So, time to put in another post, and make sure the blog continues into 2007, as we’ve promised.
Despite the usual large numbers of visitors to Edinburgh for the Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) celebrations, the night itself was not so great. Heavy rain and very strong winds meant that outdoor celebrations were cancelled in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, and various other cities.
We had had thoughts of watching the fireworks from Inverleith Park, which is close to our part of town, but hearing wind and rain get more extreme as the day wore on, we settled for staying put and having a roast chicken dinner.
As I’d added in the overview for 2006 that December would include making tarte tatin, I felt duty bound to do so before midnight came - although it was quite a close thing! A recipe that calls for 2kgs of apples means a lot of peeling. As it was, the tatin was finished shortly before midnight, but eaten afterwards.
I remembered that tarte tatin is meant to be a speciality of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants. I felt sorry for the comis chefs (or whatever the appropriate title is for apple peeler) that prepare them - there’s a lot of work involved. Worth a try, though, and thankfully it was still good over the next two days, particularly with a cup of tea while looking at (yet more) rain.
Meanwhile, hope your New Year celebrations were good, and all the best for 2007…
January 2nd, 2007
Back to work tomorrow…
It’s a consolation at least that there’ll be a chance to look at G2, the supplement to the Guardian.
Despite our loyalty to the Times on Saturdays, it’s fair to say that G2 has some of the best articles in the daily paper supplements. Hence the battle for G2 - it’s the most popular section of the papers to read at breaktime or lunchtime.
So, in the spirit of celebrating writers for the Times, I should mention one or two for the Guardian as well.
Top of the list, although she has actually stopped writing a weekly column, is Maureen Lipman. It doesn’t matter what she writes about, it’ll be funny - and there’ll often be good food mentioned as well as theatre, TV, or whatever she is up to at that point. Part of her success is the way she writes about herself in a self-deprecating way - although someone managing to keep up all this activity must be doing something right.
The Guardian also has some other good options, including a very good longer-length film review (on Fridays), plus other more light-hearted sections. Sometimes there are profiles where someone well-known puts in pictures of various things that are important to them - usually quite an interesting selection.
There is also a ‘head-to-toe’ of where a particular person gets their clothes from and why they make the choices they do. This led to my discovery that Jon Snow, newsreader for Channel 4, always wears co-ordinated socks and ties. You may think he’s made an effort for the suit and tie look onscreen, but the people in the studio get even more sartorial impact.
Sadly, that’s all the columnists’ names I can remember for now. Better sharpen the elbows and get back to checking who’s who in the next issue.
January 2nd, 2007