D4D: Done. Almost.

It's been a grand yearlong experiment, and now it's time to sit down, put Our feet up, turn the telly on, and have a cuppa.

Although We won't exactly be hanging up Our pinny (We gotta eat, after all) We won't be documenting every meal, every night any longer – only the new or particularly innaresting ones, and then only in brief.

But first! The stats.

This week we'll be examining 365 D4D reviews to determine the winners in such categories as:

• Dinner o' the Year
• Dinner Made Most Often
• Best Dinner Out
• Best Salad
• Restaurant Visited Most Often
• Best Dinner Made for Guests
• Best Dinner Abroad
• Cookbook Used Most
• Cookbook o' the Year
• Best Link

And of course We'll tot up the numbers for how often We made Our most popular dinners, including:

• Lemon chicken
• Black bnz
• Chickpeas with cumin and sherry
• Pea and mushroom risotto
• Red prawn and mango curry

We'll post the 2008 stats as soon as We can, hopefully by next weekend. Might post a pic or two in between, so do check in.

And to all two of our regular readers: ta everso!

01.01.09: Black-eyed peas and greens

Peas for good luck and greens for money – We dine with pleasure and hope for a good year that we know harbours many changes. She adulterated the Pappy's Saucepan recipe from vegan treasure trove Something Delicious This Way Comes by Joshua Ploeg – former punk rocker turned travelling chef – with chorizo. (Sorry. But not really.) Nigel Slater's fennel, pear and watercress salad made a sassy sidekick.

SHE SAYS: The peas were a little too sweet, but a pinch of salt and a shake of Crystal fixed it up right. Plus, I think this kind of bean dish, with such strong flavourings as bourbon, maple syrup, liquid smoke and (in our case) chorizo, needs to set a while to let all those components mingle. Even near the end of the meal mine was more blended – maybe it's like letting wine breathe. Salad gave us the crunch and the sharp angle we needed in the flavour dept.

HE SAYS: Deja vu? As She said, it waz on the shweet side this time but this meal had to be made since its a tradition 'round these parts. This time We had it with the greens mixed in with the peas, and I think it helped out the overall consistency. As said numerous times on this blog, chorizo can't fail to make a good meal better. I really enjoyed the salad which We haven't had in a while, the mix of the fennel and pear satisfied ma soul.

31.12.08: Out to New Year's Dinner Party

We really are indebted to Jon & Judy for some excellent party food this year. In fact, they had Us over last New Year's as well, just before We started the blog. Above, Judy prepared 10 (10!) portions of Jamie's Fifteen Christmas Salad [video!], some sans prosciutto for the veggies in our midst.

Jon rolled up sleeves to make Ramsay's Cider and Honey Roast Leg of Lamb – oh my. Also plated but not pictured: roast potatoes and steamed broccoli.

And then: two desserts! Judy whipped up a banoffee pie topped with Flake, and the very nice French au pair turned out a swell sugar-dusted gateau. Were We spoiled or what? And you don't even get to see the postprandial dance-a-thon (sorry, that's classified).

HE SAYS: The two J's again outdid themselves on the festive food front. The salad was class with every taste sensation fully taken care of and the roast was fantastically seasoned with tart and sweet apple tanginess. I have to vote for the banoffee pie as the highlight, though, a perfect combination of velvety cream, banana and chocolatey goodness. We went on to drink too much and I even had a jig with the missus in their makeshift disco/living room, good times.

SHE SAYS: I love me that salad: a taste treat of sweet, salty, creamy and a touch of grassiness from the olive oil. Mmmm. The lamb was applesweet and the potatoes had an almost grainy crunch to them that led the blissful way to floury indulgence within. Do I really need to tell you the desserts were divine? The gateau was deeply chocolatey and had that just-right cakiness, while the banoffee pie was like a sweet and sticky tastebud bubblebath.

30.12.08: Turkey and sweet leek pie once more, plus red cabbage

It's a D4D record; same main course 3 days in a row! but these are quality leftovers, people. The Cornish pasty-like turkey and sweet leek pie served us right once again, and the addition of red cabbage conveniently taken from the freezer made Her feel like nothing so much as a smart '50s housewifey type of gal. Simple salad of rocket and Sweetfire beetroot felt the extra pep of the wasabi-lime once again, too.

SHE SAYS: I was actually looking forward to this - again! Turkey leftovers never tasted so good (tho' I used to make a mean turkey tortilla soup). It's esp good with the tangy red cabbage for contrast. Salad continued the royal purple theme with panache, and the combination of sweetfire + wasabi dressing cleared my sinuses.

HE SAYS: Hit me baby, one more time. Me luv some turkey pie! The red cabbage provided yet another seasonal accompaniment to the plate, and I was sad when the last bite of pie entered me cake hole and I knew Christmas was over for another year. The simple salad was simply bliss with the inclusion of the firey and shweet beetroot and hot and tangy wasabi dressing.

29.12.08: Sweet leek and turkey pie re-run plus butternut squash remix

See that? That's called a new camera, folks. And it has a 'food' setting! We likey. What say you?

She heated up the turkey and sweet leek pie, and tried to revive the other half of the bland butternut squash with some ras-al-hanout and more maple syrup. Nigella's wasabi-lime dressing stood by to liven up the remnants of last night's salad, refreshed with more leaves and some pear.

HE SAYS: Please, sir, can I have some more? Well yesh you can, and it will be even tastier having rested overnnight in the fridge. The squash was better then the last go-round and helped add seasonal cheer to the already very winter-warming dish. The wasabi dressing always makes any salad that little bit better, so no need to add anything new to my latest salad review.

SHE SAYS: All good for the second go-round, and my I add the cliche of 'maybe even better after being in the fridge'. Haven't had the wasabi lime in a while, and my tastebuds greeted it with glee. Less gleeful was their response to the butternut - maybe this was just a bad gourd.

28.12.08: Turkey and sweet leek pie with peas

Back to the '70s: He made sure Our Christmas turkey takings were put into something special, namely Jamie Oliver's turkey and sweet leek pie. A dig thru the freezer produced enough peas to round off the plate, and a salad of rocket, radish and carrot rocked on.

SHE SAYS: Comfort food at its best. The perfectly crunchy, buttery puff pastry is such a treat, and the masses of leeks cooked down into the turkey sweetened the deal. The pancetta didn't hurt either, but per usual didn't play a large role in flavour performance. The peas were a little hard, possibly a tad frostbitten, but helped the salad out with the fiber provision.

HE SAYS: Having spotted this one on the telly the other night I was very intrigued to test it out. I thought while cookin' it that it was a little overkill on the leek quantities, but hey, they boiled down by at least half before I mixed them in with the turkey. The whole pie was a little like a turkey pasty but I'm not complaining, the filling was not too soupy and it glistened with goodness. I think we'll get a few more dinners out of this one yet.

27.12.08: Out to Le Mercury

The bread. The wine. The candlelight (trust Us, it's there).

For Her b-day, They decamped to Le Mercury, Their favourite Frenchy restaurant ever - the one with the perfect buzz of romantic atmosphere, low prices, and, of course, good food. We first sampled the mussels and frites here together over 14 years ago, and we love it no less now than we did then. We pay it fewer visits now we no longer live in North London, but we think of it often.

We'll let the captions do the description on this one.

His moules marniere: mussels in white wine with
cream, shallots, garlic, lemon and parsely

His entrecote a l'echalotte: rib-eye steak chargrilled and served with shallot sauce

HE SAYS: Mmmm, mussels in creamy wine sauce. What's not to like? With the added bread basket I was set for an evening of soaking up and savouring the delicious nectar. And then came the steak in all its perfectly cooked and succulent splendidness. The fries were a marvelous crispy, sauce dipper when all the bread disappeared and the shallot sauce waited to be devoured. Did we have a salad? I remember little of it (must of been the wine). For dessert, I thought the coconut sorbet was perfectly paired with the pineapple, and I left full and satisfied into the very chilly north London night, secure in the knowledge that Le Merc still delivers a fantastic night out for pennies.

Her tiger prawns cooked in parsley and butter, with chili aioli

SHE SAYS: I was so happy to sink into our window seat after a l-o-n-g (but good) day at the after-xmas sales. I simply cannot believe we've not paid Le Merc a visit all year long. The thin, perfectly crisp frites are reason enough to go, but my fall-apart pork with its jus and baked apples gave me even more reason go mmmmm. The prawns were yumsome and indulgent, tho' the sauce was simply run-o-mill chili mayo, nothing special in the aioli dept.

Our frites and green salad, and Her poitrine de porc: slow-roast honeyed
pork belly with confit celariac and granny smith apple

Being the b-day gal, I chose dessert, and chose with restraint. Two days of cheesecake will do that to you. While I thought the glaze could have been a bit less rushed, the flavour combo of coco-pineapple was deeply divine and refreshing. Happy b-day to me, and make no mistake.

Our glazed pineapple with coconut sorbet, plus a decaf coffee for Her and a latte for Him

26.12.08: Quorn, black bnz, red cabbage, and baked butternut squash

Can you believe we cooked at all the day after Christmas? We're saving the considerable turkey leftovers for something special, you'll see. So on with the dinner show: She heated up some leftover balck bnz and another container o' red cabbage, panfried some lemon-pepper quorn escalopes, and baked a butternut squash with a touch of maple syrup.

Squash seeds toasted with sage, celery salt, black pepper and oregano made a fine snacky accompaniment, while a dutiful salad of radish and leaves held upt he raw food portion of the programme.

SHE SAYS: Wow. That was some seriously bland butternut, even though it got a typical treatment of olive oil, maple syrup and salt 'n' pepper. Puzzling. Bnz had a good second outing, at least, and the red cabbage did its usual sugar 'n' spice number with a touch of the tart about it. Can't help but love crunchy chickeny quorn, and the seasoned squash seeds almost made up for their ho-hum counterpart.

HE SAYS: Yes, a shame about the squash, I think skinning and cubing it before roasting it delivers better results. Other then that, all was good: the bnz retained their herbiness, the red cabbage flexed its sweet, vinegary muscle and the quorn added the crunch to the plate. The salad was a plain palate-cleansing affair but it was the squash seeds that were too fantastic to describe in a few words, so I won't even attempt it.

25.12.08: Traditional turkey dinner and birthday cheesecake

Dessert first: He made the most sumptuous birthday cake She's ever had (yes indeedy, he made it), the macadamia toffee cheesecake from Ottolenghi. Behold and be jealous: that's a deep cheesecake base made with real vanilla bean; a handcrafted macadamia nut-brittle topping; and lashings of praline-like caramel draping the base. (We did wait til after dinner to dig in, but it deserves top billing, doncha think?)

He also sourced the giant prawns you see before you, and boiled 'em up good to serve with some M&S salmon mousse and fresh leaves for a jolly xmas starter at His family 'ome.

By the time we got to the main course, we were all a little out of focus. His mum and youngest bro tended to the turkey; His mum did the sprouts and red cabbage (it's her recipe, after all); bro sorted out the roast potatoes with a rubbing of goose fat, and the two bros together managed a gravy. What was She doing, you ask? Chilling out in the den with a movie (a birthday girl has certain privileges).

HE SAYS: The cake was a little daunting but came out great, lots of steps and only a few mishaps along the way to create a very tasty volcano from close encounters. The rest of the meal was also satisfying; the turkey especially came out all nish and tender (maybe it was the ample strips of bacon that were laid on its back while cooking). Me mum's red cabbage was not better then my modified version but a little less vinegary and intense. The 'taters roasted in the goose fat also never fail (well, how could they?). Oh, and the giganto shrimp were surprisingly tasty for their size. Loads of food with no drama makes for a happy christmas.

SHE SAYS: I admit to misgivings about the prospect of xmas dinner his year, and quite happily also admit they were unfounded. The monster prawns were sweet and easy-peel, given extra flavour by bro-in-law's coriander-chili dressing. The big bird was perfect: golden, tender and juicy. I didn't really need gravy, but took a smidge for tasting purposes (not bad, not fab). The potatoes were equally amazing, but I could only eat one by the time I got around to them, much as I wanted to have more.

Red cabbage was the main course stunner, prompting me to ask what might be different from the 14-yr-old recipe we've so carefully archived, and lo! All these years we have missed out a few cloves to spice things up. I could have guessed but didn't. Notes will be made.

Now, the cheesecake. Oh my. The base was so densely rich and mildly sweet, I would have happily had it alone. But then I would have been denied the delights of the fudgy caramel, plus the crackling roasty macadamias. A blissful balance of nutty and nectar, not to mention creamy and crunchy. (Thanks, sweet thang.)

24.12.08: Black bnz and a pomeflowertini

He decided to make the Eve a little more festive with the purchase of some pomegranate-elderflower cordial for an after-dinner drinx mixer, resulting in the aforementioned pome-flower-tini (cordial, vodka, pom seeds). Purty, innit?

And She was more than happy to make black bnz for Christmas Eve complete with the usual polenta and avo accompaniment. Salad of pear, radish and soft leaves contributed to the celebratory atmosphere.

SHE SAYS: A good spicy batch of bnz, and this time the polenta came out thick and plain, just the way We like it. always good to have something easy and delicious in your pocket for the evening before a big holiday...though I daresay he had it less easy, bzzy as he was with a special b-day project for Moi in the kitchen...

HE SAYS: Nish batch o' bnz. They were very herby and aromatic yet again and the polenta demonstrated the best consistency we've had, not too solid and not too mushy. The pear added the shweet to the radishes' salt, and so all was well in the salad kingdom.

23.12.08: Veal piccata, mash, veg medley

It was a nice idea: since She jumped on the beef bandwagon, He decided to make Ramsay's veal piccata with - veal! (Normally we adapt it with pork.) Maris piper potato mash plus a side of steamed mangetout and baby sweetcorn filled out the plate, while a salad of baby leaves, pomegranate seeds and avo sparkled nearby.

HE SAYS: I thought I would splash out on the expensive veal tonight so We could both experience the joys of this recipe done authentically. Unfortunately for Her, She couldn't eat it and left Me with the job of eating two portions of the tasty, milky meat. Although the veal was great, I think pork works just as well or even better, adding a little more fulfilling, salty tastiness to the gravy. The mash worked well as a sauce sponge, and the mangetout & sweetcorn reminded us to eat our veg. Yum was the salad.

Her top-up of goat cheese and Dr Karg seeded spelt

SHE SAYS: I don't know what happened to my newfound beef tastebuds, but they conked out on this one. I've had veal before and liked it well enough, and the sauce smelled divine, but the main item grossed me out. It just tasted rancid to me, though He had His and Mine and was perfectly fine. Dang. I ate the rest of my meal with a good heart, esp the creamy-yet-chunky mash, and had a little snacky top-up (above) for good measure. The tarty little salad helped put it all to rights as well.

22.12.08: Lemon chicken with beetroot, radish and avo salad

He prepared the lemon chix meal earlier so She could just simply stick it in the oven, set it and forget it. She chopped the salad fixin's of avo, sweetfire beetroot and radishes and added them to the watercress tentacles.

SHE SAYS: He does good prep, I must say. It was terribly satisfying to simply remove clingfilm and pop the pan in the oven so I could go do my thang. Potatoes and chix were crispy and delish, with plenty of garlic kick. My only quibble was the extreme sourness of the lemons, and you know I'm a lemon-lover. These were toothsuckin' bitter. Salad gave us all the joys of crunch and creaminess with a touch of sweetfire sugar.

HE SAYS: It's been a relative while since we experienced the lemony power of this dish. Perhaps this is the last one of 2008 but I'm still digging it with lots of tartness and savoury goodness – roll on 2009. As per usual the beetroot in the salad was on fire with its overall sweetness 'n' deliciousness.

21.12.08: White bnz with chorizo and rocket

She stirred some butterbnz and rocket into some sizzling chorizo, served it atop some brown/red/wild rice, and shored up the leftover cucumber salad with some watercress.

HE SAYS: I thought the butterbnz were as creamy as usual and the chorizo managed to up the yum factor as it can't help but do. The second installment of cuke salad improved with the extra marinating time, too.

SHE SAYS: Both as tasty as ever. Chorizo is cheatin', but who cares? The sage, oregano and thyme didn't hurt, either. The rocket gave it the bnz a mildly bitter snap, providing a welcome contrast to the deep savouriness. Salad was perky: sharp and crisp, none the worse for its sleepover in the fridge.

20.12.08: Red Thai prawn curry and extras

He rather outdid Himself preparing the vittles for our xmastime gathering with Samski. After some he-made smoked salmon, soft cheese and herbed oatcake canapes sprinkled with dill (not pictured, sadly), He stirred up the can't-miss red prawn and mango curry, adding baby sweetcorn for good measure. Our new fave cucumber salad by way of the Ottlolenghi cookbook made a star turn, and He even sought out a spankin' new sophisticated dessert recipe: balsamic pears in honey sauce with goat cheese.

SHE SAYS: It wasn't until Samski arrived that we realised we've actually plied her with Nigella's curry wonder before. No matter, this particularly well-balanced batch was heartily enjoyed by all: heat, coconut and heft did a get-down dance of happiness on my tongue. The cuke salad supplied crunch and sweet-tart excellence, tho' I was slightly disappointed with the accidental substitution of black onion seeds for poppyseeds. The pert dessert of baked pears delivered wide-eyed delight in a sticky sauce and subtle goaty goodness; was wiping finger 'round plate to mop up the honey trail for some time. Hey we're among friends, here. And how.

hey there, sweet tang: balsamic pears with goat cheese and honey sauce

HE SAYS: I thought this batch of curry was very good. I used double the amount of the prawns which really made it a lot more decadent and shpecial compared to our regular weeknight version. I also used a whole can of coconut milk which added a more silky broth to the bowl. The cuke salad again impressed with it's vinegar pickle like quality and its shweet yet spicy dressing. I made a bit of a boo-boo with the inclusion of the onion seeds but I didn't think they were too offensive. The pud was great. I was craving some stewed pears, and baking them created that warm, soft, intense flava I was after. The balsamic mixed so well with the cheese and honey, satisfying all my taste senses, I will have to make this again sometime soon that is fo' sure.

19.12.08: Out to Ground

He joined Her for drinks at her company xmas 'do, and, 3 hours later, They cast about for some post-festivity sustenance. The Ground gourmet burger restaurant answered the challenge with cheeseburgers for Both, courgette chips for Her and regular chips for Him. An insouciantly plain salad of cuke, tomato and leaves did its best to strike a note of health amid the indulgence.

HE SAYS: This was a satisfying burger experience with my new beef eating buddy. The meat was good, the bun not too air-puffed or soggy and the chips were hot, salty and crunchy. What more could you want? A salad perhaps? Yes, that was plain but fresh-tasting, but what else? Okay, stealing a handful of Her courgette chips made it perfect.

SHE SAYS: I thoroughly enjoyed testing out my newfound beefeating gambit once again with this excellent example of the humble hamburger. Unlike many of its competitors, Ground has not seen fit to drown its patties in chutneys, relishes and soppy sauces. My cheeseburger had a thin slice of melty white cheddar and a dab of mayo here and there - just enough to help things slip 'n' slide happily down. The courgette chips were tempura-battered, pepper-speckled, fresh-hot, and gone real quick. Overall, a much better service experience than the first time over a year ago, when we waited for ages in a half-empty restaurant.

18.12.08: BBQ pork loin with roasted butternut squash and red cabbage

Colour me winter: He finally dared to open our treasured bottle o' bbq sauce from The Salt Lick, marinating a pork loin that He roasted and basted with care. Also getting the over treatment was a butternut squash brushed with maple syrup, olive oil, salt and pepper. A plain salad of mixed contintental leaves peered at the main plate with interest.

SHE SAYS: Oh my, I'd forgotten how this thin, sweetly seasoned sauce can tickle the tastebuds - expertly and with feelin'. Pork was the perfect vehicle, and this configuration tenderly did the sauce proud. Still marvelling at the soft magic of butternut, somehow so much more satisfyng than sweet potato. The red cabbage was divinely tart, as expected, and the whole ensemble made a feast for the eyes.

HE SAYS: I was tempted to get a couple of racks of ribs at the store instead of the loin. I'm glad I decided not to as this came out so, so good and although the ribs may have been more authentic (in a Texas cookout styley) they probably would've yielded less meat and more fussing about. I slow-cooked the pork for about 2.5hrs, letting it get all buttery in texture. The butternut squash was cooked with just a drizzle of maple syrup so wasn't overpoweringly shweet. This meal is definitely a late entry for meal o' the year, probably not winning against this one, though.

17.12.08: Pesto and pea risotto

A night out to see the Boosh initiated an early dinner. He prepared the risotto with some of the pesto He made and froze earlier, and added the usual suspects to make the risotto dream a reality. A mixed leaf salad with sweetfire beetroot, radishes and avo stopped by for a chat.

HE SAYS: Instead of the alternative of grabbing a bite and running to catch a train, this meal was a lot more civilised and tasty. If only I could get the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot it would be the perfect no-fuss, easy meal and light washing up deal everyone can enjoy. I ended up soaking the pan overnight, which did the trick of lifting the remnants of the night before. The return of the shweetfire variety of beetroot was a pleasant addition to the salad, not unlike an old friend you haven't seen in a while, popping round for a cuppa.

SHE SAYS: Certainly more of a gourmet turnout than I was expecting before embarking on our 45-min journey to the zooniverse of the Boosh. Lots of meaty porcini added delicate flava to the savoury pesto richness. My only quibble was the speed of consumption, which delivered too much to my tummy too soon.

16.12.08: Chickpeas with cumin and sherry

Wearied by a ridiculous pre-xmas work sched, she turned to our fave chickpea recipe for ease and comfort, topping it off by boiling an egg and placing it neatly on top, next to the dollop of ho-made harissa. A pear, avo and mulled wine spiced beetroot salad saddled up for the ride.

SHE SAYS: A pretty good batch, if I do say so myself. Sometimes I let the cumin seeds cook a little too long, but this time they were perfectly toasty, without that slight bitter taste of blackening. I'm liking the holiday beetroot with its heavy-on-the-allspice m.o., and vote to make it our exclusive beetroot add-on for the season.

HE SAYS: The homemade harissa and boiled egg do a perfect job of elevating the flavas of this dish beyond what you would expect, adding an exotic saltiness and creamalicious element to the proceedings. The mix of the avo, pear and limited-edition beetroot satisfied all my salad fixin' tasty requirements too.

15.12.08: Pollo alla Cacciatora and mixed leaf salad

Tonite's instalment of the Cacciatora adventures included the carrot from the last episode plus a new variety of spelt (this time from a can). A mixed leaf salad made its presence felt.

HE SAYS: Yummy as always, this dish has yet to jump the shark. I nearly forgot to add the capers but She reminded me at the last second. The canned variety of spelt was still a good, lighter alternative to the usual rice and quicker to cook to boot.

SHE SAYS: Much the same review here, though I don't necessarily think spelt is lighter. I think it's heavier in texture, much like barley, but lighter on the digestive plumbing somehow, and more modest in flavour. The canned variety appears to retain its hull, and is pleasingly al dente - almost bouncy! Overall, I look fwd to this meal in the same way I look fwd to lemon chicken: I just know it's going to be extremely tasty, soothing and hearty.

14.12.08: Festive finger food

It was time to put up the tree, so We decided to get festive and picked up some nibbles to eat while putting up the baubles. Waitrose supplied the treats: mini salmon cakes with chili, garlic and ginger dip; pigs in blankets; mini pancakes (blinis) with soft cheese and basil plus smoked salmon; pumpkin seed and soft cheese smoked salmon canapes; and some low fat crinkle crisps for good measure. Some mulled wine help things go down easy.

SHE SAYS: This was fun, but a bit too rich in the end. I think the nibbles route should stay simple from now on: doubling the pigs in blankets and the amount of crisps would have been good enough. The blinis suffered from bitter-basil syndrome so typical of any store-bought item with pesto in it, and I found the pumpkin thingies a little icky - seeds, cream cheese and salmon combined blew out my fun-fat receptors. Still ate my share, it must be said. Best discovery: Waitrose low-fat crinkle crisps are full of nummy fresh-tater flavour and carry just enough salt to satisfy.

HE SAYS: These treats weren't bad, in fact some were more then okay. I augmented most with the chili and ginger dip that came with the salmon cakes, making them all a little bit more shpesh. Pigs in their bacon blankets were obviously the highlight. The tree looked very good, by the way.