Monday, December 20

Tonight I made ...

... the traditional seasonal festive pesto ... and ... Spiced Pickled Pears, to go with the duck confit.
Pesto is a lovely light dinner for after a couple of days of heavy, protein-based meals.
The pickled pears are a new treat. A tweety friend pinged me a review of duck confit from some local dining den and that place served their confit with pickled pears. A quick google and I thought I'd give it a go, since we had all the necessary in the cupboards (I used a 'mashup' of the deliaonline, cooks.com and BBC Good Food recipes - because I'm hip to where it's at dudes!).
Well, except for pears. So I popped down to DJ's food hall at lunchtime because it's closest (though my sister has been known to tell folk I do all my shopping there, it's just not true!). I could see no pears, so I asked the lady behind the exotic fruits, "do you have any pears?". She asked how many I required and popped out the back to see what she could find.
A seasonal miracle then occurred, because the pears were "ugly" she gave them to me! It's the nicest thing that's happened in a shop this horrible festive season.
I'll tell you one thing about pickling pears, it sure gives the sinuses a good clearing out!
There will be no pictures, I'm tired and my back aches.
Tomorrow I make lasagna for our dinner with the neighbours and then I'm not cooking again for the rest of the year!

8 comments:

cookiecrumb said...

Not cooking again for the rest of the year! I do a lot of cooking during Christmas and New Year's. We're having a wee cassoulet (forgot to tell you we have Duck Bacon!!!) for Chr. Eve. Then prime rib for Christmas. Swanky cocktail snacks for New Year's eve. Lots of beef sandwiches, and probably a beef stroganoff.
I think it's so nice you're having lasagna with the neighbors.
Happy Cook's Holiday!

Pink Granite said...

I think I heard a bell ring...
;o)

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Cookie, Duck Bacon! OMY! I take it you eat your annual allotment of beef during the seasonal silly fest and then recover over the rest of the year :) Just one of the neighbours mind, not the whole street!
Lee - *listens*

cookiecrumb said...

Correct. That is allthebeef for the year, just about.

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Did you see Zoomie had lamb bacon! My mind boggles!

cookiecrumb said...

Yes. Wouldn't like it myself, probably, but I'm so impressed at her adventurousness.
(We made the duck bacon ourselves.)

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Lamb is my absolute favourite, after duck, so I'd give it a go for sure. Did I miss the duck bacon making post??? Tell me how please!

cookiecrumb said...

I never did post the duck bacon. Simply cured breasts (skin on) in a pink salt mixture for a few days, then smoked slowly to 200F.
I'm wimpy about lamb because it's less common here than AU. I can certainly tolerate a rack!