i am gun king

Chapter 59 Christmas Eve

This Christmas, I have nothing to do, so I stayed at home and started watching TV. Although the winter in London is not very cold, the rain is terrible. It is a gloomy day, and there is a sense of suffocation. It is like this outside now.

"Hey, Yangyang, look, your idol came out." Shuoshuo pointed to a handsome man on the TV and said, at this moment, the draw of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals was broadcast live (actually, the draw for the UEFA Champions League came out before Christmas, but it was modified for the sake of the plot).

"David, he's my idol." Yang Yang nodded while nibbling on potato chips.

"Look, the results of the UEFA Champions League draw are out. Arsenal and Real Madrid are drawn together. Yangyang, which one do you support? Is it David?" Shuo Shuo asked casually.

"Well, I like David, but I love my brother. Of course I support my brother. I have to wear my brother's jersey to watch the game, right? Brother." Yangyang turned his big eyes and leaned on Li Yuxin as he flattered him.

"Well, be good." That's a good answer.

Shuo Shuo pouted, he didn't expect to be used by Yang Yang to show her 'loyalty'.

At this time, Li Yuxin's phone rang, this sister Yu really loves work!

"By the way, Li, now, Real Madrid and Arsenal are drawn together. Let's talk about what we think, so as not to have to be urged by the editor-in-chief again." Thompson asked directly. Now that the Champions League is divided into groups, Arsenal is facing such a strong opponent. Whether it is the core players or the coach, they will definitely not be able to escape being questioned.

"Well, in fact, I have been looking forward to this game. Galacticos, there are too many superstars, Ronaldo, Raul, Zizu, Figo, and my idol Kayla. Well, I am looking forward to it in one word. Ask me the result. Arsenal will definitely advance, and I hope to score goals at the Bernabeu." Li Yuxin said bluntly.

"Then, for other groups, Barcelona and Chelsea, Bayern Munich and AC Milan." These two pairs of games also have a lot to watch.

"Well, I think this match, Barcelona vs Chelsea, will be a final-level match. I'm afraid it will become a classic in the Champions League, and the two teams will continue to meet in future matches. As for Bayern Munich and AC Milan, I am optimistic about AC Milan. Their players are at their best, and I am also looking forward to meeting Kaka in the next match." Yangyang introduced the British Christmas dinner to Shuoshuo and Nana

In the UK, in addition to the traditional staple food of turkey, baked potatoes, and boiled vegetables (carrots, kale, broccoli, etc.), there are of course desserts such as Christmas Pudding (Christmas Pudding) and sweet fruit pie (MincePie).

For dinner, everyone will know what it is like with a little imagination.So this time, let’s start with these traditional and distinctive desserts~!

This pie is a traditional Christmas treat in the UK.When you see Mince in the name, you might think it's really a mince pie.But when I took it out of the oven, it turned out to be sweet, and there was no meat at all, so I wondered for a long time.After checking some information, I found out that the original mincepie was indeed made of meat, tallow, various fruits and spices.But today, the meat filling has been removed and it has become a pure dessert filled only with fruit and spices.

Among the frequently used fruits are raisins, dried apricots, candied cherries, citrus peels, apples, etc.The main spices are cinnamon, alfalfa, cardamom and the like.Sometimes nuts are added.Although you can't resist the mood of trying something new, it's okay if you want to take a bite immediately, but the flavor and texture will naturally be slightly inferior.So, put them in the oven and wait for a while~

And if you want to talk about the sentiment and want to try the most authentic way of eating, then you must pair it with the brandy-flavored cream (Brandy Cream) or sauce (Brandy Sauce), which is also specially provided during Christmas.Qiang Qiang~ The second protagonist of today is here! !That's right, it is even more indispensable than MincePie. The British must eat a Christmas Pudding (Christmas Pudding) during Christmas.

This large and heavy Christmas pudding is usually made 4 to 5 weeks before Christmas.The whole family is involved, kneading the dough clockwise while praying and making their own wishes.Moreover, when making homemade Christmas pudding, a coin (or other small things with meaning) will be buried, and whoever eats it will be blessed with good luck and wealth in the coming year.Moreover, the whole family makes pudding together, which also symbolizes a very important auspiciousness and reunion.This custom and practice is exactly the same as the family reunion in the north of our country to make dumplings during the Spring Festival, and stuff coins or red dates from time to time.

Christmas pudding is to Britain what Stollen is to Germany and Panettone is to Italy. It is the most representative Christmas cake.

However, when you open the package, you will be surprised to see such a dark, hard, unappealing thing that even Stollen and Panettone can't compare to, and what comes out is not the sweetness of dessert but a stimulating smell of alcohol~? ! (laughs) But you really have to believe that this is the most traditional "Christmas cake" in Britain! 【Christmas】Desserts that cannot be missed on the British Christmas table
Christmas pudding is not only firm, but also full of flavor.The main dried fruits and spices can refer to what was introduced in MincePie before.However, the dried fruit fillings in Christmas pudding are usually soaked in wine, and there will be extra brandy in the material.So, as I said just now, once you open the lid, you can smell a lot of alcohol.In addition, walnuts and almonds are also essential.It’s okay to cut it open and eat it, but let’s find out how to eat it locally and authentically.

The Christmas pudding itself is full of flavor, but it is paired with butter with the same thick texture.But in response to the Christmas scene, this butter is naturally brandy-flavored (Brandy Butter).

Put the Christmas pudding in the oven to warm up, remove and cover with brandy butter.Accompanied by the melted oil juice, put the pudding into the mouth, the sweetness of candied fruit and the aroma of wine are left between the lips and teeth, and the aftertaste is long.

Christmas pudding has as much calories as it tastes, let alone if you want to eat it with butter.So, often a small piece will make you very satisfied.

Lee Woo-shin enjoys family here, while other players are questioned by reporters on Christmas Day, and the three most anticipated games are Arsenal-Real Madrid, Barcelona-Chelsea and AC Milan-Bayern Munich.

"Thierry, how did you see the result of this lottery?" Henry was caught by the Mirror reporter guarding outside the airport as soon as he got off the plane.

"Well, the result is very exciting. I can meet many friends. For this series of games, it must be very difficult. I think our team can win and advance to the next round." Henry said in a tone With a little excitement, now his team is in the best condition and will not be afraid of any opponent.

As for the other Arsenal players who stayed in London, because they had just won Chelsea, they were in good spirits. When asked how they saw this duel, almost without exception, they said that they not only want to win this series, but also become the first English team to win Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

However, compared to the optimism of the Arsenal players, Wenger seems to be much more cautious. In an interview with BBC Radio, he said that both teams have a chance to enter the next round.

When asked which team was more optimistic about Barcelona or Chelsea, Wenger hesitated a lot. He said that the elimination of any team is the loss of the fans. A team is bound to win.

When Raul was interviewed by Marca, he said that he was looking forward to it. He always wanted to see Li Yuxin's performance and compete with this super star. Moreover, Real Madrid definitely has the strength to eliminate Arsenal. He will try his best to fight for the team to enter the next round.

When Zidane was interviewed, he was more cautious. He said: "I know that many people are optimistic about Real Madrid now, but this round is not so easy. I am very familiar with Thierry. I know he has the ability to change any game, and he mentioned Lee many times to me, saying that he is a complex of himself and Ronnie, and I watched his performance at Chelsea. He is really strong. Arsenal has two players who can definitely change the outcome of the game.

At the same time, the result of this seemingly coincidental draw has become a match between La Liga and England. Real Madrid vs. Arsenal is a direct dialogue between the two league No. [-] teams, while Chelsea vs. Barcelona is a collision between two league champions. This will directly reflect the highest level of the two top leagues in this period.

At the same time, the top two teams with the odds of winning the championship will meet directly, which makes many gamblers feel excited and reluctant. The whole of Europe is looking forward to it. Chelsea met Barcelona last season. They scored the winning goal at all times, resulting in 4-2 at home and 5-4 on aggregate to advance to the next round. When they meet again after a year, naturally there are many topics to talk about.

Mourinho was obviously dissatisfied with this result. In an interview with the Post, he said that all this feels like it has been arranged, but his team will advance to the next round like last year until they win the championship.

And Rijkaard said that Barcelona is already a team from a year ago, and they are confident that they will be able to advance to the next round.

However, after the UEFA Champions League draw, Arsenal immediately prepared for the league matches. Three days ago, Arsenal eliminated Doncaster in the League One with difficulty in the League Cup away game, which made Wenger's careless heart come back again. This time Facing Charlton in the away game, Wenger definitely does not want his team to lose points on the small teams.

Compared with other European leagues, the Premier League, where money and interests are paramount, has no winter break.

The Premier League has always had 20 teams. There are many games and there are two cups. Other countries put the cups in the middle of the week. However, for the needs of market development and TV broadcasting, the FA put the cups on Saturdays and Sundays. Naturally, the winter break was squeezed out.

In the cold winter, it is not suitable for sports.After half an intense season, the players have also entered the most exhausting stage of the year.Physical overdraft, coupled with mental fatigue, can easily cause player injuries, which will affect the more intense second half of the league.

The players dragged their tired bodies and moved slowly on the field. There would no longer be scenes of quick counterattacks and scoring. The rhythm of the game became procrastinated... Don't think this is the description of the Premier League game at the end of the season. Perhaps, such a boring scene will appear in the Premier League starting this week.

In the World Cup, the England team has a rule, that is, the players are alive and well in the first half, but they are exhausted in the second half.

Premier League players have to participate in 38 league games per season, plus the FA Cup and League Cup. If they are giants, they also have to play in European arenas. The players in the team play 60 games in a season. It is not too much.In recent years, people of insight have called for the English Premier League to set up a winter break. Recently, when Eriksson summed up the lessons of England's World Cup trip, he also used the absence of a winter break in the Premier League as a reason for his poor record: "Many players in our team are not in shape, because the intense and intensive league has exhausted them physically and cannot return to their peak."

Frequent double-week matches have destroyed players' bodies, making them as injury-prone as glass men, which has also affected the performance of the England national team.

Among the five major European leagues, except for the Premier League, the other four major leagues have a winter break of two to three weeks during the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays.Only the Premier League does not. Not only does the Premier League not have a winter break, but the schedule around New Year's Day is also particularly intensive, with a game almost every 3 days.For those overseas players who play in the Premier League, it is difficult to go home and reunite with their relatives during Christmas and New Year's Day holidays.

In fact, the winter break has been a hot topic in the Premier League in recent years.Manchester United coach Ferguson, Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger, and England coach Eriksson have repeatedly called on the Premier League to follow the example of Serie A and other leagues and arrange a winter break. They believe that this will help players recover their physical strength and treat injuries in the middle of the league schedule.

But the FA have been refusing to set a winter break
(End of this chapter)