The perfect Christmas

The book

Chapter 22 of Moby Dick by Herman Melville is titled Merry Christmas and is one of the most touching ones, because drenched into a deep sadness, sarcasm and true sense of belonging to the ship community. Captain Ahab does not show up on the deck. Captain Bildad and Captain Peleg are licensed at the end of the chapter and they take a boat to move ashore, while tears twinkle in their eyes and voices. Ismaele, the narrating voice, remembers:

“At last the anchor was up, the sails were set, and off we glided. It was a short, cold Christmas; and as the short northern day merged into night, we found ourselves almost broad upon the wintry ocean, whose freezing spray cased us in ice, as in polished armor. The long rows of teeth on the bulwarks glistened in the moonlight; and like the white ivory tusks of some huge elephant, vast curving icicles depended from the bows”.

Bildad, while at the wheel, intonates what sounds like a Psalm, but is a ballad by Isaac Watts, A prospect of Heaven makes Death easy. The winds bring his words to the crew: the first line quoted by Melville says “sweet fields beyond the swelling floods”, which portraits the stated on peril the ship is going to undergo now that Bildad and Peleg won’t tame anymore Captain Ahab.

http://www.classicreader.com/book/309/22/

How different my yesterday Christmas was? Let's have a glance:

Moby Brie-k: I could not restrain myself, but I apologise.

The people

Not many people stayed in Edinburgh for Christmas. So, I decided to create a Doodle to see if those here, were interested in a Christmas’ lunch. What happened was pure magic: only a person, a dear good friend of mine, Andrew, responded to the invitation. He involved and brought along two exceptionally nice friends, who I didn’t have the pleasure to met. Stephanie and Emily proved to be fascinating guests: elegant, nice and talkative. My brilliant office-mate Mara came just after the opening with her brother and her sister-in-law and that was it. Everything would have been magnificent if only Michelle was there with us! Alas, the sun blessed us casting a bunch of rays onto the Leopard Lily (I still have a to find a name for it):

Leopard Lily in the gentle December sun

This has been the first Christmas away from my family: a strange feeling to process. Yet I must tell the novelty was not just surprising, but indeed a revelation. Perhaps because everyone was new to each other, the conversation was lubricated, alive and fizzy. The reduced number of guests made everything easier (also in terms of dish cleaning). We were three Italians, three Germans and one Australian: this milieu favoured the use of English as conversational language and we were occasionally switching to German or Italian when needed. This “natural” selection of outstanding guests was the first step in order achieve the perfect event.

Moreover, we were from different university backgrounds, law, tourism, linguistics, literature and architecture. This fueled the conversation, making the reciprocal exchange of informations even more interesting. Different reasoning brought us together to the same place: in a way we are all finding distinct patterns in the same maze. I happen to realize that sharing a city shapes your way of thinking and approaching problems: you are "forced" to meet new people, adapt yourself, cede something you had for something new and unknown. Those how keep being stuck to their past end up creating a city in the city, a fake reproduction of what they feel they lost: and that is the moment in which it is lost forever. I like intensely the image of people abroad as these Green and Blacks chocolate into a Martini glass:

These are "conversational" chocolate, because each label has a question,
and these questions contribute ease in small and big talks!
Green and Blaks is organic and fairtrade chocolate...both ethic and taste.

The place

Perhaps, the purple tents, perhaps a serious Christmas three, perhaps the red dishes with the white rime – after which this blog is named – made of my flat the perfect location to appoint. We discovered that in Australia every fancy meal might be called dinner. Recently, I attended a tea in Edinburgh, yet the tea, in reality, was a full-scale dinner. I am particularly amused by this regional acceptation given to meals in the English-speaking-world!

Our synthetic Christmas tree makes a lot of atmosphere,
the spirit of all the possible Christmas dwells here.

The food

As soon as the crew was elected, it was necessary to establish a menu. Everyone was asked to contribute to the meal according to her/his culinary skills. This is why Andrew opted for two platters of mixed salami and one international cheese, so to prevent himself from poisoning us. Stephanie brought with her a splendidly revised recipe of Tiramisu and Emily an extraordinary Lamington cake, introducing us to the sweet delicacies of the Austral hemisphere. I basically made a broth. I also discovered that the stock is derived from bones, broth instead from meat:

Select carefully the ingredients:
Gressingham duck poussin (promotion 2 x 5£);
9 chutney carrots;
3 small potatoes;
2 cherry tomatoes;
1 onion;
1 coast of celery.
ALL THESE VEGETABLES THEN WERE RE-UESED
TO MAKE VEGETABLE BALLS IN THE OVEN ON
ST. STEPHEN'S DAY

The early stage, when the water was dusted in white pepper.
On the bottom of the casserole one tea-spoon of Maldon salt
was already dissolving.
At the beginning I thought duck toxins might have been
poisonous, but then I discovered it is even better than chicken.

Yet here is the complete and exhaustive (and exhausting) menu:

      Starters

·      Tesco Finest* platter of ham, salami and three cheeses (Brie, Mancego, Wanslaydale with cranberries);

·      Duck titbits with dates, rolled in pancetta and served with steamed asparagus' tips. 

Main course

·     Tortellini in duck broth.

Second course & side dishes

·      Duck salad with Modena balsamic vinegar gravy reduction

·      Roasted potatoes with mustard seeds and rosemary

·      Salad (apple, lettuce gems, rocket salad, celery, sweet pointed peppers)

Desserts

·      Tiramisu and Lamington cake

·      Green and Blacks chocolate assorment

·      Twinings nettle and sweet fennel infusion

Deli platter

The cheeses

Steamed asparagus and sprouts
with morsels of duck thighs' meat, dates and pancetta

Tortellini in duck broth: because of the size it would be wiser to call them
cappelletti, and you can find them in Waitrose for 1,99£ (250gr pack).
Mine were bought in Paris, but his is a different story!

Clockwise: from the left, the duck breast with the balsamic gravy,
mustard seeds and rosemary roasted potatoes,
and the extravagant salad, dressed in lemon and extra-virgin olive oil.

Lamington cake (pic taken from Google images):
admittedly they were irresistible! 

Stephanie's tiramisu was looking different, but the taste was an A.

The wine

Wines have been a genuine crescendo of tannins and joy: a French Tesco Finest* Muscadet for the appetizers, an Ogio’s Primitivo from Puglia and The chocolate lover’s wine, aromatised with chocolate notes, a symphony: this wine is sold in Sainsbury’s and Co-operative.  

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie, Tesco Finest* 7,27£.
Produced and bottled by Vignerons du Pallet in Brétagne, France.

http://www.chocolateshopwineuk.co.uk/

The games

When all the food was gone, Mara had to leave, and Stephanie proposed us to play Pictionary. Not the table version, but the online generator of words and categories. This was hilarious, challenging and cheerful. 

Pictionary word generator: 

 http://www.wordgenerator.net/pictionary-word-generator.php

Back to Italy (5) - Simplified Quiche Lorraine with vegetables and brie (Botticelli Gifts & the Round table)

Sometimes, the mental associations play unexpected links, which are actually difficult to understand. For some reasons when I think to a quiche Lorraine I immediately project the image of the Arthurian knights:

I would warmly suggest to read Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval

Circular preparations (such as pizzas, cakes and pies) are somewhat addressing that corner of my intellect that stores all the memories related to sharing food: the perfect shape of a pizza, for instance, grants equal slices: the regular number of the portions mirrors the equilibrium of the circle.

This picture comes form another interesting blog, Ciao Italia,
helpful for those who wish to learn some Italian:
http://italiaitaliano.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/ecco-la-ricetta-della-pizza-margherita.html

Sharing food then is more than a simple act of allowing other people to benefit of what is yours. Sharing food (or making a food-gift) is something deeper: there is feeding in it of course, but especially taking care. As when you water a plant you do not ask for a reward, you merely feel to do it, because it gives you pleasure, the reward is melt inside the action. You do not make food then to entertain or to be complimented for: these two aspects clearly enflame the ego, but only are a surface of the whole problem. On this point, unfortunately, I am often misunderstood. A real gift should never expect reciprocity: it should be a gesture of kindness that you feel spontaneously driven out of your heart, unconditionally and totally.

Sandro Botticelli: another association with the quiche Lorraine
is the Louvre,  perhaps for the sound,
and in the Louvre there is this Botticelli’s fresco:
Venus and the Graces offer a gift to a maiden,about 1486.

According to my personal etiquette: who often shows up to parties with empty hands (or just with too symbolic items) spoils the inner idea of donation (unless he has a very good excuse!) The gift is an offer of our time, which is irreplaceable, a time that won’t ever come back again. Who doesn't free his time for others is possibly a person too retreated in himself/herself: therefore he/she sees others as functional tools. On the contrary, the use of Time - our precious source - is an honour: it is a mean somehow to substitute us with something tangible and eatable. This "something" brings inside the body calories, as a tender embrace does. In the moment in which the entity is offered, the action of offering retires, as a sunset that leaves the memory of its splendour.

Scott Peck was an eminent psychiatrist who died in 2005,
the link he draws between time and life, possibly derives
from Heidegger. His major book, written in 1978, is called
The Road less Travelled:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Road-Less-Travelled-Arrow-New-Age/dp/0099727404/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351291416&sr=8-1

So, let’s finally come to the simplified quiche. This recipe melts together a French tradition and that of the Italian torta salata. I sincerely prefer the pastry of the quiche, but I feel the filling tends to be too heavy, because of the abundance of cream. At the barbecue, this quiche became the perfect appetizer, to control the rising appetite. As often happens, the famished and voracious friends groped the quiche to the last breadcrumb, a ransack that is also a compliment. Nonetheless, I was left with a rescued tiny bit, which gave me at least the pleasure a final personal opinion: Antony, for instance, behaved like a mountain lion aware of its strength, as Homer would phrase it. The quiche was, especially for me, an excuse to prepare something smart for Michelle, who’s often looked down during these carnivorous events. Isabel & John (who brought an amazing seed bread) and Kathy (who's also a refined chef) showed a great interest in the preparation and this post is meant to pass them the legacy of the recipe.

Ingredients: half a red organic pepper, 3 Scottish potatoes, 1/2 Italian courgette and 1/2 French Camembert.	Slice or chop your ingredients, add salt, pepper, and extra-virgin olive oil, toss.
Dust some rosemary and dice the Camembert on top. Pour on top a drop of whole organic milk (10-20 ml).	Bake in the oven until brown at about 200 °C, gassmark 8.

One triple word: appetizing, rich, and piebald.

Here are three variants for the pastry:

I	II	III
200 gr spelt plain flour 100 gr unsalted organic butter 70 ml of ice cold water a pinch of Maldon salt	200 gr plain white flour 90 gr unsalted organic butter 1 small organic egg 10 ml of organic whole milk a pinch of salt	225 gr of white flour 100 gr unsalted organic butter 40 ml of whole organic milk a pinch of smoked Maldon salt

I am in debt with Pasta, amore e...fantasia! for the proportions of the first of these variations, although in the original recipe the flour wasn’t spelt flour: 

http://stobenecomesto.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/pasta-amore-e-fantasia.html?spref=fb

Back to Italy (3) – Mickey Mouse’s courgettes

Relentless is the adjective that better fits the amusement I usually go through in Bologna. Bologna, somehow, is a nest for me: my friends on the whole – save some wonderful exceptions - live there. So when I return from the UK my hope is that of saying “hello” to all the good ones. The social networks - as Facebook, Google+, Twitter - do what they can, but aren’t able to substitute entirely the pleasure of seeing someone in person. I miss my people: this is for sure. The only problem is that I have to wedge - with a perfect schedule - the different dates with the well-deserved spells in my girlfriend’s company. Moreover, I noticed how female friends are deeply inclined toward coffee and I actually cannot drink more than two espresso per day! A sort of pleasant nightmare!!!

Indulging in coffee makes people shake

We friends actually all follow each other’s life from a distance: the bonds of comradeship are so fastened that we don’t receive only accounts or flat-mirrored experiences, but we are attentive and receptive of what’s on! So I was doubly exultant to notice how easy it was to pick up old conversations, jokes and memories and merge them with new happenings, secrets and proponents. The waving of friendship is still rooted and tightly connected: social networks then keep their true nature of means of communication, without becoming empty avatars.

A big bit of nonsensical talk is always welcome

I already mentioned the barbecue, which gave me the chance to see many friends at the same time. In this post I wish to attach my remembering on a surprise. Katie came to visit me from the eternal city, Rome, and she brought her usual high spirits. Considering she is half Italian and half American, I opted for a menu that was honouring (and mocking) her double inheritance. I think she took the best legacy from both the continents: in her person the Colombus’ dream - of curiosity and discovery - and the Italian attitude - of keeping and restoring - are perfectly melted:

Cristoforo Colombo (Genoa 1451 - Valladolid 1506)

This is an interesting article on the nowadays
reception of this modern myth:

http://theamericanscholar.org/what-columbus-day-really-means/

Let’s gloss over the conversations we had on our recent holidays and on remote respective futures. Because she was travelling toward the Alps and she requested me a light lunch, I had a cooking epiphany related to the Disney most famous mouse: 

First, I made a typical Italian appetizer, then we went on with a sort of main course based on courgettes and ricotta cheese, and obviously we couldn't skip the dessert. How we could? The appetizer was abundant and varied. Its aim is to open the stomach and titillate the appetite.

Parmigiano nuggets (up right), Taggiasche olive [from Liguria] (up left),
home made bread with salted butter and sun-dried tomato (down left),
Strolghino of Parma [salami] (down right)

Here is a clearer super-macro shot: colours, tastes, products
contribute with their extravagance and peculiarity
to embellish the table. And, of course, there are stories behind
them...

The main course was hilarious (and meant to be cute), pleasing for the eye, and required five simple moves: 1. Cut a courgette into three pieces. 2. Core within the vegetable flesh three little holes from top to bottom. 3. Then, fill the cavity with some ricotta, worked together with grated Parmigiano, home grown chives, a sprinckle of black pepper, and some salt. 4. Carve some toast bread with a coffee cup and put this disk under the courgette log: this will absorb the moist in excess. 5. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

The tool to core out cores...	The Mickey Mouse shape
Mouse and freshly scissored chives	The filled courgette and how to obtain the round disk with an old delicate English coffee cup

Put into a ventilated oven until they become brown (200°C-ish)

The final result, particularly tasty!

Finally the dessert came out almost by chance: I decided to combine mixed ricotta – obtained from cow and sheep milk – and a superlative fig preserve, prepared by my girlfriend’s mother. 

I found some in Tesco the other day in the reduced to clear,
4 for 85p, not too bad! I had them with Parma ham,
yet this is another story...

Below the picture, you can find the original recipe to avoid pectin and other non-natural additives that only speed up the jellification process, but they deprive the final product of its organic nature. Here is the iceberg of Ricotta with fig jam:

For a home made fig preserve:
1200 gr of figs (1000 gr after peeling);
450 gr brown or caster sugar;
1 lemon zest;
1 lemon juice.
LET the chopped figs MARINATE in a bowl
with the zest and the lemon
for 1/2 hour;
THEN put them in a pot with the sugar
and let it cook for about 50 min
at a middle-low flame.
PUT the preserve
into sterilized jars, cap them
and flip upside-down the jars
to create the void.