冬至、聖誕美食和其他 Festive Delicacies and Others
寫於2023年最後一週，這篇文章捕捉了節慶傳統和烹飪嘗試──從獨特的蒸雞伴碟、美味的八寶鴨肉料理，到傳統的燒雞宴。來欣賞我自家製作的意大利聖誕麵包，以及美味的Mulled Wine煮梨。我更會談談一款心愛的抹窗布，以及介紹今年花園最後的一次豐收。
Penned during the final week of 2023, this article intimately captures the spirit of holiday traditions and culinary ventures – from inventive chicken presentations, flavourful stuffed ducks to traditional roast chicken feasts. Join me in savouring the charm of my homemade Panettone and the delightful mulled wine-infused desserts. Uncover the story about a beloved window-cleaning gem, and appreciate the value of the last harvest from my garden this year.
1. 菜膽雞創意伴碟 Creative Presentation of Steamed Chicken
冬至晚飯再做了菜膽雞。這次我請客人幫我伴碟，這位修讀設計的年輕人果然跳出傳統，裝飾頗具新意！
For the Winter Solstice dinner, I made Steamed Chicken with Bok Choy. I invited my guest to decorate the dish, and this young design student brilliantly broke through tradition to come up with an innovative way of decoration.
2. 八寶鴨 Eight Treasure Duck
來英國後多了吃鴨，最近Sainsbury’s的全鴨減價至£6一隻，買了一隻回來，並研究有有什麼未做過的菜式，結果看見八寶鴨的食譜，做出了在香港也不容易吃到的佳餚，甚有滿足感！與朋友聊天期間，發現把栗子、蓮子、糯米等東西填進鴨腔的做法，與西方聖誕火雞的做法實在同出一徹，不同的是，八寶鴨好吃得多了！食譜：https://thingsimade.uk/eight-treasures-duck-recipe/
After coming to the UK, I started to make duck more. Recently, Sainsbury’s had a fabulous deal on whole ducks at £6 each. I bought one, explored new recipes and decided to make Eight Treasure Duck, a Chinese style stuffed duck. Da-da! What an achievement making a dish that is not easily found even in Hong Kong. Chatting with my friend, I realised that the method of stuffing chestnuts, lotus seeds, glutinous rice and other ingredients into the duck cavity is quite similar to the preparation of Christmas Turkey. The difference is, Chinese Style Stuffed Duck is much more delicious! Recipe: https://thingsimade.uk/eight-treasures-duck-recipe/
3. 聖誕燒雞 Christmas Roast Chicken Delight
由於不愛吃火雞，聖誕大餐我家通常吃燒雞。而每次吃剩了燒雞，翌日會用來做雜菜雞湯做午餐，一點也不浪費！
Not a fan of turkey, our family usually go for Roast Chicken for our Christmas dinner. And you know what’s great? The leftover chicken transforms into a fantastic Mixed Vegetable and Chicken Soup for lunch the next day – nothing goes to waste!
4. 意大利聖誕麵包 Homemade Panettone
每年聖誕必做的除了燒雞，還有意大利聖誕麵包。雖然在英國隨處可買得到，而且比香港便宜很多，但始終認為自己做的比較合口味，也比街賣的較為足料！
Christmas isn’t complete without out homemade Panettone, alongside the Roast Chicken tradition. Sure, you can easily grab one in any corner of the UK, and it’s much cheaper than in Hong Kong. But there’s something about making it myself – our version is packed with more raisins and fruit peels than the store-bought ones, and suits our taste a lot better.
5. 紅酒煮梨 Poached Pear in Mulled Wine
用Mulled Wine 的香料來做紅酒梨，既有甜品吃，又有Mulled Wine喝。
Using the spiced from Mulled Wine to make Poached Pear, we get a dessert to enjoy along with a glass of Mulled Wine.
6. 絕版好用抹窗布 Farewell to a Window Cleaning Gem
聖誕節友人來訪要清潔門窗，這抹窗布大派用場。基本上用濕布抹乾淨玻璃後，用這抹窗布一抹，不須用刮水器，玻璃就光潔又無水漬。可惜這購自由B&Q的好東西經已停售！
Before my friends arrived for the Christmas gathering, I needed to clean the windows and garden doors. This microfibre cloth came in handy. Basically, after wiping the glass clean with damp cloth, a single swipe with this microfiber cloth eliminated the need for a squeegee, leaving the glass gleaming and streak-free. It’s a shame that this great find from B7Q is no longer being sold!
7. 採收青蘿蔔種子 Harvesting Green Turnip Seeds
2023年花園最後收穫：青蘿蔔種子。這批青蘿蔔在七月播種，可惜今年天氣太熱，青蘿蔔未種得成已經開開花，於是讓它繼續長大結籽，明年再種。
Final harvest from the garden in 2023: Green Turnip Seeds. These Green Turnips were sown in July. Due to the hot weather, they bolted very quickly. Instead of getting Green Turnips, I let them grow to produce seeds for planning next year.
