Our two-year-old Oliver, is now discovering what Christmas is all about. Yesterday Alexander and I took him to see Father Christmas. So, those of you following Serendipity's facebook page or even following me on Instagram would have seen the 'before' pictures and lets state the 'BEFORE' pictures; my goodness he was terrified of the lovely man! So, I refused to be photographed, poor Alexander he is now in history in the officially 2011 David Jones Christmas photo, Bless!!
I have been cooking up a storm with Christmas Cookies, my Christmas Cake is done and is now officially being soaked in Brandy for another 2 weeks. Truffles and a gingerbread house are next on the list, along with a nice long list of Christmas orders from our Lovely Serendipity customers and don't stress will be posted out in express post bags!! I will be trying to do some more sewing this week and photograph more blankets to pop up on the facebook site, I appologise they have been selling as I have been making them up, after all it is Christmas!
Christmas in Australia is much different to Christmas in America or even Europe. Obviously we do not experience the beauty of the 'white' Christmas, the cold and the tradition, but I think it is just something we have acclimatized to and made our own traditions. I still love to do a beautiful Old English roast lunch, with the turkey and vegetables etc, but being so hot in summer instead of doing an entree of soup I would do a seafood entree and of course the traditional Christmas pudding. Nothing can go past my Mother-in-laws Christmas pudding. She makes it in October and has it hanging in the cellar until Christmas day. It would have to be the highlight of the meal for me, topped of with a homemade Brandy custard...yum!
One of my favourite books that I use at this time of year is, Nigella Lawson's 'Feast, Food That Celebrates Life.' She has a whole section dedicated to Christmas and Thanksgiving, it's just beautiful! The Brownie recipe I gave you last week, was actually from this book. I also have a DVD of Nigella's that is just a Christmas DVD and come next week I will probably start watching it, well lets say quite a few times on the lead up to Christmas Day.....sigh I am a bit of a cooking nerd!
Okay Recipe for the week, you will adore this. Keep in mind you can marinate the salmon the night before, I actually marinate my salmon so it's more of a cured gravlax (facebook me if you want the gravlax recipe)
Salmon Ceviche - Serves 10
Prep + Cook time 30 minutes
Ingredients
500g salmon fillet, skinned, diced
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Lebanese cucumbers
1 small Avocado, diced
1 shallot, diced finely
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
1 French stick
1 clove garlic
Method
1. Combine Salmon, juice, 2 tablespoons of the oil, cucumber, avocado, shallot and the coriander in large bowl, season to taste. Spoon into 10 small glasses; cover refrigerate 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat grill. Brush bread with remaining oil; toast both sides of bread under the grill. Rub toast with garlic.
3. Serve ceviche with garlic toasts.**
Hope you have a great rest of the week. Try the Salmon Ceviche, it is absolutely amazing and if you do want my gravalax recipe please jump on Serendipity's facebook page and pop a comment on the wall I will get back to you asap!
Enjoy Lovelys!
Tammy xx
**The Australian Women's Weekly, "The 12 Days of Christmas," 2010
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