Happy New Year to you all. I hope a Merry Christmas was had by all.

[Berni]

My culinary revelation of Christmas was that Heston Blumenthal's mince pies from Waitress are a work of staggering genius that have converted me, a man who normally looks askance at mince pies and all other dried fruit-based Christmas concoctions, into a believer.

In terms of popular culture, the new Star Wars film was so dull I fell asleep despite sitting in the front row of the cinema. Honestly, every single plot point was simply lifted wholesale from the first three films. Incredibly lazy.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

I havd to cook a turkey :-( It was... a turkey.

[Pat Vegas]

[Berni]

of why you were eating this bloody thing when virtually every other type of meat would be preferable. Still, the Christmas lunch plate is such a car crash of disparate textures and flavours that it all ends up tasting of Christmas dinner whatever you cook.

Bread sauce is a great leveller. :nod:

[Berni]

[Pat Vegas]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

I am wondering whether to address this issue.

February, perhaps.

[Berni]

housebound and, to alleviate the tedium, the first drink of the evening just got earlier and earlier. I have decided that the way to address this is strict discipline. I shall not touch spirituous liquor until dinner is on the table and even then I shall keep the bottle in the kitchen so that I actually have to get off my arse to refill. In this manner, I hope that my innate idleness will thus counterbalance my unfortunate tendency to bibulousness.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Get it down you.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

....and I went in with no expectations.