I have no idea what is going to be "hot" this year. Actually, I can barely tell you what was hot last year. From memory, I made a lot of bread, ate a lot of dark chocolate, drank gallons of tea and grew a lot of chillies. I expect 2012 will be much the same (not least because last week we planted some Thai Dragon chillies in our new garden). Apart from the occasional blip I achieved my 2011 goal of making all the bread we eat and I can't imagine going back to the bought stuff. I haven't chanced upon a similar goal for this year yet, but I do have a set of resolutions that I want to share with you:
1. I will learn to sharpen knives, because we have three amazing knives that were wedding presents and they have never been sharpened. This is ridiculous. And they are getting a little blunt.
2. I will learn to carve a turkey/chicken/poussin/quail properly, because it is 2012 and I do not want to spend next Christmas Eve trying to speed-read a Martha Steward tutorial on turkey carving, only to forget it all the next afternoon.
3. I will buy a slotted spoon, because there is no need to add stress to my life by using a fish slice and a pen/teaspoon/knife/whatever else comes to hand when removing a poached egg or bagel from boiling water.
4. I will wear gloves to do the washing up and remember that wet teatowels are of no use whatsoever when handling hot oven trays, because my hands are wrinkled enough already and the Small Girl does not need to hear a string of increasingly colourful curses as her mother burns her fingers (again).
5. I will delve into the piles of recipe cuttings and cull them ruthlessly, because I am well on the way to becoming a mad old lady with drawers full of recipes.
6. I will buy a tart tin with a removeable base so we can eat more pies.
7. I will sit down to eat.
8. I will not sit down to eat at my desk, if I can help it.
9. I will just say no to the enormous glace cherry-topped macaroons sold at the supermarket (after I've bought one to show you, just once, how amazing they are).
10. I will remember how lucky I am to be able to have food in my fridge and family and friends to share it with.
Do you have any culinary resolutions for 2012? Go on, inspire me...
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