Sunday 9 January 2011

The big day - Tom's 17th Birthday

This time 17 years ago I was sat with a nice cup of tea thinking all the hard work was over.  Little did I know!

Spent yesterday dashing into Huddersfield to buy birthday presents and wrap, had hoped to get food shop done but ran out of time having got up and made a lasagne for the evening and prepared the balsamic reduction to go with the scallops.  Evening out/in with Rachel and Jez, couple of pints at lovely pub in Halifax, Big 6, and then home here for lasagne and Lanson - I did lasagne Rachel brough the Lanson which was rather fab!

Up this morning and straight into Sainsburys on my lobster and scallops mission.  It was never going to be straightforward was it?  Got the scallops but no lobster so did rest of shop and then had to dash into Asda on way back to pick up 2 frozen cooked lobster which Steve had spotted earlier in the week, thank goodness.  Hauled them out of freezer and was reading label which said "Defrost overnight" at which point I was on verge of total melt down and then though "sod it, these buggers are going in the microwave"  I don't think I was feeling very rational!  Luckily when I read on it also said "or for 4 hrs at room temp" heart rate back to normal and off I went!

First up made the panna cotta, Tom wanted espresso panna cotta, recipe called for a vanilla pod but I couldnt see the point of adding such an expensive ingredient when you were going to drench its subtle flavour in coffee so it got a splash of vanilla extract instead.
Espresso panna cotta

Unwrapped the lobster to help them defrost.  As yet am not sure how we are going to tackle these as they are whole and will need smashing up to remove the meat, Steve and his tool box I suspect!
Homard

Then in a departure from frantic home cooking I unwrapped the birthday cakes, one white chocolate and raspberry layer cake and one coffee cake as I couldn't decide!!  Any excuse!
Birthday cakes

More cake because its so photogenic!
White chocolate and raspberry layer cake

More birthday photos to follow.

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