in the past, and it was my turn to bring the Christmas crackers, mulled wine, mince pies, and Christmas pudding to share with the family. And with that came a full meal that took less time and hassle to cook than I had anticipated.
For the starter, I made a soup with butternut squash roasted for ~45 minutes, beer, chicken broth, a little milk, and browned onion. I took inspiration from the French bouillabaisse and decorated the soup with baked spiced pita chips (olive oil, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper) topped with roasted red pepper hummus.
The main was composed of 3 parts: kale cooked with caramelized onions and apples; salmon poached with white wine, lemon, onion, parsley, and black pepper; and sweet potatoes roasted in honey and lemon juice. The main sauce was a red wine reduction with onions with a secondary sauce made from the poaching liquid (veloute).
As for dessert, it was just Christmas pudding with homemade brandy butter and minced pies.
Overall, the meal turned out quite well. The soup was probably the best with the nutty creaminess of the butternut squash gently embodied with the beer and spices and textured with the crunchy pita chips. The main was okay but a little too light in flavour for a winter dish. I think the main failure was in the sauces, which I know is a whole other facet I must challenge myself to master. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable and not very tiresome dinner, entirely westernized but still completely enjoyed by everyone (especially the Christmas pudding, which I had not anticipate would be so well-received!!). 
(Last edited 2007-12-28 14:50:52)
Monday, December 24. 2007
Christmas Eve Dinner
Saturday, December 15. 2007
Chiffon Pudding Cake
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Ever since arriving in Cambridge, I've had difficulty making the chiffon cake, mainly because of problems with the hand mixer. With a house that supplies wacky power, a 6-speed hand mixer is reduced to 1-speed -- turbo -- which makes accomplishing correctly beaten egg whites, one of the most critical elements, fairly difficult. It was quite disheartening as I'd already had my 1.5 failures in the States before the first success (according to my mom, it takes 3 failures, so I've been fortunate).
Now, after yet another 1.5 failures (have I now attained my 3 failures??), I finally made my first success in Cambridge! Yay!!
Saturday, December 1. 2007
Mill Road Winter Fair 2007
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As the ethnic centre of Cambridge, 2007 marks the second year for the festival with food, crafts, music, performances, and small exhibitions. Despite the strong winds, a cheery sun brought warmth to the mid-winter blues and some life to an exhausted soul. It's one of those few times where it was nice to be amongst the crowd, exploring, observing, and trying new things.
Since I live on the other side of town, I only venture to Mill Rd when I need certain Asian groceries, and I rarely have the chance to visit the neighboring shops. As for crossing the bridge, I think I've only done that twice over the past 1.5 years. In any case, it was quite nice to leisurely explore the various shops selling whole foods, Italian imports, Middle Eastern specialties, etc, as well as wandering through the elderly home and churches.
I was quite intrigued by Arjuna, a shop that sells whole food products. Their "Spicy Tuscan Bean Soup" was nice--not too tomatoey or beany but with a good spicy punch to battle against the winter cold. I liked their collection of cereals and various items, especially a self-weigh herbs and spice shelf. Across the bridge is Limoncello, an Italian shop of 10 years with a shopfront fully covered with panettones as well as tasty pesto sauces, sweets, and deli products.
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It was definitely a nice way to spend a Saturday mid-morning, walking off the stresses of the past 1.5 months, and enjoying the superficial rays of a wintry sun before darkness ensued after 3pm...
