A belated Merry Christmas to you, Trevor.
Any chance of leftovers? I'll bring a bottle of my friend and I 2002
'Happy Bear Zinfandel'. I'll trade you the story on that one for some
pheasant. I make a absolutely decadent baklawa, with New Mexico pistachios
and honey. We had standing rib roast, the bones from which were added to
some roast oxtails to make a sturdy beef soup the next day. Baklawa,
rumballs and Christmas cookies abound.
Friends of ours had an absolutely wonderful Christmas Eve dinner-party at
their house with five different kinds of soups along with green chili
chicken stew, posole and Christmas tamales. Assorted side dishes. Lots of
wine. And later a stroll through the streets to carol and enjoy the
luminarias that lined the streets and driveways to homes, and rooftops, too.
The smell of pinon pine and mesquite burning from fireplaces everywhere.
Enchantment.

Joanne

"Pinky" > wrote in message
...
> It is 07:47 GMT on a mild Christmas morning. Our household has awakened to
> Mulled wine, Stollen and carols! Paper unwrappings are everywhere!
>
> Merry Christmas to you all around the world.
>
> menu for today's dinner
>
> Hummus bi Tahina wa Khubs
>
> Poached Salmon with Oysters au gratin and avocado salad or fresh crab with
> crevettes and salad in a lemon boat
>
> Roast Pheasant ( medium hung ) stuffed with Apple,garlic and Lime stuffing
> and all the usual trimmings
>
> Christmas Pud served with brandy sauce or ice cream or traditional
vanilla
> custard ( and a baked Alaska for seconds served flaming ))
>
> Whole mature stilton which has be fed gently with port for the last 2
months
> and stored in the coolest place I have ( my coal shed) with the last/final
> /ultimate bottle of my 1964 fortified elderberry
>
> Wines available
>
> Tempranillo -- an amazingly good robust wine that I only started
> fermentation last December and is already beating more expensive wines. I
> only tried the first bottle 3 days ago and decided to serve it this
> Christmas
> Chablis -- not my best but adjusted to medium for those who like a
sweeter
> wine
> Strawberry -- fermented July 2002 and is now at its best but only 4
bottles
> so I shall never know it it would improve with another year in bottle
> Sauvignon Blanc -- my best white this Christmas which has spoiled ( in
> appearance only )because of a bottling error ( discussed a while ago).
Just
> a hint of fizz on the tongue but very flinty and grassy -- quite
delicious.
> The small amount of lees in the bottle only spoils the last glass if I am
> careful --- so I have the last glass!
>
>
> We shall be at table for several hours and shall not rush the courses.
> Memories will abound! Oldest guest is my 96 year old dad who seems
> indestructible, youngest is James Robin my 6 year old grandson.
>
> Merry Christmas everyone
>
>
>
> --
> Trevor A Panther
> In South Yorkshire, England
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>
>