So; new year, and the onslaught on the kitchen commences. Evidence so far suggests that we will be working mainly in brushed steel (or stuff that looks like brushed steel), pale wood and rich, blazing RED. I'm in minds about the floor, though. Lino that looks like concrete? Re-skim and seal? Hard-wearing vinyl tiles? I also bought myself a propagator shelf, which I'm unreasonably excited about (even though it's not up yet) and a bookend in the shape of a capital B. These are available in small and large, black and white, and are an IKEA Billy special item and may not be available for long, for people who like such things. We went to IKEA Bristol which went better than last time (when we got a puncture in the warehouse car-park) but was still bloody annoying -- you'll notice a missing red door in the picture below, which was definitely in stock and they had loads of... something else stacked on the shelf where it should have been *teethgrind*. It was crowded, too, and had NO sandwiches; and IKEA rage was much in evidence. Here's what we made of the kitchen, anyway; Click on through for the annotated version (and some pictures of damiancugley trying on glasses, if you go back a few shots...



Oh, is anyone in Oxford planning an IKEA trip any time soon? As you can see above, they were missing a door we needed...

recipe : venison cooked with dates and orange

Heat some oil in a pan with sumac and schwarma spice mix until very hot. Open out the venison and sear the outside quickly until it colours and is well coated. Remove quickly from the heat and spread the inside with the juice, pulp and zest of half an orange mixed with chopped dates, capers and chopped fresh coriander leaf. Roll quite tightly, top with bacon and wrap in foil. Surround with Chanteray carrots, large garlic cloves and chopped hunters sausage and bang in the oven hot for 15 minutes, cool for a further 40 and then whip off the foil and crisp up the bacon for the last five. Serve with roast parsnip and green veg (I did spinach and courgettes, with mushroom and flaked almond).