Merry Xmas and a polar bear cake

I have a huge blogging backlog, but thanks to the flu have got a bit behind on putting things up here. But in 2009 you can look forward to a review of Pearl restaurant and bar, a luscious Thai duck and green been curry, the bf attempting a credit crunching meal for two for 10 pounds and a write up of my forthcoming New Year trip to Istanbul.

In the mean time, feast your eyes on my not-too-artistic polar bear Christmas cake. The cake was a gift but it was the first time I had attempted marzipanning, royal icing or indeed fashioning polar bears out of sugar paste. The bf thinks the one on the right looks more like a mouse!

Merry Christmas and here's to 2009!

The Princess

December food magazine roundup

As you would expect, the new batch of December editions are all about Christmas food. Here's the roundup:

*Best for loads of content is Delicious with their biggest issue ever and input from Gordon (fave cookbooks) and Nigella (tasty nibbles).

*Best for a traditional Christmas with all the trimmings is Good Food with either goose or turkey and a full time-plan

*Best for young, free and singles is Olive with a fab Christmas meal for two

*Best for vegetarians - a tie between Olive with its stunning filo centrepiece and Delicious with Simon Rimmer's gorgeous recipes

But if you really can't decide, do what I do and get all three!