Inaugural Angel dinner

First the Waitrose mixed olives and gin and tonics, waiting for people, talking, and watching Steve nobly chopping the chillies. My guests: Steve and Jen, the lovely Debora, Guy and Simona, Jo and myself. All came bearing wine or flowers, which was too too delightful. I don't think I have ever felt so grown up.

Then came the 'light main' of fish curry, intended to be savoury and assague hunger in anticipation of the desserts. The recipe as per the Newcastle fish curry, but this time with fish from Hatt's on Essex road: salmon, cod and clams. Making rice for seven intimidated me so I made cous cous with toasted pine nuts, dried apricots, tumeric, cinnamon, lemon and oil, presented in one of Jo's beautiful ceramic dishes. It went down surprisingly well with the guests, with everyone being so lovely and complementary - and the boys happily accepting second helpings. I charged Jo and Steve with keeping glasses full, then pulled out the following:

Chocolate pots (Jamie recipe) with frangelico added instead of whatever alcohol he suggests - and left as dense chocolate rather than whisking in egg whites to make a mousse. Served with a shot of Frangelico.
London cheesecake (Nigella) - perfectly cooked, but sadly the base was a little soggy. Dang!
Apple crumble and cream to finish and to my great honour, Simona asked for seconds! The apple crumble was somewhat of a trial: it was supposed to be rhubarb however the shops let me down at the last moment so I got three bags of the tiniest cox's I have ever seen and fretted for 35 minutes trying to peel, core and chop them in record time. I was so relieved to finish that I made a really stupid mistake and put the crumble topping on top - three hours before it was needed! I quickly made some extra topping (dispensing with the faffy measuring stage this time) to put on at the last moment.

I must have had the best guests in all the world because they were so excited and complimentary of all the courses, and genuinely seemed happy to be fed so much - although it took a bit of psyching up to get the third pud down!