Archive for December, 2022

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Negroni

December 31, 2022

See in the New Year with a Negroni.

Classic Negroni, equal parts Campari, gin and sweet vermouth, on the rocks with a slice of orange.

  • 25ml Campari
  • 25ml Lincoln Steampunk Gin
  • 25ml Cocchi sweet vermouth
  • ice
  • slice of orange

Mix in a crystal rock glass (cooled in the freezer), squeeze the orange slice into the glass, run around the rim, then drop into the glass.

I corrected the two mistakes my previous attempt at Negroni on Christmas Day. Cocchi quality sweet vermouth, a slice of orange.

Lincoln Steampunk Gin: Limited edition only 128 bottles produced. End of 2022, Steep Hill Wines, four bottles.

Cocchi Vermouth di Torino: Thanks to Stanley Tucci (Taste) and Anders Erickson for the emphasis on quality vermouth. Cocchi is three times the price of Martini vermouth but worth the investment. As with food, always use quality ingredients.

Negroni is part of a family of cocktails.

In the late 1800s in northern Italy in Milan, Campari, vermouth and soda was popular with Americans and became known as an Americano.

Florence 1919, Count Negroni asked for something stronger than an Americano. Fosco Scarselli, owner of the bar Café Casino,  replaced soda with gin. Scarselli added an orange slice as garnish. Thus the Negroni was created.

Negroni sbagliato, literally Negroni mistake. Bartender whilst making a Negroni picked up by mistake Prosecco not gin. He apologised to his customer, was about to throw it away, when the customer asked could he try.

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Chicken soup

December 31, 2022

In a large pot

– chicken carcass from Christmas Ay

– three small onions (two fed one white)

– three carrots

– two sticks of celery

– garlic clove

– stock

– season with salt and pepper

– red wine vinegar

– balsamic vinegar

Finely slice onions, carrots, celery sticks, garlic clove before adding to the pot.

Cover chicken with boiling water, bring back to the boil, pop lid on, simmer for hours.

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Lamb ravioli with rosemary and Comté cheese

December 30, 2022

Lamb ravioli taken to a whole new level.

Fresh pasta, lamb ravioli from Nonna Juana Deli.

Serve with rosemary and slivers of Comté cheese.

Using a potato peeler carve off thin slivers of Comté cheese. Put to one side.

Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Drop in the ravioli and simmer for three minutes. Drain.

Pour boiling water over a sprig of rosemary. This brings out the aroma of fresh rosemary. Strip off the leaves.

A splash of olive oil in a small frying pan on medium heat. Melt a knob of butter. Add rosemary. Add a couple of large spoonfuls of pasta water to the melted butter to form an emulsion.

Toss in the drained ravioli.

Plate the ravioli. Sprinkle on top slivers of Comté cheese.

My mistake, I forget to toast raw cashew nuts in the small pan to sprinkle on top. Ideally walnuts, but none to hand.

Delicious.

Served with Lu Sole Pacciu red wine Primitivo 2021 from Puglia.

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Lincoln cold and sunny

December 29, 2022

City centre packed. I don’t think Boxing Day sales as they seem few and far between.

Why oh why can’t I find baby back pork ribs. Pepperdine’s nsda Redhill Farm shop.

Very few businesses open in Bailgate.

I walk to Nonna Juana Deli. I find one, no mushroom ravioli, I take lamb ravioli.

Eat at Olé Olé. Too late.

Lunch at Elite on the Bail.

Noilly Prat vermouth in the Whisky shop. Original dry. I wanted sweet vermouth.

Steep Hill as Bailgate. Very few businesses open.

Steep Hill Wines open. Not packed as last two weekends. Their shelves stripped bare. The last four bottles remaining of Steampunk Gin.

Cappuccino at Coffee Aroma. Two of their best baristas have returned.

Pick up a bottle of cacao infused gin from Hotel Chocolat.

M&S back to their piss poor service. Tills not manned. No one seems to care.

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Negroni

December 25, 2022

Finish off Christmas day with a Negroni.

  • 25ml Campari
  • 25ml Martini vermouth
  • 25ml Lincoln Steampunk Gin

Add ice, stir.

Two mistakes.

I used extra dry vermouth not sweet vermouth. In mitigation, that was all that I could find in Lincoln on Christmas Eve.

I forgot to add a twist of orange as garnish.

Lincoln Steampunk Gin: Limited edition only 128 bottles produced. Christmas Eve, Steep Hill Wines, five bottles.

Negroni is part of a family of cocktails.

In the late 1800s in northern Italy in Milan, Campari, vermouth and soda was popular with Americans and became known as an Americano.

Florence 1919, Count Negroni asked for something stronger than an Americano. Fosco Scarselli, owner of the bar Café Casino,  replaced soda with gin. Scarselli added an orange slice as garnish. Thus the Negroni was created.

Negroni sbagliato, literally Negroni mistake. Bartender whilst making a Negroni picked up by mistake Prosecco not gin. He apologised to his customer, was about to throw it away, when the customer asked could he try. It was better.

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Christmas Day sunset

December 25, 2022

Pic fo be added

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Roasted chicken

December 25, 2022

Organic chicken from Riverford.

Bottom of baking tray, two carrots, two red onions cut in half then half again, roasted chestnuts.

Stuff chicken with peeled mandarin.

Coat chicken with butter. Season salt and a little pepper.

Fan oven 150C one hour and forty minutes.

Halfway through, remove the chicken, drizzle with a teaspoon of honey.

In seperate baking tin, pigs in blankets and roast potatoes. An hour in the oven 150C.

Served with mixed beans.

Accompanied by red wine.

Dessert melon.

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Roasted chestnuts

December 25, 2022

A mix of organic chestnuts from Riverford and chestnuts off a market stall.

Slice the shell else will explode in the oven.

Rinse under a cold tap.

Baking tray, fan oven 200C for 30 minutes.

Of the two, the larger chestnuts off the market stall looked the better. Taste wise the smaller organic chestnuts from Riverford were vastly superior.

Peeling off the shells an absolute pain. I think the problem was caused by rinsing under a cold tap.

In the dim and distant past when roasted on an open fire never had a problem removing the shells.

The chestnuts I eat in Athens never had a problem removing the shells. These are taken straight from a bag and heated on a sheet of metal over a flame.

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Olivares tapas bar

December 24, 2022

Lincoln on Christmas Eve, I would have eaten was looking forward to slow roast belly pork Stokes on High Bridge, restaurant closed.

Bailgate little open. Not wishing to walk to Olé Olé, I decide to eat at Olivares on Castle Hill.

It looks closed, Open sign on the door assures me it is open.

Three floors, very tiny, dark, and nearly empty.

I am led to a tiny corner on the first floor.

Tables are crammed in and yet it does not feel cramped.

Warm and cosy.

Carpets on the stairs a very bad idea. Easier to ascend and descend the narrow steep stairs bare wood.

I order albondigas, meatballs in tomato sauce.

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Lincoln Christmas Eve

December 24, 2022

Three Saturdays in a row. I try to avoid Saturday. Friday was heavy rain.

Many places not open or closed early.

I managed to buy ham in Pepperdine’s as they were trying to close for one.

Curtis said closing at three if not earlier.

No fruit and vegetables stall.

Stokes on High Bridge, I fancied slow roast belly pork for lunch. Sorry, restaurant closed. Coffee only.

City centre less busy than a Saturday.

Walk & Ride to Lincoln Cathedral.

Very little open in Bailgate. Greengrocer closed at midday, Redhill Farm shop at one.

Bailgate Deli about to close. Two chefs called in sick.


Looked in the whisky shop. Now have glassware. Bourbon bloody expensive.

Tourists milling around. Tourist information office closed.

I decided to eat at Olivares. One of the few places open. It was almost empty. Easy to see why. From outside it looked closed, were it not for the Open sign hanging on the door, I would have assumed closed.

I sat outside during Steampunk Festival late summer. First time I have dined inside. Very tiny, three floors, narrow steep stairs. A bad idea carpeting the stairs. Would be easier to ascend and descend if bare wood. Very warm and cosy.

Albondigas for lunch.

Walking back down Steep Hill nearly everywhere closed. Tea shops closed.

Cocktail shop closed. But then rare to find open. I was not carrying much. I would have popped in and bought a pair of martini glasses. Luckily they were closed as later carrying too much.

Steep Hill Wines packed. Five bottles left of Steampunk limited edition gin.

Speaking to a Chinse girl outside Imperial Teas, I recommend for tea, but not for coffee. For coffee, Madame Waffle or Coffee Aroma. But warned Madame Waffle may be closed as they close early when Public holidays and Coffee Aroma is closing at four.

Tesco, bottle each of Campari and Martini vermouth. The only reason installed Tesco app as gives substantial discounts.

Together with gin, now have all three components for Negroni, 1:1:1 ratio, 25ml equal parts each. Expensive cocktail, total exceeds fifty quid.

Hence the need for a jigger. Digital scales not good for measuring out fluids.

High Street not full of drunken scum. A pleasant change for a Saturday afternoon.

I did not think I would find Madame Waffle open, as expected to find closed, was heading for Coffee Aroma.

Head to Coffee Aroma and catch before they close.

Four o’clock and city centre nearly deserted.

Pop in Hotel Chocolat. I may buy Cacao Gin distilled with cacao. I can see the potential for cocktail. Closed as I leave.

I had looked in M&S lunchtime. Heaving. Now quiet. Lots reduced. I buy too much.

On leaving M&S, few people around.

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