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
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
I ate lots of pig with lots of ladies.
My friend Carla shared my ever-growing obsession with making jam.
March
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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