Hi Sally

Put the whole batch back in a large pan and bring to a boil, stir gently. Then simmer until the desired consistancy is achieved. Re-pot in clean and sterile jars.

NB: As the liquid reduces there is a risk of burning on the base of the pan, so stir gently.

Good Luck

David

Hi Karen

In the spirit of your suggestion to help each other I have just posted to Tom on Recipes re his request for help with Corned Beef.

Nice idea to try to re-charge this site with more input.

Let us see if it is catching?

Regards

David

Hi Tom

Corned Beef is really salt beef. It was made and distributed in Eire 17th and 18th Century mainly, and it travelled a long long way. That is why you find it in America. The best way to do this a to get a well trimmed Flank of beef and proceed to salt and cure the meat with a dry salt/spice mix for about 10 days. The Corned name refers to the conical shaped salt used on the dish. It is a great dish for a large number of people as it keeps well in the fridge for at least a week. I have a recipe somewhere which I did years ago one Christmas as an evening cold table dish. The meat which is shredded and packing a well flavoured jellied stock is excellent cold and can be reheated to make a classic hash!

If you are interested, I will try to find the recipe, but it may take me a day or two, have not go this one on the computer, still on old fashioned paper.

Hope that helps.

David

It is a pity that this site has changed, it used to be quite good fun and useful too! I suspect that we have moved on or lost interest. The odd post that I make seems to get a smaller response which leads me to think that either I am becoming very boring or other are not interested in responding, or just not there anymore!

MK is not as stimulating as a cookery programme as GFL. Amanda and Mr Forte are nice, but no match for Jennie in the way they handle the guest cooks, some of which are brilliant and some of which are dire!

Well that's my view, hope you are all still awake!

David

Sad news today that Keith Floyd has died aged 65. What a man and what a life! He was a great lover of food, wine and fun. Made money and lost it again and again, but all the time giving cooks like myself an insight into food and wine while being very entertaining. I was lucky to meet him in a London pub off Tottenham Court Road in London one lunchtime back in the 90's, where he was waiting for a TV producer who was late. I offered him a drink which he turned into a bottle and we talked for the 15 minutes it took to empty the bottle. Then he got a message and left with a cheery wave and thanks for the wine. I can see him now. Hope he rests in peace.

David

Hi Rosti,

This has been a long time. Trust you are well and prospering.

David

Hi Jennifer264,

Do not feel too bad, we all get ignored from time to time. It does not mean we are not genuine, interesting people with a passion for food. It means that other people are stuck for something to say.

Am I right in thinking that you have been posting for several years, your name is strangely familiar?

Stay safe and well.

David

Hi murdrobe, good to hear you are on your way again. Sounds like a good opportunity to get the basics right this time so that you will have the skills and experience necessary to advance your culinary career. I like the sound of you learning to fish and forage, good skills to have. It would be worth looking to see what Estates are in your area where they hunt and shoot game. The Grouse season starts on the 12th August. You might be lucky to find an opportunity to act a a beater for a day. It is a good introduction to game shooting and will give you some contact with gamekeepers. Look on the www for grouse shoots and go from there.

Please let us know how things progress.

Good Luck

David

Hi

You have been unlucky in your choice of training. I would suggest that you take a couple of steps back and get in touch with professional cooks in your area. Offer to work for free for a while, ask to be assessed when you have had a chance to work for a day or so. If you are too slow, you may be able to improve by practice. Speed is a matter of several factors, including confidence and being comfortable with your ingredients and tools. You cannot expect to step into a top kitchen until you can demonstrate that you can be a team player who will work and learn.

Good Luck

David

Hi Julie-Ann

I freeze my chillies in small bags and then use straight from the freezer, just chop frozen and go. Seem to last for months although the heat reduces after about 4 months. Or, maybe my taste buds are dying from chilli use. Whatever.

Hope that helps.

David

Hi Posset, I buy my chillies from the South Devon Chilli Farm. I found it by accident a few years ago while on holiday and they are very good. Quality, product and service, either in person or by post very reliable. They make lots of products with the chillies as well as selling the originals, including your chipotle. Apparently, Tom Parker-Bowles is a fan of theirs as well! Nuff said?

Happy tasting!

David

Sounds very tasty. I suspect this is a very local speciality. Might be fun to try to replicate?

My attempt would be to take some Cumberland Sausage mix and some fine diced onions. Soften the onions in a little oil, drain and allow to cool. Spread half of the meat into a small lightly oiled roasting dish, add the onion in one layer and season well, top with remaining meat, brush the surface with a little oil. Oven temp at 190c and cook for about 30 minutes I would guess. Remove and cut into portions, serve in a bap with sauce of choice. Or, serve with fried egg and a grilled large tomato half.

I will have to try this at the weekend to see if it works and is acceptable as a breakfast alternative or supper dish.

David

Hi Pete

In my experience, a Supreme of Chicken is a cut as described. A Chicken Supreme is a Chicken Breast with a Sauce.

But, I would be inclined to come at this problem by another route. Your wedding meal was part of a service provided by the hotel. As such it needs to be 'fit for purpose', in this case a wedding meal is a celebration and a plain chicken breast does not fall into that category. I suspect that the person who took the booking failed to understand the menu and did not explain what you were ordering was a plain breast. Also, the chef has failed in his job as he has not questioned this choice.

If this hotel is part of a large chain I suggest you contact the Managing Director and the Marketing Director with a phone call, followed up by a letter. Ask for a refund on the basis that this food spoiled your special day and caused you both to be upset.

If you do not get a proper response, consider a claim through the Small Claims Court for a refund on the meal or go to the local press and tell your story. This approach is also probably the best way to manage the situation if this is a small private hotel. Of course, try the hotel owner first to see what they will do. Bad press can hit a small business where it hurts.

Hope that helps. Good Luck!

David

Hi Nick

Good to hear you are still around, hope you are well and prospering. Much water has flowed under the bridge of life since we last talked. How is Poole?

Best Wishes

David

Hi Martin

You can use beef or lamb, but neither works as well as pork when cold, (in my opinion). My Auntie Gwenn, proper Welsh she was, used to make a lamb and leek mini pie which was excellent hot, good warm, and a bit chewy cold.

Beef is a staple in this country and goes back further than pork in culinary history. Top of the tree is steak and kidney of course, but in the time of Charles Dickens for example, it was beef and oyster pie which fed the masses. Worth a note that the more opportunist pie men of London were prone to add horse, dog or cat or even kittens to the mix to vary the taste and texture. Cold beef is fine but needs something to bind into as it can be a bit dry.

Pork became popular because it was cheap and available to most. Outside the cities many had a pig to feed and fatten through the year. Once killed and without refrigeration it had to be dealt with within a very short time and every bit was used, hence the pies and brawn. Bacon was cured and hung and hocks were pickled and air dried with the bacon for use in the coming months.

Mouth watering, must go and cook.

Hope that helps.

David

Sounds like you are not leaving the food on long enough and/or the griddle is not hot enough.

I do not wash my griddle in soapy water as it removes too much 'seasoning' coating. try a very hot water wash and a stiff brass brush.

Season as Gastrosuf says, but try repeating the process twice.

David

Hi James

I have no experience of Italian mixed veg being shipped in boxes, but have purchased Amalfi lemons and had them shipped, which worked well.

If I may give advice, try a box as a trial before putting them on your list for a wedding meal. The issue is in the method of transport and the quality on delivery. It is very difficult as a caterer to ensure quality from EU suppliers if you are 'under the cosh' to produce a meal on time and to menu.

My neighbour in Cavaillon has been buying produce from Spain, under the counter, the locals would go mad if they found out. He ordered oranges earlier this year and had two deliveries, one was on spec, the other was fit to dump. Supplier blames the transport company etc etc, and off you go.

Hope this rambling reply helps.

David

Hi Lesley,

Some years ago I was asked to make a large pork pie for a Boxing Day supper party with a VIP attending. Consequently, I spent much time finding a recipe to fit the event, we were feeding 12. I tried family and friends on the results and the overall top vote was for Gary Rhodes recipe, which was in his New British Classics book. It works well every time and although I have modified it a little over the years, by accident or design it has never failed to please.

Tell your Mum, I have made this pie 21 times and it only failed once, because of a faulty tin. Use a spring form tin and all will be well and take your time, it is not something to be rushed, the results are the reward for the effort.

Good Luck

David

Hi Rachel

I lightly oil and season an oven tray, place the mushrooms top down onto the tray, lightly drizzle olive oil onto the mushrooms and season.

Place in the oven at 220c until the mushrooms just start to wilt as the juices flow from them. This process gives an intense mushroom flavour by reducing the water content while retaining the shape.

Alternative method is to slice the mushrooms and put into a very hot pan with a splash of olive oil, season and toss over medium to high heat until they start to brown and wilt. As the water comes out you will notice that the sizzle noise decreases, this is the time to take them off the heat, add a lump of butter and some chopped parsley, stir in and serve on hot granary toast. A favourite breakfast!

With either method, the trick is to reduce the liquid which is expelled during cooking to the point that you have only a little left.

Enjoy

David

Hi Ruth,

Sounds as though you have started having contact with something new in your kitchen. Cleaning fluids and washing up liquids are a constant problem if you have sensitive skin.

Posset has given you a good alternative. One of my daughters is a GP and has recommended this type of glove for my use.

I would seek the advice of a Dermatologist as this sort of problem can often be cleared up without too much hassle.

Finally, your name suggests you may be in France. If so, check out carefully the washing chemicals you are touching. We have a house in France and my wife has had problems with washing powders causing an allergic reaction. She is not usually sensitive to chemicals, and on these occasions a change of product solved the problem.

Hope this helps and that you get some relief soon.

David

Hi Bashir,

It is fine to use Aluminium pans for chutney. As you know chutney originated in India and was produced in any pan available. Stainless steel is post WW2 and in the world of chutney making, a relative new-comer!

I make tomato chutney each Autumn in an Aluminium pan of vast proportions, given to me by my Mother-in-Law after a lifetime of cooking. It works fine.

Hope that helps.

David

I know that if our dog eats freshly baked bread he suffers from wind. Is that the same as bloating! I know cows get bloated if they eat too much new grass, is it the same for humans with wheat products? I know that adverting executives make money from selling bloating as a female condition, but as yet have never met a bloated or bloating female.

That friends is all I know about bloating. Love bloaters Barry!

David

Hi Hilary. I have 2 non-cooking friends who have the Panasonic bread maker. It seems to produce good results. Although if you cost it against using your hands or a food processor and a bit of oven time it seems an expensive way to get bread.

David

Hi Mrs Woof Woof

I started off without the saltpetre, but found the colour raised comments from eaters. It is only there to preserve the colour as it is the common salt which provides the cure. My view? Worth the effort.

Hope that helps.

David

Hi Robert

I use 2 teaspoons of Saltpetre (potassium nitrate) mixed into 1kg coxxxx salt for curing belly pork for use as bacon. It is in the recipe to help keep the colour of the meat. I generally have no problem with approaching my local pharmacy, show them the recipe if necessary. It is such a small amount that it seems to be ok for them to sell. If you have a good butcher, he could let you have a small amount.

Good luck

David

Hi Sally

My method is as follows and works every time.

Oven to 220c, cheese at room temp, unwrapped. Slice top off cheese and return to box, insert thin slivers of garlic or dot a few thyme leaves on the point of a knife. Place cheese on a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes (ish) until top is browning and melted. Serve with bread stick or biccys or anything you would eat with cheese, like celery sticks.

Well that is my lunch sorted today, can't go out, snowed in!

Enjoy

David

Hi

The Michel Roux Jnr recipe is close to the one I use. It is the ice cream of choice of a Son in Law. I use 50/50 mix of Jersey milk and Double Cream, otherwise, use the best eggs you can get and off you go.

Good Luck

David

Hi Gemma

I freeze liver on a regular basis, it is fine in the freezer for about a month in my view. I also make my own liver pate and that freezes well for about the same time. Posset is right in all she says and you can buy frozen chicken livers in Waitrose, so overall I think you will be fine with frozen liver or products.

David

rapped??? Sorry brain is dead!

Wrapped!

David

I freeze horseradish and grate what I need from frozen. Keeps fine for a couple of months well rapped and does not seem to loose much power.

If you find it is not strong enough, add a little Wasabi paste to your final sauce. It clears the head wonderfully!

David

Try a Maltaise sauce.

Fine zest of a blood orange into the juice of 2 blood oranges into a quantity of Hollandaise sauce. Looks pink tastes wow!

David

Treat is as your would for standard pasta. I tried this last year as an experiment and found it was not received as well as classic pasta, but as with most things in life, it is a matter of personal taste.

David

Hi Mary,

Nice to hear from you, assume you are still warm and tanned in OZ. It must be hell out there with all that seafood and sun and barbies and tinnies and, no must stop this. I am very jealous.

My Niece has one more year to go at UNI in Sydney, we hope to go for her graduation, I can hardly wait.

It would be nice to hear from you about your cooking, even if we cannot be 'live' anymore.

Best of Luck and a very Happy Christmas to you.

David

Well done Old Thatch for the idea!

Personally, I have never felt unsafe on these boards, but have to say I have not heard much friendly chat over the last year or so. Maybe it is my age?

My answer to your original question is 'Probably'! But, what is missing is hard to define.

David

Nice comments Terry. Wishes sometimes happen!

David

I am still here, but agree that this site is not the place it was. I was trying to remember when I started posting, lost the records when the site re-organised a few years ago, but I think it is 5 years! Time flies nes pas?

David

Hi, I don't know H F-W's recipe, but when I use a wet cure I tend to use within a couple of weeks if kept in the fridge. I am told that it will keep for much longer but have not experienced anything beyond a month.

David

It is the strength of the cure that is important. Just make sure that you make up enough to cover your joint, you may have to use the full recipe, even though you are curing a smaller joint.

Good luck, it is well worth the effort.

David

We make several Dundee style, booze laced cakes around this time of year for gifts for family and friends. Last year one of the cakes was not used and was left, well wrapped for 6 months. It tasted fine and was enjoyed by several people with no ill effects. If yours is well wrapped and sealed in icing and marzipan I would remove both back to the cake and then cut a piece from the base and try it. All being ok tastewise you can then recover it with fresh icing etc.

David

Hi Paul, beg, borrow or buy an oven thermometer and check that the temperature is right for the oven setting, it is quite common for ovens to run at a different temperature to what was set.

Also, where in the oven are you placing the chips? The reason I ask is that gas ovens run very hot until they are up to temp and if you are using the top shelf before the oven is up to temp that could burn the chips. If your oven heats from under the base of the oven, chips placed too near the base will also tend to burn in the period that the oven is heating.

Try waiting 30 minutes from startup before putting a few chips in and see if that cures the problem.

Hope that helps.

David

Am not cooking turkey this year as we have run out of feather wrapped bricks!

However the site Posset recommended is very good, they really care about their birds and it shows in the finished product.

David

Hi Spreeny, I find that this mix works well. Remember to give it 15 minutes out of the freezer before scooping. If you use it straight from an ice cream machine it is truly 'soft scoop'.

David


• 7 large egg yolks
• 100ml runny honey

• 300ml double cream
• 300ml full fat milk
• 100ml runny honey

METHOD:

Beat first 2 ingredients in a bowl until well mixed.

Put last 3 ingredients into a saucepan and whisk together, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour half into egg/honey mix, briefly beat together. Pour this mix back into saucepan and stir over a low heat until mix coats back of spoon.

Remove from heat and cool before churning and freezing.

A member of my family is considering oak worktops in his new kitchen. Can I have some views please to pass on to him. He is very taken with the look of oak and wants to have a rustic look to his kitchen.

Thanks in advance.

David

Hi Jack, try the Cuisinart ICE range, they do one for about £100 which will fit your budget and produces a good result. Shop around for the best deal.

Good Luck

David

Hi Jacko, I have replied!

David

Hi Jacko, if you are into ice cream and sorbets then your own machine is a great idea. I have a Gelato Chef 2000 which has given years of good service but which I suspect is now over your budget. The machines available break down into two types, with and without a compressor. The former are in effect a mini freezer similiar to the one in your kitchen, they are heavy and not good to move around as it can damage the internals. The latter type consists of a bowl which is pre-frozen in your domestic freezer, removed and the mix added it is attached to a motor on a stand which holds said bowl and churns the mix.

Prices start at about £30 for these.

Hope that helps. Happy freezing!

David

Hi Sarah, this is my version of Minestrone. You can leave out the bacon and add some Borlotti beans instead. Enjoy!

David

Minestrone

Ingredients:
• 2 large onions
• 6 cloves garlic
• 3 celery stalks
• 3 carrots
• diced smoked bacon or lardons
• 4 medium tomatoes
• small pack thin green beans
• half Savoy cabbage or 2 leeks
• 2 pints stock (chicken, beef, veal or veg)
• tin cannelli beans – drained
• good handful of frozen peas
• 2 good handfuls of small pasta shapes (see note)
• red pepper pesto, small jar, or tom puree
• handful of chopped parsley
• ciabatta bread
• grated parmesan
• salt and milled black pepper
• olive oil

Method:
Chop first 4 ingredients into small dice and sauté in large pan with olive oil and bacon dice until softened, 10 minutes on low/med heat. Add minimum of 2 pints of stock, bring to boil then reduce to simmer for 45 minutes, lid on.

Skin deseed and chop toms. Top and tail beans and chop into small lengths. Slice half cabbage in half and then fine shred, or fine shred leeks. Add to pan with peas and can of beans. Add pasta and simmer 15 minutes.

To finish:
Add red pepper pesto or tom puree, chopped parsley and season. Serve with ciabatta and grated parmesan

Notes: For authentic finish using pasta, take dried spaghetti and place in cloth, roll up cloth and holding both ends firmly draw over edge of table 5/6 times to break into small strands.
This soup is based on rough amounts and benefits from adaptation to suit the individual. It will keep in a fridge for at least a week or will freeze for one month. Reheat to a simmer, cook for 10 minutes.

Hi Dawn. Try bringing a syrup made from equal quantities of caster sugar and water to a boil, drop in your fruit slices and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the slices and place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and put into a low oven - 50c for 8 hours or until crisp. Obviously, drying time will be effected by the thickness of the fruit slices. If they are wafer thin they may be ready sooner than the above time.

Good Luck

David

The New Angle in Dartmouth is very good value and the food is excellent. Chef Patron is John Burton Race

A great pub with good food is The Green Dragon in Stoke Fleming, opposite the church. Peter and Alix Crowther.

David

Hi Danzan

John Lewis is very good for most kitchen stuff and they have a good policy if things go wrong. You can look and buy on-line.

Nisbets are also good, fast efficient service and good pricing.

Remember that you need to be clear about what you are looking for and what level of quality you require, as catering suppliers are sometimes oriented more to price than durability.

Hope that helps! Are you missing the USA?

David

Hi Jocaster,

Oops! Always use a stand for hot pots. Granite will mark, but you should be able to polish it out. I suggest you call your local stone mason for advice, he will give the best advice. Your supplier should have left you with some care advice as well.

Good luck

David

Hi Posset

All I got back was 'use your common sense, it is not rocket science'!

Glad to see you have a surfeit of the same!

I think it is up to everyone to experiment and find their own solution. I for one will add a note to my own book. Maybe the publisher will have a view on how to approach this issue, I will ask.

Happy setting.

David

I understand the reason for the revised size was to give more control over amounts! Somebody did not think this through as the above comments illustrate.

As to the problem. As an example where 2 sheets are specified and assuming this is not a new recipe I would apply the following:

25 div by 8 = 3.125 x 2 = 6.25g
25 div by 15 = 1.666 x 3.75 = 6.25g

I 'Ghost Write' recipes from time to time and have just e-mailed my most recent client to ask what he suggests. If I get a sensible reply I will post it.

David

Hi Katherine. Final thought, try making your own. It was originally produced in farm kitchens. As I understand the process take unpasteurised milk, in France what else? Add some whipping cream (2 parts milk to 1 part cream) and blend. Leave to stand at room temp for 8 hours, then heat very gently until the skin or clots form, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Skim and keep cold. Will last for 3-4 days.

Might try this myself.

David

Hi Katherine, I think I have seen Cornish Clotted Cream on sale in Intermarche or ATAC. My local supermarkets in Cavaillon are LeClerc and Auchan, both of which are good for 'odd' produce from time to time. If you have a good Deli they may be able to help. My Neighbour, who is Italian says that she has seen Clotted Cream on sale in Paris. Not a lot of help I know.

As to the French not allowing PDO produce into the country, I cannot understand as they are massive importers of products like Parmesan and Cavaillon is twinned with Parma. We have a celebration each year around the melon harvest when both products are consumed by the respective Mayors' and attending masses.

Good Luck.

David

Hi K80. I have frozen clotted cream in small quantities and for no longer than a couple of weeks. Generally, cream does not freeze well.

As to clotted cream, it is a product of the British West Country, Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. I have found something similar in Creme Epaisse, but technically this is a double cream. I have seen Cornish Clotted Cream in France, where it has PDO status, which the French respect as they protect many of their products using similar processes.
I understand that you can buy Clotted Cream by mail order direct from some UK suppliers.
Hope that helps.David

Hi Animal. Yes a steel wok. You need a Chinese wholesaler for the woks. They sell everything used in the food prep way, knives, woks, pans, strainers etc..

David

Hi Animal. Find out where your local Chinese get their wholesale ingredients from. Go there and buy your wok. It will need degreasing and then seasoning with groundnut oil. I have never spent more than £20 on a wok and they last for years. Just purchased a small flat based one for single meals for my Granddaughter and that cost £6. Remember that once you have seasoned the wok you do not use soap or anything else to clean it. Hot water and a brush does the business.

Good Luck

David

Hi kiwi-cook, I am not a fan of freezing dairy products as they are very prone to splitting due to their high water content. My local supermarket in Cavaillon (Leclerc) usually has coolwhip or similar.

However, if you are freezing for a short time, ie., to firm up a recipe you should be able to get away with a high fat cream.

It would be interesting to hear how you solve the problem.

Good Luck.

David

Hi Barry, another good idea, have asked for advice, will let you know how it goes.  Think I might try Rick as well.  Fruits de mere is, or was one of his specials.  My Son in Law had to ask for 'doggy bag', claiming he would eat it for breccy.  Much to our surprise, he did!

Have just had a week in Dartmouth. John B-R is open again at the New Angel.  Food is as good as ever, nice flexible menu, like it a lot.

Talk soon.

David

Hi Ekay, I seem to remember that Jersey farmers used to spread seaweed on the land before planting. It would seem possible that the EEC has banned this practice and if true that may be the reason for the change in flavour, which I agree it not as good as it was.

David

Hi Flo, I am very impressed that a Uni Student is up and working at 0657! What is your secret? My three had no trouble at the end of the day, but early starts were a no no!As to your question. It is a gray area legally. Ownership of recipe is very hard to prove in law as there are almost no totally original recipes. That said, Heston B at Bray is an example of new approaches with common ingredients and he could probably argue with some success that he is unique in the way that he prepares a particular dish.The main problem is that even if you marketed your fish curry in this country you would only be protected here if you could link the recipe to the brand name. As soon as you start to export the dish you run the risk of copies being made and in the case of India, fighting your case in the courts would be lengthy and you probably will not win.Your best bet would be to ask the company what they intend to do with your recipe and ask for a payment if they use it. Your best approach here is probably a one off payment as you will have no way of checking how much is sold if they market it.

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but if you put yourself in the place of this company and then work out what you would offer an aspiring cook for a recipe, you will probably see how you will be treated. Good LuckDavid

Hi Grisinni, using butter excludes the air and if freezing helps to reduce granulation and discolouration. I use clarified butter.

David

Hi chantilly42,

As a general rule I do not freeze pate as I think it is at it's best when made a couple of days before use. With the pot sealed with melted butter it keeps for several days in the fridge.

That said, there is no reason why you should not freeze. I am assuming that you are not making a large quantity and that you cook your livers. Put your pate to freeze in a small pot, top with melted butter and refrigerate until cold. Double wrap in cling film and freeze and keep for no longer than a month. When you defrost, do so in the fridge.

Hope that helps.

David

Hi Barry, Just to let you know that I tried your idea for Diamonds de Mare on my client and they loved it. I am experimenting with sea ice and ice from a still source to get a small clear chip of ice which will last for 45 minutes at room temp. It looks like dry ice may be the answer to super-cool the ice chips. Will let you know when I have the answer. RegardsDavid

Hi Posset,

Induction hobs are useful, but I would not have them as my prime cooking medium, mostly for the reasons Gastrosurf outlines. I find a stand alone unit is best for most kitchens and uses, with gas hobs as prime source of heat. On the professional side, Mike Robinson at the Pot Kiln has a small kitchen and uses one separated from his cooking range, since he cooks excellent tasty food, I guess it makes the point that an Induction Hob is a useful tool.

Final point, they do go wrong and can be a pain to get fixed, get a good insurance plan.

David

Hi Sarah, try putting the thermometer on the middle shelf position, the air flow across the base of the oven may give a false reading.

Regards

David

Hi Sarah, One of my ovens is Neff Circotherm and it sounds as though you may have a problem with understanding your conversion tables.

200c Circotherm is equivalent to 250c conventional.
190 = 230
180 = 220
170 = 200
160 = 185
150 = 160
140 = 150
130 = 140
120 = 130
110 and below is the same temp in both modes.

I suggest you buy an oven thermometer, they are not expensive and check you temp ranges. Beyond that I would talk to the manufacturer.

As to use, I have had mine for several years and it works very well.

Hope that helps and good luck in the future.

David

I like the idea of taking one book in emergency. I have a lot of books collected during decades of cooking, but if I had to grab and run it would have to be one I am using at the moment. Probably Patricia Wells 'At home in Provence'. What a decision to have to make! Mind you I would never forgive myself if I left behind my own recipe notebook, all that trial and error gone to waste!

Hi Vince

Not something I would do. Make it from fresh in 20 minutes, it would take that long to defrost and reheat. Also, I am not happy about freezing scrambled egg mixes or pasta for that matter.

David

Hi Cheese&Onion,

The best comment I can make is based on the SMEG range my daughter specified for her new kitchen a few years ago. It has six gas burners and two electric ovens, one very large. Apart from an element failure within 6 months it has been faultless. We have cooked food for 30 on it without a problem, including a rotisserie roast in the small oven.

A friend has just installed an Aga which mixes gas hobs, with electric fan oven as well as the conventional Aga hotplates and ovens. It is brilliant for welcome home warmth! But I note your comment! Not to all tastes.

We have a Lacanche Range in France. Came with the house and is still giving excellent service after many years! The factory is not too far from us, but I have not yet found time to visit. Our neighbors went last year and ended up buying a new range to replace their 25 year old, which was still working well. Paul said he could have had a new car for the same money, his daughter pointed out that you cannot enjoy a car all the time and in all weathers. Nuff said!

Whatever you choose, good luck and enjoy your cooking.

David

Hi Steph

You may find it as Barbados sugar. Basically, Muscovado sugar is a fine grain purified raw sugar. It can range in colour from honey blonde to dark brown. If you cannot get it, try a dark refined brown sugar which will have a larger grain size and be less moist.

Good Luck

David

Hi Chef

James Knight at Selfridges Food Hall and Harrods Food Hall both sell Mussels. If you have a Waitrose near you, they also have rope grown Mussels. I suggest you phone first to check and reserve your order as they all sell out most mornings.

David

Hi specialC.

A couple of questions for you. How long are you catering for? Are you proposing to run a production line? This is possible if you are catering for a longer period and it allows you to do some hot canapes. You could for example do mini Yorkshire puddings filled with rare beef and gravy. Or, hot prawn in pastry.

I recently catered canapes for 100 guests for 1 hour, which worked out at 600 canapes. These were broken down into fish, meat, vegetarian, cheese and lastly savoury. If I had been asked to do this for 2 hours it would have meant 900, but I would have gone on to some hot for the second hour.

Sounds like fun. What is the event?

David

Vanilla Honey is vanilla blended with honey. Nice flavour! I make an ice-cream in which I replace caster sugar with honey and add vanilla seeds.

Hope that helps.

David

I would use 12g of dried yeast to substitute for 30g of fresh.

Gastrosurf. It is good to hear that I am not alone in forgetting those things which I should not forget and instead remembering trivia. One of these days soon I expect to experience a 'Groundhog Day'. All part of life's rich pageant I suppose.

David

What a good memory you have gastrosurf.

Hi Mike

It is wrong, as you cannot get oil to 400c without a fire starting! I do not know what Ed is proposing, but I cook chips at 150c until just coloured and then at 190c to finish.

As a general guide, most deep fryers heat to 200c. If you are heating oil until it smokes, it is approaching it's flash point at which it will catch fire without warning.

Hope that helps.

David

Hi Barry

I understand the pastry is hot water type, similar to that used for authentic pork pies. My source is life long eater at Manzes in Tower Bridge Road, London. He is in his late 80's and has it at least once a week, says it keeps his joints supple!

David

Thanks Barry!

Happy Holiday Cornetto and Rosti.

I was asked to cook a brisket of beef yesterday as a challenge! You know the game, low cost meal for 10, make it taste good and of course Yorkshire Puddings. I roasted it at 180 for 2 hours on a bed of onions, celery and a head of garlic.

Thinking of you and all the other posters as I drink at toast to the coming Spring.

David

Hi Rosti, I have just read the link! How time flies.

Yes, my advice remains the same. It is worth noting that these hams benefit from slow cooking in a moist environment. So it is probably better to use a pot to cook it in rather than an oven. I sometimes cook a ham in a large pot, covered with cider, nothing too strong or you will alter the taste of the brining process too much. Then add some rough chopped celery, onion and carrot and a good handful of parsley stalks. Season with some black pepper corns, a few bay leaves, but no salt. Bring to a boil, skim and reduce heat to a low simmer, calculate cooking time from this point. Allow 25 minutes to the lb (for our American friends) and cook for two thirds of the total time calculated. Remove from heat, cover and leave in the pot to cool.

Serve warm or cold with an optional parsley sauce or a mustard sauce.

Hope that helps SpudsnSalsa?

David

Hi CJ,

I agree with your comments. The problem seems to be that the mass of the dough is too great for the strength of the mould. I was given some to try and found them very good for small items, but loaf size is as you say.

David

Visit your local Waitrose and look at the Patisserie section. M&S do a fair range of puds and the like. Hide the packaging and serve with a flourish on your own crockery. No one will know.

Thanks Barry. Half the kitchen out, my nearly worst nightmare.

My solution to colds and the like is a face mask, which is a tip I got from working with some Japanese a few years ago. They do not use the pocket handkerchief either, tissues instead. Makes sense when you think about it, not to put a bit of wet and infected rag back into your pocket for next time.

Sushi time methinks!

Morning to you Barshedale. I agree about the Fashion Jewellery point, but more because of the risk of bits, stones and the like dropping off.

Clarissa Dickson-Wright has always maintained that it doesnt make a lot of difference , wearing rings, as long as your basic board usage and process for handling raw ingredients is good.

I sometimes think that we are over regulated about clean food prep. But, then I think of the number of times I have heard food poisoning stories from visitors to 'abroad'. A Son in Law was in Budapest last week and got nailed by some undercooked chicken in a highly coloured sauce. Was it undercooked? Was it contaminated? Who knows, either way it gave him an entertaining 36 hours. His description.

Question for you. What would you do about a key worker who turns up for work with a cold?

Have a good day!

David

In most kitchens, there are far worse things on people and prep/cooking areas than a bit of jewellery. Like that stupid and thankfully now withdrawn commercial which suggested that a chopping board had more bacteria on it than a loo seat, we can take the 'germ' thing too far. Keep as clean as possible and don't mix ingredients when preparing is sound advice which was given to me many years ago. It works!

That said, I would not have anyone who had been admitted to hospital back in my kitchen without rigorous anti-bacterial cleaning. MRSA is alive and spreading!

David

Personal favourite is J. Kit Burress aka "Little Fox". Fry bread to die for!

What is your favourite phrase Olive? Mine is 'interesting'. Apparently!

Depends on the kitchen. I have been in a London M.starred kitchen with a top chef with who was very hairy with no hat. You have to remember that a pro kitchen is very hot, often over 40c at full force. It is difficult to remember to keep your hands off your face to wipe the sweat, let alone worry about the hair. Hats make you hotter as the body loses the largest amount of heat through the head. After 10 hrs minimum per night, 16 plus if you run to lunches as well, everything is wet and sticky! Or do I mean icky?

Used to spend a lot of time in Oxford. Fortunately, our daughters have graduated and can now afford to treat us! I agree Oxford is not packed with good value eateries, I think it is because of the high tourist throughput and the locals views on the student population. A little research by your daughter might be worth a try. If she asks the college staff the right questions, she may well find places you would like.

When you want a special meal, try The Lemon Tree. It is a bit more pricey but very good food and a wide choice. Graduation imminent?

Good Luck

David

Try the The White Hart at Wytham. Good food all week, from a sandwich to a full 3 course meal. Sunday roasts are excellent.

David

Hi Mark,

Sounds like the pasta is too thin. But, if you can't get it to work for cutting, try rolling the pasta to the into sheets as before, then roll the sheet along the long side into a sausage shape and cut with a sharp knife. This allows you to vary the thickness to suit your recipe. When cut, just shake out the ribbons of pasta.

Good Luck

David

Hi Griff,

Guess you need to keep looking for a better coloured yolk. My supplier is real free range, in a field about 100 chickens etc. The commercial free range are quite pale in colour by comparison. Also, I would use up to 4 egg yolks, leave out the whole egg, for your amount of flour.

Good Luck

David

Hi Jake,

Ginger is grown in India in Kerala. I suggest you look at Indian recipes, but suspect you may only find a chutney made with it.

Your problem in wanting a marmalade without fruit is the lack of pectin to set it.

Why do you want it this way?

David

Hi Sophs,

I agree with you. But, one main supermarket admitted that it sold £2m worth or 'ready meals' last year.

One of my family admitted to using them as she gets in from work early evening from an 11hr day and just can't face cooking. I am getting her onto a vac pac machine so she can make her own.

Trouble is, there are many in this world who have no desire to cook and it is they who give JCN and others the revenue opportunity.

Final point, I recently cooked for a charity shoot and was offered 100 beef burgers. Frozen last year and not UK sourced. Why? Cheap!!!

Sorry

David

Hi Griff,

Look for a top quality free range organic eggs.

No offence taken Old Thatch.

Just a note for you on frozen Seville oranges. I returned from a trip to France a few years ago to find my freezer full of them. Good friend spotted them in market and knew I would have brought them, had I been there. May I suggest that when you de-frost them you make sure that they are not touching. I left them in bags and they got very soft very quickly. I think this might have been due the expansion and contraction of the ice crystals in the fruit.

On chutney. Sounds like you are another keen producer. What is oldest you have? My current batch is 06 and getting very tasty. The oldest I have ever had was a batch made in 98, a jar of which was hidden and forgotten in the cold dark place I keep goodies in. It was opened in 2005, and was very good, my independent tasters, i.e. not family or close friends loved it.

Cheers to you too!

David

You are right Old Thatch, I do enjoy giving pleasure with food. It is why I cook. That and a desire to be 'in charge'! Control freak me? Probably yes, but only in the kitchen, I think, I hope!

Also, I was trying to answer the question posed by Nora R in the original post.

Happy Cooking

David

Have just made the 2008 batch. 6lb of Seville Oranges, 4 lemons, 12lb sugar, 12 pints of water. Standard process. Lovely result which will last till next year, if I am lucky.

What surprises me is that when friends and relatives know I have made a batch, they beg for some and when consumed say things like 'that was lovely, much better than shop brought'. When I ask why they don't make some, I get the excuses which range from no time, through too much work to don't eat enough to make it worthwhile.

How do we get more people to make marmalade? Maybe we should teach them how to make bread and then get them to try home made marmalade on the toasted result?

David

Hi Gastrosurf.

I find myself in total agreement with you. Your argument is hard to counter. Bet the marketing people at Tesco et al would not enjoy a public discussion on your points.

JO is a good bloke who seems genuine in his desire to source good food from approved suppliers. But, what happened in his Cornwall operation is a good example of reality at work. I suspect to keep costs down his buyer found a supermarket doing a deal on cheap chicken and grabbed it with both hands. Just like the mother on Hugh F-W's programme, who cried when shown how battery chickens were being kept, but still went for 2 for £5 at the local Tesco. Got to keep the costs down is the argument.

Mitch 36.
I suspect this will all end in tears one day. Maybe when bird flu evolves into a real killer of humans. Probably introduced via turkey meat products, since the virus seems to like turkeys.

David

I do not see how we can make a fair and reasonable judgement on food suppliers and supermarkets when the true costs of production are so vague.

I know a UK butcher who was approached last year by a supplier offering top quality British chickens. By top quality I mean Poulet de Bresse quality, the French No1 free range chickens, fed some grain but allowed to roam in fields to forage for food. Their production and name protected by law.

These British birds retailed at £25each. He tried a dozen and sold out in a morning! Now he has a regular supply of birds and customers.

For comparison purposes you can buy Bresse chickens for around £15 in France. They tend to be about £3 per kg more than standard free range birds.

Now to my point, each UK supplier I have spoken to about birds gives a different price for a similar bird. At first I thought it was just market forces, but am not sure of this as it seems the cost of production varies by quite a lot depending on where you are located. Add to this transport and storage and it seems to me that offers like 2 for £5 make no commercial sense, beyond getting people into the shop.

In the UK it seems that the commercial interests override all and the truth is hidden by corporate marketing and PR speak.

What I am trying to get at is that if we do not know the true cost of production we cannot be in a position to judge if we are being overcharged.

Finally, as a personal example of UK pricing, I buy my free range eggs from a small local supplier at £1per doz. He sells his old birds for the pot at £3 each.

Not sure where this takes the discussion, but hope it was useful.

David

Produced 1986-87. Released 1987.

T&G ceramic grind salt and pepper mills. Life time support and replacement FOC in the event of failure. I have sent one back in 10years and it was replaced at no charge within 10 days. All my family use them every day.

I make my Pretzels and then dip in a pan of boiling water which is salted to the same amount as for pasta. Remove, drain and sprinkle with sea salt crystals. Works every time.

Hi Fuss Pot.

Any quality stewing beef is good. I use a mix of Chuck, Top Rib and Topside. I marinade for 24 hrs if I have time. 3kg is generous for 10.

Liverbird has a great idea with Apple. How about a classic Tarte Tatin?

Looking forward to your final result.

David

Hi edd 1996

Make some Chilli oil for future use?

250ml olive oil, not extra virgin. handful of small chillies. Lay chillies between two sheets of clingfilm and crush gently with a rolling pin or similar, not too hard, you are just breaking the skin. Pop chillies into bottle and top with oil. Leave in a cool dark place for at least 1 week, will keep for ages.

If you want a spicy herb oil, as above but also put into the bottle 4 of each of, sprigs of thyme, rosemary and bay leaves with a teaspoon of fennel seeds and one of mixed pepper corns.

NB: BE careful of the chillies when bottling, the oil will stay on your hands for a long time and the pain is exquisite if you touch the wrong places.

Enjoy

David

Hi Fuss Pot.

We eat large hearty meals at this time of year when in Southern France as the weather can be very English. Today we have a light wind with rain and a temp of 11c. I suggest a soup to start. Onion, properly made with good beef stock is very acceptable, as is a roasted tomato soup.

For main we tend to eat beef, pork or lamb. A beef Daube or if you have the time a pork Cassoulet! For lamb we tend to go for a large leg 2.5 / 3kg roasted with herbs will feed 10 / 12 with ease. If you go for a Daube or the lamb try a dish of Gratin Dauphinois alongside. Big benefit of these beef and pork dishes is that they are actually better if made the day before, makes for a much more relaxed service! Remember, plenty of bread to mop up the juices!

Bon Appitite

David

My quick thoughts on this are as follows:

There is a culture of poor service which blights parts of this country. There is no point in the kitchen preparing excellent food if the service to the customer is indifferent. Moreover, there are too many gifted chefs who are ground down by the overheads and pressures of running a business, quality inevitably suffers. Lastly, the Great British Public are fickle, today fish is the thing to eat, tomorrow chicken and the day after beef. Throw in those with eating disorders, both real and imagined and you start to see some of the key problems associated with feeding strangers.

My quick thoughts on this are as follows:

There is a culture of poor service which blights parts of this country. There is no point in the kitchen preparing excellent food if the service to the customer is indifferent. Moreover, there are too many gifted chefs who are ground down by the overheads and pressures of running a business, quality inevitably suffers. Lastly, the Great British Public are fickle, today fish is the thing to eat, tomorrow chicken and the day after beef. Throw in those with eating disorders, both real and imagined and you start to see some of the key problems associated with feeding strangers.

Hi Arthur. Thanks for the comments.

I have been married for 38 years and have three children. Would I be flattered by being chased by a younger female? Yes of course I would. Would I do anything more than that? No, too much to lose!

I think Victoria is right as a lot of what we see in the industry is EGO! Have met and know some of the top chefs and know and have worked with many lesser names, gastro pubs, small eateries etc.. Some are great personalities and some are so full of 'it' that they cannot see what a pain they are. There is a place for firm control in any kitchen, they are dangerous places and as I have shown elsewhere it is all to easy to lose money with sloppy practices. But that is no excuse for bullying!

InsideR, you are right about business executives, it all comes down to opportunity and temptation. Before I sound like too much of a perfect male, I have been tempted over the years and almost slipped over the edge! Phew!

David

Hi Penny Baker. Sad but true. Current figures show that 60% fail in the first 12 months of trading and of the remaining 40% a further 60% fail in the second year.

Partly this is down to inept concept, pandering to minorities and food fads. But the main reason is the unless you control your costs all the time, manage waste in the prep, cooking and service, have a firm policy on 'no shows' and watch who is opening near you, failure is just around the corner.

Final thought, having a proactive accountant is a great help too!

David

Hi Emma.

Fine dice veg of your choice. I use leeks, carrots and celery with a little onion. Saute them in a little oil or butter for 5 minutes and then cook with the diced cooked chicken in a little chicken stock, enough to cover for 15 minutes.

Use ready rolled puff pastry and cut a thin strip to go on the edge of your dish. Wet dish edge with beaten egg and press pastry strip on, then brush again. Fill dish with the veg/chicken mix, which you have allowed to cool until warm and top with pastry. Push down on edges and crimp with the back of a fork. Oven to 220c, cook pie for 30-40 minutes till brown and crisp.

NB: If you cannot get ready rolled and have to roll Puff. Make it 5mm thick and allow to relax for 15 minutes, covered in fridge, before using.

If you can be bothered, this type of pie looks good in individual dishes.

Enjoy! David

Hi wee vik. Sounds like you need this like a hole in the head at Christmas?

Just off the top of my head I would buy some quality venison sausages and remove the casing. Roll each sausage into a ball and then roll the ball in a fine dice of garlic and thyme. Make your yorkshire puddings in the usual way, but when poured drop a meat ball into the centre of each pudding and commence cooking. When you serve, pour some gravy into each pudding.

Finally, I use a muffin tin for yorkies as they get very tall. If you do that the meat ball will be a real surprise under the gravy.

Good Luck

David

Hi does the cooking.

Try putting your chicken pie mix in a suitable dish and top with ready rolled Puff Pastry. That is what the Gastro Pubs tend to do, it works every time.

Final tip, check the temp of your oven is up before you cook. Some electric ovens can take up to 45minutes to get to a high temp.

Good Luck

David

Haggis, venison, game birds....bland?

Take your point on the overpriced though!

David

Not enough info to be certain on time as need to know the weight and overall size. Is it in foil, it is shop brought? Cooking in a bain marie should work at a temp of about 150c. Take the time from your normal method of cooking and check at the end of that. Make sure the oven is up to temp before putting the pud into the bain marie which should be in the oven as it heats. Safer than adding boiling water at the last minute. Will need a deep pan.

Though about a microwave? Assume you have a problem with a hob top steamer.

Good Luck

David

Coronation Chicken. Chicken Pie. Chicken Fajitas. Chicken Soup. Chicken Mousse. Chicken in a hot baggette with home made mayo, grain mustard and watercress.

Sorry, brain is dead today. It is in New British Classics!

I use his recipe two or three times a year. The results are always excellent. It is well worth finding and following. I find him a bit mean with the amount of pastry and increase by 25%. Hand chop the ingredients and use an extra trotter for the stock.

David

As I understand the situation is that business was closed to enable the value of the properties to be released, to be 'put in the pot' for a settlement.

I agree with Barshedale about Chefs and business. Jamie O is a good example of a success in cooking and ideas, who surrounded himself with business professionals to keep the wolves from the door. The Tanner Bros are another example of excellent food, good public front and managing the media.

On a personal note I find that top Chefs who are not media 'stars' are often much more interesting to talk to. Recently, my Wife and I had lunch in a pub run by a former chef to a British Embassy. He was facinating, not only for the chat about cooking, but a couple of very funny (clean) stories and a brilliant recipe for calves liver.

That said, JBR will rise again and I for one will support him when he does. Good food made from local ingredients and served with a flourish has to be the way to go.

David

Not really Barshedale. French Leave was before he opened in Dartmouth in 2004. He was voted AA Restaurant of the Year 2005 and then won a Michelin star. Hardly a failure!

Where did it go wrong for him? Falling out big time with your wife is a recipe for financial disaster and he wins several gold stars for achieving that.

Still does not detract from his talent as a chef.

David

Sad to see that The New Angel in Dartmouth has ceased trading as of the 27th Nov.

Excellent food with a good atmosphere it was always worth a visit for a snack or a full blown dinner.

I hope JBR gets his life sorted and starts commercial cooking again soon.

Try Bistro Lepicurien at 86 bis rue Lepic.

It is in 75018 Paris and the Metro station at Abbesses is nearby. tel +33 (0) 142 512551. New years eve menu available. Have eaten here twice this year. Very good value for money.

Info on: www.paris-restaurant-lepicurien.com

Bon appitite

David

Lovely comments Kenneth!

Made me laugh on a miserable Monday.

Thanks

David

Hi Stevie D,

Sorry, meant to add another tip. Do not try to negociate when the shop is busy, pick a quiet time, early week early time.

David

Hi Stevie D,

You will find that price variation is huge in some areas of the country and that seasonal feastivities make a big difference. Just take a look a free range turkeys for example - £100 for 10kg!

A small family butcher, preferably in a small village is your best bet. BE patient and you will get there. You may find as I did that you end up with several contacts who are good at a particular meat. Some butchers make their own pies for example, so meat offcuts are looked for and therefore available in ready amounts with some to spare.

As an example I am catering for 12 this weekend and have been asked to provide roast pork. The quoted price for a 3kg loin was £4.98kg, haggled over final weight and got 3.7kg for £3.50kg. Properly butchered with bones and skin off and extra skin thrown in free for pre lunch drink nibbles.

Good luck

David

No mistakes as such IPG.

We found that the buyers at Waitrose, Harrods, F&M etc were delighted with the product and put it on the shelves. Take up was very patchy. Remember this was before the 'healthy food fad' started. We were trying to sell a totally natural product with no artificial additives. The market then was full of stabilised products. For example, people were buying soft scoop ice cream with animal fat added to make it soft, MSG was a popular cooking additive and you could buy frozen yog so full of stabiliser that it would not melt in a warm room.

We had great interest at food shows and when we took it to Glastonbury we sold out every day. I found that children loved it and did not have the resistance the adults showed.

If I was asked to do it again, knowing what I do about the market and the industry, would I try? Possibly yes, as the market is much more open and aware about healthy eating.

Hope that explains

David

Thank you Sav. Lunch today was very good. Tried both ways and find I like crunchy best. However, others liked a softer mix to which I had added some clarified butter in place of the oil you suggested. I am grateful for the recipe and promise to use your name when I use it.

Well done

David

Your chance to put the record straight sav75! How about you posting your recipe? I love a good bhaji made for me by a dedicated home cook.

Hi Nora. If you still have access to my posting history you can see what I thought of the show last year!

This time round the format seems better, from the point of reducing the number of 'egos' involved in the judging, at least we have dropped the studio debates.

I have great respect for Gary Rhodes as a chef. He has provided me with many tasty meals over the years and on the occasions I have met him he seems a dedicated foody! That said, I find his constant need to add to other peoples recipes annoying. I know he does it for good commercial reasons, but it makes him look like a man who is never satisfied with for example, a great piece of meat. If you are judging a steak you do not want it flavoured with pepper and onions to the point that they become a dominating flavour. If you do that it changes from judging the meat to judging a dish.

I think his 'ego' is manufactured for the show format and hope that when/if you repeat this exercise next year, you use Brian Turner, who consistantly demonstrates a long term passion for good food from great local ingredients.

Thanks for asking, nice to know you care about our views.

David

I do this for summer BBQ's etc. My solution was to search out a small family butcher who sourced his meat from local suppliers. Go and have a chat about adding your order to his. My butcher was quite happy as it increased his turnover and improved the price he could negociate with some of his suppliers.

Finally as a suggestion only. I would avoid using the phrase 'quality cheap meat'. It will convey the wrong message to your clients.

Good luck.

David

Yes is the answer. Did this back in the late 70's. Produced a totally natural frozen yoghurt in the form of a light whipped mousse. 7 Flavours, which could be eaten frozen or chilled. Years ahead of it's time of course, which is why despite extensive marketing trials it did not take off in commercial quantities.

Good luck

David

Perhaps you could let me know if you try it? Interesting idea.

The answer from me is probably!

I have cooked puddings in a large steamer for 5 hours without adding more water. The issue is the amount of water to make the steam and wether the slow cooker will generate sufficient heat.

I am assuming that you mean an electric slow cooker which has a removable pot and lid. Make the pudding and seal in a basin. Put the basin into the slow cooker with hot water to come halfway up the side of the pudding, put lid on. It will cook like this for 6 hours plus and should work.

If I was trying this, I would put the cooker on for 6 hours filled with hot water and check how much remains at the end of that time.

Good Luck

David

Have not made it in ages. I tend to only take my veal stock down to Jus stage. Even so that takes 8-10hrs to make and uses 10lb of bones. Result is 1-2 pints of taste heaven. Freezes well too!

Why not?

It is a hoot watching Gary recoil in horror as he is told to add 'huge' quantities of garlic, chillies, gee and other ingredients to dishes which he is struggling to understand, let alone master!

So far have tried his Fish & Chips, my batter needs more work. Spag Bol a great success, best taste ever. Looking forward to trying his steak, when I have time.

Hi gastrosurf. Thanks for the link on oven cloths. I have been meaning to replace my thick tea towels for some time and you have prompted me to act. Nice one!

David

Go for 2 thick folded tea towels, served me well for decades, easy to clean and cheap. In my view doubles are dangerous and singles restrict the ability to get a good grip. Plus you have to keep putting them down on a worksurface, which is not good and is not hygenic.

David

Sorry Posset I did not answer the second part of your question. Yes it does exist! You will be surprised if you dig a little deeper even in the larger towns. The French are change averse and preserve all of their old ways as best they can. You will not hear the mantra 'fit for the 21st Century' except from politicians and Parisians! In the area you are going to are some 30 villages some of which are so rural you will find it hard to communicate, unless your French is Tres Bon.

David

Hi Posset. If you have only 3 days may I suggest NW to Toulouse. Great food, old town, loads of places to eat and of course the local speciality sausage, washed down with local red. MMMMM! Plenty of villages in that area and you can discover it all without too much driving.

Or, you could go East on the A61 to Narbonne and then when done there drive NE on the A9 to Avignon, which is a personal favourite as it has all the ingredients of a perfect French town, market, good food, old buildings and parking. Park on the way in to town if it is a market day. Final tip, take plenty of Euro coins for the tolls and parking.

A votre sante!

Hi posset. Try a Google, looks interesting. Also, when we first started to commute to Cavaillon via Mxxxxille Airport (MRS) we were given a tip about finding good eating in France by a friendly Customs Officer. Walk through any large town around noon and look to see the busiest places, eat there. It works! Bon Chance!

David

Do you eat dairy products as part of your diet? or are you a Vegan?

I ask because I find catering for some vegetarian tastes difficult and have am starting to wonder if it is my lack of understanding or just the different paths that vegetarians seem to tread.

Patricia Wells - At home in Provence
Mary Contini - Dear Francesca
Gordon Ramsay - Sunday Lunch
Rick Stein - French Odyssey & Seafood
Roux Brothers - At home with..

I have a lot of books and dive in and out as the mood and need takes me, but the above are my favourites at the moment. Sorry to go on, but, Elizabeth David is a great help sometimes as well.

David

All I would add is to watch the amount of salt you are adding as it can inhibit the yeast, especially if your mix is on the dry side. As to a warm place, as long as your dough is not in a draft of cool air it should be fine at room temperature.

Hi Roopa, just made the pistachio chicken, it was excellent. All I needed was the 45C Indian heat to go with it. The show looks like a winner. Gary is going to have a great time when he gets to do the UK cooking of these dishes. I only hope he does not 'adapt' the recipes too much.

More shows like this please!

David

Having read your comments gastrosurf, with which I agree, I would only add that I have been using Neff for years and have found the mix of electric ovens and gas hobs very effective, they are in use every day and work well. I have an induction hob which is great for fast heating and/or low and slow. It is a great asset in a busy kitchen, I only wish I had gone for the portable type.

David

Hi Rosti

If the batter is cold and mixed only lightly it will not become doughy when cooked. Overbeating or warm ingredients will make it too heavy, as in a conventional coating batter.

Nice to talk about food, nes par?

David

Hi Honeyangle

Cook your fries at 150 until they are soft to the touch. (Take one and break it open, it should not be hard and not coloured on the outside) Should take a few minutes only. Then oil temp to 190 and fry quickly until coloured. Shake off oil and drop onto kitchen towel, sprinkle with sea salt.

Choice of oil is ok, just remember to strain when cool to remove food particles and replace after 2/3 uses. It goes rancid and changes the flavour of the fried food.

Hope that helps!

David

Hi EllisRose

Very personal view here, but I believe that young people can step up and produce surprisingly good food if they are taught and monitored on the basics. Years back I taught both my nieces when they were around 9/10 years.

I would suggest you invest in a copy of Delia's Summer Collection. It contains some good basic dishes which 8/9 year olds should be able to cope with and it has one or two fun extra's, homemade lemonade for example.

Good luck!

David

Hi JM

I don't know who is with Jeni, but as a personal guess, I would not expect it to be Oliver Rowe. In relative terms he is a lightweight compared to Rosemary and would be drowned out by Gary and Jeni.

Hard to say how the new show is going to go down, it is going to take a while for those who don't like change to accept it. But in the end it will come down to what the sponsors want. Would have thought we could have done with another heavyweight to go with Matthew Forte, the rest are light on experience but heavy on hype. Putting people on because they have famous connections tends to be a short term win as in the long term they show their weakness and people stop listening/viewing. Time will tell, roll on the 16th!

Enjoy your trip!

David

Hi Jannymac

I tend to agree with you. However I think Gary's contract was for two series so Jeni would have to be a judge with him in the chair.

David

In an idle moment I wondered how Gary would cope with Jeni sitting as one of his judges in 2007?

Should / would make excellent viewing!

Fasten your seatbelts for a British Food Extravaganza?

David

Hi Shirley

I always make a double batch and freeze half. Cool the bread, double wrap in clingfilm and freeze. Keeps fine for a couple of weeks. I freeze rolls the same way. I defrost them as req'd in the microwave. 30sec on full power, 850w, seems to work well.

Good Luck

David

Hi Shirley

Homemade bread recipes use often use butter, sugar and or malt which will increase the calories. There is no comparasion between, for example, a sliced white in it's plastic wrapping and a loaf you have crafted yourself. Smell, taste and texture are very different. My suggestion is stick to making your own and accomodate the calories as part of your daily total.

As to cutting a loaf. I suggest you invest in a thin, long bladed knife with a serrated edge. Take the cutting slowly and use even long strokes with not too much pressure, you will soon get the hang of it. The big benefit of the knife is that you can vary the slice thickness and can use it for other tasks, slicing cold meats for example.

Good Luck

David

Winchester. Called Cadogan & James. If he is still there.

David

Hi Cheese. So Nigella only cooks for herself? Sorry, I will try again. If a person cooks at the most basic level they are by definition a cook.

Nigella has cooked for many gatherings of friends and by her own words loves to prepare food for friends, therefore she is a cook.

Have a Happy Spring and Happy Saint David's Day.

David

Hi Jilly

Tesco can hire you the all 845 minutes for the whole series of Garden/Flowers and Kitchen.

Amazon sell books and I think DVD's.

Ruth Mott the cook and Harry Dodson the gardener gave a facinating insight into a another time. Lovely series and some of the recipes work really well.

David

Try half that amount.

David

My Son in Law, who hails from Glasgow, says it is essential to keep the fridge door shut. This is to stop the Haggi from escaping back over the border!

Perhaps Amanda and others will read the above and try to see if it is possible to get somebody on the show with a broader view of 'fair trade'. If anyone needs protecting and giving a 'fair' deal it has to be dairy farmers and hill farmers in the UK.

I am constantly surprised by the willingness of some to give money and support overseas while ignoring our UK needs.

David

Hi Ally.

A chef is always a cook. The term, much misused in the media, means leader. Thus a chef has a team (brigade) of cooks who prepare and cook food to his/her instruction. A cook is a person who cooks food for others.

Hope that helps

David

Hi Lesleyanna.

I believe that when you have good ingredients, cooked with care, it is wrong to hide some of them under a pile in the middle of the plate. The popular cooking industry seems hooked on the idea of towers, piles and stacks at the moment. It is a passing fad in my view, just as nouvelle cuisine with it's 'picture on a plate' presentations. I remember watching wonderful food getting cold in a top kitchen while chef fussed over two tiny items of decoration.

That said, and for an example, if the stack can be made showing off the individual components of the dish, fine!

Another suggestion is that when you are serving, remember that if all the plates are dressed the same, it looks better and more 'professional'.

If you watch a programme like masterchef, which illustrates a level of professional presentation, you can learn much about what works.

As to courses. If you check with your local schools you will find that many do a day or half day which will cover your basic requirements. With your food skills you will soon develop from that point. Suggest a course as a present from those who enjoy your food?

Hope that helps?

Good Luck

David

WIll try again! First post has gone missing. Have registered and will keep an eye on it to see how it develops.

David

Magimix! I have had my 3500 for many many years and have only replaced the bowl, twice. It is used every day and works well with a heavy load, for example I use it for a special bread which is pretty tough to mix. My advice is to buy the most powerful model you can afford.

David

Hi Pave. Have not forgotten you. Was waiting to talk to a friend in Italy. He is looking at amounts to see if the recipe he has can suit your numbers.

Can you confirm the number of portions of cake that will be required?

Has a local baker been selected? If not I can suggest a good one once I have the recipe I am thinking of.

Regards

David

Hi Paul. Just spotted your post early in Jan and wonder if you can help. I am trying to help Pave who is looking for help and ideas for a themed wedding cake. Husband to be is gardener and likes sponge type cakes. This is out of my province, can you help?

The posts on all this are under 'wedding cake and table layout'.

David

Hi Pave. Re the cake, I have just spotted a post on the Recipe section for a retirement cake with a 'theme'. One reply was from a pro pastry chef called Paul Young. He is posting as TopChocPaul. Will do a post to him to see if he has ideas for you. My idea, I am not a pastry cook, was to adapt a sponge type cake we had in Italy. It turns out that the numbers your friend has makes that a non starter, too many portions. Will keep looking at the rest for you.

David

Hi Pave. Thanks for the information, I will give it some thought. The sponge type cake is a good idea. We had something similiar at my daughter's wedding in Italy a couple of years ago, it was a great success. I am assuming that you will only want 120 (ish) portions.

The evening buffet is easier, I designed something for a friend's daughter when she married a farmer. Trick is a good mix of food and plenty of it.

Will be back in due course.

David

My New York Italian/Jewish friends tell me that this is probably carpaccio of beef. It is thin slices of raw beef with a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning. It can be be hot cooked rather than cold as described.

A jus is a reduced stock which could be anything in this case. Possibly even from a packet.

Where did you eat this? Might help in finding your answer.

David

Google Annato Seeds and learn all.

A few years ago, Rick was talking about erecting a statue to the memory of Chalky. Hope he does it one day. Outside the cookery school might be a good place. Something tasteful in bronze perhaps.

Nice one Terry!

David

Hi Pave. Need more info first, please.

1) Numbers
2) Type of venue & general location.(Hotel, home, etc.)
3) Special interests of 'The Happy Couple'
or Link to job/s or special places visited.
This is for idea's for the cake.

David

Hi Fusspot. Hope you mean deep rings.

In advance for this starter means a couple of hours before. Just in case you mean days before I have added a second choice, either way hope you enjoy.

Dress the plates with some good leaves, I like watercress as it is peppery, but remove the big stalks.

On the day, medium slice cucumber and lay in one layer on a plate. Mix one measure of water with two of lemon juice and three of olive oil, salt and pepper. Wet cuc slices and turn them over to ensure even coating, leave.

Make or buy some good quality mayo. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper and and some fine lemon zest.

Take your ring and place on serving plate. Line base with overlapping ring of cuc slices which you have patted dry on kitchen paper, lighty coat in mayo. Then put cooked tiger prawns on top in a circle working from the outside edge, tails into the centre, keep going till you have a complete circle full to the centre. Lightly top with mayo to cover. Take slices of smoked salmon and lay on the prawns. Repeat with prawns, mayo, salmon until the top of the ring, press down gently and finish with a twist of salmon. Fridge until 30 mins from serving. Remove and press from rings when ready to serve. Few drops of the dressing on the plate for show?

OR

Make or buy potted shrimps and use to fill rings, firm down well. Make thin ciabatta toasts cut with the rings. Take filled rings from the fridge 30 mins before and place on serving plate. Remove rings. You may find a light touch with a gas gun will help. Circle plate with ciabatta rings and serve with extra lemon zested butter. Pack of butter to two lemons zested.

Hope that all makes sense.

Good Luck

David

Pascal

I understand that during January Curtis is on TLC TV based in LA with his show, 'Take Home a Chef'. You might be able to mail the show and get a message to him.

David

Yes, English born and bred!

Are you French Canadian?

David

Problem you may have is not knowing what size of sheet he is using, I would do a trial run.

You should be ok even if you ar slightly too stong on your mix. Measure the liquid in the recipe and try a dry run with water or similiar.

Please let me know how it goes.

David

I use half an ounce of gelatine to set one pint of liquid. If you are in doubt I suggest you do a trial with water.

If the recipe talks about leaf gelatine, that is about four sheets.

Good luck

David

PB.Do I detect the gentle souring of grapes?

All Italians have the ability to be OTT. Look at The Tifosi and Ferrari or any of the Italian cooks we have on the shows.

Why is Katie spoilt?

All children need a bit of spoiling from time to time and once used to adult attention, film crews and constant new faces they can also be OTT.

David

Thinking about the death of Chalky and how sad Rick must be got me thinking about my border terrier, Freddie.

He is my near constant companion and a joy to be with, most of the time! He loves walks, hates squirrels, picks a fight with any dog he does not like the look of, regardless of size and he loves children.

This got me wondering about other cooks and their dogs on this site. I know Mike Robinson and James Martin have dogs, but what about us lower mortals?

Woof Woof Lick Lick!

David

UKTV Food

Hi Amanda,

Thanks for the information, it looks like this could be fun!

One question for you. When we log our recipes, stories and video clips will we be doing it under our real names?

Regards

David

Thanks for the clarification Terry.

I understand now and will wait to see what is actually produced. If we are credited all will be well.

David

Hi Terry. No problem, no apology necessary. I too am getting old.

I am surprised that UKTV may be about to publish recipes which we have developed and then published on this site to help other users. I certainly did not put my recipes on this site in order to make celebrity chefs richer. I will look with interest on what is published and to credits for those recipes.

Final thought. While I accept the rules of UKTV for this site, I can find no reference to publishing in this form and even if such exists elsewhere I do not believe that it could be applied in retrospect.

Interesting?

Happy cooking.

David

I understand that the nationwide call for recipes is due to start in Feb. 2007.

Hope this gets better management than the last national competition! Should be good fun.

I wonder what happens if we submit recipes which are used in the book and generate a profit for the publishers. Will we get a share?

David

Hi Cheese. Just tried that idea! It makes a great squishy!!! Drink it with a straw!!

limoncello is a liquer worth the effort.

I use groundnut oil as it has no strong scent. I would not use walnut as it has a strong scent and goes rancid quite quickly. Beeswax is fine for furniture but not for food prep. Keep the board clean with soap and water and dry well, oil occasionally with a light touch. Lovely idea an oak board! Should last a lifetime. One of my boards is olive wood and it is a joy to own, not that I do heavy chopping on that.

David

Ice cream is a good use.

Depends on what you are going to cook on, but as a general rule stainless steel is best as it is easy to clean and keep clean. I suggest you have a look at IKEA as they have a good range. If you want to spend more try a professional cook shop or go online. I have a mix of pots and pans including cast iron le creuset which are great for even temp and slow cooking. Buying brands named by celebs is a good way to make the celeb richer. Non stick is great for a frying pan. Over all, you get what you pay for, as with most things in life.

Hope that helps. Good Luck.

David

I use between 1 and 2 tablespoons in my recipe. Depending on how strong the paprika is.

Hi corriander. I have used Kenwood for years and found no problems. Experience shows that it is best to buy the most power you can afford, especially if you intend to make bread dough!

Good Luck

David

Hi Spangled.

I use the process to make caramel ice cream. The can in the boiling water technique is perfectly safe, providing, you keep the can submerged! Do not allow it to become uncovered or you will need to re-decorate! Top up the water as the level drops with more boiling water, not cold. Remember to let the can cool as suggested, the result is very good and does not taste like condensed milk.

Good Luck

David

Have just read about the new prog. Looks like a great idea, time we all moved on, it is good to challenge established practices. After all, where would we cooks be if we never adapted or created a new recipe from an existing format? I will miss Jenni though! Perhaps we can have a farewell party Amanda??

David

This is probably not original, little in cooking is.

Faced with having to butter fresh bread with cold butter while cutting lemons for drinks, I tried the serrated edged knife I have for citrus to scrape and spread the butter, it works!

40 years cooking and I still get excited, must be Christmas!!!!

David

Hi lynel. Try removing all the pickling vinegar and any spice/chillies. Measure the amount of vinegar you have removed and replace it with a mix of of 75% white wine vinegar and 25% basalmic vinegar - you do not need the best balsamic. No chillies or spices! Leave in the cool dark place till the last moment, the onions should have toned down a bit, although you are a bit tight for time.

Good Luck.

Just Google, there are are plenty of suppliers on line.

Nostalgic aroma. The smell of giblet stock cooking!

As to food, I like making an adaptation of the recipe for chestnut stuffing by the eighteenth-century writer, Hannah Glasse. It smell wonderful when in the making, and cold and old on Boxing day it is a cooks treat on a bit of melba toast with a glass of universal restorative!

Page 2 of techniques & equipment will give you the answers.

Hi Anne. Sunshine, I feel warmer already, thanks!

Have had a look a the Rick Stein recipe which icingmaiden has linked to. Looks good to me and the BIG benefit for you is that the pastry is made with butter not lard, so no fire risk there!

Good Luck

David

Hi Kendi. The best way to achieve the reliable low heat source you are looking for, is an induction hob. A portable hob is a good buy and you can keep you exisiting gas hob. You can get the technical information by doing a Google. The reason why induction is best is because it is a very efficient way to heat. The pan gets hot not the hob. This means that once a pan is removed the hob can be touched without the risk of burns. This is not the case with ceramic, gas etc,.

You don't say how long the onions were in the vinegar. It maybe that you left them too long. It may be that when you peeled them you removed too much of the base and this allows the centre to come out.

I would try again with shallots or large picklin onions. Use a wet brine, 50g of salt per 570ml of water. Peel and soak for 48hrs. Make a vinegar with 2 parts white wine vinegar to one part sherry vinegar and one part balsamic. Measure your vinegar mix quantity and add 1 tablespoon of five pepper berries per 450mls. You can store any surplus vinegar mix for the next batch. Bring the mix to a boil and remove from heat and allow to cool. Rinse onions, dry and bottle. Cool dark place for 3 weeks ish and enjoy.

I have been making my onions this way for too many years and they are always hot and crunchy. They last about 3 months, if I make enough.

Good Luck.

I use the recipe in Gary Rhodes, New British Classics. It makes a pie which is ideal for parties as it feeds about 10. If you cannot get lard then I would render pork back fat, strain and set in a fridge.

North or South Island you lucky person?

David

I would not recommend a ceramic hob, they are too easy to mark and they do not have the fine control needed for good cooking. I use gas hobs and one induction hob. Covers all uses, very easy to keep clean and with the gas the control of heat is visual. I have not seen a professional kitchen with anything other than gas, where it is available. Modern gas hobs offer a good range of heat outputs so you should have no problems with simmer heat.

Hope that helps.

The EU has concerns that aflatoxins, which can cause liver cancer, have been found in a fungus which can be found in the shells of Brazil nuts. Importers are now only bringing the kernels into the UK, as these are apparently safe to eat. The whole nuts are still in the markets outside the EU, so you should be able to get them in the USA for example.

Ceps are mushrooms. Members of the Bolete family. They are in season from summer to autumn and grow in woodlands with oak, beech, birch and pine. Delicous. Big benefit to any cook is that they dry well and so are available out of season.

Hope that helps.

David

Hi PaulGray. You will be following in the footsteps of many of us who started the same way. No sin to come up up the hard way, learning by your own and some authors mistakes. Always remember that just because a top chef writes a book does not mean he proof read it!

Good luck when you decide to jump.

David

PS: Just remembered AWT is one of us. A chef who has not been professionally trained. One for your List James With Wig!

Hi Nipple. Sounds daft but is not funny, Made a beef casserole yesterday and put some cut main crop spuds in. 3hrs at 160c they were very firm! Also have recently had new pots do the same thing. Can't think this is time of year.

Do we have any growers out there?

Hi chef. You can get most of what you need from the website. If you are coming after christmas note that they are shut until Tuesday 9th January. Take special note of the booking rules, you need a credit card to book and if you are a no show it will cost you £80pp. Food is amazing, second hand information at present, I am going in March.

Has to be salt in my case.

I would be surprised if the problem was using cardamon. One of it's uses is as a herbal medicine to treat indigestion.

I have commented elsewhere on this show. I waited until the end to review my thoughts and see if the last week has changed my view.

Sorry UKTV Food, it was a good idea, but as you must be able to see from the adverse comments over that last few months, the final nominations and the judging leave much to be reviewed.

Hopefully, next year will see a change for the better! I do hope so, the concept is great!

By the way, Gary's comment at the end of the final seems to suggest he is booked already for 2007! He is a great cook, a fine Chef and very nice guy, out of the kitchen. As a judge however I am not convinced. Any chance of a change or 3?

All Chefs are cooks, not all cooks are Chefs. The word Chef, much misused in the media and the food industry, literally means Head. A Chef leads a team of cooks and others, (Brigade). Leaders have to be good at motivating, they lead by example, but also they have to be able to drive people on to achieve what is required.

When people are tired, not concentrating and making mistakes, all of which has a financial cost attached to it, they have to be re-focused and sometimes that means a very forceful and direct method. You cannot lead in the long term by being a bully, ultimately you loose, as people will not invest in your brand of skills.

Remember that without investors to put up the cash, most of the big names would be one trick ponies, constrained by lack of funds. To get even a fairly modest dining experience up and running costs £1m plus in the first year. 60% of all new ventures do not last 2 years and of the remainder a further 60% fail within a further 2 years. It is a very tough world and you have to be able to hard when situations demand.

Boy do I need a holiday!

Hello Jim.
Yes you can buy on-line, I got mine that way. Just Google elelctric knife sharpeners and you will be spoilt for choice and prices. If you go for one like mine, remember it is the three stage sharpener and don't pay more than £90.
Regards
David

What about the red Italian car?

Paul & Syd. Many thanks for the recipes. My Brother in Law is from Glasgow and I want to surprise him with a taste of his home food.

David

Hi Jim. I use a 'Chef's Choice Diamond Hone Sharpener Professional 110'. It is the best I have had in 40 years cooking and the best part is that it looks after the blades. I still use a steel for a quick edge, but the machine is the business. I have a mix of knives and it copes with all blade types. Hope that helps.

David

Upon further reflection, may I add that I find that two of the judges appear to have massive ego's, they dominate far too much, as well as shout. I accept that this is the fault of the series producer, but if I was a food producer on the show, being judged in the manner I have seen so far, and then seeing the 'behind the scenes' comments of the judges, I would not be a happy bunny! I wonder how any of the 3 judges would feel if their businesses were criticised in this very unfair and biased public manner?

Hi Nanas. Have had a call from a very dedicated and helpful lady at M&S. She has gone back through the archive and read up some of the cook books and cannot find anything with mutton in the style we were looking for. So it must have been lamb then. Either way, thanks for the mental exercise.

Totally agree with 'Chestnuts roasting by an open fire' it is all the other recipe uses I refer to. Delia agrees with me by the way.

I agree with the criticism of both the judging and the format of the show. Also, how can the sponsors do a proper job in selecting their shortlist when they show ignorance or prejudice. For example, how can anyone interested in food in Scotland not know and have tasted Venison? To paraphrase the language of the show, 'Scotland is the home of Venison in the UK for God's sake!.'

In my book, life is too short to peel chestnuts for a recipe. They are great roasted in the oven or a fire for a treat, but for a recipe I buy them peeled and vacum packed.

Try this for future help in converting:

www.onlineconversion.com

Saves much time!

Hi Syd. It is possble, I did it once back in the 1980's. However, older and hopefully wiser now, I have to say that I would not attempt this again. Low temperature cooking of poultry, even when it comes from a reliable source is risky. The bird will heat slowly and to a low temperature, which could allow the growth of bactia.

Any chance of you asking you wife to post her oatmeal stuffing recipe?

David

My pleasure.

Meat filling for Dolmalar
500g minced meat of your choice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 medium onions
100g washed rice
2 medium sized tomatoes, (peel and chop into small dice.)
7 fl oz water
dill
salt & pepper

Chop the onion fairly fine and lightly brown in olive oil. Add washed rice and water, cover and cook on medium heat until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and add the minced meat, some chopped dill, the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt and half of pepper. Mix well, kneading for about 5 minutes.

This mix works well as a stuffing for cabbage leaves, tomatoes or bell peppers etc.

Cabbage. Cut in half lenghtways and remove the heart. Place the remainder in a large saucepan with two tablespoons of salt and boil for 5 minutes with about 30fl oz of water. Check that the leaves are going soft then drain and remove. Do not overcook as the leaves will not roll properly. Max cooking time 10 minutes. When cool, select the best leaves and cut out any large veins at base of leaf. Put these bits into base of a saucepan. Take a leaf, put a walnut size piece of filling at one end, fold the two sides over and roll like a cigar. Arrange side by side in the base of the saucepan, making sure that the joint is facing down, to stop it unrolling. Mix in a jug, 18fl oz of hot water and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Pour over the Dolmasi, cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 45 minutes, serve warm with slices of lemon.

Tomatoes. Allow 2 per person. Cut off top and reserve as a lid, scoop out the insides, stuff with meat mixture, put on lids and put into a saucepan, lids uppermost with 13 fl oz of hot water mixed with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a little salt. Cover and cook on a low heat until tender, 35 minutes ish! Serve warm with yoghurt to which you can add some minced garlic.

Bell Peppers. Allow 2 per person. Cut round stem and remove as a lid, remove seeds and wash pepper. Stuff with meat mixture, put lids on and put into saucepan with lids uppermost. Mix 22 fl oz of hot water with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a little salt and add to the saucepan. Cook for about 60 mintues until tender. Serve warm with yoghurt to which you can add some minced garlic.

I hope that all is clear and that your Mum enjoys the results!

David

CeliaB. Yes I understand your solution, but I am still interested in this as the French for lamb is Agneau, or in Corsica, Abbacchio. While the dish named translates literally as Mutton. 'Noisettes' are as far as I know are usually only taken from lamb, where the term applies to meat. But if the recipe is old, it may have been upgraded to lamb when mutton fell from favour in the 1970's. It could be of course that all this is down to another bad French to English translation. Nanas comment is useful as it points to the upgrade theory, but if that is the case, why did the name not change to 'Noisettes d'anneau'?

Waitrose do an easy carve goose which feeds 6 ish. Bit expensive though at about £60. You can half that price with a 6kg free range bird. Remember that if you buy a goose to feed 6-8 it will leave enough meat to make potted goose, which keeps for months and you also have all that lovely fat for roast spuds or chips!

Depends on the time of year and my mood. Today is wet and cold so chicken and pea risotto with generous amounts of parmesan and butter.

Mutton in a Pernod sauce. Interesting! I have looked through my French cookbooks and had a bit of a Google, but no luck. It may be Corsican, they are big on sheep. However since you mentioned M&S, I have used one of my contacts to get a look through the food archive for this recipe. I will post when they have called me back. It may be a day or two, it is a big archive and not all on database, some of it predates computers!

Sorry!! Thought Turkish but wrote Greek in the above comment. Brain is not in gear today, must be the rain.

While I will agree that some Greek cusine is a little complex, most of it is very straightfoward. Some brief examples. The basic meat mix to stuff into vegetables, cabbage leaves, tomatoes, peppers etc., is mince, oil, onion, rice, tomatoes, dill, salt & pepper. Known as Dolmas. Classic hors d'eouvre, pickled stuffed peppers, just in time for Christmas as they marinade for 3 weeks, 8 ingredients, 7 of which chop together. Last, flaky pastry stuffed with meat. Basic mutton or lamb in strips mixed with onion and tomato and seasoning, cut up shop brought pastry into squares, mix in middle, draw up corners, brush with butter and oven cook.
My point is that if the lady likes Greek, then it is not too daunting if you select the right recipes.

I recommend Real Greek Food by Theodore Kyriako and Charles Campion. This book is set out in the same way as a menu, which allows a very good pick and mix. It costs about £15.

Hi Russ, The meat you are describing, a Cote de boeuf, was served to Rick at La Tupina. You could copy it by getting your butcher to cut you a single rib of sirlion beef, french trim, that is clean the bone down to the main body of meat, it is also helpful from the point of managing the steak while cooking to have the bone shortened to about a hand span in length. Get the meat tied with twine to hold it in shape while cooking. Season well and cook to taste. When rested, carve from the edge into thick strips working towards the bone. I serve this with some good potato wedges cooked in goose fat, garlic butter and some good quality mushrooms dusted with chopped parsley.
Enjoy
David

The correct way according to my Grandmother is:

Breakfast
Luncheon
Tea
Dinner
Supper

Yes you can. Make sure you freeze it as quickly as possible, I suggest spreading it out onto a cling film lined tray or dish and when frozen lift from tray and double wrap again. Don't make it too soon, the closer to Christmas the better as the flavours will weaken with time. Also, I would saute the onions and then cool and add to the mix. Good Luck. David

Pancakes as we know them here are a form of crepe, invented in France around 17th Century. Depending on how you describe a pancake they go back into religious history, Jews, Muslim and Christian food has a type of pancake. The Chinese are my bet for the oldest known pancake. Hope that helps.

Watching us freeze in Moscow?

Hi Wallie. You don't say if this is fresh baked or not, either way, I would suspect the flour is old or contaminated, possibly with mould, or the loaf is not fresh and mould is forming in it. Dump and try again. I had a similar experience with some wholemeal flour I was given.

I wonder if many have suffered from this problem with a well known brand? I helped out at a party recently and while making Bloody Mary's by the score failed to notice I was being splashed with worcestershire sauce. When I had time to look I found that the flip top holds a drop or two of liquid which the lid sprays around when closed. I seem to remember that this product used to have a screw top which would not splash. Time for retro refit?

Think it opens this month. Great location, if you go please report on what you find.

Have just been treated to a birthday dinner at Peter Chandler's restaurant. Food is French in style, not a big surprise as he was trained by the Roux brothers! Good quality ingredients, well cooked and presented. Service was poor though, pushing the wine by trying to top up the glasses after each sip and generally indifferent. 'A la Carte' menu £55 per head, 3 courses. Good selection of wines, not extensive but reasonably priced.

We enjoyed:

Confit of Crispy Duck with Orange Sauce Salad - excellent
Flambe King Prawns in Pernod & garlic Butter - topped with the finest lightly fried onions I have ever seen - superb

Fillet of Sea Bass in Red Wine & Butter Bacon - could taste the fish
Veal Kidneys in Meaux Mustard Sauce - slightly overcooked but good.

Sable of Fresh Berries - delightful presentation and delicious
Apple Tart Tatin with Vanilla Ice Cream - tart a bit too soft but ice cream excellent.

Coffee & Petit Fors - hand made choccy very very good hmmmm

All in all a very pleasant meal in lovely surroundings - country house - deer roaming free. Would be good in Summer for a long lunch.

David

Simpson in The Strand might be worth a try (Tel:020 7836 9112) they are good at traditional roasts etc.. I have lunched there several times over the years and found them good. Three courses for £30 ish!

Hi Snowy. Happens to us all at some time or other! Try breaking the offending cake into individual bowls, pour on some orange liquer, top with some orange segments and top them with some whipped cream. Call it Choccy Orange Surprise!

Agree with Tinker. I have some chillies I froze at the end of season last year. They are still good!

Lanceshire Hotpot made with chump chops, carrots, celery, leeks and good stock. Long walk in country with dog, pint at pub and arrive home to smell of cooked meal. NB: Must be a cold day!

Hi Jules,

Wow what a question, it was a long time ago but here goes.

Starters:
Chicken liver pate with triangles of toast.
Avacado half in a shaped bowl with a french dressing.
Fried whitebait

Mains:
Steak au Poivre with ratatouille.
Lamb guard of honour, stuffed in the centre.
Lobster Thermidor.

Sweets:

Crepes Suzettes, flamed at the table.
Zabaglione.
Peach Melba

or you could throw caution to the wind and go for a cheese fondue, or a meat fondue. Both with obligitory fofits for dropping food in the bowl.

Good Luck

David

Hi Marcella,

Happy to share this one with you.

Marinade for Red Meat

1 tablespoon each of:

• Olive Oil
• Soy Sauce
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Balsamic Vinegar

1 Teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
1 Clove of Garlic, minced
Salt & Pepper

Mix ingredients in screw top jar and pour contents into glass dish or large sealable plastic bag, coat meat and leave for one hour at room temp. or overnight in fridge.

NB: Sufficient for 4 large steaks.

Enjoy.

Divide you ingredients by 8 and multiply by 10. Allow a little extra cooking time if necessary.

Honey in place of sugar makes a smooth non granular ice cream base.

I thought he looked pretty good, considering it was take 5!

Not just the French you know! But they do grow very good lavender. I use as a flavouring in one of my ice creams mixed with honey.

Lavender was very popular as a mask for bad meats in Tudor times, same use a mustard.

Yes Adrian I have, hence the warning. We grow 4 varities in the herb garden and one is so strong that the oil stays on the blade of a knife, even after washing.

Hi Marty 1970. May I suggest you use lavender sparingly, it varies quite a lot in strength and like rosemary it can overpower a dish.

Good Luck

Hi smelloise,
Good for you! What do your friends think about you cooking? Do you feed anything to them when you cook? What is you favourite meal?
Keep up your interest in cooking, who knows, you might become a great name in cooking one day!

Loved today's gear, those sleeves are fantastic!

If I had to have only one item, it would be salt. Try leaving it out and notice the difference.

I have an old fridge freezer in my garage, it hardly runs in winter. It sound as if the thermostat needs re-setting. Sorry, that is all I can think of.

Hi jaqua2, I love carrot cake. Cool on a rack and then cover and fridge if it has cream cheese in it. Otherwise, cake dome out of sun and away from direct heat is fine. Enjoy!

I wonder if the thinking behind the choice of person to 'fill in' for Jeni is deliberate, just in case they outshone her. Hard I grant you, but you never know, the public can be very fickle!
As for camp, nothing wrong with it as long as it is not put on for effect. Have a look at the fashion or hairdressing scenes for an example of my thinking.
Julie P is a hoot, but if memory serves me well from the programme where a female journalist in Paris invited guests for a foody day, Julie admitted not being able to cook, which might limit her understanding of the basics?
Rock on Jeni!!

Hi hungryD, I make my chicken stock with chicken wings and end up with a clear light stock which seems to do the business in most recipes. But fresh/frozen bones/carcasses is fine.

To a large pot add 2 kg of chicken wings which are as cheap as chips. Cover with water and bring to the boil skimming scum as you go. Remove wings with a slotted spoon and reserve, dump the water and wash the pan out to remove residue. Add the wings to the pot and cover with water, place over a lowish heat then add, a head of celery rough diced, two white onions peeled and quartered, 2 large carrots rough chopped, a diced leek, a handful of parsley, stalks and all, fresh thyme on the stalk, 24 black peppercorns, 4 cloves and some salt. Adjust the water level to ensure all is covered and bring slowly up to a gentle simmer, skimming as required. This stock should simmer gently for at least 4 hours with the lid off, skimming as required. If it boils you will get a cloudy result. When done, strain and cool. It sets in the fridge to a jelly and freezes for a month or so. Enjoy.

Crepes Suzette would be my choice. You can make the crepes in advance and store them in the fridge, separate each with a piece of cooking parchment. You can also prepare the ingredients for the sauce in advance. Thus, when ready to impress, have some hot plates ready and a frying pan and follow you chosen recipe. Enjoy!

Hi Sockie, try [link]
if you fancy making your own, which will be better and cheaper than anything you can buy. I find it freezes well for a month in small batches.

If you want to cheat a bit, make a chicken stock without boiling and reduce the finished strained stock. It will be clear and have a good flavour. If you want a recipe just ask. Good Luck.

Third thought. Fish can be cooked without heat by marinading in citrus juice and a little oil. You must use fresh fish for this. Gravadlax is a good alternative which elimates cooking smells. You can pickle fish as well, as in soused herring. Don't forget marinades work well too, anchovies and sardines are a good example. Ok that's me done! Bye!

Second thought. A fish pie cocked under a mashed potato topping might work as well, and it is a ready meal.

Try making a foil parcel with a fish fillet inside, add a few herbs, lemon slices, seasoning, knob of butter and splash of white wine. Seal well and cook in the oven at 200 for 15 minutes. Open onto the plate and eat quick, partner will hardly notice. On another note however, if your fish smells fishy when raw, it is not fresh, try another supplier. Good Luck

Lobster can be prepared in advance and left until you have finished your first course. Then dress half a lobster per person with melted butter and top with a mix of cheese, breadcrumbs and parsley, which can be wizzed in the processor in advance. Pop lobsters under a very hot grill for 3 to 4 minutes till hot and bubbling. Works for me every time. Champagne to drink? Naturally!

Hi Mary, bad luck! The good news it freezes happily for a month. You can add fresh fruit, the ratio I use is 250g yog, 200g fruit and add sugar to taste, but about 60 to 75g seems to work. Mix carefully and freeze. Good Luck. David

Hi Adrian, nice idea, would have to be the only meal of the day at that size! David

Hi BC Bud, try using a muffin tin for extra large individual puddings. As an alternative to the usual meat and veg to go with the puds, turn them into a main course on their own by preparing in advance a steak and kidney filling in a good strong gravy, and some mashed potatoes with parsley chopped in. When the puddings are done, put a pud in the middle of the plate and surround with the mash, fill the pud with the mix and serve with english mustard and a cold beer, or a glass of canadian wine. Enjoy! David

Try a Google search on pasta recipes, loads around. What are you looking to have with the pasta? Meat, fish, veg. When in Italy last year a chef told me that he thought there were at least 2,000 recipes around. Remember you can bake it, fry it, boil it and eat it cold, when cooked first!

Hi hungryD, as promised, the oven is a SMEG, the only complaint was element failure after 18months. Details are on:
rdo.co.uk

Good Luck and happy cooking!

Hi hungryD, I have used Neff hobs with separate eye level ovens for the last ten years, this combo works well for me and I cook at least 3 times a day every day and have catered for up to 16 without a problem. I agree with Relishmama and would add this, range cookers are hard to clean as you need to get down to floor level, they are dangerous for small people, who need constant supervision, they require the cook to bend down to check the ovens and they are hot to stand over while using the burners. That said, lots of people like them. One of my daughters has a large range with a massive oven, a smaller oven, six burners and a hob plate. I have cooked on it a number of times and it works well. She did loads of research before she purchased, I will ask her what it is tonight and will post the answer tomorrow. Good Luck.

Take a cauli and cut into florets. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes and drain. In a wok heat a small amount of sesame oil mixed in equal quantity with groundnut oil. Add a few sesame seeds and fine diced garlic and then the florets, stir fry and serve.

Woops, my mistake Mary from Australia. Flaky is right, I MIX the dough in the processor.

Sorry Chris, finger trouble, I shoudl have said 200 for 250.

Hi Chris,

I have had Neff circotherm for ten years and am replacing next year. Excellent product, but I use conventional for baking.

Temp conversion should have come with the oven, but I run 180 cirotherm for 220c conventional and 200 for 220. Below 110 it seems to be the same across the board. Good cooking! David

I have a Magimix, which has lasted for years, with new bowls ever 3 years or so, gets a lot of use. My advice would be to buy the most powerful that you can afford, I make bread in mine so it gets a real hammering.

Hi Flaky, thanks for that, you have made my day!

Hi Anna Maria, sorry should have given you an oven temp, 140c for three hours should do the trick, and no peeping during cooking, you will let the steam out! Try browing the meat before cooking in a bit of butter or dripping, helps the flavour. Good Luck.

Silverside and brisket are very lean meats which are best marinated and slow cooked in something like beer with onions and veggies of your choice, carrots and celery with quartered onions. Long slow cooking in a pot with a good lid.

Hi Eves, you could try par boiling peeled spuds, drain and allow to cool until warm, then seal in hot fat until they start to just colour, remove and drain, cool then cover and fridge them. This works for chips, so should be ok. Up to 24 hrs seems ok. Try a dry run this weekend? Or, cheat and get a deep fat fryer. Good luck!

My supplier for many years has been Munson's Poultry in Boxted, Colchester . Ask for Julian, son of John Munson who has now retired to France. They have Norfolk Black and Bronze available and are fully reliable with delivery. Good Luck. David.

Most Butchers will need to order Caul for you, typically takes a day or so to arrive. Try yell.com for a local butcher to order or to give you the address to order from.

A black and white if you can get it, very strong flavour. Otherwise free range organic Bronze.

Hi Nick - yes I did and think I will try again with something different, I can keep a secret too! Will let you know how it goes, if it does. Have a good trip. David

Hello Nick, sorry missed your question earlier.

Yes I have made shallot marmalade, it was a bit on the light side tastewise, I might try again and see if I can improve the flavour.

Or, you could have a go, being the main man for this sort of experiment. JYFI, I use French shallots of the best quality because they are consistant in size and flavour for my main use at this time of year, namely my pickled shallots in wine vinegars.

Let me know if you try the marmalade idea.

Regards David.

Hi Carol2, I make my chicken stock with chicken wings and end up with a clear light stock which seems to do the business in most recipes.

To a large pot add 2 kg of chicken wings which are as cheap as chips. Cover with water and bring to the boil skimming scum as you go. Remove wings with a slotted spoon and reserve, dump the water and wash the pan out to remove residue. Add the wings to the pot and cover with water, place over a lowish heat then add, a head of celery rough diced, two white onions peeled and quartered, 2 large carrots rough chopped, a diced leek, a handful of parsley, stalks and all, fresh thyme on the stalk, 24 black peppercorns, 4 cloves and some salt. Adjust the water level to ensure all is covered and bring slowly up to a gentle simmer, skimming as required. This stock should simmer gently for at least 4 hours with the lid off, skimming as required. If it boils you will get a cloudy result. When done, strain and cool. It sets in the fridge to a jelly and freezes for a month or so. Enjoy.

Hi Sonia, I would keep it to 24hrs, although the supermarkets do it for longer. Remember to cool them completely before covering and putting in the fridge.

A thought occurs, if you want to save more time, buy some hollandaise sauce, a good one is by Maille, you may be familier with their Dijon mustard, and put a blob on each one or offer it as a dip. No one need know your secret!

Hi Sonia 2611. I would think the results would be disappointing.

I suspect that you are making mini-scoth eggs for canapes? If so, I suggest that you make them up ready for frying and then cover with cling film and put in the fridge over night. When ready to cook, roll in a few more breadcrumbs if you think they need it. When cooked, cool and wrap in cling film and put in fridge till needed. Have done this with full size ones for a picnic and it worked fine. Depending on timing you have spread the process over 24-48 hours. Good Luck

Hi LyndaW, On the assumption that you have fresh pasta shapes which are from a shop, I would put them into boiling water for 3 minutes and then drain and stop the cooking by placing into cold water. Drain well and use as your recipe requires. If this is pasta sheets, as in a lasagne, remove excess water from the sheets between two cloths before use. This process is called 'plotting' by the way. Good Luck

I would invest in a blowtorch, they are useful for lots of jobs around the kitchenand the garden. Get a large one from you local DIY shop, the little fancy ones available in cookshops cost more and are not as hot.

Hi Sue, sounds like good fun in your butcher, better than a trip to Waitrose. Your Spanish sounds like my Italian, my daughter got married in Italy this year and I caused much humour with the locals in Bellagio. I agree with you views on duck, I tend to use one per two people. On the goose front, I will let you know the result, either way the fat of a duck or goose is very good for the Chrismas roast spuds. Good luck with your ordering this year. David

Hi Sue. No goose in Spain? I am surprised as I have eaten goose in France and Italy, why no goose in Spain. I will have to do some research. Pity though, as a fifth of the body weight of a goose is fat and it is the best for roast potatoes and the like. Duck is good too of course, and you do have them, don't you?

Of course you could buy a goose, cook, enjoy and save the fat.

Hi Atilla, I suggest you strain off the stock and reduce, check the seasoning and flavour before adding the meat back to reheat. If you want to strengthen the beef flavour a quick way is to add 150mls ish from a can of consomme. Good Luck.

Nice site, products look yummy. Will have to try some, the question is which? Choices, choices!

Hi Anna, I use shallots, which are easier to find.

Hi,

A ballotine of turkey is usually the breast meat boned in one piece, layed flat and stuffed with a mixture or choice, usually ham and a stuffing mix, then rolled and cooked and served in slices.

Hi reds, challenges? Do we need them?

Many years ago I was challenged to 'do something different for Christmas'. This ended up as a ham inside a very large boned chicken which was then covered with a chesnut stuffing and placed inside a boned turkey. It took hours to do, and the result was a 'wow', But, personally I thought the left over slices were most enjoyable with a potato salad on Boxing Day.

Tip, think about how you are going to carve and present, all that effort needs to be shown in it's full glory! Good luck!

Hi cep, I have tried freezing as a way of tenderising pheasant and it works. The process of freezing and defrosting helps to break down the tissues. That said, you do to get the maturing of flavour which hanging produces. 4 days in a cool place, not the fridge, will do that for you.

Happy Birthday to you!!!

I have been watching for a couple of years and been on the website for about a year. Like the new set, very easy on the eye and good views of the food. How about a piece on food prep? Have had some questions answered and been on a live phone in, so overall I like the format, the people at GFL are friendly and Jeni is like a champagne cocktail, namely, bubbly and invigorating. Here's to the future, cheers!

Hi Audrey, I can only suggest that if your grooves are removable for cleaning, as with Neff for instance, it might be possible to release and remove them and then put back the retaining screws, to keep the oven linings inplace. Adjust the oven temp to suit the lower position or upturn a smaller roasting tin to act as a shelf.

Hi Windsor, the following site should be helpful:

[link]

Good luck.

Hi Helen
If salt is likely to be a long term issue for you, I would suggest you make your own stocks and freeze in manageable portions. Since veg and fish stocks can be made in a few minutes I would be inclined to make chicken and a beef which will take 3hrs plus each. Do not season the stocks with salt during or after preparation, save that for when and if you feel it needs it when used in a dish. Remember that you can increase the flavour of the stock by reduction.

Hi spaff, try this:

Preheat oven to 200c, stretch some rind off streaky bacon slices or pancetta, spread some pesto on top of the cod and season with pepper, wrap in bacon slices, tucking ends under fish, place on roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and roast in oven until bacon crisp, 20-30 minutes. Enjoy.

By covered, I mean put a bit more oil in to keep the garlic below the surface.

I fine chop 3 heads of heads of garlic, about 30 cloves at a time and pack into a plastic pot with a lid. Cover it wth olive oil, keep out of sunlight and it will last for a week in a normal room temp. Providing you remember to keep the garlic covered each time you remove some.

For all round home use I would go for the Kenwood. As well as mixing/beating very well in the bowl, you can get a mincer attachment and a sauaage filler, a blender for drinks and sauces and best of all they last, mine is 30 years old. My food processor is a Magimix 3500 and that has lasted 15 years with 4 changes of bowl. Hope that helps.

Apart from very large gin & tonics, may I suggest preserving and storing in glass jars with glass lids?

The lemons will keep happily in the fridge for 6 months or more, you can use them to stuff fish, or serve with olives and pre dinner drinks and the remaining juices can be used in vinaigrettes or anywhere lemon flavoured oil is required.

6 lemons
225g sea salt crystals
375ml fresh lemon juice
375ml extra virgin olive oil

Scrub the lemons and dry, cut into 8 wedges, put in a bowl with the lemon juice and salt and toss well to ensure even coating. Bottle in 500ml jars, cover and seal and leave at room temp for 7 days, shake each day to distribute the salt and juices. Finally, cover with oilve oil and put in fridge.

Hi Porridge, I grow mine in 10inch pots in John Innis no 3 in the green house. I freeze most and put a few in oil. Seems to work well.

Hi carol2, try:

[link]

Good Luck

Very interesting! I liked the lamb with caper sauce, it reminded me of my Mum cooking something similar with mutton many years ago. Thanks suzanne25

Hi Hel, Antonio Carluccio is the main man on mushrooms, go to:

[link]

They even have a number of special events on funghi this month.

The Helford River in Cornwall provides native oysters, but if you want a source for the best available go to:

[link]

John Strike has supplied me with fresh and smoked fish for many years. Interestingly, when I asked him about oysters, he says he buys from Scotland as they are the best!

To make approx a pint of custard:

17floz of full fat milk
1 vanilla pod
8 egg yolks
3.5oz caster sugar

Put milk in pan, add split vanilla pod and seeds, bring slowly to boil. Beat egg yolks with sugar to thin pale ribbon consistency. Slowly whisk in milk, then return to a clean pan. Simmer over low heat, stiring constantly until sauce thickens to a custard. Pass through a fine sieve to finish.

They pickle well too!

Hi Pam22, sounds like you need a chat with your supermarket. The musty smell and taste suggest the spinach is old and starting to rot, this is why you cannot cover the taste with cooking or seasoning. The other thought is that the washing process prior to packaging may be faulty and is contaminating the spinach.

Hi Holly, what are trying to prepare? Do you mean balsamic vinegar?

Hi kate65, how many ribs to each sirlion and how many sirlions?

Try

[link]

Not something I have come across, but in the spirit of nothing ventured etc., you might like to try adding drained and quartered pickled walnuts to a recipe like Delia's Christmas Chutney. I would suggest adding them towards the end of cooking as they may breakup. The vinegar/sour taste should work quite well. Might try it myself, please let me know if you do. Good Luck

Frexy you are right. I was in Bellagio on Lake Como in June and got talking to a local chef owner. We discussed 'short cuts' in cooking, he confided that he sometimes made risotto for his own consumption in his oven. He also tenderised game birds by freezing rather than hanging. As for Delia, I think she is great, my daughters said they found it easier to learn cooking from her than from me.

Hi Feathers, I have never tried rabbit with pasta, but would think it would be very good as it is low in fat and if marinated overnight, very tender.

I suggest some garlic, herbs and chopped onions mixed with some white wine and poured over the rabbit pieces. Leave to marinate overnight. Remove the rabbit, pat dry, seal and colour in hot pan in oil/butter, put into a casserole, pour over the marinade and bring to a boil, cover and oven cook for about 45 mins on 180c. remove the rabbit and shred, strain the sauce and adjust seasoning. This recipe originally came from my son in law who is a Scot and great lover of game. Good Luck.

Hi Snowy, merci.

Hi Jilly, thank you!

For small quantities, try you local independent chemist.

Hi Snowy, should work fine. If you find the CF a bit sour for you, try adding runny honey in place of sugar in your ice cream mix, it will give a sweeter 'mask' to the mix and has the added benefit of avoiding granulation in the frozen product.

Hi irishstew, bit tricky this without a bit more information, like, have you any idea if they are all meat eaters and can they all eat shellfish?

Assuming that you want to appear as cool as possible and not be seen rushing from kitchen to table every few minutes, I would suggest that you have a cold starter and pre prepared dessert.

Working backwards, a good cheese selection followed by coffee and luxury choccys seems to work well. Creme Brulee can be made well in advance and finished just before serving, or go mad and make Crepe Suzettes which can be prepared in advance and finished in a flash. For mains I would suggest fillet of beef in pastry, or you could use salmon for somthing similiar. Keep the veg even in size and limit it to 3 seasonal types. Remember to have a sauce for you main dish. For starters, either smoked salmon and tiger prawns served on salad bed with home made mayo, or a salad Nicoise made with some fresh tuna. Remember some fresh baked bread. Overall, to look impressive you need to be able to explain how the meal was made, how you sourced the ingredients and prepared each dish. Choose wines with care to fit the occasion, a champagne cocktail or similiar on arrival sets the scene. Flowers, fresh bread, big smile take you time, enjoy! Remember, most people can't or don't cook formal type meals, a bit of care and you will wow them. Hope that helps.

Hi Nick, you are right, but, we in the UK tend to be very regional in our views on food as you illustrate in your 'rant'. Gordon was looking to find new ways to use the excellent ingredients which are available, hence the trip. Morecambe Bay Shrimps, I get mine from my lovely deli in Harpenden. RANT ON, IT IS GOOD FOR THE BP!

Hi relishmama, if you go to:
[link]
you should find some details and prices.

Angela Hartnett is well on her way to increasing the one star they hold there. I understand that Gordon sent her off on a 'world' tour while the builders were in and she came back with some great ideas. You have to pay your money and take your choice, £33 set menu up to over £100 per head, and they have special offers which include an overnight stop on Sunday with champagne on arrival, a meal, double bed room, and a tour of the kitchens, all for less than £300. Finally, The Carlos room for a special event is fantastic and I think they have others. Carpaccio of Norfolk duck with truffles and parmesan is to die for.

Hi Sarn, thanks for the kind comments.

I tried ticking the box for replys, and got nothing so gave up. Life is too short to fight computer systems.

Sorry Jilly, forgot to answer your first question. Yes!

Hi Jilly,

Hope this will fit the bill for you. Please note that if you use streaky bacon you will get a better result if you stretch it using the back of a knife.

You will need:
• 1.5lb monkfish tail per 3 persons
• shallots
• parsley
• garlic
• sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
• 12 slices of pancetta (or thin smoked streaky)

Method:

Skin & trim the monkfish and remove bone to within 2inches of the tail - thus leaving the two fillets joined at the tip.

Peel and chop garlic, shallots and parsley. Aim for a fine dice - add chopped tomatoes - the aim is for enough stuffing to fill the gap - I suggest 2 garlic - two shallots - a good hand full of parley leaves and 6 tomatoes.

Place the stuffing along the gap between the two halves of fish then wrap in pancetta by placing overlapping slices along top and tucking ends underneath.
Olive oil a baking tray and place fish onto it with pancetta joints underneath - this will seal the stuffing in - oil the top with a little olive oil and season with pepper - place in a 200c oven for about 20 minutes or till cooked - remove from oven and slice into sections.
Serve with a lemon butter sauce and new potatoes.

Tip:

If you have problems with wrapping the pancetta around the fish and getting the stuffing to stay put - tie the fish with thin string at 2in intervals.

Enjoy

Hi Sarn. Huss is a commercial name for dog fish, also called rock salmon by the fish and chip trade, helps to sell it. It is a firm fish, like monkfish, but much cheaper. You can use it in fish stews, curries and roast or fry. My suggestion is to heat oven to 200c, brush a fillet with butter and season, sear in a hot pan with a little groundnut oil till coloured then put into oven for 10 minutes. Serve on crushed buttered new potatoes flavoured with some parsley and watercress chopped. Good Luck.

Hi DeLeeder, the short answer to your question is NON! As I explained to Sarn it will not separate, in other words, if you boil fresh cream it will split or curdle, CF will not. This is because it is a manufactured product. It used to be made by allowing bacteria found naturally in cream to ferment. Finally I think the french for fresh is frais. Hope that helps.

I have just looked at that recipe. It seems that the timing is right for pork fillet as described in the method. But, on the ingredients it says pork shoulder, which will take a lot longer. Another recipe error, it seems to happen a lot.

Great, I use it in stroganoff with pork fillet. How was your meal?

Just think how boring our lives would become if every cook used the same recipe.

Yes! In my book this is one of the best products from France. I think the very best is from Normandy, lovely and creamy. Good points include, it will not curdle and if you heat it, it will not separate.

Hi DBR, Fromage Frais is the answer, without knowing what you are cooking I would guess you need 8per cent fat or better. If you look at yesterday's thread, 'fromarge frais instead of yoghurt' you might find it helpful. Good Luck.

I thought that is what we had now Julian2. I like Jeni, she has a light touch with most of the cooks/chefs. That said I do feel that trying to dance around knives, hot pans and the rest is not at good idea and seems to be aimed at making her guests look silly.

Fromage frais is basically a low fat curd cheese to which cream is added to make it suitable for either breakfast use or richer as a topping. Glad you had some yog.

Brie and frexy, thanks for the information. I will try the Delia recipe this time and will let you know how it goes. Perhaps you can do the same with Lotte's recipe Brie?

Has anyone got a recipe which will use small green toms. I have just emptied my greenhouse of 'gardeners delight' and have about a kilo. Something hot and spicy perhaps.

Thanks Georgie, very informative!

Hi baboush, yes it was great fun with Nigel in France, but very OTT. A little Indian bird tells me that the venture with Reza failed, anybody know what happened? Lellysmum, just for the record I too live in the 'sticks' Herts/Beds border, Paul Bloxham is my nearest TV celeb chef, otherwise we have to manage without egos and take pot luck and word of mouth to find good food.

What a world! It now appears that to be a talented and dedicated lover of Indian food, who's restaurant is excellent, is not enough. Reza also needs to fit into a 'box' in order to present on 'the box'. At least he is enthusiastic! I can think of at least one chef who appears from time to time who appears condesending and bored with the whole presenter thing. p.k and lellysmum, a question for you, when you go out to dine, do you vet the chef before you book the table?

I agree with you baboush. The style that Sophie has reminds me more than a little of Fannie Craddock, especially when orderering her "assistant" to perform basic tasks. Ouch, does that kind of memory mean I am very old?

Sounds like they may be ready now. Try eating a couple straight from the plant, they should be crisp and sweet. Yum Yum! Remember to keep the plants well watered.

Hi allgone, keeping ice cream in a freezer for more than two weeks is not a good idea as it starts to lose flavour and texture. Best to make small batches on a regular basis. Try using runny honey in place of sugar, it gives a smoother finish and makes a good base mix for adding other flavours. Good Luck!

Made his large pie last Xmas. Took ages to prep and assemble, but was worth every moment. Beg, borrow or visit your friends for a copy and chat up your butcher for pork fat to dice and a trotter for the jelly.

Hi mel38. If you think that there are too many of Tony's toys in this old series, just look out for the Ferrari Spyder and the trip into his pool, fully clothed! Snoozy has it about right, the cooking is good and George has a great way of putting Tony down, just a bit.

New Show??? I am old enough to remember Paul & Jennie Rankin when they first hit TV with this show. I think that was about 10 years ago. Explains the baseball caps if nothing else. Basic techniques are still good today though, as is the quality of ingedients in Eire.

I suggest a hand-held microplane grater. They are available in three grades, thick to thin and even work with parmesan rind! They can be cleaned in seconds, whereas mechanical grater cannot.