‘But my Juliette is pretty well behaved.’
‘I’m sure she is, and with such a beautiful name … er, she can only be a good girl, can’t she? And, er, with such a nice father …’
After a little pause, Liana continued, ‘I may call you again, Armand. I just don’t know right now.’
‘Fine, I understand.’
‘Have a good night, Armand.’
‘Good night, Liana.’
They hung up, each disappointed, not knowing what would happen next. But the special evening they’d spent together would remain engraved on their memories.
Armand looked at the gifts Rick and Carla had brought him. Then he went to the window. The sky had cleared and there was a striking full moon. He opened the blue flask of Eau de Lune, which was bottled under a full moon in the Alps, and was supposed to make your wishes come true if drunk on a moonlit night. After his conversation with Liana, Armand suddenly felt thirsty. He drank a glass of Eau de Lune and made a wish; he could be superstitious at times, after all, like his mother.
Afterwards he opened the bottle of cognac, for a last little treat before going to bed, and thought about what he had wished for. Armand’s New Year’s resolution was definitely going to be to make sure he and Juliette continued along their paths to happiness.
Four Recipes for Four to Celebrate the New Year
Armand’s Yummy Soup
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp sugar
4 turnips, peeled and cubed
2 ripe pears, peeled and cubed
4 cups (1 litre) hot chicken stock
sea salt, ground black pepper and grated nutmeg
1 cup (250ml) milk
½ cup (125ml) whipped cream (optional)
chopped fresh dill, to serve
1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Add the sugar and turnips and sauté until golden. Add the pears and sauté for a further 2–3 mins. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10–12 mins, until the pears and turnips are tender. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg, to taste. Allow to cool slightly.
2. Transfer to a blender or use a stick blender to blend until smooth while gradually adding the milk. Reheat gently, then divide between four bowls and top with a spoonful of whipped cream, if desired. Sprinkle with fresh dill, grated nutmeg and black pepper.
Carla’s Divine Meat Pie
This pie is usually made with the leftovers of Thanksgiving dinner.
For the pastry:
1 cup (120g) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 cup (100g) oat flakes
½ tsp salt
120g butter, cut into pieces, plus extra for greasing
For the filling:
3 eggs, at room temperature
5 tbsp crème fraîche or cottage cheese
½ cup (125ml) gravy
sea salt, ground black pepper and grated nutmeg
250g cooked boneless turkey or chicken, cut into cubes
2 cups (200g) cooked stuffing (any kind)
½ cup (80g) raisins (optional)
1½ cups (175g) cooked fresh spinach or other greens
½ cup (60g) grated mature Cheddar cheese
Old Bay Seasoning or paprika
1. Mix the flour, oat flakes and salt in a large bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add teaspoons of cold water until the mixture comes together to form a soft dough. Leave to rest at room temperature, covered, for at least 30 mins.
2. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the crème fraîche or cottage cheese, the gravy, a dash of salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir until combined.
3. Grease and lightly flour a 9½ in (24cm) pie dish. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and use to line the dish. Lightly prick the base all over with a fork. Sprinkle in the turkey or chicken meat, stuffing, raisins and cooked spinach or greens, then spread over the egg mixture and sprinkle with grated Cheddar and Old Bay Seasoning or paprika, to taste. Bake for 40 mins, until golden. Serve hot.
Juliette’s Colourful Salad
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
salt, for sprinkling
large bag mixed salad or fresh spinach leaves
½ cup (80g) dried cranberries
½ cup (100g) crumbled blue cheese (any kind)
1 apple, chopped
2 tangerines or 1 orange, pared and segmented, the segments cut into small pieces
½ cup (50g) shelled walnuts, roughly chopped, or Grape-Nuts cereal
small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to serve
For the dressing:
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp grapeseed or walnut oil
1. Sprinkle the onion slices with salt and set aside for 10 mins. Divide the salad leaves between four bowls. Rinse the onion slices and dry on kitchen paper. Sprinkle the onion and all the remaining salad ingredients, except the parsley, over the leaves.
2. Make the dressing by shaking all the ingredients together in a jar with 1 tsp water. Pour over the salad, toss carefully, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
Rick’s Winter Fruit Delight
½ cup (80g) each pitted prunes, dried figs, dried apricots, dried cranberries and raisins
2 eating apples, chopped
1 orange and 2 tangerines, pared and segmented
1 bag (or 1 tsp) spiced or cinnamon tea, brewed in 1 cup (250ml) boiling water for 10 mins
½ cup (50g) chopped walnuts
⅓ cup (60g) brown sugar
2 tbsp dark rum
Roughly chop the larger dried fruit and place in a saucepan with all the other dried and fresh fruit. Strain the tea and add to the pan with the walnuts and sugar. Simmer gently, covered, for 15–20 mins, until the mixture looks like compote. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.