Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! It's the evening of December, 25th and that means, Christmas is over for 2/3! Tommorrow is the 2nd Christmas Day and that's it for 2011.
Oh wait!! If we've got really bad luck, this was the very last Christmas EVER, because ... you know ... next year... 2012... oh my. I think I should drink some more Kahlua Milk...

So far, Christmas was quite nice. No one was crying, everybody liked their present and my grandma is as grumpy as always. Christmas in my family...

The 24th was really relaxing! Most years, usually almost one of us is freaking out, because he (yeah ... it's always my dad) forgot to buy presents. But this year he got them on the 22nd! Wow!

So yeah, my mum and I were cooking ... because for Christmas Eve we always make some special dinner, that's different every year. Last year we had Shabu Shabu, this year we had different things.

Nikuman, Saté-Picks, Potatoesalad, Filled Mushrooms and Crabcroquette! It was really delicious! The potatoesalad was made by my granny. I've told her like A WEEK ago, she shouldn't make too much, because we had lot of other things. She promised me, to make only a bit. Yesterday at lunch time, I've remembered her again und she said once again, yes she only made little bit.
Then she presented us with this big bowl of potatoe salad and I've asked her:
"Granny, why did you make that much?? I've told you, there'd be plenty of other things!"
And she said:
"Well, if I'm taking the time to make it, I'm also making a whole bowl!"
Like we've never had the conversation before! It's so typical of her and so annoying!!!! What's wrong with you old lady?!
Anyway, food was oishii.

By the way, this is our Christmas tree.
 

Isn't it beautiful!! The top is a bit leaning, but apart from that, it's perfect! Lots of the Christmas tree balls, I've brought from Japan, but some are really old and still made from glass. They're quite expensive and my mum won't let me handle them ... I don't know why, but she thinks, I'm a bit clumsy...

And this is the tree with it's lights on:

And these are the presents. Next year we need to get some fake big ones, to give the tree a more appealing look.

Today was the 25th! The actual CHRISTMAS!!! In Germany, we open our presents on Christmas Eve, so actually 25th, is not that special to us ... well, anyway, here's what I wore!

A little bit Lolita, but not perfect ... I'm only wearing Bodyline (gotta mix the "brands" more) and I was too lazy to actually make my hair, so I've just made a bun. I also don't have a white petticoat, although it should have arrived here ages ago! Damn it! 

And today we also had the real Christmas Dinner (well, lunch here), which is so complicated. I really hate rosting poultry, it never works the way I want it to. This year was duck... Next year we gotta get a goose again.

It's a Julia Child recipe for the duck, grandma's recipe for the cabbage, commercial dumblings and American cranberry sauce. It wasn't perfect, but really delicious.

Tomorrow, we're going for Chinese, what we do every year since I remember. It's a weird tradition, that I think, a lot German families are sharing with us.

I've also forgot to make pictures of the presents, I'll do that tomorrow!

But you can see one... a new camera! I'm SO HAPPY!!!!!

By the way, I've finished my book report a week early. I'm so proud of myself. T_T

Potage Parmentier à la Julia Child

I know I've been quiet for some days now altough I've promised to started cooking. Well I did, but I got sick on Friday, so I've decided to stay in bed and not to blog.
Today I'm still a little dizzy, but way better so I can tell you about my recipes.

Last week, I made Potage Parmentier from Julia Child's book and Salade Liègeoise & Kempener Soup with White Beans from 1000 recipes. I've just started to translate all the 1000 recipes titles into their real names, but it's just impossible, so you gotta live with my own translations!

Oh by the way, I've looked through the whole 1000 recipes (which actually more than 2000 pages) and I've realized, that I yes! already made 21 out of it... so I only have 979 to go which is going to be so easy, I'm not feeling like I have to cry right now kick that damn book in the next corner of my aparment, where I'll find it in another 10 years.
And just one thing .... there is one recipe I WON'T DO! Tripe. I'm sorry, they're disgusting, they look exactley like what they are and after cooking it smells like a tannery. I can't, I won't, I'm sorry.

So, let me try to remember the Potage Parmentier, which is just a show off word for potatoe soup with leek.

Leek and potato soup smells good, tastes good, and is simplicity itself to make.

That said I had no doubt I would totally rock this dish. Everything went really smooth, I cut tons of potatoes and leek and I had 2 carrots left, they went to carrot heaven as well. Then the recipe told me I needed a 3- to 4-quart saucepan or pressure cooker. You know, I'm German, we don't calculate in quarts. So I took my biggest pot and thought it was alright. It was ... stirring was a no-no and moving the pot would made a mess, that would have send me to carrot heaven, but the soup was cooking!
Luckily that was all to do and after I've mashed the whole thing with a wooden hammer (that I, clever I am, stuck in a plastic bag before) it was ready to go.

I have to say, it's really delicious, but maybe, just maybe ... it's more of an entrée than an whole meal. Just my idea, everyone else loved it!

The 1000 recipes meals will be tomorrow. :)

The Art of Cooking ... and Cookbooks

Being a cooking genius is not easy. It's actually not the cooking itself, it's everything that's involved. You gotta be charmin, relaxed, fast, clean and good looking. You have to be the Greta Garbo of filleting, the Audrey Hepburn of poaching and a roux queen. Then you're a real genius and I'm respectfully tipping my hat to you.

I'm not a genius. I've learned to cook, because basically I like to eat. And I'm really good at it! Eating ... Only one woman in my family cooks, which is my grandmother, and with my mom never really interested in anything stove related, I had to do the work myself. My granny likes German cuisine and she's passed 80 a few years ago, so she's not interested in trying new stuff. I love new stuff! I don't care if it turns out to be a desaster, at least I've tried! Despite the fact I'm German and quite satisfied with it, I don't like our food. When it comes to knuckles, I'm the one, who rather takes to my heels.

So I've decided, I need a project. A cooking project, something, that keeps my mind off the clouds. I've bought two cookbooks:
Julia Child - Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which would be a challenge, since it is in English only and has no pictures (oh come on!) in it:

But it has been done. Most of you know about, read the blog, the book or watched the movie. So I guess it's not the one, but I still want to try something out ... that boeuf bourginon seems to be it!

And 1000 Recipes To Try Before You Die

It's big, it's international, I think it might be the book. Too bad, it's not classy and fancy and glamorous or anything special to the world! Plus it's actually a 1000 recipes! With one each day, it would take like 3 years and yeah, I'm honest, I'd be loosing track very quickly.

I don't know a lot of older, international famous cookbooks ... I wish I would. Google just tells me about books from the 18th century, which is ...with all necessary respect ... just TOO old.