To Blog or not to blog...

Pressure. Pressure. Pressure.

Pressure comes in many forms. Stress from work and the never ending ‘To do’ list, where the more you do, the more there is ‘To do’. Stress from relationships, where absence makes the heart not fonder, but more stressed. Add to this there is blood pressure, the constant monitoring of which is a full time activity.  The pressure of decisions: to eat or to exercise, to cook or to canter, to shop more or shape up. And then there is pressure, tremendous pressure, gentle, but inexorable, persistent and relentless, to write on the blog.

But wait! Pressure differs from pleasure only by a few syllables. And what about a pressure cooker, an amazing device that transforms the toughest cuts to mouth-melting softness and has led to many a compliment? What about pressure that pushes one to reach new horizons and forces one to look for new ways to do old things?

And that’s how the idea of the Nobu dinner party came to be.

We had an opportunity to dine at Nobu, a high-end Japanese restaurant that serves the most delicious dishes in exquisitely small portions that delectable though the fare is, you are trawling through the fridge for that last portion of lasagna as soon as you get home. And from the layers of cheese and pasta, an idea was born.

Our dinners are too lavish by far. In terms of quantity, we could serve another ten easily. In terms of quality and the number of items, unsurpassed. So the rules of the Nobu dinner party were drawn up and a suitable date chosen (no mean feat in itself!)

It was to be a formal dinner, with everything plated MasterChef style. Each family were to bring a starter, a main course and a dessert, all to be served in delicate portions. With the gastronomic enthusiasm of our group, the outcome was assured. The excitement in the kitchen equalled the eagerness with each dish was demolished at the table. Each family outdid the other in imagination and taste. I will let the pictures speak for my next thousand words!