Today, I'm ready to swing into action for Stir-Up Sunday. For those who don't know - although I do know I announce it annually - this is the day we are supposedly meant to mix up our Christmas puddings, and tradition dictates that we stir the mixture in our bowl from east to west and that everyone in the household has a stir in age order, starting with the youngest. Actually (and I have wittered on about this at greater length in my Christmas book) the 'stir up' is more of a religious injunction than a culinary one, as in "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people."
Still, tradition often wins over historical accuracy, and I'm all too happy to regard today as pudding-making day, hence my modestly named Ultimate Christmas Pudding features proudly in the "What We're Cooking Today" section.
Please don't feel bad, though, if today passes without your pudding being stirred up - even if you make it pretty-well last minute - insofar as that's possible with something that relies on several hours' gentle steaming - it will be a winner.
