The Ghost of Christmas Past

[smokingboot]

Chums might be wondering why my talk is all bubble gum right now.

Why do I want Bond street and expensive perfumes and pointless shallow prettiness?

Well, apart from liking those things, I've been working on a story for which I've been getting help from the stories and histories of London. It's meant to be a horror story, and instead is just drearily horrific. But it's London all right, I know it so well it's as if I remembered it.

As with everything I write re London, the synchronicities that emerge are more interesting than the tale told. I've also been getting a little help from Messrs Blake, Hogarth and Punch, a curious but gifted combination. Even their prodigious talents cannot rescue my story, which is horrid only because of what human beings do rather than any supernatural monstrosity. I would like to put it on here for people's opinions, but at 4000+ words it's too long for lj. So it sits among my documents like the skeleton of Bill Sykes with a Santa hat on, white pompom dangling below his gumless grin. I'm glad I finished it, but I'm desperate for some Christmas cheer. Now is far kinder than yesteryear. Time for the Christmas tree! I demand eggnog!

Comments

[jfs.livejournal.com]

You need to visit here if you haven't already*. Apart from the fact that you might never leave (and I mean that in a good way) they have the originals of A Rake's Progress by Hogarth ...




*If you haven't been, then I mean you need to visit tomorrow, by the way. It's _that_ good.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Wow. I've just looked through the catalogue and it looks fascinating. I may give Master Hogarth a miss for a while though, his work's been a major influence on my story, and for all my love of satire, I look at the London of Moll Hackabout, Colonel Charteris and Tom Nero and find I can't bear it. Perhaps a little house and garden up in the north has ruined my crocodile hide...

Thank you for the link, a visit to this museum going to be a special treat for me asap!

[caffeine-fairy.livejournal.com]

Here, have an Internet Eggnog, and a paper squeaker.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Oh thank you. Squeaker appreciated, virtual eggnog all down my chin. Probably need another one...

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

Eggnog? Suzette has been looking for eggnog in the UK for years with no luck and we are too freaked out my the amount of eggs you use to make it ourselves...

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

I'm beginning to think it's a myth!larians and I found ourselves wandering through the winter fair in Hyde park looking at all the sausage and doughnut stalls, when someone told us that there was a wee hut selling warmed eggnog next to the rides. We wandered on through the pouring rain. Could we find it? Could we xxxx!

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

Eggnog is something Suz really misses. I like it, but in small quantities. We heard you could get it online, we look in the Canada store in London, but it's elusive...always sold out or not around. I recently discovered a Cinnabon has opened in London -yipee! Cinnabon is my number 1 addiction (partly because they sensibly don't always put raisins in them like we do in the UK and I HATE raisins). Of course we can't afford to go up to London all that often, so I have yet to have one. Every time we go to Canada to visit Suzette's family I gorge myself on Cinnabon.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

I think I have passed a Cinnabon place in Piccadilly. I haven't gone in because though I like the smell of cinnamon, a lot of it completely drowns out my senses! Do they do eggnog there then?

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's in Picadilly. I don't know if it does eggnog or not - I just have a complete obsession with cinnamon rolls!

Eggnog

[theo]

Just one egg per person in my recipe. Are you deeply ovophobic?

Re: Eggnog

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

hmmm- maybe we need your recipe or the one we had was for catering massive parties and we didn't realise it? We are not really ovophobic, it's just large quantities kinda get a bit much.

Re: Eggnog

[theo]

This is per person (but it is easiest for 3-6 people). You need an egg, 200ml full fat milk, a split vanilla pod, a teaspoon of sugar, a small pinch of salt, and a shot of brandy, rum or sherry. For safe, cooked eggnog, heat the egg, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla together over a heat so low that it will not boil. When it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon it is ready to be served hot or chilled for later use. To serve, add the sauce to the booze and dust with grated nutmeg or cocoa powder.

If you are happy to risk salmonella from raw eggs then use vailla essence and simply smash the ingredients together with a whisk. For true luxury if you are using 4-6 eggs, separate the white from the yolk and beat that to a stiff foam that you fold into the beaten mixture of the rest. I have also seen cream used instead of the milk; double cream makes a remarkable concoction that is de trop for my taste although piping whipped cream on the top works well.

And for advokaat in the style of Sint-Niklaas in Belgium, use a shot of near-pure ethanol. You can get this stuff from Polish shops as spirytus but it is madly expensive and strong vodka is probably as good for this purpose. Warnink's advocaat and the other eggnog liquers available in the UK use brandy.

Re: Eggnog

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmmmm.

Let's try that again:

MMM MMM MMMmmmmmmm!

Re: Eggnog

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

Wow-thats a nice range of eggnog recipes! Many thanks - I shall have to try at least one version. probably more. The cooked one sounds rather sensible.