I'm back!

After two weeks in Asia, I'm finally back to London. My trip back home was amazing and despite the fact that I returned to a flat with no heat and hot water (boiler is on the fritz) and my bags didn't make it back with me (connecting in CDG is a nightmare), I'm still feeling the glow from a wonderful vacation.

Santa was extremely generous this Christmas and I received many, many food-related presents that will in some way or another be used on this blog. My favourite present hands-down came from M who surprised me with my very own MacBook! Readers of my blog may recall that sometime towards the early life of the blog, I managed to destroy my previous computer when I tripped over the wire and sent it crashing to the floor. Since then, I've been blogging from M's computer (a MacBook as well) and although I've always been a PC user, I quickly fell in love with the Apple's speed of booting up and its stability. Not once have I ever seen the blue screen of death on an Apple, a sight that was becoming all too common on my IBM laptop. My new MacBook is sleek and black and best of all, it comes with a magnetic power cord that automatically detaches when pressure is applied so no worries about this baby ever crashing to the floor! Needless to say, I am now blogging on my very own MacBook. Gone are the days of having to fight over the computer.

My sexy new Macbook

Other presents that I received, in no particular order are:

• An Oneida cupcake carrier (Thanks to J and S)

Oneida cupcake carrier

• A lovely cast iron pancake / blini pan (Courtesy of A and H)
• An egg timer (Thanks again to H)
• A foldable chopping board which eliminates spillage (from M)
• A heart shaped oven mitt (yet again from M)
• Cool, zebra-patterned muffin cases (also from M)
• A nifty, electronic kitchen timer (M is really spoiling me...)

Clockwise from top left: Pancake pan, chopping board, kitchen timer, muffin cases, oven mitt and egg timer

• A Le Creuset set consisting of 4 ramekins, a baking dish, a round cocotte and an oval cocotte

Le Creuset set

• A 9" springform pan
• Assorted silicone bakeware

Silicone bakeware and springform pan

Okay, the last 3 items were really things I bought myself but since they were bought during the holiday season, I consider them presents to myself. I can think of so many things that I can make with the different gifts I've received from souffles to cheesecakes to potato blinis to delicious cupcakes. I can't wait! 

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year and I'll be back soon with my first food post of 2008.