My sister got the local Indian restaurant to cater for her evening guests (plus all those still hungry after a day's partying). It was a resounding success. You can nibble on a samosa for those not really starving. It was a lot less expensive than using the day time caterers.
Hope you have a wonderful day....mind your dress though if you use this idea, curry is pretty hard to get out 
Hi tina
For the rack of lamb. Buy a French trimmed Rack, (fat removed and bones scraped clean). Waitrose and M&S sell them in my neck of the woods. If not ask your butcher to prepare for you, they usually need a little notice.
In a very hot non stick pan, sear your rack/racks on all sides incuding the ends, until you have a nice, deep brown colour (takes at least 5 mins). Then set aside to cool while you prepare the herb crust.
Take some day old bread (ciabatta works well), remove the crusts. You will need approx 100g of bread torn into pieces. You can use any herb combination you want in the crust. I use parsley (large handful) a couple of sprigs of thyme (leaves only) a few needles of rosemary even some basil. Use your nose, whatever smells good for you. Put the lot in the food processor with a finely chopped clove of garlic and pulse until you have all chopped into regular sized pieces. Gradually add a little olive oil to bind the ingredients. You are looking for a sandy, grainy texture. The colour should be a nice bright green.
Season your racks and smear the meat side only with Dijon mustard (quite thickly, as this will make the breadcrumbs stick). Press this side into your breadcrumbs. Keep the bones clear of the mustard etc so you have a nice neat looking rack. Place on baking tray until ready to cook.
To cook, heat oven to 200C and cook for 18mins. This will give you pink lamb. Obviously you will need to adjust this time slightly if your racks are tiny or very large. Leave to rest for five mins, then carve and enjoy. I would serve this with some roasted cherry toms on the vine and some tiny new pots.
David's salmon sounds delicious. I was going to suggest the very same but using white crab meat and maybe a little chopped avocado.
As you like Mangos. I thought of a little cheat pud for you. Puree some alphonso mangoes and stir this puree into some slightly softened, best quality, shop bought vanilla ice cream - so you have a ripple efffect and refreeze. You could then make a biscuit crumb and melted butter base in a cooking ring. Press your mango ripple ice cream on top of this and put back into freezer until ready to serve. You could serve extra mango coulis on the side. I sometimes thin down mango puree with orange juice, which is delicious with vanilla ice cream.
I hope you have the loveliest of evenings. On my first Wedding anniversary I was taking care of my 6 week old son. He is 15 this week!
Congrats too to David for your 40th anniversary. Tina spare a thought for David, he has to shell out for Rubies for his wife and you only have to give paper to your husband!!
All the best both. 
Hi tina_h Congratulations!
Had you thought about recreating the meal you had at your wedding? That would be pretty romantic. If you like the idea, post again and I'm sure lots of people could help point you in the right direction for recipes. I do a mean rack of lamb, which can be prepped in advance and just thrown in the oven last minute.
My advice in general, would be to keep it simple (therefore stress free and not too much washing up), using the best ingredients your budget can run to. Have fun
Thanks again gastro.
It is a strange thing. I have no knowledge of matters electrical, but I do know that the power should have tripped and didn't. Usually it doesn't take a lot to make the power trip in my kitchen (a surplus of electrical gadgets and me multi tasking maybe ) .
All appears back to normal now and my husband said it is safe. When he first had a look at the machine, he said I would need a new one, which you can imagine did not go down too well in this economic climate. Taking it to bits was a kill or cure exercise. Fortunately it worked. But, if you hear in the news, of someone being killed in mysterious circumstances by a kitchenaid, tell my hub he should have got me a new one 
Thank you for your concern gastro 
I was just logging on to spare anyone the bother of posting as the prob is now resoved.
Husband did indeed strip the kitchenaid down and has not a clear idea of what the prob was, there was muttering of "brushes and carbon dust", but he said he was only guessing. WD40 saved the day and me £330. How strange don't you think? I was making some bread using in the kitchenaid, standing in bare feet as one does, when I got my shock. |I told hub that the bowl was live and he came and touched it saying "no its not", so I touched it again thinking I had created some static electricity and I was mistaken, and got another shock. He was wearing rubber flip-flops!! What was also strange was that the bowl was live even when the machine was not running.
Anyway, all back in good order and I gave my muscles a work out making the bread the old fashioned way.
Have a great Sunday gastro and thanks again for your help.
Help! My kitchenaid bowl has become electrified and has given me quite a shock in more ways than one
It is 10 years old, is it worth attempting to have it repaired or should I buy a new one. 
Can you give us a little more information Carol84. Like number of people, whether you want your more 'exotic' dishes to be served with the BBQ or later on, finger food, buffet or sit down? What do you like to eat? Its your day after all. Congrats too
I think it is 100g of butter, 375g Condensed milk, 450g Golden caster sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract, totalpanic....enjoy making it.
Here's hoping I put a link to your blog MaggieW
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Yea
still looks great!
Love your blog CS. I will enjoy reading it in the future....I have added to my favs.
Here you go Lesley. Enjoy
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That should read too sloppy at the bottom and or too heavy at the top.
A combo I use is smoked salmon (trimmings ok to use at the bottom) roughly crushed avocado, then crab meat, then small salad leaves.
Here you are Shearer2.
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Fusspot, lots of ingredients can be stacked up easily using these rings, guacamole, crab meat, smoked or poached salmon, the list is endless. As long as the ingredients are not too sloppy or too heavy at the bottom, you should be ok.
A good tip when using is to put a piece of cling film on the intended bottom of the ring, twist and tighten the ends and wrap around the sides of the ring. I find this useful if I want to make a couple of hours in advance and leave in the fridge to firm up a little.
Happy cooking
Hi Old thatch? Did you get to fly that kite yet?
I rather like this little recipe, in particular using the chocolate transfers. If the white choc fans seem a little daunting you could always decorate prettily with summer fruits or do some simple swirls in dark choc.
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Here is a link for some chocolate transfers.
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In fact if you have a look around this site you will get some further ideas to decorate in your own way.
Good luck
I didn't see the prog Ms E. Was there any reason why they had to be plastic? Could you use the normal metal rings?
Anyway to answer your question, I have used cut up pieces of drain pipe of varying sizes (to suit the recipe). So try B&Q or even better, a plumbers merchants, you can usually sweet talk one of the guys to cut them to size for you
No, it can't be any worse and of course I am being illogical . But it is too close to a body part (toe-nails, etc for me to enjoy cooking it). Ridiculous I know, but for the same reason I can't cook a whole fish, or pick up a dead bird the cat brings in, but will happilly handle, roast and eat a plucked chicken! Ridiculous eh?
Here's a recipe for you. I'm too squeamish to cook them myself . Hoping this helps and good luck. I do believe they are delicious, my husband is often asking me to cook them for him.
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Hi gastro, briefly the rationale for SVing a steak is for even 'doneness', without loss of moisture. Using the precise temperature control of the water bath, the theory is that you cannot over cook the steak. (well I managed to ) You would always sear the steak afterwards to get the desired Maillard reaction. This is in very simple laymans terms (with sincere apologies to chefs and chemists).
What attracted me to cooking steak this way was that if you were cooking steak for lets say 8 people, the steaks could be languishing in the water bath, not spoiling, and I wouldn't be worrying about trying to get the perfect steak on the table with my type of friends and family, who always seem to find something to do when it is about time to sit down to eat. Should I take the hint I wonder?
Jack provided an excellent link by Douglas Baldwin and here is another showing a simple way of trying this at home, with photos of the desired effect.
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All that said, I am cooking steak for a couple of friends tomorrow night and it will not be going anyway near the water bath until I have got the hang of it.
Teenagers and food, gosh, There's the title of an interesting thread. I bet we could all share some thoughts, frustrations and giggles.
Have a great weekend
