McLaney Burn's Night

Every year, always and without fail we celebrate Burn's night in the lane. It's an excuse to behave like children, drink far too much than is sensible and of course eat some delicious Haggis - among other delights.

And every Year, always and without fail we feel utterly appauling the next day - but I have to say it really is worth every aching head and interesting bruise (Crossing the lane in the dark, full of wine is a dangerous past time! Not for the faint hearted).
We are really very fond of each other, and a neighbourhood party on a freezing January night really cheers us up.

There is also a little bit of fund raising that goes on in the background too. Any money left over from the food and drink kitty is put to a good cause. Be it the children's village cricket club, football club, or the Twinnie's nursery. This year however, we decided to use the money to fund our own speeding campaign in the lane.
We are quite frankly sick of the eejits who treat our little lane as a rat run. Of the large lorries - way beyond the legal weight tonnage - who end up taking out trees, verges and my WING MIRROR in the lane by their over excited Sat Nav.
I am personally sick of the people who really don't give a monkeys about our children and older generation that use the lane to stroll to the school bus or shops. When asked to politely slow down, we are usually shown variations of the fingered salute or told to 'something' off! Nice.

A few weeks ago we got together and privately purchased some '20 mph' stickers for our wheelie bins. On rubbish day, we stuck them on and placed the bins outside our cottages. Oh, but we were proud. Little green soldiers, lined up on a mission. The red, white and black signs boldy directing the drivers to drive a little more carefully.

Did it work?
Not entirely sure - but our next stage of the plan will hopefully make more of an impact. Funded by the silly night on the tiles, our customised wooden signs will soon be placed in the verges, on the trees and in our front gardens.
We are planning our slogans, short and sweet at the moment. '20 is plenty', that sort of thing. Personally I favour 'Don't live here? Well don't drive down here!' but I'm wondering if this isn't a little unfriendly!

So, as with all of our previous Burn's nights, we eat a different course at a different house. This year, I started it all off with Fizz and nibbly things at mine. We moved to Caroline and Nick's for the starter, Phoebe and Dave's for the main, some of which was prepared by Robyn and Simon, and finally we fell through the door of Rob and Julia's - for pud... and cheese....and whisky.
A little later, we all fell through our own front doors and some of us actually made it up the stairs before falling asleep!

First and most importantly, the Burn's night cocktail - guaranteed to set the pace for the evening. This year, I sprinkled some edible glitter into a champagne flute, added some of my evil-home-made plum vodka and then filled what space was left in the glass with cheap pink fizz. Marvellous. And hic.

My nibbly things were nice and substantial - my version of that instant cheese fondue - the baked camembert. It was removed from it's packaging, placed back in the bottom of the box, wrapped in foil and cooked at Mk6 200c for 20-30 mins until all soft and floaty to the touch - when pressed, feels a little like a waterbed! While this was cooking, I sliced an onion and cooked it slowly in 1oz butter and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup until soft and caramalised. I then scooped the lid off the cheese and spooned the onions on top.... Scrumples.

I added some capers and tons of chopped parsley to my little garlic bread nibbles - a strange looking paninni bread I picked up at Waitrose a while ago. Found them in the bottom of my freezer and thought ... why not? The capers added an intense saltiness to the bread, which was dipped in garlic butter - not spread - so as to ensure a crispy and buttery nibble!

My third dish was a fennel seed spelt pancake, topped with creme fraiche mixed with diced beetroot and chives. This was then adorned with a slice or two of cooked smoked salmon, a little bit of beetroot and some gold edible glitter! Why glitter? Well because I can I suppose - and because I like it on....everything!

And so to the rest of the meal...please excuse the hazy photos - the lighting was softer and so was my grip on the camera... ( I blame the plum vodka)...

Delicious Cullen Skink care of Caroline...

Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, with the supporting cast of the very wonderful underated curly kale with heaps of butter....care of Phoebe, Dave, Robyn and Simon...

Reading the 'Ode to the Haggis'.... badly.

Now, I don't have any pictures of our time at Rob and Julia's. Only one of the pud.

Two reasons. Number one - I was so in love with the Raspberry Roulade, I completely forgot to take any other photos. And number two? I fell asleep shortly after I ate it!

Here's to 2011....

I have a theory. Sit down, come in close - I would like to expand on it for you.
I fear you may think me a little bonkers, but I do believe it's true..ish.

2009 - looking at this number, it seems cuddly. Curvacious zeros and a circular 9. But the 9 has a whip in it's tail and that is exactly what happened to me in 2009 - my butt got whipped. It was the height of the economic downturn....need I say more!?

2010 - Well I went into this year with far more optimism. I was writing my book and enjoying every moment of it. My daughter graduated from university with a 2:1 in Classics - I'm

a proud mum of a very clever girlie.

Other areas of my professional and personal life were ticking along very nicely thank you. Looking at the date, it has a couple of zeros looking a bit cuddly, and then number 1 - a nice straight line...driving everything forward. Or so I thought - 2010 was me driving things forward as much as possible, but on occasion that bleeding zero just kept taking me around in a circle every so often. A bit mean of it really.

However 2011 - Look at it! Two 1's - two straight lines gunning us all on forward in a very positive manner.

All hail 2011 - it's going to be a marvellous year. Yes, we have to pull our belts in, but that won't do us much harm - we think we need a lot more than we actually do. There are various issues all of us have to deal with - but I firmly believe it's going to be good.

As I come out of two particularly difficult financial years (being honest here... bear with me!)I feel proud that I've managed to keep the roof above me (it was touch and go), I didn't default on anything and yes, I had to sacrifice a awful lot to do this. But that was something I was happy to do.
My cottage is beautiful, but there is only my income holding it together and sometimes it's hard.

I've learnt so much in the last couple of years - but my main lesson?

Family, friends, a love of food, wine and get togethers, will keep you going when you really don't think you can take the next blow. They all helped me and for that I am enormously grateful.

I have some very exciting times ahead. Lots happening and I can honestly say that I am looking forward to 2011 with more enthusiasm than the last few years.

Thank you to everyone who has bought my book this year - it means an awful lot to me. I love the idea that people are reading my words and cooking my recipes. For many years, I've longed for someone, somewhere to say they've done a 'Lotte' as opposed to a 'Jamie', 'Delia' or 'Nigella'..and now people are, and it's bloody fantastic! Big thanks and a Big X to you all!

I wish you too, a very Happy New Year and hope that it is everything you could possibly wish for.
And if in doubt - Drink Gin! Works for me.
x

New York, New Porkers..

Because that's what we were - all of us. We ate and drank our way around this amazing city. One day we had two lunches...why? Because we could!

No excuses, hands held up in surrender - we were piggies and porkers - no dish was safe, no restaurant untouched. We came, we saw and we ate New York out of house and home.

There was another reason we were there. To film for a Food Network show which will be screened next year....It's a special British show of a very popular and high rating American food series and we're, not allowed to tell you any more - you'll just have to wait and see!

We all got on so well, having never met before. And we all loved the fact that each was a foodie and so therefore every day was a pilgrimage to the hallowed ground of a food venue, and of course, this involved vast amounts of food..and perhaps a smidgen of wine.

We ate at The Standard in the old meat packing district, Red Cat in Chelsea, Carnegies ... somewhere near Time Square I think, A snitzel street food truck, and The Lamb's Club.
Then of course there was the walk around Union Square Farmer's Market and the stroll across Brooklyn Bridge. We had snacks and copious amounts of fresh mint tea - a Tristan special as we now like to call it. Really, don't ask!
We were spectacularly looked after by the lovely Jess (travel mummy) and wined and dined by Nick Thorogood, both from Food Network UK.
A truly fabulous time was had by all and this week, just doesn't have the same feeling about it. Where is my hourly meal? Why is there no traffic noise and bustling bodies skirting around each other in a hurry to get somewhere, and with such purpose?

As I sit and write this, the only sound is that of a howling gale outside my office window and of my ridiculous cat Honey who has decided it's time to be fed. There are no New Yorkers enquiring as to where my accent is from. No one is telling me to have a good day... and I'm hungry... for a large portion of something naughty, indulgent and American - and probably covered in cheese.
I want to be back in the city that never sleeps....and yes, it really doesn't - I know that from experience now, because as I ever so casually slipped/stumbled out of the 'Please Don't Tell' speakeasy bar somewhere in the city - at 'lord knows a clock'(it was a little hazy!) the streets were still busy with revellers, dog walkers, street cleaners and rubbish collectors. This bar was incredible and fabulously cool, and you can only get to it from inside a Hot Dog joint...and then through a secret door in a fake telephone box! We ate squidgy hotdogs and drank friendly cocktails here after we filmed the show.
So, here are the photos...far too many to label, but suffice to say, you can see we had a glorious time.

Finally, I'd like to introduce you to the boys...via their nicknames...ones which we devised during the trip.
Sir Henry - easier to pronounce than his real name after a couple of cocktails!

Count Juan Carlos - easier to say than his real name - sober!
We all get it wrong.

Street Boy - Because he sells stonking pies....on the street markets...duh!

Pudding - Because it suits me - hopefully not due to the size of my bum, but more to do with my love of making a pud!

Enjoy.

xxx