January 7th
The wintry weather continues to grip the nation in its icy stranglehold.......yes, I know, I know. I may have done this one already. Then again, every other scribe in the land keeps going on about it in every blatt you read, not to mention television, wireless, close friends, casual acquaintances and complete strangers blowing their noses at bus stops, so I think I'm allowed.
Anyway, the thing to do in these circs is of course to wrap up warm when you do go out, and to take on board plenty of fuel in the form of hot, nourishing food. The sort of food, in fact, that Henderson's does so well. On days like these there's nothing hits the spot quite so well as, say, a satisfying plate of Henderson's Haggis and Clapshot.
'But wait', I hear you cry,'what about those of us who cannot make it in to Henderson's? What about those of us who are cut off by impassable snowdrifts?' Which, to be fair, at the time of writing seems to mean anyone south of Princes Street.
Well, fear not, because the latest addition to our website allows you to recreate Henderson's in your own home. Click here to go to the new Henderson's Recipe of the Month page, revealing all the secrets of our legendary kitchens. And, bless my soul, the first recipe is indeed for haggis. So why not have a crack at it at home, and then pop into the Restaurant in the run up to Burns Night to see how yours compares to the real thing?
Good health and happy cooking!
January 6th
OK, I admit it: in the run up to the festive period I was singing 'Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!' as loudly as anyone. And now, now that Sir Ranulph Fiennes has been seen husky racing down Leith Walk and Polar Bears have been reported foraging through wheelie bins as far south as Causewayside, I am one of those feebly croaking 'Let it Stop! Let it Stop! Let it Stop!' But, hey, don't let the coldest winter for 20 years/30 years/since records began (take your pick) get you down: you're always assured of a warm welcome here at Henderson's, and we've got plenty going on over the coming month or so to banish those January blues.
For starters there's Dr Vinod Kumar, the only fully qualified ayurvedic practitioner in Scotland, who will be appearing at The Henderson Gallery on Sunday 17th January. Dr Kumar will be giving an introduction to Ayurveda, the ancient medical system of the Indian subcontinent. Later in the month he will be starting a series of classes in kundalini yoga, and in pranayama, the art of correct breathing: it's the perfect new year's treat for yourself and your body. For further details, or to book a place, why not mosey along to our 'Events' page?
Also on our 'Events' page you will find details of the final three talks in our Winter Festival of Literature series, presented in conjunction with Luath Press. Wednesday 13th January sees Walter Stephen in the Gallery to consider the often unremarked Scottish influences on Darwin and his theories; on Wednesday 20th January Emma Wood will be here for a fascinating and timely look at how environmental changes have shaped Scotland's history; while Sandy Moffat and Alan Riach wrap things up on Wednesday 27th January with an examination of the role of the arts from a political perspective. All talks start in the Gallery at 7pm, and what's more they're free.
If all this food for the mind and food for the soul has left you hungry for, well, food, we've got that covered as well. In addition to all your Henderson's favourites we've a couple of very special menus to look forward to. Towards the end of January, to celebrate the national day of our national poet, our chefs will be unleashing their creative skills to create interesting and unusual - as well as traditional - dishes featuring Henderson's Famous Vegetarian Haggis. Looking further ahead, what more romantic way could there be to enjoy Valentine's Day than with dinner for two at Henderson's?
Phew. We do like to keep busy, don't we?
