Posts by: Frances

Am going to Weymouth tomorrow any good resturants there please?
Thanks

I am going to Rotterdam in the New Year, so does anyone know of any places to eat there? Prefably non tourist food. We when go to Amsterdam we always end up going to the Agerntina Steak Houses which are brilliant, but fancy some Dutch style home cooking.
Thanks.

Please could anyone send me a recipe for soft royal icing. (20cm cake) Much appreciated thank you.

Please does anyone know a recipe for Stilton Muffins? (from not a very good muffin cook)

Has anyone tried cooking this like lamb shanks (ie braised/slow roasted)? I have a lovely organic one in freezer, and always make a split green pea with smoked sausage/ potatoes and carrots with it (also makes about 4-6 good servings). Any ideas please? Many thanks.

Can anyone help please? I need to save some money this month as we are going on holiday at the beginning of June. I already plan a weeks menus and do 2 day receipes such as chilli etc and buy say a piece of meat that will go for about 6 meals. I spend about £80pw and always buy fresh food. We both work full time and haven't got time to shop around, and have tried our local veg shops but unfortunately it was false economy. I used to cook for a living in my old life so I would say I'm pretty competent. Any suggestions would be very helpful!

Has anyone got a receipe for Pork escalopes, made with ham and gruyere cheese please? I saw a recipe for it in one of my food mags but can't find it. Thanks.

yes I have, and its delicious. Its not too sweet either, and very light. It does sink in the middle a bit, and thats why the whipped cream is piled on the cake, but unless you want to eat it in one sitting, the cream is best served seperately, and with a few raspberries.

Does any remember the Resturant du Gourmet next to the BBC in Bristol? we used to go there a lot and sadly, or happily for the wonderful, owner (who retired) no longer exists. The food wad fantastic and the owner felt like he was your best friend going for a meal in is house who I think was Italian and his name was Franco.
Anyway the food was of the best French tradition, fois gras/ lobster thermidor, crepes suzettes done at your table, the portions generous and the service friendly, but not over the top.
I have yet to find resturant serving this type of French food. Can anyone help? It could be anywhere really, as I like to plan weekends away, with the added bonus of a brilliant menu somewhere.
Recently I went to the Carved Angel in Dartmouth and that was great too, as I had planned our weekend away with this is mind.

Has anyone got a recipe for the above - I don't fancy making it into icecream - my husband fancies it with custard! I can't take it too work - everyone is dieting - otherwise its bird food. Many thanks.

Hi - I've searched everywhere to find a recipe for left over Christmas cake - I have thought of the crumbling it in icecream - but don't fancy it - my husband said serve it with custard! So I'm hoping that someone out there may be able to help - otherwise its bird food! - (I daren't take it to work either - everyone is eating weight watchers soup!) Thanks.

Does anyone know where you can get knives ground in the Bristol area? I used to be able to go to an old fashioned shoe menders but sadly its now closed down. I have steel and carbon ones and have tried a good sharpening block but it never gets the right sharpness (and it takes ages).
Any ideas please?

Thanks Lizzie and Karen, I did think it was the book issue, and I had remembered all of the ingredients except the petit pois. After all receipes aren't always the same are they?......

I notice that Rick Stein has not been included in the chefs lists of programmes. Last weekend there was a weekend of his Food Heroes. I am particulary interested in his receipe for Welsh Salt Marsh rack of lamb with flagolet beans. I think I got most of it (with mad scribbling) but I probably have missed some vital ingredient or something. Can anyone help please?

Nice one!
I hope alls ok with you. Take care
Francesx

Hi Everyone!
I'm back (but only for this week) Where is everyone (like Kirsten and the other guy and the other lady and Slyvie? Have you gone to pastures new... I did log on a couple of weeks ago and none of you were there.. Its different when you want to start a chat with new people.
Any way you may remembert that I did a boned and rolled turkey for Christmas (wrapped in muslin) I am now planning to do the same with a leg of lamb. Any suggestions for a succulent stuffing (no nuts please)Many thanks Francesx

I have all the ingredients ready and waiting, although I have improvised with a tin of foie gras de canard and field mushrooms and brandy (I forgot it should be maderia) please can anyone help v.urgently what I should do next. This is for tonights dinner. I have searched all the other sites with no joy. Thanks to everyone in advance

Happy New year Paul
Any chance of that Stilton Muffin receipe please? As still have loads of blue cheese festering away in fridge! Many thanks.

Oh I just chucked some stuff together! I used some white bread from the bakers, a tin of chestnuts, butter (melted) fresh herbs (a mix of tarragon and sage) fresh lemon juce and zest and whizzed it all up. (oh and a large egg) I didn't want the consistency to be too soft sothat my buthcer (Graham) had to wrestle with it. I made about 1 1/21b and 1 lb was fine for the bird which eventually weighed in at about 7lb.
I noticed with interest about your tortilla receipe. My Spanish friends always used to kind of chip away at the potato (if you know what I mean) it makes your wrists ache but you doget the small bits of potato. We fry the potatoes off and then put them in the egg mixture and then put them back in the pan. I am always amused to see other receipes using precooked potato - it never works properly and youcertainly don't get the nice layery effect.
ps did you get a chance to read Bah Humbug from Aya - I now have a new job and will be starting tomorrow (horray!) Do you ever logon to BBC Food?

Try this make a thick bechamel sacue with seasoning parlsey etc; add 1 tin of crisp sweetcorn and top with puff pastry lid or mash.
Or take a large pan and add some olive oil 2 onions chopped and 2 cloves of garlic and about 2 tablespoons of p flour 2-3 talbespoons of harrisa paste (depending on how hot you like it) and make into roux. Add 2 pints of hot well flavoured stock (turkey carcase ideal) mix well and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes. Add about a 1 lb of turkey meat (chunks if possible) and 1 tin of chick peas about 1 lb of soft cherry tomatoes (skinned if you want) and about 1 1/2 lbs of butter nut squash, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Simmer very gently for about 30-40 minutes till squash is tender. Add 250g of picked over spinach and cook until wilted. Check seasoning. Serve with loads of crusty buttered bread. (very warming now the cold weather is back again) I hope you enjoy it.

Hi Maria
Happy New Year
Just to let you know the turkey was the best ever and I will never try and wrestle with a monster again. The buttered muslin was great - hardly any basting required. Now i wonder if my butcher will do a goose for me this year...

Hi Maria
I used to live near Malaga and have also lived in Majorca and Ibiza. I also lived in Las Palmas when I was 7 for two years Hola! My spoken Spanish is quite good - although am not very good at writing it.
It would be good to make churros but I don't poccess a deep fat fryer and my forcing bag has seen better days! Cooker immaculate by the way (and my back knows it!)

Hi Maria (again) we can't go on meeting like this... No I lived in a city in the west country, so I ought to know better. However most of the farmers sell killer scrumpy and ignore the unfermented juice. I just saw a receipe - Ed Baines from the corner of my eye and he just chucked a glass of wine in the receipe. Why? I noticed he said the alcohol evaporates so whats the point? -or is it just a thing so that all the chefs can have crafty slurps while on TV?

Thanks Maria
I don't know about you I should be getting on with my oven cleaning (I pulled a muscle in my back last week (ouch) but I keep drifting back to these pages - I think I should shut the monitor off and go and get on with it, and finish decorating our tree (and the rest) About the chocolate we used to live in Spain and on Sundays we used to have churros and chocolate with all the Spanish families yum...

Thanks for the tip Maria - the problem is I can't stand the smell of it any more - and not being a drinker I can't justify buying it, and its a shame because some receipes only call for a glass or 2 of wine so I am doomed never to have Coq au vin or flambeed steaks ever again and mostly my favourite beef in guiness. I mean does not the chemistry in alcohol help break down the muscle in the meat etc; and thats why booze is used anyway?