26th and gifts

Well, Christmas is almost over and I'm a bit sad... Christmas is always too short ... but maybe that's not too bad, since more Christmas would mean more eating ... and you can actually say, that the Christmas mood stays until the end of the year, right?

So today, we went to a Chinese restaurant. I really like Chinese and while eating I'm in heaven ... but in the end, I feel like everything tasted similar. If I remember correctly, food in China tasted more differently, but it's been some years and maybe I'm wrong.

What we had, clockwise starting from the white bowl at 12 'o clock: mabodofu (very spicy tofu with ground meat), sukiyaki beef, sweet 'n sour pork, gong bao chicken (spicy chicken with cashew nuts), deep fried redfish (yay, I finally got them to order some fish!) and bami goreng noodles.
It was very delicious and we got some calendars and a bottle of plum wine! Every Chinese restaurant gives out calendars around New Years Eve ... weird...

My mum and I had to take the train there ... we invited my other grandma to the restaurant and that means, we were 6 persons. There's only room for 5 in the car, so my mum offered to go by train. Because I'm nice and we don't have that much time together anymore, I went with her.

It was quite a brilliant idea, because after lunch, when everyone was driving home, us two headed for the Christmas market and got some hot wine punch and candy AND she bought me a cute candle holder, which was reduced. It was really great with her.

Apropos presents. I've told you, I was going to show you my presents right? I admit, I love getting presents! But I also love making them and seeing the happy faces (which I couldn't, because everyone is of course with his or her family, how it's right!). Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of the ones, I made.
Well, here's what I got:

Some books, of course. No Christmas without them.

The first Professor Layton (quite old already, I know). I think it's my parents way to tell me to use my brains more often.^^

Present from LauLau. It's so lovely and I've already worn the bracelet two days in a row (well of course not while sleeping...)

Present from Mina. She got quite a lot cute things this year and I think, she bought LauLau and me some kind of a couple present. But you know, what's too bad? I've already gotten the cookie mirror before. Now I've got one for every eye. :)

And of course:

Not a year without it!

I've also gotten some clothes, but I don't feel like sharing my nightgown with the world.

Oh right, and of course the camera.

Ha ... yeah ... I really love getting presents.

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.