New Year hangover

I bid goodbye to 2012 with friends, booze, music and dancing, yes I said dancing! But I started the 2013 with a culinary fiasco. Humbly, but truly, it was the first time in many years, that I had people at the table fidgeting with their knives and forks as if reluctant to eat my prepared dishes. After 3 hours of sleep, I woke up with battered feet and a parched mouth and headed to the kitchen to cook for 8.

My concentration was scarce. I spent five hours leaning on the kitchen cupboards cooking a three course meal which result was offensive to my ego. I have to publicly confess that the risotto with smoked salmon and prosecco was dull, and the cod with orange, pancetta and pears was ferociously salty. I also cooked two T-bone steaks to a tiresome chewy state. Only the dessert was fine, maybe since it was a ready made Christmas pudding. But after this slap in the face I was back on track by Sunday and prepared a much tastier array of dishes including the following:

Baked apples with Christmas pudding leftover

• 6 eating apples
• leftover Christmas pudding
• 3 tblsps brandy
• grated rind of 1 lemon zest
• butter

Wash and core the apples. Cut a fine slice from the base of each apple so that it stands up straight. Prick the apples with a fork to score the rind and prevent it from bursting.

In a bowl mix the left over Christmas pudding with the brandy and grated lemon zest. Stuff the apples with the pudding mixture and top with a knob of butter.

Place apples in an ovenproof dish, cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven of 150 degrees Celsius for an hour. Remove the foil halfway through and baste the apples with the juices.

You can serve warm with the juices and vanilla ice cream.