Friday 31 December 2010

Farewell 2010. Hello 2011!

Most years, at about this time, I start ruminating on how quickly the year has gone by. This year, that feeling seems stronger than ever, and I can't get my head around how it can possibly be the end of another year already.

And yet, it's been a full year indeed with much happening, so it's not as though I'm looking back wondering where it's gone – I have lots of marvellous memories of just what I've been doing with my time.

So, what have been my food highlights of the year?


January

ScotchEggs-1465 BobBobRicard-0531 ChickenPie-1587

We minced pork and made quail scotch eggs.

I first met the charming, vodka-savvy Leonid during my first visit to Bob Bob Ricard.

We made our very first pie. Mmmmm, Pie!


February

Pigfest-0606 JamSunday-1612

I ate lots of pig with lots of ladies.

My friend Carla shared my ever-growing obsession with making jam.


March

MacCheese FLIP-1515 KVEats Falklands-1653 Racine-7620 ChilliGingerPickle-0869

I won a Food Debate by championing cheese.

We spent four wonderful weeks in the Falkland Islands photographing penguins and albatross. Food was hearty.

I discovered fine quality French cooking at Racine.

I made a hot chilli and ginger pickle so hot it even blows my dad's head off!


April

Billingsgate-7508 Billingsgate-7515 ThorntonsFactory-7331 ThorntonsFactory-7415

We cooked ox cheeks for the first time, following a lovely recipe from Pascal Aussignac's Cuisinier Gascon.

We learned how to scale, gut, fillet, skin and cook fish at The Billingsgate Seafood Training School.

I got to see the inside of the Thorntons factory and watch chocolates being made.

I shared my mum's recipe for Tamarind Ketchup.


May

Crab-1306 Borough-1288 Polpo-1271 Garden25-4-10-1407Garden25-4-10-1424

I cooked my first crab. It took me hours to pick the meat out!

I had a lovely meander around Borough Market.

My thoughts turned to memories of Venice in London's first Venetian-style bacaro, Polpo.

I attended Rachel's inaugural Catalan Cooking class.

We pottered in our kitchen garden.


June

PophamLittleChef-1726 CoffeeChoux-7949 WildGarlicForagingLunch-1960 ParksideStrawbPicking-2655

I interviewed Celia Brooks Brown about allotment gardening at her own London allotment.

We voluntarily ate in a Little Chef. Twice!

We made our first choux buns, filled with coffee custard.

We went foraging with the very lovely Mat Follas of The Wild Garlic.

Pete Drinks launched!

We went strawberry picking for the first time in years.


July

SnowFlakesMeatballs-2674 ScandiCheeseTart-2814 Koffman-3025 PickledGherkins1-2468

It was Scandinavian month with a Jane Lawson meatballs recipe and Trina Hahnemann's delicious Swedish Cheese Tart.

Pierre Koffmann proved he still has what it takes, opening a permanent restaurant after the success of his pop-up, last year.

I remembered being drunk. A lot. On vodka.

We grew our first ever gherkins. And then I pickled them!

Kavey Eats was recognised in the Times newspaper's Best Of The Blogs feature.


August

Yquemtasting-2617 TurkDelightCollage Dishoom-3462 Paramount-2895

Four vintages of Chateau d'Yquem, tasted side by side, made me weak at the knees.

I learned and shared some fabulous food styling and photography lessons from Alastair Hendy.

I got my Dishoom on at London's first Bombay Café.

I fell in love with views of London from above, at Paramount.

We visited and interviewed traditional cheddar makers and bacon farmers, Denhay Farm.


September

Empanada-8375 L-Anima-2946 MacallanArtisan-2648
Divine85NigellaChocLoafCake-8113 BakedParsnips-3533

We made empanadas!

Fritto misto at L'Anima made me wonder if I'd died and gone to heaven.

We made a rather Divine dense chocolate loaf cake.

I asked about your feel-good food smells – and you responded!

We discovered how very nice parsnips are with Lancashire cheese.

We visited Pacific Plaza. We still miss Oriental City.

I finally shared my experience cooking under pressure at Masterchef Live.

Pete and I discovered the fascinating taste experience of matching whisky and chocolate.


October

GardenVeg-8164 LuizLondonCookingClubReikoNt-3691 Tetote-3662
DelhiGrill-3825 MeemsPopup - notext-3942 RomanescoCauliCheese-4047

I shared my love of lahmacun and kookoo sabzi.

On the 10/10/10 we got some good news – we have an allotment!

I had a blast at The London Cooking Club's Hashi Cooking Night.

We fell head over stomach for the home-style cooking at Delhi Grill. It's as good as my mum's!

My dear friend, Meems, ran an astounding Burmese Pop Up at The Wild Garlic.

We visited handsome and lovely British beef and lamb farmer Chris, of Paganum. (Discount code in blog post)

We made green romanesco cauliflower cheese.

I carved my very first Halloween pumpkin. And a Halloween courgette too!


November

LauncPlaceTasting-3909 RAFTea Beer-4016 marble-beers NilsenQuicheLorraine-4696

I met the charming Josceline Dimbleby.

We enjoyed a spectacularly fabulous blow-out meal at Launceston Place.

I remembered the RAF for Remembrance Day.

Pete posted his first brewery tour at home, with Marble Brewery.

I cooked for Green & Black's Head of Taste, making up a fab pear and ginger chutney recipe.

We rediscovered how good Angela Nilsen's Quiche Lorraine is.

You shared the foods and drinks you most love and hate at Christmas.


December

ChocolateFestival-5257 GingerbreadHouse-5292 ScarletHotel-4828 XmasPuddings-5312

I had more great chocolate at the Southbank Chocolate Festival.

I made my very first gingerbread house at the most excellent LexEats supperclub.

I stayed at one of the very best hotels I've ever experienced, a veritable Love Shack, in Cornwall.

Friends helped me put some Christmas Puddings to the test, including the much-hyped Waitrose Heston Hidden Orange one.

I shared 36 great gift ideas and 30 great books on food.


Believe it or not, that's just a selection of posts from Kavey Eats this year, not to mention the many food experiences I haven't managed to blog yet… If 2011 is half as much fun, it'll be a great year indeed!

Wishing all of you a very happy new year, from myself and Pete

x x x

20 comments:

meemalee said...

Happy New Year, dear Kavey!

Here's to an even bigger and better 2011 xxx

Gill the Painter said...

Happy New Year to you and your family Kavey.

Sarah Peetegree said...

Happy New Year - your 2010 was fabulous! Here's to 2011 xxx

Sarah
Bray's Cottage

Greedy Diva said...

Happy New Year, Kavey. Hope it's as good as 2010.

Nick Baines said...

Wow, what a year! I've had fun clicking through all those links again. Happy New Year to you both, look forward to 2011.
Nick

Dom said...

Wow, you've done a lot! Happy New Year!

Sarah, Maison Cupcake said...

Happy New Year!

I can't believe how you crammed so much in!

Kavey said...

Thanks, Meems - 2011 WILL be even better - do you know why? Because you shall do more popups in London and I shall come! YAY!

Gill, Sarah, Carly, thank you and happy new year to you too!

Nick, lovely to know someone's clicking on some of them and not just sitting shocked at how much I've crammed in my gob in a single year! ;) Thanks!

Dom, I have, I like to keep busy! Hoping one of the things I'll be doing in 2011 is meeting up with you!

Sarah, yes I certainly did, it's so much fun!

lou said...

wow, what a fabulous foodie year you've had and thanks for allowing us in on the ride. Here's to an even better 2011 for us all xx

Unknown said...

Gosh, its been a great year! You've managed to pack in so much awesome stuff.
Wishing you a fab 2011. Happy New Years to you and your family :)
*kisses* HH

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year

Wow, you have packed in so much in a year!

I love your first gingerbread attempt its fab!

Here's to the 2011.

Nuala

Celia said...

Kavey, what a year! Hope 2011 is just as amazing! xxx

Kavey said...

Louise, thank you for visiting and reading! And yes indeed, I'll raise a (non-alcoholic) glass to that! ;)

HH, thank you darling, hope this year we finally get to meet up?!

Nuala, aaw, thank you. Some of the other houses were sooo elegant and beautiful but I did have so much fun with mine and the recipient seemed to enjoy eating it!

Celia, thank you my dear, same to you!

Unknown said...

What a beautiful blog, Kavey! Happy new year!

Vintage Macaroon said...

Wow what a year! I like the way you wrote your round up too.
Happy New Year, looking forward to seeing what you get up to this year. More pickling and jamming i hope, love that too ;)

Kavey said...

Thanks Carla, glad you finally got the commenting to work!

Debs, aaw, hank you. Happy New Year to you too and yes, I am sure there will be more of that!

Unknown said...

Love your blog, Kavey.
A happy new year to you and your family and may you have a even better foodie year in 2011 !!!!

Unknown said...

wow, you have had an exceptional year... I do love and enjoy your enthusiasm for food kavey... I think 2011 will be the year we must meet for drinks and food and share our passion for the yummy stuff! All the best and Happy New Year! Dom x

Kathleen said...

Dearest Kavey,
You will always and forever be to me the lady who was very patiently teaching me to make chutneys in her kitchen!

I'd like to wish you and Pete a very Happy New Year and also to let you know that buoyed by your results, I successfully produced choux pastry and made "ice cream puffs". We filled the puffs with a good quality vanilla ice cream and topped them with hot fudge for dessert this holiday season. Delicious, if I do say so!

Kavey said...

Rita, many thanks indeed! x

Dom, it will indeed, sounds a plan!

Kathleen, so pleased! Thank you!