mountain masala

holidays...

travel guitars

thinking about one of these for my suitcase...

christmas dinner

Christmas dinner - Poussin braised in honey-soy-sherry stock, Charcoal BBQ Venison in red wine with red currants, baked potatoes with sage, Vanilla bean pumpkin puree with caramelised walnuts, ginger-rosemary purple carrots, honey-thyme marinated beetroot with ricotta and pine nuts. A bottle of Muddleduck Sparkling Shiraz from Puddleduck in Tasmania.

Christmas lunch...

Christmas pudding was a layered ice cream cake made by Yvonne.Yum.

On Christmas Eve I made a blood orange and almond cake served with caramelized oranges and an orange-cinnamon-star anise-Grand Marnier sauce with double cream... Damn fine!

gift vouchers

it's a Mitchell tradition that if you can't give someone an actual gift on the day, because you're giving them money to choose something themselves, or it's an experience, etc, you make them a voucher.

the girls excel at making vouchers...

Christmas Day Menu

Pear and Saffron Chutney

I'm making this tonight to go with the poussins (spatchcocks) for Christmas dinner. I thought I'd write it up while it's reducing. It's actually part of a quail dish from the sensational "Maze" by Jason Atherton, who used to work for the other Gordon Ramsay. One of the great things about the book is that he gives you a dish, and then two variations on its main ingredients.

Put all of the following into a large 'non-reactive' (ie. relaxd) saucepan.

160g onions, diced
200g apples, peeled, cored and doced
200g raisins
1 tbsp orange zest
juice of 2 oranges (? big or small?)
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
40g finely chopped fresh root ginger (don't use the bottled rubbish!)
250ml white wine vinegar

Bring to the boil. Stir frequently until reduced by two-thirds.

350g caster sugar
1/4 tsp saffron infused in 1 tbsp water

Add sugar and saffron and cook for another 5 mins.

1 kg pears, peeled, cored and diced (i presumed this meant 1 kg BEFORE the peeling etc, since it halved in weight...)

Add pears and cook gently for 1-2 hours until thick and syrupy.

I reckon this will go with any poultry or pork. And with cheese. Can't wait to taste it!

Of course, this doesn tell you what has to happen to the quail / poussins yet. That's the next episode.

Photo on Hipstamatic on iPhone 4 using the new 'foodie' digital lens and film combo - sad but true!

introductions to prayer

here are some good, simple, video introductions to aspects of prayer

Centring prayer

Lectio Divina

Ignatian contemplation

Praying with nature

 

soundtrack music

listening to the soundtrack for the US version of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. i do love a good soundtrack... it does seem more winter's night music than a sunny day at the beach though.

music

listening to....

"War Elephant" by Deer Tick

"The Sunday Gift" by Blue Daisy

"The Harrow and the Harvest" by Gillian Welch

"The Lone Gunman" by Idaho

"Looping State of Mind" by The Field

"Step in Shadows" by SBTRKT

"Ashes and Fire" by Ryan Adams

"A Creature I Don't Know" by Laura Marling

"Saturnine" by Jackie Oates

"Mylo Xyloto" by Coldplay

and 4 volumes of Woody Guthrie: The Asch Recordings (over 100 songs)

 

the Christmas songlist 2011

so here's what I've culled from the many Christmas music gems on offer this year. most of its free (or choose-what-you-pay...)

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen /We Three Kings" by We Three Keanes

"Ode to Joy" by Lenny Marcus - Jazz piano version of Beethoven's Ninth - not exactly a Christmas song, but...

"Angels We Have Heard on High" by Quiet Company from the Paste Magazine 2011 Christmas Sampler

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Folk Angel from the Paste Magazine 2011 Christmas Sampler

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Denny Jiosa - jazz guitar

"Silent Night" by Jeff Bjork - solo piano

"What Child Is This?" by Sleeping At Last from Christmas Collection 2011

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Anna Gilbert from Christmas Sampler

"Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming" by Sarah McCracken from Lo-Fi Christmas EP

"The First Noel" by Beta Radio from The Songs The Season Brings

"O Come, O Come Emmanuel" by Lauren Merlendez from A Very Ukulele Christmas

"It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" by Tim McArthur from A Rarebird in a Pear Tree Vol 2.

"Cantique de Noël (O Holy Night)" by Ken and Lisa Theriot

"Silent Night" by Benjamin Blower and the Army of the Broken Hearted

"Silent Night" by Katie Herzig from from Ten out of Tenn Christmas

"In the Bleak Midwinter" by The Indigo Girls from "Holly Happy Days" (you have to buy this one)

and here's the non-traditional stuff...

"Christmas All Summer Long" by Deeer Tick from the Paste Magazine 2011 Christmas Sampler

"The Day After Christmas" by Kate Miller-Heidke from the Paste Magazine 2011 Christmas Sampler

"It's Christmas" by The Polyphonic Spree from the Paste Magazine 2011 Christmas Sampler

"Cinnamon and Chocolate" by Butterfly Boucher from Ten out of Tenn Christmas

"Holiday" by Body Language from the Paste Magazine 2011 Christmas Sampler

"Slept in Through Christmas" by Eyes Lips Eyes from the Paste Magazine 2011 Christmas Sampler

"Xmas in Motherwell" - The Plimptons - on their free 3 song single "Christmas All Over This Town"

 "Peace Child", "There's Still My Joy" and "The Wonder Song" by The Indigo Girls from "Holly Happy Days"

and finally, some golden oldie favourites of ours...

 "Emmanuel" by Will Ackerman - solo guitar

 "Children Go Where I Send Thee" by Natalie Merchant

"Christmas Bells" by John Gorka

"Merry Christmas Baby" by Hanson!

"Christmas in the Trenches" by John McCutcheon

"We Three Kings" by Dave Brubeck

"Christmas Must Be Tonight" by The Band, also performed by Paul Kelly

"The Wexford Carol" by Alison Krauss and Yo-Yo Ma

I could go on for ages, but let's finish with this fantastic version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by none other than Jethro Tull!