Nibbles #19
The history of Lotus Biscoff Spread, two caviar ideas for NYE, and the ultimate winter buffet menu.
Welcome to Nibbles where once a month I share everything brilliant I’ve been reading on the web as well as some general updates from my kitchen, my vegetable garden during the growing season, and other miscellaneous ‘you really need to know about’ updates.
It’s a bit of a light one this month because, to be honest, I’ve fallen rather behind on my reading of anything other than physical books (The Winter Spirits anthology of new historical ghost stories has been both excellent and keeping me company, and this year’s re-issued edition of Roast Figs, Sugar Snow has been reminding me how much I love early Diana Henry) but I’ve got plenty more recipes than usual at the bottom for some last minute New Year’s Eve inspiration. See you all in 2024!
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Regula shares the history of the speculaas biscuit, and *that* spread:
I need Rosie’s winter buffet menu in my life:
In her latest dispatch from Ukraine, Felicity shares the story of a group of volunteers who have taken it upon themselves to visit wounded soldiers in hospital. And bring them treats!
As is typical for December, I’ve published many more recipes this past month than I normally would, and even though they were mostly designed with Christmas in mind, they’re all also pretty perfect for New Year’s too.
Over for my Macknade residency I headed back to Tuscany with my Roast Pork Loin with Pears and Sage which would make an excellent New Year’s Day roast - there are only a handful of simple ingredients, a luscious pan gravy, and unlike in the more traditional Italian versions of this dish, a hefty amount of good, British pork crackling!
Over on my blog, first working from a delivery of their excellent lumpfish caviar the folks at Elsinore sent over (one of my favourite affordable luxuries this time of year) I created both a Champagne and Caviar Risotto, and a fun little platter of Caviar Crisps, both of which would make perfect NYE fodder.
Also, I partnered with local preserves company Opies for the above platter of Roasted Squash with Pickled Walnut Salsa Verde and White Bean Puree - I’d meant it as a vegan showstopper main for your festivities, but it also went down an absolute storm at a belated Bonfire Night dinner I hosted at the start of the month alongside several other sides and a meat main. Also using Opies pickled walnuts I shared a recipe for Vegan XO Noodles with Smoked Tofu (great for either #veganuary or if you’ve overdone it a bit too much on the festive meats!) and some Sticky Asian Stem Ginger Chicken Wings that cleverly use both the balls and syrup from the ginger jar, and make the perfect starter or party food.
Speaking of books, one I simply have to commend to you as we head into a fresh new year was one of my Christmas gifts from the last: Miranda York’s The Food Almanac. With stories, essays, poems, recipes and seasonal menus for every month I’ve relished dipping in and out at the start of each month, getting ideas, and feeling rooted in what’s available now - especially in a year where I’ve felt so much of my culinary creativity has been stifled by ghost writing projects. An edition would be a lovely gift to yourself heading into 2024: I’ll certainly be curling up with the January section of volume 2 when we make it home after our celebrations (read: the cooking of a two day Beef Wellington at my parents house followed by a barbecue the next day) on January 1st.