RTM Day 81 (Week 12)
Wooster, that sounds fabulous!! I am tempted to try it for some of my xmas guests. Might be quite nice in a phyllo strudel with spinach and some chestnuts through it with the tofu in the centre, you could do this with a fab fresh cranberry and orange sauce to go with it, enhanced with a splash of port. I am doing a few bits next week, working on a nut roast base for a big event in feb so will let you know how it pans out. I am also loving for winter a root veg gateau as an accompaniment. Basically make like a dauphinoise, but with stock as the liquid not cream. You just need really thin slices of butternut, sweet potato, celeriac, swede, bit of potato and then some violet or burgundy potatoes if you get them. Blanch lightly in stock, drain, then pack in layers of one colour at a time in a lightly oiled tray lined with silicone paper. Brush the top with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, perhaps a little rosemary, cook over low heat until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat, cover with a piece of silicone paper, and press, as you would for a terrine. IE place a very heavy object onto the top to press it down, leave to cool then turn out and cut into squares, diamonds, circles etc. Very pretty and festive.
But back to the journal - another bloody busy day, and 2 more days till my 1 whole entire day off!!! I was soo tired this morning I drove off with my travel mug of coffee on top of my car, which obviously fell off somewhere en route, so didn't even get my morning coffee to get me going on the drive. 30 phonecalls and lots of running around later, and I managed to sneak in stewed plummy poriddgy goodness, but with added banana today as I knew there was no way I would get lunch on time. Headed off to Westfield for a client meeting at 10:30, which went really well, and I am soooo excited about this event which is coming up in January. I grabbed my treaty Starbucks skinny latte to make up for the lack of morning coffee and headed off to go to Wimbledon to do the tasting which was at 3pm, It was 12:30 so thought I had plenty of time. Traffic was a bit of a mare, well a lot of a bloody mare actually around Earl's Court. So there I was stuck in the middle of it, when the phone rings again - one of the bosses, asking where I was, so I said, well in the traffic on the way to you but don't panic (she is a huge panicker) the tasting is at 3pm its only 12:30 we have bags of time. Oh no....... they had given me the wrong time it was at 2pm, and now I am stuck in non moving traffic knowing it will take me at least till nearly 2pm to get there. My stress levels were immense, infact I almost had a panic attack!!! Eventually got there and luckily Lucy had the presence of mind to lay all my food out, get the ovens on and get the canapes ready!! Thank god she got over her panic and I got over mine. Made it in the nick of time and apart from a taste of mozzarella, and a slivver of a lamb. Headed home after 5 and en route had to stop off to get cat food and then discovered the most perfect Xmas tree, so stopped and brought that, as a suprise for Bliss and a few very cute decs from the Secret Garden. Kind girl had made dinner so we had all day breakfast - a Grilled mushroom, grilled tomato, 2tbs of baked beans, an egg, some sliced boiled gammon and a few sweet potato chips!! Soooooooo lovely. Pud was a little treaty thing, some jelly - strawberry, and an LL version of an Eton Mess. Meringue is one of the items to try this week, so crushed half a meringue and folded it into strawberry muller light, with some fresh raspberries, strawberries and blackberries!! Totally awesome and I really think you should try it when you get to the appropriate week. Eton mess is fab, but this was better because it was a lot more refreshing and didn't leave you with the guilt or the sicky feeling from eating cream.
Another long day tomorrow, dinner at the aquarium, only 50 people but they are having 3 diff starters, 3 diff mains, and 3 diff desserts so it might as well be for hundreds with the amount of prep - lol oh and canapes pre the meal - all festive lovely and hand made.
4 jobs out on Saturday and it is a pity there is only 1 of me, sometimes it would be useful to be able to split myself up a bit more!!
Well late one and probably a short one tomorrow night.
Take care all
Jez
xx
if i have something i shouldnt ill be doing 30 minutes extra in the gym for the whole of that week 
