How about wrapping the chicken in a roasting bag instead of cling film?

Hi samsung 1,

I have a recipe which I make all the time.

250 g wholemeal flour
250 g 00 flour (it is very difficult for me to get strong bread flour)
350 ml of water
1 tsp of dry yeast
about 2 tbsp of olive oil
about 1 1/2 tbsp of vinegar
salt
pinch of sugar

Dissolve the yeast in bit of water (from the allowance) with a pinch of sugar and pinch of flour, let it rise.
Put flour, salt, oil and vinegar in to a bowl, add risen yeast and add water. Mix till smooth. I mix it in my Kenwood Chef mixer for about 10 minutes. If the dough is too wet add some flour till it is right consistency.
Let rise till it doubles in size. I then knead it a bit and if it is too sticky I add more flour. Put in a loaf tin and when it is the size you want put in to the oven (I have a fan oven and don't preheat it) for 1/2 hour on 200C and then turn the oven down to 180C and bake for another 1/2 hour.

I hope I didn't forget anything as I don't have a written recipe, I just try to remember it all. let me know how you get on.

Kamila

Hi Allsorts, the links are not working but if you put the curry name in the search then it will come up with that curry recipe. I have tried the first one - Chicken tikka masala and found it. Have a look [link]
Kamila

I will add my vote for Jeni. I was one of the first audiences on GFL and met Jenni and she was fantastic. She made us feel welcome. I watch Market Kitchen but I don't enjoy it. It is at the time when I am in the kitchen cooking so I have a TV on. My husband loved watching GFL and he loved Jeni. He never watches MK.

Hi bashir, I also have a combi microwave and the grill is not good. The grill in halogen oven is good. The casserole I cooked in the halogen oven was cooked in a casserole dish, may be if I would cook it directly in the glass dish (as they show it on selly telly) it would work better. I haven't tried it that way.
Kamila

I have also been away and even though I don't contribute to the forum much I do read it. Not every day but often.
Sonia 2611, where do I look for my recipes? I can't find mine. Thanks
Kamila

Hi bashir, I have bought halogen oven in November last year and I am delighted with it. It doesn't replace microwave. You can't boil a cup of water in it nor warm up liquid. (I warm up a glass of milk every day for my grandson). The halogen oven will defrost better then microwave. The halogen oven is just a small conventional oven. I use it mainly for grilling and roasting if I have a small piece of meat. If I do whole chicken then I use my big oven. I have tried a stew in my halogen oven but it wasn't successful. The meat was still tough even though I have cooked it longer then I cooked it in my big oven. I have cooked fairy cakes and baked bread in halogen oven and it was a success.
I hope I have answered some of your questions, let me know if you want to know more.
Kamila

I have got a couple of websites with recipes. Not sure if I can post the addresses though. Let me know if I can and I will let you know.

Mary and Rosti you are both right. I live in Malaga and we eat a lot of prawns here.
Pips 2, you need prawns which haven't been cooked - the gray ones, not pink. And don't overcook them. Put them in as Mary said, at the last minute and as soon as they turn pink they are done.

You can keep horseradish in a fridge for about a month. I wrap mine in a clingfilm. You can freeze it too but it looses its strength. I grate it and freeze mine in small portions.

I do my mash pot. the same way as you UKF but I bake my potatoes in a microwave and I find it easier to do then to boil the potatoes.

rumer, that sounds great. I will try it next time I am making the puds.

I use oil in the tray and preheat the tray. But the other week, the oil wasn't very hot and the puddings raised well. I freeze my extra puddings and have no problems with it. But be careful when you reheat them. It can burn very easily.
I always rest the batter but don't measure the ingredients so can't give you the recipe for it.

There is a program starting tonight on BBC2 presented by Ching-He Huang
Chinese Food Made Easy
Time: 20:30 to 21:00 (30 minutes long).
When: Monday 7th July on BBC 2

I agree with you Jackwagstaff, the Living in Spain channel is very cheaply produced and wooden. I have watched some of the programs when it first started and didn't enjoy it at all. I have seen one or two episodes of Deli and I didn't enjoy it. The chef is not Spanish, he is English. His Spanish is OK but not great.

I have got silicone bread mold. The instruction said that you should grease it the first time you use it. So I did. Washed it in dishwasher and forgot to grease it and the bread didn't stick so now I don't bother with greasing it.

Hi Dave, I live on CDS and you are right, there are some fabulous restaurants. And you don't have to pay fortune to get a great meal. Before I go to a restaurant I look how busy it is and if it is busy you know that the food is good.
I had a quick look at the web site and it looks OK. Which town is your restaurant in? And you are so right, there are a lot of good fresh ingredients here. Especially fish.
Hi Jan, I suppose you are in Estepona now and I am very sorry for the weather. It is the worst May we had for a long time now. Hope you have enjoyed your stay there despite the weather.

Hi gasrtosurf, I have been informed that we are going to get visitors soon (daughter and family) so my cradle will have to wait. I will bot be able to do anything for about two weeks now. Will let you know when I am back to normal.

Can you get pigs trotters? My mum always made brawn with them and it was delicious.

gastrosurf, what a fantastic idea. I will certainly have a go at making the frame.
I have tried a liner but it wasn't suitable, I only have an oblong one and it created creases. I am not in UK so can't pop in to Lidl's or Lakeland. Our offers in Lidl's are different to UK ones.

Hi cj32,
I have the same problem as you. And I have put my silicon mould in to an ordinary bread mold to keep a shape. The only benefit of using silicon mould is that I can get the bread out easy, no sticking. I only have a cheap bread mold and it was difficult to get the bread out.

Barshedale,
How true. I fully agree with your comment.

Golfboy, What a fantastic news. I was wondering if anything like that exists. I have got a few great stock pots and they are not suitable for induction hob. I didn't want to get rid of them so I still have them. Go and get that hob, it is the best thing I have done. Mine is about two years old now and I love it.

I live in Spain so I can't recommend any make of cookware but the thing I did was to have a magnet in my purse (still carry it) and when I saw a saucepan I liked I put the magnet on the bottom. If it sticks then it will work on your hob. I had a lot of pans at home and luckily most of them were magnetic.
Can you please tell me the make of your hob and where did you ordered it from? I would like to get one for my daughter who lives in UK.
thanks
Kamila

Thanks for the reply, but even Treacle might be difficult to get. I live in Spain. Unless I go shopping to Gibraltar. I will have a look around the shops today but other suggestions are very welcomed.

I will not be able to get maple syrup easily, is there anything else could I use? Thanks

I haven't seen Jose Andres cooking Yorkshire puddings. At least I can't remember that. The tortilla Jose A. cooked was in a program where he cooked different types of potato dishes and he called them all tortillas. I don't think that the mashed potato one was reduced fat one. It is a while since I've seen that, it was on TVE1 where he used to have a regular spot. When I've heard him saying that he is going to cook Tortillas I was looking forward to seeing it but was disappointed because it was all very different. But Jose Andres lives in Chicago so he is adapting a lot of recipes to suit him and to be "different".
I agree with you that chefs adapt their recipes to suit them and often in a process the original recipe gets completely lost and it looks nothing like it should.

Mari, I don't know which program are you reffering to but I have seen Spanish chef - Jose Andres on Spanish television cooking a tortilla. He cooked his potatoes, mashed them, mixed it with and egg and then made a tortilla. I know that the traditional tortilla is made the way you describe it but there are variations around.

I think that the one you are talking about is called Lily Kwok's Curry and you will find it in People's cook book on this web site.

If the cake tin has got a glass bottom then I have got one. I have bought it last year in Lidl in Spain. It is good but the sponge sticks to the glass bottom even though I have greased it and dusted it with flour. But I have run a knife along the bottom and no harm done.

Yes sesley, that is the exact reason why I will not go back to gas. I've always had gas and loved it. I had halogen hob in my house when we moved in a few years ago and couldn't stand it. It took too long to heat and to cool. Induction in instant heat and you can lower the temperature nice and low that the sauce will not burn. I also don't do too many stir fries so I don't miss the gas. I was lucky that most of my saucepans I had were magnetic so I didn't have to buy many. the only one I had to buy was my very large stock pot. Even though my one was stainless steel it wasn't magnetic.
I don't agree with you gastrosurf about the saucepan theory. I have tried cast iron, stainless steel with heavy bottoms, stainless steel with thin bottoms, alluminium, you name it I tried to cook in them on halogen hob. I also used the same saucepans on gas. And I would choose induction every time.

I always had gas and loved it. Until the time we have moved and the gas available is only bottled gas which I didn't fancy. We chose induction hob and I wouldn't have anything else. It is clean, easily controllable and safe. I've had my hob for couple of years now and I am still happy with it.

It can be frozen but you must be careful when you are re heating it. If you over cook it it will be very tough. Squid has to be cooked either very quickly or slowly for a long time.

I wouldn't put sugar in the soup if you are using frozen peas. Frozen peas is sweet enough. I had to make pea soup from frozen peas last week because my freezer broke down. I have made it similarly to your recipe lesley50 1 and it was very sweet.

The market in Spain where AWT buys his spices is an indoor food market in Fuengirola. I am planning to go to that market soon so I will have a look at that spice stall and will let you know If I'll find out anything.

Hi Porridge, I will give Sue your love. Yes, you are partly right with Benalmadena but it is Benalmadena Pueblo, she works in. It is a village above Benalmadena and Arroyo.

Hi Porridge,
Mijas Costa doesn't live near Benalmadena, she lives in Mijas Pueblo and that is near Fuengirola. We have been friends for about 5 years now.
I agree that a lot of places on the coast can be touristy but you will find that Carihuela has many Spanish fish Restaurants and they are famous for their fresh fish. They have beach Chiringuitos and the restaurants are opposite them. And because Simon asked about Benalmadena then Carihuela is nearest place and he can walk to it from Benalmadena Puerto. I agree that a lot of Restaurants in Benalmadena and also in Fuengirola cater for tourists. But village of Mijas has also a lot of tourist places because they have got coach tours going there every day. You would need a car to drive in to those off the beaten track places.

Hi simon09,
I just noticed your message. If it is not too late then what kind of restaurants are you looking for? Is it British cooking or Spanish cooking? I live in Spain and Benalmadena is not very far from where I live. If you are looking for good Spanish fish restaurants then Carihuela is the best for fish and it is between Benalmadena and Torremolinos.

missy moo,
Pata Negra hams are very expensive in Spain too. I take it that you were looking at UK shops. There is a website which specializes in hams but also expensive. [link]
But you can buy only a packet and not to have to have the whole ham. We have bought a whole ham a couple of years ago and we got fed up with eating it and eventually threw it away. It had got very dry and the taste had gone.

I have always had a gas hob and when we moved I had to use ceramic hob. I think it was a halogen hob. I didn't like it at all. Then it broke and I had replaced it. I would have loved to have a gas hob but we don't have gas in the house and I didn't want the hassle with gas bottles. So I have bought an induction hob and I love it. The only problem with induction hob is the saucepans. But luckily most of my saucepans were magnetic so I didn't have to buy many new ones.

I have read somewhere that if you don't have that bar to rub on your hands that you can rub your hands along a stainless steel sink. It is something in stainless steel sink that does the trick.

Hi Lesley, here is the recipe for cream. It is translated from Czech language.
1/4 of litre of milk
1/4 of kg of unsalted butter.
Put the ingredients in to the saucepan and warm up milk and butter only till the butter melts. Do not make it too hot. Pour slowly in to a blender and mix for two minutes. (definitely not less than that).
Pour the mixture in a glass jug and leave in a fridge preferably overnight or at least three hours.
Good luck and let me know how you got on. Kamila

Lesley, just got your message and I will look for my mum's notes tomorrow and post the recipe tomorrow. It will work with longlife milk, I also live in Spain and made the cream from that milk.

Red rose, there is a newspaper in English and it is called Prague Post. It has a lot of information about Prague and it also have a Restaurant review. They are on line - www.praguepost.com.

Hi Andie, you could try to make your own cream if you have a liquidiser. It is very easy and simple. Just add unsalted butter to full fat milk. Let me know if you want the quantities. But as Jackwagstaff said, the long life Spanish creams are OK.

I find Gibraltar expensive to eat in compare to Spain. But if you want to eat in Gibraltar then I think that the best meal is in the Marina as Ames suggested. Definitely not in any of the restaurants on the Main Street.

Nora B, you can get sausages in Tapas in Spain which look boiled or stewed. They are delicious, served in some kind of a juice. They are meaty sausages, not like British ones. Spanish sausages have hardly any cereal filler in them. May be that's the type of sausage your grandmother used. If you are in UK then it is worth trying to find an Italian Deli, they will have those meaty sausages.

Debbie,
Have you tried to look in Super/Hyper Sol or Super/Hyper Cor? Or even in Carrefour? I have a feeling that I have seen a jar of Tahini in HyperSol in Torremolinos last year. But wouldn't swear on it. If I am passing it I will pop in and have a look for you.
Kamila

Hi goofy1,
I am glad that you found the place OK. I occasionally go to their restaurant for a lunch with my friends, that's how I know about the shop. I don't live terribly near, I live near Malaga. I too love horseradish and well before we could get it as a root in UK I used to bring it from Czech Republic.

I buy my creme fraiche in Mercadona. They also sell Quark which is low fat. Do you have Mercadona near you? I haven't tried other stores for these things as Mercadona is my nearest store but you can try Carrefour they might have it too.

I thought that you would have more choice in CZ since the fall of communism. I was born in CZ and remember the potatoes my mum used to buy. As soon as she got them home she had to sort through them and throw away the rotten ones, the pieces of mud and was left with 1/2 the amount she bought.
My husband complains about potatoes in Spain. He doesn't like the taste and doesn't want to eat them. He says that there is no taste to them now. So I guess it is the same all over the world, if you buy from supermarket you get exact size and clean potatoes but no taste.

Hi there, your desperation days are over. Here are the directions. I take it that you are coming from Marbella direction so drive on the N340 road till you see the Mijas turn off. Take that slip road and at the end of it turn left. Drive over one roundabout (Lidl) then another one (petrol station - can't remember the name) and then it is a straight road. The centre is nearly the end of all the stores. It is on the left hand side and there is a car showroom opposite. Ahead is a roundabout so if you miss the turning (like me the first time I went) then you can turn around. There is a parking at the front and and the back. It is a Danish centre. The shop is at the back of the centre if you are lucky to get parking at the front. They close at around 2 or 3pm. The horseradish is in a chiller near the counter on the right side. It is in a small tub, I mean small but it goes a long way. I have asked them last year where they get their root and they told me that they buy it in Euromarket. Every time I go in to Euromarket I look for it but have never been able to find it.

goofy1, you can buy ready grated horseradish in a Nordic Centre in Fuengirola on Mijas Road. They have got a shop at the back and sell freshly grated horseradish. Let me know if you want directions.

Simon, I live in Spain and there are plenty of McDonalds and Burger Kings. And I have just read in a paper yesterday that Spanish children are becoming obese. But the old Spanish people shop daily for their food and use fresh food every day. They do eat a lot of fat food but they also eat a lot of olive oil, vegetables and of course a lot of fish. The fish counters in supermarkets are fantastic and of course much better in fishmongers. You can get a lot of out of season fruit and veg. but it is expensive so normal Spanish housewife will buy seasonal food. And the food will not last for ages in a fridge because it is fresh ( not chemically preserved) so it has to be eaten straight away.

Yes it will, I have done it many times but you will have to cook it after that, you can't re freeze it uncooked.

Naughty Jojo, no it can't be frozen. The natural gelatin in the stock will go all liquid. My mum used to make similar dish with pigs trotters and I have tried to freeze it once and it didn't work. When I defrosted it it turned all in to a liquid.

ishka, I live in Spain now and milk is mostly UHT - yuck. But I had to get used to it. I buy fresh milk in Gibraltar when I go there (not often though). There is fresh milk here but it goes off very quickly so I used to have to throw 1/2 carton out every day. It was a waste and I started to get used to the UHT milk.
You either like the sour milk or you don't. My mum never pushed the taste on to me she just drank it and I tasted it and liked it. My mum put salt and pepper in it when she was whisking it. And I also remember the days when I used to go with my grandmother to the stables and they milk the cows, strained the milk through the muslin and gave it to us. I am showing my age now!!!!!

Glad you liked the soup Muskerteer. I use garlic in everything and I just hope that what George heard - more garlic you eat less it smells on you - is right. Mind you everybody where I live eats garlic so I think that I am OK. I have got a friend (75 years old lady) and she eats a clove of raw garlic every night. Her husband doesn't like garlic so she choppes a clove up puts it on the t-spoon and swallows it and her husband doesn't complain about the smell. So they are both happpy and she never gats a cod. She is never ill.

ishka, I used to drink sour milk and it was delicious. My mum left the milk to go sour deliberately and regularly. After it was sour she whisked it well and it became thick and creamy. It was a bit like butter milk you can buy nowadays. But you can't get the milk to go sour now. I think that it must be the additives they put in it. The milk now goes smelly and goes off.

Muskerteer, let me know what you think.

Hi Muskerteer, this is a recipe my mum used to make for us.
1 litre of chicken stock, 1 medium potato - cubed (can add more if you prefer), pinch of caraway seeds, pinch of marjoram, and as much minced garlic as you like, salt and pepper to taste. Bring the stock to boil and add all the ingredients. Cook till the potatoes are soft.
My mother made this soup for us especially if we had an upset stomach. The soup originates from Czech Republic.

I also love garlic and the food we eat has always got garlic in it. My favourite food is garlic soup, my mothers recipe.

Hi suzanne25, I have been buying Lidl's mixes for a while now and love them. I have tried all of them and love the multigrain mix and the wholemeal mix. I don't know the name of it because I buy it in Spain. I mix it in my bread maker and bake it in the oven. I don't particularly like the shape of the bread from the bread maker and I get a better crust on in if I bake it in the oven.

Marie, you are absolutely right, but I saw a chef (can't remember who it was, it was sometime last year) using olive oil in the fryer so I thought that I try it. And as you can see I didn't like it. The chips came out OK but I wasn't happy about the oil. So I went back to sunflower one.

Rosti, That's what I used and it still smoked a bit. I live in Spain and have a very good choice of all sorts of olive oils. I just couldn't get on with olive oil for deep fat fryer.

Thanks LeeO, I thought of that but decided that if I use sunflower oil then I might as well use all of it without mixing. I use olive oil for all other frying, add it to my bread and of course for salads. I restrict my husband to one or two (max) portions of chips a week so I don't worry that much about the oil I use.

Hi Margaret, I have tried to do my chips in olive oil and I found that the oil was smoking a bit. The temperature on my fryer wasn't set particularly high. And I felt that I needed to change the oil sooner then I would have done if using sunflower one.

Try to chop the mint up and freeze in bags. It will separate after it is frozen (you will have to help by braking it up) and you can just use as much or as little as you need.

Good luck with it, hope it will turn out OK when you'll try it. Mine always does.

You are right frexy, it should be full cream milk. In the days when my mum made the cream we had only full fat milk. I am sure that if you make it with skimmed milk it will turn out OK but not sure if it will be OK for whipping.

Hi Mary, Here are the quantities for the cream. Sorry it is in litres, it is my mum's recipe from Czech Republic.
1/8th of litre of milk
1/8th of kg of unsalted butter
Chop the butter in to small chunks and add to the milk. Heat the milk and butter very slowly till the butter is melted but the milk is not hot. Pour in to a liquidizer and liquidize for two minutes. Transfer in to a glass jug and leave in a fridge overnight or minimum three hours.

You can make your own double cream using milk, unsalted butter and make it in liquidizer. It is very easy to make.

Hi Mark2004uk, if your neighbour is from Asturias she might like Hake in Cider (the best Spanish cider comes from Asturias), Fabada Asturiana (as Scarlet Witch suggested), Tarta de Manzana, if she is from Galicia then she might like Caldo Gallego (Galician soup), Caldeirada (Galician Fish stew)and she definitely will like Tarta de Santiago (Galician almond tart). There are many regions in Spain which would fall in to the North West region so if you find out where exactly she is from then I can give you some more ideas.
Regards Kamila

My friend who is also a member of this board told me of a recipe for a roasted pepper sauce she makes from peppers from a jar. Here it is: Saute an onion in (I think she said olive oil) add add the peppers, season and blend till smooth. If necessary add the brine to the mixture. I will e-mail her tonight and ask her to tell you herself as I can't remember exactly what she told me. (Old age creeping in).

I have bought a garlic peeler. It is a rubber tube in to which you put a clove of garlic and roll it in it and it supposed to peel it.

Hi Prue, we are going to cancel our Christmas lunch because Sue's husband died on Friday evening. Kamila

Sue, why not go on to andalucia web page again.

Hi Sue, I love Chirimoyas. I just scoop the flesh with the spoon and spit the pips out.

Hi Hildi, I have seen the show and if I remember correctly you put your food in a foil, wrap it up and make holes in that foil. Put wood chips in to another foil, place the foil with food in on to the chips and wrap up. Put on a barbecue and let it get cooked by smoking. I remember seeing wood chips in my local Tesco in their barbecue section. But that was nearly 4 years ago now. I would try barbecue section in your Garden centre.

I always put an onion or two with the skin on in to my stock plus the usual vegetables and spices. I also like to use celery and celeriac. The stock is then lovely golden colour. The darker the skin the darker the stock. I use the whole chicken, some carcass and chicken feet. I don't pre roast the carcasses because we also use the stock for chicken soup.

I have read somewhere that the vinegar used for pickling has to be of certain acidity to be able to preserve the pickles. There is a web site which specializes on pickling. [link] May be they will have an answer.

Hi sherry trifle,

Just been to Benalmadena Pueblo garden centre - Vera Cruz - and they had quite e few pots with herbs at around €0.90.

You are welcome, let me know how you got on. What herbs are you looking for?

Hi sherry trifle, I also lost those herbs bought in pots. I bought them in a supermarket. The best herbs are the ones bought in a garden centre. There are two garden centres in Fuengirola on Coin road. One is called La Vega but I can't remember the name of the other one. They are both very close to each other. There is also a very large garden centre in Alhauring de la Torre called Guzman. They have a very good variety of herbs.

Hi Sue,
Ta for the oil, sounds like it is a lovely oil. If you want me to I can pick it up from your office. I am helping a friend with his Christmas rush and working in Benalmadena Pueblo two days a week.
It will be lovely to meet you Prue. Our group seems to grow bigger every time we meet. I am bringing two friends this time - brought one friend for the last meeting. Hope you'll enjoy your shopping in Fuengirola.

I keep my parsley in a glass of water in a fridge. It keeps easily for a week. Or I chop the herbs and put them in a freezer.

Hi Sue,
Been to Makro last night and I am afraid that they didn't have pecorino cheese. I will keep my eyes open and will let you know if I see one somewhere. 10th Dec. is marked in my diary, looking forward to it.

Hi Prue,
There is an English butcher in Bena Vista which is near San Pedro if you don't want to travel to Fuengirola. I don't know of any butcher in Malaga who would sell British Bangers.
Sue,
I will check out Makro in Malaga for Pecorino cheese when I am there next. They have a good variety of foreign cheeses.

What about hydrogenated vegetable protein in stock cubes? Isn't that bad for you? I know that hydrogenated oils/fat is bad so isn't the protein bad too? My husband uses stock cubes when I don't have time to make stock and I am not sure that he should use it.

I use palm hearts in a salad. They are absolutely beautiful.

Thanks Marion, I only managed to see the bit where she was putting paprika on it and missed the other ingredients. I will have a go and cook it on Sunday.

Hi Haydn, I also only managed to see half of the recipe and I would like to make it at the weekend. Which half did your wife see? I saw the second one.

Great Sonia, At least you know where to get them. And may be that when you are in UK you will find exactly what you are looking for when you are browsing through the shops.

Hi Sonia, I know exactly what you want. I have bought one years ago but can't remember where. I would try Lakeland, John Lewis or Harrods. I have just looked at John Lewis web page and they have two of them. I think that that's what you are looking for, isn't it?

It happens to me every time I defrost my yeast. I don't know why it is. But I use it in a normal way and it works.

Hi Tigger, there is a site which specializes with pickles
www.picklenet.com. I am sure you will find a recipe for pickled cabbage there.

Jax, I agree with you. I am afraid that I also use cheap cooking wine. I know of people who drink that wine as their everyday wine (no, not winos, I live in Spain and we have plenty of cheap wines here) so you are not tight. I see Spaniard buying "my" cooking wine by trolly loads.

I just loved my circotherm Neff oven. I have moved three years ago and had to leave it behind. I have a very basic electric oven now (came with the kitchen I have now)and can't get on with it at all.

I have just bought a microwave and it only has an instruction book. No recipe book at all. So may be Sonia is right, it could be the fact that the goods is purchased abroad. But then again, don't Spanish people need some ideas how to cook in that particular microwave? Obviously not.

Glad you liked the recipe Sonia.

If I forget to soak my dry beans over night I pour boiling water on them, soak them in it for about two hours and then boil the beans, It might take a bit longer to get the beans soft but it works.

When I was a child we used to eat kohlrabi raw. My mum would peel it and gave it to us to munch on. She also would make a stewed kohlrabi - fry onions till just ready to turn golden, add shredded kohlrabi, a bit of water, salt, pepper, pinch of caraway seeds and stew till just soft. add a bit of roux to bind it together and cook for a while. Serve with roast pork or roast duck. It is a typical Czech recipe.

You can get spring onions in Carrefour sometimes. They are not exactly the same as UK ones, the onion bulbs are bigger and sharper but the greens are the same. I have also planted a few seeds in a pot and I am now harvesting my spring onions. And every time our daughter comes to visit us she brings a few bunches, I chop it up and put in the freezer. Where in Spain do you live?

I have heard that pomegranates are good but didn't know why. Thanks Georgie for the info.

Perish the thought relishmama, me drinking sangria?
Your recipe sounds lovely, we all have similar recipes.

Hi relishmama,
Our friend cooked lamb in his Restaurant in Spain in a very similar way and it was called Mishue Lamb. (not too sure about spelling) and it was delicious.

Hi ahp,
This is a recipe our Spanish friend cooked for us a few years ago. Rub the lamb with a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic and thyme, pour over about 1 glass of red wine and two or three tablespoons of brandy and leave to marinade for about an hour. Roast in the oven till it is very tender - falls of the bone.

Thanks for the tip snoozy, I will definitely have a go at the recipe.

kimi, the recipe sounds fantastic. I will have a go. But when you say crisp it up the outside you obviously have a layer of fat around it, am I right? The loin of pork I can buy here doesn't have an ounce of fat so I think that the meat would dry out, wouldn't it?

I have just logged in and saw your message. I suppose you don't need the recipe now. Sorry, but if you do then just put equal amount of tomatoes and cucumbers and a bit less peppers in the liquidiser (should be pestle and mortar but for quickness the liquidiser will do), add onions, stale bread to thicken it, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper - all to taste and there you have a Gazpacho.

Hi Inztantfunk,
You are more than welcome. Please do let me know how was your holiday and how you've got on at all those Tapas Bars. I have just learned that a we have got friends living in Nerja. We have lost touch with them quite a few years ago and they have moved to Nerja last year so no doubt we will be visiting them soon.

It used to be my favourite desert to make at my dinner parties - my party piece. I soaked the sponge with an alcohol, put fruit on it then the ice cream (in to which I've mixed some alcohol) and topped with egg whites. Everybody loved it. I haven't made it for years and we have made friends with a Scottish couple while back and I happen to mention the Baked Alaska and they have never tried it so I am going to make it again very soon.

Hiya,
I've got another information about Nerja so here is is:
Best tapas bar in Nerja - there aren´t many good ones! - is the Alameda Bar on Calle Jaen off Avenida Castilla Perez (one of the main streets); excellent selection of free hot and cold tapas including the best Spanish Omelette in Spain, and very cheap drinks. Another new bar has just opened at the main square by the Balcon de Europa - Bar Toboso; haven´t tried this myself yet but have heard very good reports about it although you do pay for Tapas there (about 1.50 Euros each).



For special meals there are 3 well known restaurants in Nerja centre. The first - the Rey Alfonso - is built into the cliff face at the far/sea end of the Balcon de Europa; prices mid range. The second is Miguels just 2 minutes walk up from the Balcon at the junction of Calle Pintada and Calle Cristo (Post Office street). Top prices but an excellent experience. Lastly, Casa Luque, near the Balcon at the Plaza Cavana - antique furnishings and beautiful sea front terrace; dear but worth it and for a cheaper option they also serve tapas outside on the square.



Mid price range - Sevillanos at the junction of Calle Cristo and Calle Gloria is a 3 storey old house serving excellent food and with lovely staff; a real favourite of ours.



For lower prices, but still good food, El Refugio on Calle Diputacion, Venta San Miguel 1 km west of Nerja on the coast road opposite the Hotel Marinas de Nerja - very rustic with great food and, for totally English food but in a typically Spanish house with lovely internal Andalucian courtyard, the California just up from the Post Office on Calle Cristo. Paco Marie on Calle Gloria (between main street Calle Pintada and Post Office Street) do an excellent 3 course menu del dia.
Hope all this helps and you will have a lovely holiday.
Best Regards
Kamila

Hi,
Got the information about Nerja restaurants and bars. The person who answered my message has also got information about busses in Nerja and other important information. Let me know if you would like to know about anything else.
RESTAURANTS
There are many nice restaurants in Nerja town and prices vary. Some are set in courtyards with tropical trees and gardens. Unfortunately not all are open all the year round.

THE SAN MIGUEL
This is an excellent rustic style restaurant/bar that specialises in game. The Rabbit is superb! To reach here just travel 200 meters up the main road in the direction of Nerja town and it is down a somewhat rough track on the left hand side with a notice on the road that indicates Viveros (Garden Centre). You are equally welcome to call in for just a drink or a snack. There is a good atmosphere here and they serve traditional Andalucian food.

RESTAURANT AT BOTTOM OF LADERA HILL
The Restaurant at the bottom of the hill has a very pleasant open area overlooking Nerja town. They specialise of course in seafood. - Middle price range. You are also able to just have a drink in the bar area.

BAR RESTAURANTE EL PUENTE
Take the first right off the main roundabout going into Nerja Town. This restaurant is just on your left. Their car park is on the opposite side of the road. They serve an excellent “meal of the day” - 3 courses with glass of wine and bread for 7 euros. I can personally recommend their meat and potato soup, which compares favourable to a casserole!!

THE DON JUAN 95 252 5201
Situated opposite the Rui Monica Hotel (The bus stops here) is this small restaurant serving excellent food. They have a set 3-course menu at 1,200pts per head. We have never been able to fault the food here. The Chef is Spanish and his wife who serves on tables is English. Excellent value for money.

MARE NOSTRUM. Telephone 95 252 4262
Calle Fray Junipero Serra (just off Avenida Castilla Perez)
This Chinese restaurant is situated in the Residential/Business side of town. They serve a 3 course Menu of the day for just 695 pts (less than £3.00 per head). The food is good both in quality and value and there are several choices of main meal, finished off with a complimentary drink of either brandy or Chinese wine.


EL PORTICO. Telephone 95 252 05 58
An excellent Italian Restaurant up Calle Almirante Ferrandiz 37. Serves homemade pasta and has excellent wines. The staff are extremely friendly. They had a huge log fire burning in the entrance area when we were there over the Christmas period.
Reasonably priced with good ambience, food and service - Recommended. (Map spot 110).



REY ALFONSO.
This restaurant is actually built into the promontory at the Balcon de Europa. Most of the tables hug the semi circular windows that give panoramic views both to the east and west of the Balcon. The sea is always lit up at night and you have the most spectacular views. The food quality and service are very good with prices mid-range. When you go down to the Balcon just look over the edge and you will see the restaurant jutting out.

Au petit PARIS. Telephone 952 52 5726
An excellent Restaurant serving French food. The Restaurant is mentioned in all the French gastronomic guides. Not cheap but very nice.

No.34.
For a really special night out, this Restaurants décor is fabulous. The food is good and the service impeccable; however, it is extremely expensive and only recommended for a ‘special occasion’

Café Bar Alameda - Calle Jaen - (Spanish Tapas)
There is a friendly family run Tapas Bar opposite the Notories Office in the residential/business part of town. If you buy a beer you will be able to choose a tapas free of charge. However, larger tapas meals can be ordered for a small charge.

HAVELI
In our opinion, this Restaurant serves the best Indian food in Nerja. On Saturday nights they hold live music evenings under awnings at the back of the Restaurant.

TASTE OF INDIA,
Calle Carabeo - open 7pm - late Telephone 95 252 0043
This middle price range Indian Restaurant, serves good quality food and can be found in Carabeo. You will need to reserve a table, as this is a very popular venue for those who like Indian food.

THE ROUND BAR. Telephone 952 52 4974
You will find the Round Bar next to ‘Pacomari’ in the old part of town and facing one of Nerjas most expensive Restaurants, is a great Andalucian bistro type establishment serving value for money good quality food. However, if you just call in for a drink you are often served with complimentary Tapas.



LIVELY NIGHTS OUT


CAYMA - Calle Cristo 56 down from junction Arropierros. (around corner from Haveli Restaurant)
Opened on Valentines night 2004 this new night spot advertises so called “proper live music”
Specialising in music from the 50’s 60’s and 70’s. It is expected to appeal to the more mature customer. The bar is open from 8.00pm to 5.00am seven days a week.



FLAMENCO
The Burro Blanco Bar
Go up Calle Pintarda and take the first right turn into a small street and the Burro Blanco is the first bar on your left. The Flamenco dancers are extremely professional. Their costumes are magnificent. The bar usually charges 6 euros for your first drink, which covers the cost of the entertainment. Map spot G5



CLUB TROIPICANA. Telephone 95 252 5902
Club Tropicana is just around the corner. Go up the hill and follow the road around to the right, you will come across a rough bit of walkway that takes you into Punta Lara Urbanisation for a short time. Follow the road down the hill towards the main road (you will see the Marinas De Nerja Hotel). The Avelon Hotel is elevated on your right hand side. Turn left into Tropicana and follow the road around the villas to the right. Tropicana Club is on your right around the bend. They have a ‘Party Night’ on a Tuesday and on Thursday they have a BBQ night with live music.

PLAZA TUTTI FRUITTI & ANTONIO MILLON.
The biggest concentration of nightlife is here - there are wall-to-wall bars, many of them with dancing. The area doesn’t come to life much before midnight. The bars stay open until 3.30am Sunday to Thursday and 4.30am Friday and Saturday (one hour less in off-peak periods). There are other bars, which stay open later, but then it’s mainly in the Discos. Jimmy’s on Antonio Millon, Castillo on Diputacion and Narixa down an alley on the seaward side of the church on the Balcon de Europa.

SEVEN. Telephone 606 869 527
Open Thurs 10.30pm - 2.30am and Friday and Saturday 10.30pm to 3.30am. Apparently it is also a Sport Bar with multi-screen Premiership action on Sky Digital.

FELICITY’S . Telephone 95 252 83 62
Open 9pm until late 7 days a week. Advertised as situated in the heart of Nerja’s nightlife.

Hi chocy flower,
I have used the method you've suggested but the herbs never came out right when crushed them in the bag. The herbs defrosted too quickly and I couldn't crush them well enough.

Hi there,
I have looked at all my local papers but there wasn't anything for Nerja. I have looked in yellow pages and there are restaurants advertised there but before I'll write some of the addresses for you I have posted a message on Spanish Message board and waiting for a reply. I will let you know as soon as I'll have anything. People are usually very good on that message board so I hope that I will have a reply soon.

The best way to get alcohol in to a water melon is with a syringe. We used to put rum in to our melon when I lived at home and it worked well. But if I don't have time to fiddle about with injecting my melon I slice it in to a bowl and pour vodka directly on to the slices.

I don't know Nerja but live on the other side of Malaga. I have go our local paper here and I will look for some adverts in it for Nerja and will let you know tomorrow. Or should I say later (much later) on today.

Hiya Kimi or should I say Hola,
Coin is great. It is not far from Malaga airport and the coast. I don't know anybody who lives in Coin but my friend has got her friend living there and she loves it there. Hope you will manage to get over here in October.

Hiya Kimi,
I know the spelling well only because it is my favourite Tapas and I live in Spain now so see it written everywhere. I didn't mean anything by witting the name. Which part of Spain do you go to?

Thanks for your update Pete, I will definitely have a go at it.

Hi Michelle,
If you look under Giaconda Scott in here you will find a few recipes for Tapas. Have a look at Marinated Anchovies (boquerones) - as Kimi already spoke about them. Spanish serve lovely meatballs as Tapas, Potato salad with tuna, onion, olives and green peppers, favourite of mine is a roast red pepper salad served with onions, Patatas Bravas - potatoes served in a spicey tomato sauce and their version of mini Cornish Pasties called Empanadillas. Spanish also serve a lot of salads with mayonnaise, Chick Peas salad. Really anything goes. Some places will serve Tapas on special Tapas dishes and some will serve Tapas on a piece of French type of bread. The dressing you are talking about might be their Salsa Vinegreta which is made with onions, parsley, olive oil and vinegar. Combine a few slices of onions with salt, 1 tbsp of parsley and 1 cup of oil, leave it to marinate for an hour or so. Strain to remove the onion and parsley, add 1/3 cup of vinegar.

Well done Pete, I wish I thought of that. I didn't think that chemists would sell syringes over the counter. I have a lot to learn in my old age.

You must have green fingers, that's fantastic to have such lovely herbs. I will try to water mine even if they are dry and hope for the best. I have bought a large pot of flat leaf parsley and it is doing well so far but my chives are looking very sorry for themselves.

Ta for the info, brucelee. I will try to make them one day but I seem to be very busy at the moment. Seem to have a stream of visitors and the time I have in between the visits I seem to spend catching up on my e-mails and cleaning the house for the next lot. Please keep posting your updates about your rolls.

What a great idea, Peter. I have never heard of injecting strawberries. I will have a go. I have saved a new syringe from an ink refill for my printer cartridges so I can inject alcohol in to a water melon.

Hi Mokey,
Lucky you, that you can grow herbs. I seem to be very unlucky with them. I always freeze all my herbs, I buy big bunches and chop it up and freeze in plastic bags. I make sure that the chopped herbs are thinly spread inside the bag so it is easy to just break a piece of it.

Hi brucelee,
Managed to log on after a log absence (too busy looking after our grandchild) and read your posting. My husband also loves Scotch rolls and every time his sisters visit us they bring a suitcase full of rolls, black pudding, square sausage and potato scones. I have been thinking about making the rolls but I have noticed that the rolls are not exactly white inside. The colour is kind of off white. That makes me think that there is a special flour being used for making them and that's why I have never tried making them. Good luck with your baking.

KayH, love your poem and you just spoke the way I feel about my breadmaker. I wanted one for my birthday (about five years ago) and I take it out every now and then and use it but I haven't master the perfect loaf. I have retired now so my breadmaker is standing on my kitchen worktop and guess what it's doing? The same thing your machine does. If it isn't collecting dust it has something standing on the top of it.

I always chop the herbs and then freeze it. It then sprinkles very well. I have tried to freeze parsley whole but it didn't scrunch well enough for me.

Hi Joanna Marie,
I have got a friend chef and he once said to me that there are two ingredients which must be used in Spanish Paella = olive oil and saffron. All the other ingredients are put in to your taste. You can only use fish and shell fish or just meat or mix chicken, fish, shellfish and chorizo sausage. It is not complicated to cook Paella, just make sure that you don't put too much liquid in the rice like I did the first time I've made it. It tasted nice but was too mashy. Oh, I forgot to say that the chef is Spanish.
Good luck with it.

My Kenwood Chef is 26 years old and I thought that I have al the attachments which were on the market then but I haven't seen this one.
Hi Trudi, I have got the "K" looking blade and I used to made pastry with it and it always came out OK.

Hi, I have eaten Serano ham which was frozen and it tasted OK. So I would assume that Parma ham would be the same.

Thanks Carol, I will check it out on the web page.

Hi Carol, I used it in past to roast my chicken but since we moved I put it in my cupboard and it still there three years later. You just jogged my memory and I remembered that I also have the dish. I used put in the chicken and roast it in the oven for about an hour. I then uncovered it and crisped it up. The chicken was always nice and moist.

Funny you should mention your roasting clay dish. I have got the same in my cupboard. I would be interested on proper way to use it. I had soaked it in water and then used it like an ordinary roasting dish. I never started in a cold oven though.

Are you sure you are not talking about pickled cabbage rather then real sauerkraut? I come from Czech Republic and we use a lot of it and I have never known it to be preserved in salt. The way sauerkraut was made is for it to go sour naturally in barrels. That one is the best and you don't need to rinse it at all. We not only cook with it but we also make a salad with it (without rinsing it). I have been buying sauerkraut in tins or jars for a long time now but I have never came across one which have been preserved in salt. If you have a good preserved sauerkraut then all you need to do is to drain it. If it is too much vinegar in it then you need to rinse it but not because it is too salty but because it is too sour.

You can make marinated olives with fresh olives or with olives already in jars. My friend had a Tapas Bar and he used to make his own garlic olives.
Drain of 1/2 of the brine from a jar of green olives, the best ones are the ones which have been stuffed with red peppers. Add 1 or two garlic cloves, 1 tbs of sherry vinegar and fill the jar with olive oil. Leave it to marinate for at least 24 hours.
Good luck with it.
Kamila

Hi Gop, I always used Dutch unsalted butter when I made my cream. Just smell the butter you are going to use. Some butters have a smell to it which is kind of cheesy or like a margarine. The best butter to use must smell fresh and clean. (That the best way I can describe the smell). I suppose like fresh milk.
Good luck, Kamila

The fondue I always do and the easiest one is a meat fondue. Heat oil and dip in to it cubed steak pieces and cook in that oil. Serve with french bread, salad and various dips.

If you mean the hot chocolate drink Spanish people drink especially for breakfast (chocolate espeso) then it is made with milk and a special chocolate bars. According to the old custom the ingredients are water, chocolate and a bit of cornstarch. It must be thick enough for the wooden spoon to be able to stand up in it. It is then eaten with Churros or Porras (they are thicker ones) as Matthew said, and they are dipped in the chocolate. I have been told that you can buy the chocolate bars in a supermarket (in Spain of course).

You are absolutely right Kate, mild or sweet paprika is Dulce and the spicy one is Picante. Both come from Spain.

I have just glanced over the postings for this thread and I think that there was a talk of making cream in a blender. I used make the cream in my blender and it always turned out right. I found my mum's recipe and here it is:
1/8 l of full fat milk
1/8 kg of unsalted butter
warm up milk and butter only till the butter melts. Do not make it too hot. Pour slowly in to a blender and mix for two minutes. (definitely not less than that).
Pour the mixture in a glass and leave in a fridge preferably overnight or at least three hours.
Now why didn't I think of this on Christmas Eve? I bought a carton of cream (long life one) and it wasn't that good. Just like people in Italy I also can't get decent cream here in Spain. I have completely forgot about my recipe till now. This site is wonderful, I have got my memory back.

Just managed to get on my computer and saw your postings. Thanks Gaye for the tip about Monarch, will look at it in a minute.
The food was great but the portions were little that's why I managed to eat the pudding. The salmon starters were just a little blob of risotto and smoked salmon and the soup was only tiny cup. But because the food was rich I felt really full after it. It was well worth it. And now thinking what our daughter told us today about their evening yesterday (they went to a Chinese restaurant somewhere in Orpington/Bromley area and they were charged £70 a head and the food was awful) our meal sounds like a bargain.
Happy New Year to everybody.

Hello everybody,
Thanks to Lizzie, Georgie and Mary for their advise. I had a pair of trousers and a jumper on and I thought that I will give my fur (not real) coat an airing so I didn't need any layers to peel off. It was cold though. The food was absolutely fabulous. Everything was well presented, the service was excellent and the taste was out of this world. My daughter and I had a glass of champagne and men had a bloody Mary to start with, we then polished two bottles of red wine. I've had Smoked Salmon Three Ways ( smoked salmon, salmon risotto and salmon frothy soup) Then I had Roasted Breast of Partridge, Choux Farci, Potato Fondant, Black Pudding & Gin Sauce and to finish with I had Dark Chocolate Marquise With Kirsch Cherries. I certainly would recommend the restaurant. Thank you Gaye for the tip about Ryanair but they don't fly to Malaga. We have got our return ticket with Britannia.

Thank you all for your advise, I am packing now and ready to go tomorrow morning. Not looking forward to the cold but can't wait to see my grandson. The last time I saw him was in summer so he has changed a lot now. It has been really lovely here last few days so I am not really jealous at Mary any more. We have had our fair share of rain and cold here. I will tell you all about my peeling off, well as much as I will be able to and all about my meal. We don't have return tickets yet, waiting for a last minute bargain. But should be back by next weekend.

Thank you everybody for an advise. I will put layers on and peel it off if I am hot, my husband will like the thought of it. I suppose that Mary doesn't have to think about these things now. I always said that when I'll move to Spain I will not come to UK in winter. And what does my daughter do??? Have a baby just before Christmas. So we travel to Uk every winter for our grandson's birthday. I can't believe it that he is going to be 2 years old next week.

I have been looking at these hot stones for ages now and thinking about getting one. My husband had a meal in a restaurant last year and they cooked his steak on the stone. And the other day my friend told me that she had a steak cooked on the stone. She said that the steak was beautiful but it smells and smokes when you cook on it. She suggested that it would be better used outside instead of a barbecue. There are a lot of different types for sale in stores here in Spain but I can't remember the name. I have to go shopping tomorrow or on Friday and I will have a look for a name. They usually have the names and instructions in different languages.

Hi Katalin,
If I remember correctly from my childhood Kolbasz (if that's the same sausage I am thinking of) hasn't got as much paprika in as chorizo. But it is a long time ago I was young and I could be very wrong.

Help, what do I wear? We are going to Uk to visit our daughter and her partner. They are taking us to a restaurant called Chapters Restaurant. I think it is in Bromley. Has anyone been there? What cloths should I pack in my case? My daughter tells me that it is not Posh. But she is young and I am old. What is acceptable for her is not necessarily acceptable for me. Any advise will be appreciated.
Thanks

You are so right MammaChef about Le Cruiset saucepans. I have got two sets of them and they are terribly heavy. I also have three sets (I can never have enough of saucepans) of stainless steel saucepans and they are the ones I use all the time. I love them. I use my Le Cruiset large saucepan for the oven for casseroles only.

Hi Mamma Chef,
I live on Costa del Sol. 5 minutes from Malaga airport. I have been here for 2 1/2 years now and love it. I travel to UK quite a bit. We have a daughter and a grandson there so we take turns to visit each other. I try to avoid coming in winter - don't like cold weather.

Hi all,
Just managed to get a minute with my computer so I thought that I will contribute to this conversation. We are going to celebrate 24th in the evening as usual with a typical Czech Christmas menu. Fish soup to start with and then breaded fish fillet. I can't get Carp easily (typical Czech meal) so I will choose white fish fillet. Because we are in Spain and Spanish also celebrate 24th with a fish meal we will kill two birds with one stone sort of speak. Because my husband is British we also celebrate 25th. Our daughter used to love it because she has always had two Christmases. I have decided to be very different for Christmas day this year and going to have a suckling pig. Very easily available in Spain and I have never cooked one so it will be fun to try something new.

Hi JJ, it sounds like the ingredients are of Asian origin and there are Asian shops in Spain. Which part of Spain does your Brother-in-Law lives in? If it is on Costa del Sol then I can tell you where they are so he can check out if those stores sell it.

Why don't you try to find somebody with a lots of lemons in their garden. I don't know where in Spain you live but I have seen an advert. for pick your own lemons in Estepona on Costa del Sol. It was for free. Or if you drive on country road you will see people selling fruit. E.g.. road from Malaga to Alhaurin el Grande.

Hello MammaChef, Thank you for this lovely recipe. I have tried it the other day and it was delicious. I didn't use cream cheese, used just milk and I forgot to put in mustard powder and it was still lovely.

Hi Duncan,
My daughter bought an oyster holder and knife for me for Christmas two years ago. I think she's got it in one of the gadget shops in Bluewater shopping centre in Kent. I will e-mail her and ask her if she'll remember which one.
Kamila

Great idea, I am certainly going to do it for my daughter to start with.

Hello Jilly,
I have bought my daughter breadmaker and she loves it and uses it all the time. I have got it from Argos catalogue and it wasn't expensive. It is Fastbake Coolwall Breadmaker. It does all the things Jill and Karen said. I myslef have a Zojirushi Breadmaker, it was expensive one and I can't get on with it so I stopped using it for a while.

Hi Susan,
Here is the recipe taken from my Spanish cook book.

[Recipe deleted due to breach in Copyright]

Hi Barbara,
This is recipe from Czech Republic, my mum used to make it.
1x grated horseradish
2x grated apples
1/2 cup of beef stock or water
1x tablespoon of oil
Mix all together and season with salt. Add sugar and vinegar to taste. It should have a sour sweet taste.

I couldn't be without my stainless steel garlic press. Just put in the whole garlic clove and out pops out peeled pressed garlic. I have bought two small whisks ( I thought they were cute, that's why two) - stainless steel so I can put it in a dishwasher but I forget to use it. I can't shake off my old habit of using the fork for whisking the eggs.

I had the same problem so next time I cooked belly of pork I decided on a different method. I cut of the rind, cut quite deep slits (actually I cut squares) and rub a lot of salt on it. I then put it back on top of the pork and cooked it my normal way. When the meat was ready I took it out of the oven and put the rind back in to cook it for a bit longer and to make it very crispy. It worked for me.
Good luck,
Kamila

Hi Lima,
If the chorizo looks like a sausage then it should be cooked. Well at least you cook the ones you buy in Spain. You can either fry it, grill it, barbecue it, put it in a stew, or cook it in white wine. If you buy it pre sliced like you would German pepper salami type then you just put it on bread or cracker.
Regards
Kamila

There is a vodka which is black. Not the black label one but it is black. My daughter was asked to a Market Research to taste it two years ago. I don't know where you can get it though.

Lucky dog to have Haggis for his dinner.
Hope you've enjoyed yours and the dog his. I have been introduced to Haggis 33 years ago and I love it. My husband is Scottish and I am Czech so I have never heard of Haggis till I met him.

Hi Vicki,
I wouldn't chance re heating your Haggis now if you've had it in the fridge since last weekend. Treat it like you would treat sausage meat.
I normally freeze Haggis and Black pudding straight away.

My granny also told me to eat bread if I had a fish bone stuck in my throat.
I was born in Czech Republic and our Christmas meal is Carp. And Carp has a lot of bones so we always had slices of bread on the table. I was very lucky that I never had a bone stuck in my throat though.

I am sure that Tesco has a few Polish sausages on their deli counter if that's what you are looking for.

Haven't made it yet Samm but might have a go tomorrow. Will let you know how it was.
Kamila

Hi Ginger,
How about quorn. (I think that's how you spell it). You can use it in many different ways. I am not vegetarian but I often buy it.
Kamila

Hi Rustie,
This is getting very interesting. I am sure I didn't see ferrous glutamate on the labels I looked at today.
But the olives had stabilizers in it which didn't have a name. Unless ferrous glutamate has a number. But all the olives had stabilizers in the containers, not only pitted black ones. I will have a look at some more tins/jars when I'll go to the shops again. May be E151 is ferrous glutamate???

Hi Lee,
I have found that if I freeze the herb butter mixture in portions I need it will melt slower. I also shallow fry the chicken for a short while - before the butter has a chance to run out and finish it in the oven just to make sure that the chicken is completely cooked.

Hello everybody,

I just came back from a large supermarket in Spain. I have looked at every jar/tin of black olives - pitted/unpitied and there wasn't any mention about any colouring at all. So the Spanish black olives are not dyed.

Hi all,
Sorry I haven been in touch. I have been very busy trying to organize coaches to take a few people to Seville and trying to find accommodation in Seville for UEFA cup. My husband has got tickets so we are trying to organize the best way to get there and somewhere to stay. Not easy.
I have asked few Spanish friends about the black olives but they didn't know. I was going to walk to the shops this afternoon but it started to rain. But I have to go shopping tomorrow so I will check a few jars of olives.
You can buy squid ink in the supermarkets so if it isn't a wind up then it could be a possibility. But only Martin can tell us why he said it.

These recipes made my husband really happy. I love to cook but one thing I don't cook a lot of are Scottish recipes. My husband was not long ago talking about Stovies his sisters mother-in-law used to make. I will certainly make it tonight. As it happens I have some lamb left over from yesterday.
I will check out the website Rustie suggested.
Thank you all.
Kamila

Hi all,
Thank you very much for your help with potato salad recipes. They all sound lovely. I didn't know the recipe for your German salad Monica and I will certainly try it next time I am going to have people round.
I love the recipe for Middle Eastern salad from Samm. Have you ever made it as a accompaniment to your roast or escallopes? I think it would go very well. I might try it midweek.
I also love Potato salad, Gayle and I have tried the salad with youghurt. You are right it is really nice and low in calories.
The barbecue went well apart from a few spot of rain (not much to have to go indoors) and temperature was pleasant for siting outside.
I should say that I am in Spain at the moment and that's why the good temperature.
Thanks
Kamila

I found the info about black olives very interesting especially because I am getting to like olives now. I will ask around because I am in Spain at the moment and Spanish people eat a lot of olives. Will et you know what they say about it.
Kamila

Hi all,
Thanks for your recipes. Rustie your salad sound lovely. I am going to a barbecue tomorrow and I said that I will make potato salad. So I think our friend is just expecting potato salad as an accompaniment. She told my husband that if I make potato salad she will not have to think about doing any potatoes.
Hi Monica,
I am already making potato salad Czech style which I think is very similar to German one. It is made with mayonnaise. Am I right?
Hi Amanda,
Would your salad be nice without bacon?
Just considering all options here.
Thanks

Kamila

Hello,
I need help! Has anybody got a good recipe for potato salad without mayonnaise? Something different to just sour cream and chives?

Thanks
Kamila

Hiya Jill,
Forgot to answer you about our weather. Are you sure you want to know? Here it goes. It was lovely, sunny and hot. 26 degrees (sorry, only know centigrade ). A bit windy but that isn't a bad think.
Kamila

Hi Jill,
I will go and have a look at the place sometimes this week. I love tapas and a drink to go with it of course, what else. It is within walking distance from where I live. There are two lots of stairs to Torremolinos from the beach. One lot is right on the beach and the other is behind shops. I take it that you mean the very steep steps on the side of a very large hill. If it is then I might be lazy and take a drive to Torremolinos and find the bar that way. Hubby too lazy to walk anyway.
Hi Rustie,
I hope that we wouldn't have to just bump in to each other, we could arrange to meat but I think Jill said that she doesn't want to fly these days. It is a shame.
Kamila

Hi Rustie,
You are right, It must be Dream Topping. I always get those two mixed up. Especially now when I haven't made any cake for years.
Kamila

Hi Jill,
We are in a place called PlayaMar near Torremolinos and Malaga. Benalmadena is very near us, been there last night picking up my hubby from his trip watching Malaga football. (They all go by coach from Benalmadena). Do you remember which bar did you have the tapa? It sounds very tasty so wouldn't mind sampling it and I would try to get the recipe from the people.
Kamila

Hi Jessica,
I used to use Angel delight to decorate sponge cake and it freezes well. I think that's what it's called, it is the one where you add milk in to the powder and whisk it till it forms soft peak. It is white and it looks a bit like a whipped cream. shows you how long ago I've made any kind of cake. Daughter 27 now. Just put a tiny bit less milk in then they say on the packet. We didn't like icing or heavy butter icing so this was a very good alternative. I used to make all sorts of different shapes of cake for her birthdays, all with Angel Delight.
Kamila

Hi Karen,
I come from Prague and Hungarian Goulash is on everyday menu in every Pub. It is served mainly with dumplings (but completely different ones you all know from English cooking), with rice or with potatoes. I think that you can serve with it anything you fancy. The meat is cooked separately from potatoes or dumplings.
Kamila

Hi Jill,
I am in Spain at the moment and looked at various tapas since your posting but I didn't see any with squid salad. I also looked in my Spanish cookery book and couldn't find the recipe. Which part of Spain were you in? I am near Malaga. I will be here for a few months so I will keep my eyes open.
Kamila

Hi again,
I forgot to tell you that I have read in a newspaper an article about Spanish sardines and it said that you get the best sardines in a month where there is no "R" in the name. Which means that the best sardine season starts in May.
Kamila

Hi Pat,
I normally eat the bones but my huband picks the flesh off. The smaller the sardines the softer the bones.
Kamila

Hi Carol,
No I didn't cook anything marinaded in Youghurt. I was worried that the marinade would burn too quickly. Let me know if you'll have a go.
Kamila

Hi Carol,
Have you preheated the grill before putting your steak on it? Don't coat the grill with oil (it will smoke) but brush oil on the meat. I also have a similar grill to yours and even though the meat is not that fantastic it seems to cook better than yours with preheating the grill.

Kamila

Hi Helen,

I spend most of my time in Spain and their sardines are so fresh and tender that you can actually eat the bones. They are very soft. But if you don't want to eat them then the flesh will fall of very easily. Just make sure you go to a restaurant where they have very fresh fish. The best are the beach restaurants. Assuming that you are going to a sea resort.

Regards
Kamila