Afternoon tea

Homemade goodies aplenty, including mince pies, flapjacks and fairy cakes

Chicken

Chicken dipped in seasoned flour, egg and breadcrumbs and gently fried in a little olive oil

Anniversary dinner

Sizzling duck breasts

Potatoes; gently boiled then fried in the fat from the duck

Served with green beans and a redcurrent and orange gravy

Pudding

Healthy salmon followed by a somewhat less healthy homemade tarte tatin

Poached salmon

Preparing the fish kettle - a court-bouillon of red onion, celery, carrot, parsley, peppercorns, salt and white wine vinegar

Gently poaching the fish

No plate large enough, so a hand tray was called into service for the dishing out!

Served with spinach, dauphinoise potatoes and homemade mayonnaise

Crab for lunch

Some french rye bread

Toasted, and served with dressed crab, mayonnaise and a light salad

Wedding food

The wedding feast was at St Michael's Manor, a familiar venue

Smoked haddock in a puff pastry case

Duck breast with a plum sauce, green beans and mashed potatoes

Ginger cake with ginger wine

See the January 2007 page for our own wedding at the same venue, and compare and contrast at will . . .

Game

Dinner out at The Paternoster Chop House in London

Grouse, served with game chips, bacon, fried breadcrumbs, bread sauce and gravy

Christmas lunch out

An excellent fishfinger sandwich with chips

Followed by a sizeable apple and berry crumble

New pork recipe

New pork recipe - Nigella's marinaded pork

You leave loin of pork in a brining solution of apple huice, cider vinegar, salt, maple syrup, onions, garlic, parsley stems and cardamon overnight

Served with roast potatoes

And sauteed zucchini

The pork was good, and very moist, but not really any better than standard roast pork, and you do miss out on the crackling, so not sure I'd bother again

Gnocchi

Gnocchi with pesto, accompanied by a rocket salad with a lemon dressing

Wagamama's food

An overpriced yakitori steak soba

Wagamama's gone down hill a bit in recent years, to my mind. Prices up, and quality and service down

Organic veg box

Food has arrived! Always exciting to get home on a Friday evening to see what the veg man has brought!

This week, after the excellence of their beef, we ordered a rolled loin of pork and some apple juice

Veg box a good assortment - Aubergine, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, courgettes, red onions, cavolo nero and field mushrooms

Pasta

Penne with a slow cooked sausage sauce

Soothing chicken noodle soup

Homemade chicken stock, flavoured with soy sauce, lemon juice, chilli sauce and fish sauce. Served with soba noodles, thinly sliced spring onion and slices of warm roasted chicken breast.