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My plans for Jewish New Year are shaping. The honey this year is Tasmanian leatherwood. The chicken this year will be roasted on a bed of shredded onion, stuffed with rosemary and garlic, and dressed with herbes de Provence, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon from my sister's tree and maybe a bit of salt and mountain pepper before roasting. No vegetables, just salad and pickled cucumbers. No dessert, just apples dipped in that lovely honey for a good and sweet year. The only bit of the dinner that needs finding is some more herbes de Provence. I got through a whole packet perfecting the chicken dish...

All this planned and nearly two weeks to go. That means I can take the remainder of my flu to bed and read yummy fantasy books until my aches diminish.

I was supposed to be dining out (Happy Birthday capnoblivious!) so planning my Rosh Hashanah has been my comfort food for missing a really cool night out with friends.

(no subject)

I ought to have said, I don't really need to eat that whole chicken myself. If anyone would like to share the New Year with me, I have space for four more friends (since one has already kindly agreed to come). If you would like to be honorary family for just one night I would love it. Vegetarian friends get some creative dish I haven't yet determined - I won't force you to eat chicken, no matter how perfected the recipe. You get to bring wine and presents :). (OK, so the presents are optional and so is the wine, but I can live in hope.) And no, this is not Purim so there is no compulsory alcohol and no, this is not Chanukah so there is no gambling. In fact, there is not much anything except good food and conversation. I might put my papers and books away or I might not, so there isn't even a need to dress fancy. First four friends to wave their hands madly get to come.

PS Rutherglen fortifieds and Sumatra Mandheling coffee will accompany the apple and honey, of course. Or maybe some homemade liqueur. And the chocolate to go with them is from Koko Black. Or it may be Callebaut. Either way I will hand make the chocolate into delightful shapes. Maybe dinosaurs or fairies. Maybe Hebrew letters. I will wait for inspiration on that one.