2021 Christmas Letter
24/12/21 23:21 Filed in: Christmas Letters
Dear all,
This is going to be another short letter, possibly shorter than last year’s.
The year can still be summarised in two words: - Covid-19 (but with Delta and now Omicron). Don’t you think we should update the names, like a new iPhone release…Covid-19, Covid-19.2, Covid-20, Covid-20.1.2 etc…This way, we keep it up to date - otherwise it feels like using Windows 2000 in the year 2010.
Sydney was in lockdown from 28 June to 7 October so I had the longest hair since I was born! It was really bugging me in the end and I had to buy a hair band to get the hair out of my eyes! Don’t understand how women can live with long hair - mind you, I’m glad it’s them with the long hair and not me!
Other than that, it was same old same old - upgrading technology and cooking.
I can now open and close the garage door using voice commands. Cool eh?
There were a few dramas but everyone close to me is still alive so I guess that’s always a blessing.
So with all the free time, what did I do (which I can show on this G-rated Christmas letter)?
Well, for one thing I’ve been getting more visits from a member of the opposite sex in my bed late at night:
Isn’t she a cutie?
Other than that, most other things I did during lockdown are either not suitable for publication or boring or both (because they were so routine!). Seriously, do you want to know which TV shows I binge-watched throughout the year?
So the only subject that’s G-rated and suitable for publication is - FOOD!
I’ve taken an interest to cooking simple Italian food - never know when I’ll have to fend for myself so it’s time to pick up new survival skills. I’ve gotten very interested in this Italian chef Gino D’Acampo’s shows and his motto: “minimum effort, maximum satisfaction”, to the extent that I’ve actually tried a few of his recipes and they are actually delicious and easy to make!
I started off with pasta and then thought, after dinner, I might want a dessert, so I ventured into making tiramisu and chocolate gelato, to name a couple. I’m not going to name the ones I failed.
Then, as my confidence in cooking increased, I had an urge for a tofu hotpot and I also tried my hands making Chinese roast pork using an air fryer!
I now have probably more cookbooks in my collection than any guy in the world, that is, any guy who doesn’t cook!
30 years ago, when I was briefly living in the US and my mother came to visit me. I told my former boss “mum came to visit and I cooked her dinner” and the first thing he asked was “is she still standing?”
I’m pleased to say that my two sisters and my mum are still standing after eating my cooking.
The following are some of my creations, some from cookbooks and some I improvised:
T-Bone Steak with Zucchini Ribbons and Fetta Cheese
I only made pizza once this year, to thank the guy who painted our deck (so I could make pizzas on it):
My cannoli (a Sicilian dessert)
The easiest and my favourite - Amaretto cream with Amaretti biscuits
Chocolate gelato
My tiramisu
This is the baguette I made and the sandwich I made from it
This is the tofu brisket hotpot (火腩豆腐煲）and it’s almost restaurant-grade even if I say so myself!
That’s about it from me for the year. Really, it’s that boring.
Hopefully I’ll have something more exciting to report next year.
Till then, get vaccinated, get your booster shot and stay safe.
Merry Christmas.
Your friend,
Bevan
p.s. Given this year is pretty much like last year, I thought I’d keep the same music: “Bless this House, O Lord we pray, make it safe by night and day”.
