Christmas Day

Christmas Day has gone for another year. I did well with the pressies: including some some CDs of Roy Harper at his best - one of my all time favourite performers; a couple of recipe book including one on Tapas and The Food Safari cookbook. Now I just need some time to try out a few of the recipes. I also want to try making fresh spring rolls - Vietnamese style. Recently went to a lunch-time class at work on how to make these delicious things. So I need to buy the ingredients but I'll wait until the shops calm down. Post Christmas sales start later today - I'm going no where near the shops. I also scored the I'm sorry I haven't a clue DVD which should be [interesting as I've never seen ISIHAC live before] and funny too.
We did the family gathering thing again at Pete and Chao Qi's place this year. The cooler weather meant it was very pleasant - nothing worse than trying to enjoy Christmas pud when outside it's 37°C. As usual we all contributed to the food so while not a traditional any nationality spread it was certainly interesting and filling: roasted chicken; chicken pie and chicken curry; a Chang's noodle salad; rice; herb and garlic breads; lasagne - quite an electic mix! We always provide Christmas pudding and white sauce for those that could fit more food in and actually like fruit pudding.
For the first time ever I made the pudding using a combination of three recipes ripped from the Canberra Times of some time in November. I was very pleased with the end result. Quite a light pudding [compared with some of the heavier than molybdenum puddings we've bought in the past] considering all the alcohol marinated fruits that went in to the mix. The reaction from the other consumers was also positive :)