…in my freezer. I am so deeply into the weeds with this Boxing Day tapas spread nonsense that I have two unfinished posts sitting in the draft bin, mostly because as I was writing them, I would suddenly think of something that needed doing, and I’d get up and get stuck in, and then three days would pass, my computer would decide to up and shut down and restart (thanks, Apple!), thus automatically shuffling them into the draft tank (thanks, WordPress!) and then I forgot what I had in mind to write about in the first place.

But it was probably a run-on sentence. I’ll check when I get time (ha!) and see if I can finish them. (Done. See below.)

And then I got up to put my tester tortilla patatas together and in the oven, so I nearly abandoned another post. Yes, I always fry my tortillas, as god and the Spanish intended, except when I’m trying to feed something on the order of seventeen people, in which case, I start Googling stuff like “baked spanish tortilla” and “tortilla traybake.” The Beeb’s Good Food site had me covered, and there are other sources who seem to think this is a workable idea, so I’m trying it. It seems likely to be easier and more likely to be successful than my other plan, which was freezing them. Some sources say OK, some say not OK, and my own personal experience has suggested “mostly OK” is the answer, but definitely not ideal, as they come out a little watery. If I’m just feeding it to myself and Phil, that would be fine, but guests? (Some of whom are, to put it mildly, somewhat judgmental.) Nope. We’ll try the traybake tortilla idea first, thanks. I’m also having a go at making it with fancy Spanish potato chips, because if I can spare myself using the mandoline and then frying several pounds of thinly sliced potatoes, I will gladly take that shortcut. My last mandoline adventure ended in blood and tears when I shaved off a thumbprint, and this is something I do not want to repeat. So it will be me, a pile of spuds, a peeler and the Mighty Magimix if this doesn’t work.

Also, because I am insane, and have this deep abiding fear of there not being enough food for everybody to eat a huge portion of every single thing available, and for there to be a wide variety of things of which to eat a huge portion, I have decided we really need to have spanakopita as well. So I’ve got a bunch of steamed and brutally wrung-out spinach and some onions cooling, waiting to be blended with herbs and some godawful expensive barrel-aged feta and a bit of ricotta. I’m trying not to think of the phyllo part. If I had any brains, or more freezer space, I might just try to make it as one big pie, but no, that’s not going to be possible. Hey, at least the triangles freeze well, right? This has become my new standard: does it freeze well? Then we’ll consider it. Except ice cream of course, because I’ve got six enormous batches of cookie dough to bake, a tray of baklava to assemble, cupcakes, and a trifle to make. I think we’ve got sweets covered. (Oh, but I’m making custard anyway, the evil little perfectionist demon whispers in my ear. FUCK OFF, DEMON.)

But I am quite possibly going to make those padrón peppers stuffed with goat’s cheese and drizzled with honey. I impulse bought those peppers in a OMG NOT ENOUGH FOOD panic yesterday afternoon, and I frankly don’t know what else to do with them. Daft, yes, wasteful, no.

…and the spicy tomato jam is done and jarred. And very good, if you like that sort of thing, which I do.

…and the tester tortilla is done as well, and it is MAGNIFICENT. So that’ll work and has the potential to make Boxing Day morning less fraught.

And now I’m going to sit down with a cup of coffee while my phyllo comes up to room temperature, and spend some time fretting over my list.