From silence and drams and back to white noise

I'm back in London, with phone signal and internet and the multi-layered sounds of millions of people going about their business. If Christmas was wholly rambunctious then New Year found a way of pocketing it; producing it in the evenings and in the days providing something entirely new to contend with: complete silence.

We were on Mull, a place whose magic I'd been told about but never been able to quite imagine. A big, cosy houseful of people - by night we'd carouse to our hearts' content and by day would come the treat of roaming. Hardly anyone lives there - maybe 3000 people, some impressive looking rams, soppy Highland cattle, wild red deer and more Golden eagles than anywhere else in the world. From crunchy, frozen tundra to flattened out, yellowed fern; over volcanic rocks, mussel-bound beaches, gloopy marshes and heather-piled hills, each walk was different. But whenever I stopped and just listened I got a great pounding in my soul at the great, expansive sound of absolutely nothing.

New Year's resolutions: Take Choc Star to new heights, dance, be bolder and more adventurous. And seek out situations that make me feel as if I were on Mull - if it means returning; I'm in.

The next place you can find the van will be at the Valentine's Slow Food Festival on the Southbank, Friday 13th (!) - Sunday 15th February. Should be a hearty affair!

Slowly into Christmas

It's nearly upon us - we're having Beef Wellington and I'm so excited. Plus my whole family have a one track mind for food, booze and general good times - and this year we've decided to 'sex up' Christmas so that the morning Margaritas don't result in afternoon atrophy and an ostentatious slouching towards Bedfordshire...yes, it's going to be Active and High Energy and very very Greedy!

But before all that, Choc Star has one last engagement at the Slow Food Christmas Market. We'll be in the usual spot by the Royal Festival Hall on Belvedere Rd - see you there if you're in the area. And if not have a cool Yule and the most amount of enjoyment.

Peace!

Great to be home

I loved going back to Bury. I don't know whether I found it such a comfortable fit because it was so familiar or if it's that I am reassured by the cosy, miniature nature of it compared to London. I love adventures, don't get me wrong, but there is an opposing force in my nature - especially in the winter - that just longs to hibernate; snuggle into some pliant warm space and not emerge til March. Since I can't I take comfort from the likes of Bury - friendly, encouraging, uncomplicated and manageable. They even ran a 'homecoming' type piece on me in the Bury Free Press and hordes of people came by to wish me well and sample the wares.

Next chance to go back - I'm there.

Whitecross Street Christmas Festival

Calling all City workers - we'll be parked up on Whitecross Street, EC1 for the next couple of days, 12-7pm. Come and find us for a soul-shaking cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and warm choc sauce. It's what's getting me through these profligate winter days....

Going home! Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fair - this w/e

I'm so excited because this weekend I'm jumping in the van and going back to Bury. This is where I spent most of my school life, discovered the great art of bunking, mixing pre-alcopop 'refreshers' in the Abbey Gardens, going midnight rambling and looking for as much trouble as a little old market town could provide. I loved it and can't wait to spread some of the cocoa love there.

If you live anywhere near and you need a pick-me-up of the chocolate variety, we'll be in the Abbey Gardens by the kid's entertainer (reminiscing on those gruesome Thunderbirds moments...).

Double-frosted six-layer Devil’s Food cake

So, I’ve just learnt how to put pics up by myself (bit of a break-thru) and thought I’d take the opportunity to showcase my birthday cake.

The odd thing was that I made it myself - and check this out (because it must mean I’m growing up), I volunteered to do it. Christmas had been chaos with my (deeply Catholic) uncle arriving with five of his six kids who swarmed the tree like a pack of hungry coyotes, licking their chops and sidling off with other people’s pressies to secret corners of the house. Little piles of par-opened gifts lay pillaged and forlorn and no-one really knew what was meant for whom. Still, at least the Balmoral Flings proved a winner on the booze front and anything chocolatey was sent my way.

People usually avoid giving me chocs these days for fear of getting it wrong. I’m open to all sorts though, as long as….actually, I am a bit of a nightmare, unless we’re talking about M&S chocolate cornflake mini-bites - a tub of which I’ve just polished off very happily. Anyway, the point is that by the time my birthday rolled around I didn’t want the cake to be jeopardised by the wanton chaos of the rest of the house, so I put on my pinny and got baking…

Delicious. Beautiful moist layers of Devil’s Food cake, joined in paradise by the deepest, darkest ganache I could muster (a combo of Green & Black’s 72% cooking choc and some Cote D’Or 85%) with cream from down the lane. The white American frosting that held this tidy package all together was like a magical edible cloud billowing around in my mouth.

Then there were more celebrations back in town, a (very lucrative) trip to the dogs, a misjudged karaoke performance to a crowded bar, an endless conveyor belt of dodgy drinks and finally, I emerged on January 2nd, bursting into ‘07 (not sure what happened to the 1st) feeling AMAZING!

I don’t know what it is but, after a couple of months of wintry indecision and lacklustre feelings, I have got my head around a few fundamental truths with which to find my focus. People say that after your first year of business there is often a really tough patch of not knowing what direction to take things next and that many businesses lose their way - and I love hearing stuff like that, it gives me back the fight. I’m excited about the next year because I’ve lifted my gaze from where it was fixated and now have a much calmer view.

I have so many ideas for Choc Star and am looking forward to getting them going. Jimmy’s down in the country at the health farm, having a bit of pampering before being brought back to London for more adventures. We’ll be back on Brick Lane either Jan 28th or Feb 4th, depending on the roadworks scenario - see you there!