As most people know, Christmas Day is unique in the calendrical year, in that almost all shops cease trading, though Mammon soon resumes the vital mission to generate profits for shareholders and others engaged in making money. As always there are exceptions to rules and in Stanhope the paper shop is the only one, even though it's the only day newspapers, known here as deadly propaganda, are not printed and distributed in order to maintain the brainwashing. Naturally those lying newspapers are never purchased here, though the blogger likes to pop in anyway, with copies of The Light for staff and any customers requesting one from under the counter. Likewise the lying television is never watched, since there's not one in the house, and the lying BBC Radio 4 is listened to only once a week on the trip over to Hexham, to keep an eye on their hypnotic techniques. Or, to be precise, an ear or two open to hear it.
Yesterday's early walk, went through the Caravan Park down to the River Wear through the fields and along the river, then back on the other side in the dawn to find a few humans walking dogs and some running, and even the Paper Shop still closed - opening times being 9-5 today. Christmas lights were still on in shops and houses however, so the walk was very Christmasy, and quite quick, given the lack of humans to talk with or shops from which to purchase essential and non-essential supplies. The opportunity was taken to sit down for a while to drink coffee made with hazelnut milk, plus sugar and chocolate powder sprinkled on top, and get back to The Matter With Things from before the walk. But not before indulging in the addiction of checking Facebook for Merry Christmases and the chance to join the rest of the human race in this part of the world by partaking in usinig emojis to indicate the emotions felt towards to others and the things they wrote. How weird is that? That's humans for you! To compound the folly, comments are added by the blogger, which as regular readers will know, is one of his hobbies along with walking, reading and cooking ... bringing us finally to the point or highlight of the day, which was preparing a delicious light Christmas Lunch for three, including two women and the blogging chef, a bloke.
Since the bane of Christmas Lunch chefs is the turkey, that problem is off the menu, which is composed instead of smoked salmon, a delicious alternative which doesn't even need cooking. Other items need cooking, including chestnuts with red cabbage, white cabbage buttered with carrots and peas added, and a bed of root mash. That's main course, which just needs yogurt and lemon pieces for the salmon and that's it - no starter required. The cooked things rested in the oven, warming, whilst the dessert and cheese courses were laid out in the kitchen: brie and stilton provided by the younger guest, who also provided the salmon and some of the ingredients of the mash, with dessert of Christmas pudding having been provided at the Wheel to Meals lunch the day before yesterday, now waiting to pop into the warm oven after the main course cooked things were out. The older guest brought alcohol free sparkling wine and mince pies leaving a lovely lunch ready for the guests at 12 noon, the earliest time expected, since the given time was arrival by 12 and start eating by one. The younger guest arrived first, bearing gifts as usual. She'd come straight from her daughter's house, having slept over and stayed to see her grandsons open their gifts, before escaping the mayhem to the relative sanity of The Retreat House. The older guest was slightly later, having walked down from the village, and after brief welcomes from the younger guest and the chef, they sat down at the table to converse, whilst the chef brought out the main course. And so it continued, basically the blogging chef playing his dual roles, and the female guests doing what women seem to do best, which is to bond and find common ground, whilst the bloke focuses on serving the meal.
Well, dear patient readers, which includes both guests by the way, let's just say we all agreed what a lovely Christmas Day Lunch we'd had, and not only the menu but also the philosophy; not to mention the politics and religion supposedly banned from pubs and polite society trying to avoid controversy. Both women were brought up Catholic; a subject much discussed with both women, or ladies, separately, and now the blogging chef had the chance to hear the views of two victims of the Once True Faith, both raised Catholic, the younger from Jarrow and working class, the elder posh, from near Minsteracres close enough to Stanhope, and sent to boarding school aged just 6. Who was most traumatised by their childhoods? You'd better ask them!
As for the blogger, he's done cheffing for now, and is thinking of posting this brief story after breakfast, which is next, before preparing to drive Daisy over to Hexham in the light snow, with packs of The Light (16) to distribute at the Bandstand before a coffee with whoever turns up and wishes to discuss issues of concern, which is philosophy essentially. If a suitable coffee house can be found open on Boxing Day, of course. Then Waitrose as usual, which almost certainly will be open Sunday times, to serve shareholders and customers alike.
Believe it or believe it not, this blog has already taken two hours, so please be grateful and please give feedback when you can.
Happy Boxing Day!
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