Well that's another weekend nearly over, but a good one! Went to see Uncle Vanya yesterday in Malvern: Saturday matinee –what a luxury and gorgeous lunch to day with friends.

It has gone really dark - it's blowing a blizzard - the snow flakes are almost as big as the magnolia petals that are coming off the tree in the wind. Battery is flat in the camera, - typical!

Madly putting recipes together for my demonstration on Wednesday. Could not decide on the pudding, Pimm’s cup, Campari cocktail jelly or rhubarb and brioche crisps - so made them all again this morning and ended up having to force myself into tasting them between my boiled egg breakfast and six course lunch – It’s hell being a food writer – no it is really – I was not hungry but it had to be done. Came down on the side of the rhubarb concoction as even with a full stomach I could not stop eating it - I only ate half – really I did.

Snow has slowed down to a drizzle

Our friend John (husband to Marianne of gorgeous lunch fame) has a bit of a weakness for Fernet Branca and insists that he receives a bottle for Christmas every year; I myself have a kind of addiction – generally only fed in Italy – however – I can depend on a snorter at their house. I love the stuff, it cures hangovers, stomach upsets and here I am writing my blog with no ill effects from alcohol after a five hour lunch - not bad hey? I find it terribly underrated everywhere except in its home country.

Anyway the recipes have been tried, tested, typed and emailed to the printers so I shall be able to go to the ball tomorrow – well actually the Food and Drink Expo at the NEC. I don’t normally go and I don’t normally go off gallivanting so close to G2 but the Abruzzo region of Italy has a bit of a presence and the Abruzzo is strong on salumeria. So I am hoping to gather some fodder for my new book - more of that tomorrow. Enjoy what is left of the weekend!