New Year Reflections

Wishing you all a happy & successful New Year

New Year "Reflections from my garden" video is below

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Secret wishes with real Christmas pud



Real Christmas pudding remains popular

To many, Christmas is a time for honouring tradition, but in a culinary sense, many here are abandoning the traditional fare for cooler options such as cold turkey and seafood.  

One dish, however, remains popular and will often sit side by side here in Australia, with our iconic pavlova. We enjoyed one such plum pud, a little early, cooked to perfection by my friend, Mary, Queen of Desserts. Much tradition and folklore is attached to the Christmas pudding. Traditionally each member of the family takes a turn stirring the mixture in a clockwise direction, making a secret wish as they go. Many people also bake lucky treats into their puddings. The pudding was usually made up to a year ahead, left to mature, then heated up on Christmas Day and brought to the table flaming with warm brandy and decorated with holly. it can be accompanied by custard ice-cream but it can also be served with cream, and brandy butter or hard sauce.
I'm breaking my tradition of 'fit in your jeans fare' http://fitinyourjeanscuisine.blogspot.com - forgive the straying - just eat a small portion if you can! Or add a little less butter and sugar. I usually reduce sugar by 1/3 and in this case, the fruit is sweet enough.

Claire





Here it is, the real thing - moist and fruity,
with a brandy haze!

This recipe is based on Margaret Fulton's rich Christmas pudding in the Margaret Fulton Cookbook, which was my 'bible' as an aspiring cook in the 60's.The fruit needs to be soaked overnight in brandy or rum.

Serves 8

Prep time 40 mins, cook 6 hrs

• 250 gm / 1/2 lb each raisins, sultanas and currants
• 100 gm / 3 oz candied orange, finely chopped
• 200 ml / 7 fl oz rum or brandy
• 250 gm / 1/2 lb butter, plus extra for greasing
• 275 gm (1¼ cups) firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 orange and 1 lemon, finely grated rind only
• 4 eggs, lightly whisked
• 150 gm (1 cup) plain flour
• ½ tsp each salt, mixed spice, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda
• 60 gm (½ cup) almond meal
• 140 gm (2 cups) fresh breadcrumbs

Combine dried fruit and candied orange in a bowl, scatter with rum or brandy, cover and stand overnight.

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugar and rinds until pale and fluffy, then slowly beat in egg. Sieve together flour, salt, spices and bi-carb soda. Add to mixture in batches, alternating with soaked fruit mixture and almond meal. Stir through breadcrumbs.

Brush a 1.8 litre-capacity pudding bowl with butter, line the base with a circle of baking paper and dust with flour. Pour pudding mixture into bowl and top with another circle of baking paper. Cover with two layers of foil and tie with string.

Place pudding into a large saucepan with a wire rack or tea towel lining the base. Fill with enough water to come halfway up the side of the bowl. Cover and simmer for 6 hours, topping up water when necessary. Pudding may be made ahead and cooled in bowl. Reheat in a large saucepan of simmering water for 2½ hours. Serve with custard, icecream or cream.

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Food is passion and brings people together

Hi there Mosman lovers




Are you feeling passionate or are we just friends?

I know you live in your own beautiful part of the world and you have your own providores (new word for me, Italian for providers), but the putting together of the antipasto plate for Christmas, requires skill, research and passion. 
Quattro Formaggi deli  - one of our local providors in Raglan Road, Mosman, has the mantra "Food is passion and brings people together."
Putting together an antipasto plate to serve with Christmas drinks is an easy matter when you have a fantastic variety of cured meats, cheeses and accompaniments such as below.




Barossa Smoked Wagyu Beef
Traditionally cured, cold smoked and heat treated.
Perfect served with a Hunter Valley Shiraz

Taleggio Cheese Proven to be addictive.
Semi-soft, washed-rind from Northern Italy
Serving suggestion - Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir

Happy Christmas Drinks

Claire

Quattro Formaggi Deli offers the best from Italy and abroad with a wide range of cheeses, antipasto, cured meats sliced on demand, estate olive oils, vinegars ....
www.quattroformaggideli.com/

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Mosman Meanders is launched!

Hi Mosman Lovers

Mosman Meanders & foreshore flavours is launched! We had a fabulous night at the Mosman Art Gallery with about 200 people passing through. Thanks to Paul Delprat for your entertaining opening speech and to all who attended for your support and interest.

Many bottles of wine were enjoyed, compliments of Tony and Rory  of Watershed PremiumWines Ltd,   www.watershedwines.com.au, 
Beelgara Wines also supplied great wine at a great price.  Sincere thanks to the cafes and delis for the wonderful food platters -  Avenue Road Deli, Bacinos and Ripples at Chowder Bay, Quattro Formaggi on Raglan and Fourth Village on Vista. 

Special thanks to Graham for a great job as MC and Chris for all the innovative organisation  and his family and friends for their generous help.
Here are a few photos of the night thanks to  Bill Lyndon, Photographer.
Thanks for being there - we felt megasupported.  We hope you enjoy the book.
Claire and Chris

 

 

 

Mosman Meanders great for summer reading

 

Hi Mosman lovers

I look forward  to summer reading because that's when I can lose myself in a good book. A favourite activity is to  plonk myself in a comfortable chair, preferably with water views and become immersed in the latest book usually recommended by a friend whose judgement I trust.

 

Then there are books which enhance the holiday and Mosman Meanders is such a book especially if you live in Sydney.  Thanks to public vigilance and the Harbour Trust, the former military reserves have been  preserved, making it possible to walk from Cremorne Point to the Spit via Balmoral.

You can learn about some of the history of the area and sample some foreshore flavours at local cafes.

 

Have fun

Claire

ps Pages and Pages, booksellers in Mosman, included us in their Summer Reading Catalogue.  See below.