Del-icious!: 'Tis the season...part 2

...for your hard drive to decide to break. 3 weeks have past since I've been able to write anything on this blog, I've almost forgotten how to, the buttons seem awkward and I'm struggling for words....however, I'll return to the post I was conceiving when the computer kindly decided to quit.

We held our first ever Christmas party two weeks ago. Many friends attended and as usual I went completely overboard with the food. I still have pages and pages of lists, ideas, time lines and instructions stuffed behind the mortar and pestle in the kitchen, waiting for me to peruse again in amusement of how seriously I took the whole thing. I cooked solidly for 3 days, preparing things for the freezer and marinating. In total around 12 people arrived, which may seem a small number to you, but for us it was great. We created a play list of eclectic music ranging from Welsh male voice choirs to Pink Floyd, dimmed the lights to let the many candles provide the golden, flickering light and ate and drank until the early hours, the last people leaving at 4am.

Then there was the food. From pulled pork sandwiches to savoury jam tarts, I created a whole smorgasbord of edible treats. The initial idea of tapas seemed to blur and twist to metamorphisize into something completely different, as a spread more akin to party appetisers or nibbles seemed to materialise. Savoury Scotch eggs, fragrant spring rolls, punchy pork satay and sweet caramelised onion tart, amongst others, all seemed to find their way into the party. Below I have provided a link to each of the recipes I attempted.

The 4 dips were all prepared from combining packet mixes with yogurt and / or sour cream. The beet and garlic dip was very interesting, a bright, vivid pink with streaks of red and a pungent, powerful garlic flavour, it was not exactly the most appetising of the quartet. (Pictured on far right).

Two vegetarians attended, one who partakes in a little fish and one who does not. I decided, therefore, to provide a huge platter of smoked salmon, shrimp and barbecued salmon to eat in mini open face sandwiches with a variety of pickles, chutneys and dips to accompany. This magnificent plate didn't see the light of day. It remained dormant in the fridge whilst the other food was still a plenty, although Neil and I enjoyed it immensely the next day in the form of Tom Yum soup and sandwiches with cream cheese and capers.