Hi all, just by chance today I found the recipe for making your own bacon in todays Daily Mail supplement - Tom PB's column. It looks the same as Charlies. All the best
Karen

Hi Katherine, I would cut all the potatoes to about the same size - about half the size of one a man could hold in the palm of his hand, boil for about 5 to 7 minutes, drain and shake; put them on a baking tray and brush oil over them. take the lamb out of the oven about half an hour before you want to serve and cover with foil. Wack the heat up to about gas mark 8 and put the potatoes in, leave for half an hour - by the time you've served up every thing they should be nice and crispy.
Karen

Here's a trick my mother used to use, mainly with fruit cakes - but it might work here. Take some newspaper, about 6 sheets thick, and tie it round your tin; also try covering the tin with foil, it may stop it drying out. All the best
Karen

Are soft shelled crabs anything like velvet crabs? because I saw some of those in a freezer at Lidls today.
karen

Hi Osgood, I understand that you can substitute sherry for mirin; though if you have a Tesco near you, they should have it near the spices on the oriental food shelf. Best of luck
Karen

Hi More tea, try www.recipezaar.com and enter Military pickle in the search bar, there seems to be over 100 pickle recipes. You might have to search through several pages, but there may be something that rings a bell.
Good luck
Karen

Hi Old Thatch, haven't heard from you for a while. If your wooden mould is anything like my ceramic one, you just dust it lightly with cornflour, press the shortbread mix into it, and turn it out onto the baking tray. Then cook it - it should work.

Karen

Hi, it wasn't called anything in particular, she just sauteed four or five different vegetables (she said you can use what you like), added a can of tomatoes when they were done and heated it through. She then put it in a baking dish and topped it with mashed potatoes mixed with shredded sauteed leeks,sprinkled grated cheddar cheese on top and put it in the oven for about twenty minutes to heat through and brown.
Hope this helps.

Karen

Hi Sherry, if you look further down this thread, about 7 posts I think, you will find Mart asked exactly the same question and the answer is there.

Karen

Hi Caz, If my maths are correct the area of a 6 in pan is 28.26 sq ins, and the area of an 8 in pan is 50.24 sq ins. So I reckon you need 2/3 as much cake batter again, probably a 4 egg sponge mixture should do it. Good luck

Karen

Hi Moonfleet, according to my bottle of Jif lemon it's 2 tblspoons to 1 lemon.
Karen

Hello Bobby, when you go to recipes refine the search by going to 'Market Kitchen', input 'bread' to the search panel, hit go and by the time it's all settled down the recipe should be on the second page.

Karen

Hi Mart, if you go to recipes and search under 'bread', you should find it on page 2 I think, towards the top of the page.

Karen

Typical male Steven!!!. No Debrah your'e not the only one - and she does seem to have taken your advice, She doesn't look so tarty.

Karen

What is the point of the presenters of Market Kitchen saying that we can get the recipes on the channel. There are several that I haven't been able to find e.g. Paul Merret's Lemon 'Cheesecake'. There have also been recipes that are different when published to those made on the show - Galton Blackstones marinade for one. If you don't intend to publish a recipe please say so!!!

Karen

Hi Jamaechi, try this site, www.recipezaar.com - I had a qick look at them just now and they seem to have over 100 recipes. Type in "wheat eggs and dairy free recipes" into the search bar, hit enter and there you go! good luck

Karen

Hullo Mr Anderson, (My aren't we formal) have you thought about a christmas pudding-type ice cream, or a tutti frutti, both contain Christmas fruits but aren't as heavy as a pudding. you could pour brandy sauce over them, but can't set light to them.

Karen

Hi everyone, my daughter remembers a school dinner called Cowboy Casserol, it's not the cowboy stew in the recipe book - we've looked that one up. Does anyone know how to cook it? as far as she remembers it had sausages, bacon and baked bean(of course) Help please!!!

Karen

Hi James; You probably won't find quince as a whole fruit, unless you know of a farm shop that sells it; but you will find Membrillo, either as a paste or a block, in a delicatessen, it is the spanish form of quince. You can also buy a quince bush to grow in your garden.
Karen

Get Guzzler to earn his keep and clean the oven for you. One way to do it, if you don't mind the smell, is to leave a deep saucer of cloudy ammonia in the oven overnight and wash it out in the morning. The ammonia fumes loosen the grease.

Karen

Hi Alicea, further to my last, how about a lemon drizzle cake or an almond/clementine cake - but substitute lemons for clementines a la Nigella. Also the Hairy Bikers have a recipe for a really moist chocolate cake, they substitute some oil for some of the butter, apparently this keeps it moist.

Karen

Hello Alicea, if I've watched the Ace of Cakes correctly they make sponge type cakes in advance, give them a thin coat of frosting and then cover them with a fondant icing. I think the idea of that is to seal the cake to the board and exclude any air - therebye stopping it drying out, and keeping it in a cool place. I would also put it in an airtight container. Hope this helps.

Karen

Is this fresh pigs blood? The only way I know of setting it is to put it in sausage casings, tie the ends, bend it into a horseshoe shape and gentle poach in simmering (or just below) water, pricking the casings every so often to stop it bursting. But maybe a pork butcher has an easier method.

Karen

Unless you have Kitchen Faries around, and I understand that they are an endagered species, I'm afraid you're going to have to use old fashioned Elbow Grease - available at your local old fashioned Iron Mongers

Karen

Grow pansies, violas, nasturtiums, you can use the flower, leaf (a bit peppery) and seeds (pickle them like capers), and borage also chive flowers. You don't need a garden - pots or a windowbox will do.

Karen

Hi Roxy, if you go to www.foodnetwork.com you can look up any one of 100 American macaroni and cheese recipes, just be prepared to use American cup measures.

Karen

If you are pickling it in vinegar there is no need to add salt, you can add pickling spices to the vinegar before you add the beetroot if you want a spicy taste, but normaly you don't add anything.

Karen

Hello Lacey-cat, as Gastrosurf says just add the milk until you have a creamy consistency, beating all the time; you are aiming for a thick white paint or double cream look alike. Better to err on the thicker side - you can always add more milk.

Karen

Hi Old Thatch (and I'm sure your'e not THAT old) I have only just read your request for dried fruit - have you tried Julian Grieves, Holland and Barret or any other health food store? that's the only places I can think of, except for independant grocers - maybe the little Jewish ones or the mediterranean shops. Hope this helps.

Karen

A few years ago you could buy Tunis Cake at Tesco. This was one of their Christmas lines, it was a round , madeira type cake, with thick chocolate on top and marzipan fruit. It also had a gold paper band round it - does anyone know if it is still made? and if so, where can I get one?

Karen

Hi Old Thatch, me again, I have just looked on one of the other recipe sites I use and they have 2 recipes for french apple tart, it's www.allrecipes.com .I have also found that the equivalent canadian and american foodshow web sites feature some english chefs/pastry cooks, they're worth looking at - just be prepared for american cup measures. If you're not sure of the conversion (which I'm sure you are) 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces, 1 stick of butter = 4 ozs. Hope this helps

Karen

Hi Norval, I would use a shortcrust pastry for the base of the pie, line the dish and bake blind - let it cool, and sprinkle semolina (just a table spoon or so) on to the pastry put the prepared apple onto the casing and cover with either puff or short crust pastry, remembering to cut an airhole in the lid - brush with eggwash or milk and sprinkle sugar over it. Cook it and eat it with cream or custard or ice cream, whatever floats your boat.

Karen

Hi Old Thatch, I've found if you go to recipes and type in a simplified version of what you want e.g. 'apple tart' instead of 'french apple tart' you stand a better chance of finding something. Mind you it also throws up some wierd answers - like 'hungarian goulash', and trying to go to a following page can be a pain as well - I tend to stick to one of the other recipe sites. Anyway good luck

Karen

Apparently you can get aspic powder on line at www.scottishproduce.co.uk - it seems to have gone out of fashion as an ingredient, so supermarkets don't stock it. You might be lucky and find a corner shop that does.
Karen

Many years ago, when I was still in school, we had 'ginger beer plants' which, as far as I remember, was dried ginger, sugar and yeast topped up with water and 'fed' every so often with water, suger and ginger. It was the strained off and the sludge split into two jars and the whole thing started again. Does anyone remember how to make it? I'm feeling nostalgic.
Karen

Is it my imagination, or are there a lot fewer people using the message boards since the change to the website? Why take off topics that were used a lot e.g. Rachel Allen's help line (even if she didn't answer the queries) and leave ones on that are hardly ever used - like Eating out and at home? The whole website seems to have lost some 'oomph' and I don't know where it's gone - please can we have some good happy chats and exchanges going on - and help each other.
Karen

you could also try Oxalis, the ordinary garden type NOT Iron Cross. This plant is very high in oxalic acid and is very sharp tasting - very good in salads, but not too much.

Karen

Hi Greggu, further to my last Anthony Worral-Thompson had an answer to your problem, but I can't remember exactly what it was - you might be able to find it in his recipes.
Karen

you could try Betty Crocker frosting (it comes in several flavours), jam and whipped cream or chocolate ganache, either white or dark chocolate.
Karen

Hi Greggu, did you put the meringue mixture onto warm filling?? if so it might be that some of the sugar from the meringue 'bled' onto the filling. Try letting the lemon mix cool right down first, some chefs brown the meringue with a blowtorch and don't dry it off in the oven.
Karen

Hello Carol, trim the tops only of the beetroot, wash off any dirt or mud- but DON'T cut it, it will bleed. Depending on the size of the beetroot boil for about 20 minutes, longer if they are large. Don't add anything to the cooking water. Drain and cool, slip the skins off and slice, them put them in a jar and cover with vinegar - Job done.

Karen

Baby frozen onions: Hi Spindlej (luv the name) I understand that you can get them from Brakes wholesalers, they do have a web site. I have seen diced frozen onions in Tesco.

hope this helps
Karen

Hi Eileen, I very often use plain flour in my canadian recipes - are you using cup measures or weighing it? Try replacing two tablespoons of flour with two tablespoons of cornflour in two cup measures, this might help. I don't think the expensive flours are necessarily better than the cheap own brands, just sift them a couple of times.
Karen

This was blackened sea bass served with Hoppin' John, look under the recipes search, it was a Charita Jones dish
Karen

Hi Abby, the frikadelles that your mother buys are the german ones, rather like a rissole. The dutch frikadelles are more like a skinless sausage, and can be heated in the oven or deep fried - if you've ever had a Frikadelle Special you'll know the attraction.
I live in hope
Karen

Hi Abby, the frikadelles that your mother buys are the german ones, rather like a rissole. The dutch frikadelles are more like a skinless sausage, and can be heated in the oven or deep fried - if you've ever had a Frikadelle Special you'll know the attraction.
I live in hope
Karen

Does anyone know where I can buy Dutch Frikadelles and German Kassler? preferably on line, and if the delivery time is fairly quick.
Many thanks Karen

I should think you can get the Dutch Wilja potatoes in Bavaria, we certainly could get them in Germany. If your potatoes are just falling to pieces when you boil them, try steaming or baking in their jackets, scooping out the insides and mashing that with butter and cream. It should work
Karen

You need a starter for this, that is a plain organic type yoghourt. Take a pint of full cream milk, bring it to the boil, remove from the heat and let it cool to just above blood heat. Pour it into a wide mouthed thermos flask and add 2 tablespoons of yoghourt, mix well, seal the thermos and put it in the airing cupboard for 24 hours; you should then have good homemade yoghourt, you can also use this to start the next batch - and as it's plain you can flavour it with whatever you like.
Karen

Hi Sesley, Tate and Lyles won't do for receipes that call for corn syrup, it's much too thick and will act more like a hard set toffee in that it will break and snap rather than cut. I speak from experience.
Karen

Hi Sue, by co-incidence the Mail on Sunday suplement published about 6 receipes the week of the 24th May, they looked rather scrummy; have a go with them.
Karen

Ola Lampart, this sounds like a doughnut, if you go to google and type 'doughnut recipes' into the search engine, you should be directed to all the sites you need. you have a similar recipe, i believe, for dunking in hot chocolate but it looks like twisted stick.
anyway, good luck.
Karen

Hello Col, I didn't know that - I just assumed that as it is refered to as Kosher on the BFC that it was 'Kosher'. You live and learn - but if it is the case that it is used to draw out blood, a kosher butcher may be able to help.
Karen

Hi Col, it's Kosher salt - that is salt that has been passed as 'fit to eat' by the Jewish Board of Deputies. I should imagine that if you have a shop in your area that sells Kosher goods you should be able to get it there. If not phone your local Synagogue and ask the Rabbi where you can get it.
Karen

Hello Lynn, try www.recipezaar.com for a Kirsch Kuchen recipe; but remember the ingredients and temperature setting are American, so you need a set of American cup measures and check that the temperature is right for you.
Hope this helps
Karen

Hello Old Thatch, eiswein is made from grapes that have been allowed to freeze on the vine, consequently the juice is a lot thicker and the juice more concentrated. You should be able to get it from a reputable wine merchant (or vintner, to use the posh word) it is normaly a white wine, at least i've never seen a red one.
all the best
Karen

Hi Topsy, I just checked on some other sites and if you go to "allrecipes.co.uk" and type bundt cakes in the search box it will come up with quite a few, from plain sponge to fruit ones.
Karen

Hi Alc just rereading my last post to you, I made a mistake with the water to sugar ratio - it's 1/4 cup of water, mea culpa.
Karen

I have a canadian receipe for pretzels that says the uncooked dough sould be dipped in Lye before baking. I must say I did wonder about that as I don't know what it's supposed to do.

Hi Sue, I don't see why not - after all you can buy milk chocolate drops from the baking shelf. Try a small quantity receipe first, then see what it's like. It's fun to experiment with things like caramac bars and other types of chocolate.
have fun
Karen

Thank you, Rosti. That's an interesting site, I'm going to have fun there. You seem to be a lovely helpful person, every time I see one of your posts you are helping someone out. More power to your typng hand

What on earth are you doing, using mashed potato in macaroons? they are a cake made with either coconut or ground almonds, beaten egg white and sugar. I don't see the conection
Karen

Hi Rrab, I found this receipe for a large family sized jaffa cake on www.recipezaar.com/Gigantic-Jaffa-Cake-222471. I presume you can make small cakes in a bun tin and divide the jelly when nearly cool between them, then cover in chocolate. I would use quick gel for the jelly bit.
best of luck, Karen

A Bundt cake is simply a sponge type cake, madeira - sponge - lemonade cake, baked in a large ring mould; this is what the americans refer to as a bundt pan. It takes about 4 to 6 egg mix.
Karen

Hi Michael, I recently bought a tub of dried egg from Tesco, it is made by Supercook so should be easily available. Unfortunately I don't know where you can buy the 7 lb. tins we used to be able to get during the war. If you know of a catering wholesaler they might be able to help you out.
Karen

Hi Lolly, I take it that you are a transplanted North American - you can get corn syrup on the internet, but a substitute that I got from one of my Canadian cook books says 1 cup sugar (brown sugar I suppose if you want dark syrup) 1/4 cup water, heat till sugar disolves and boil to correct consistency. Hope this helps
Karen

Hi Twin Mummy, me again; I have just received the latest Lakeland catalogue and they have an updated version of the ice cream sandwich maker, it has several different cutters for the biscuits - so go to the Lakeland site it should be on there,
Karen

Hello Martin, here is a sweet bar reciepe you might enjoy. ingredients 1 cup sugar, 1cup corn syrup (DO NOT use golden syrup - it's too thick), 2 cups crunchy peanut butter, but feel free to use any sort, smooth, extra crunchy; 6 cups corn flakes or ice crispies though you might not need so much, about 1lb chocolate for melting.
Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil without burning it, remove from the heat and add the peanut butter then the corn flakes, Spread the mixture in a greased 13 x 9 x 2 pan. (I line mine with foil) Melt the chocolate and spread over the top, let it cool then cut into bars or squares.
You can add whatever you like to the chocolate - chopped fruit, nuts, mini marshmellows- use your imagination.
have fun with it my children and grandchildren love them

Hello Twin Mummy; do you still want the ice cream sandwich maker? if so let me have your address and I'll send you my unused one, I went off the idea.

Hi Homebrewer, hope you found what you needed for your Teasmaid, I found spares for mine (which is 42 years old) at a local charity shop - it's amazing what you can find in them.

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall used a wild plant called Alexandra or Alexander Root to use as avegetable. Does anyone know what its proper name is, what it tastes like, and where it grows; also how to use it?
Many thanks

Whilst you can get corn syrup from the website from Relli, I definately wouldn't use golden syrup - it's about twice as thick, Maple syrup is a better approximation. Here is a substitute that you can use - It has to be boiled to the right thickness though. 1 cup sugar plus 1 cup of water, or use liquid honey (the very runny sort)

Hi Odette, I believe you can get Pureed pumpkins at Waitrose - better yet I think they are Libbys. If not do you know anyone who is in the American or Canadian Forces posted here? they should be able to get it from the PX for you.
good luck

In Nigella's christmas cake and peanut butter cups she used gold stars and what looked like large gold smarties, has anyone any idea where I can get them, preferably on the web, as I live in the sticks and trying to get anything vaguely exotic localy is nigh on impossible. Many thanks

Hi Pink, this isn't an American receipe but a Canadian one. You want for the dry mix 1 3/4 cups sifted plain flour, 2 Tsp baking powder, 1/3 cup sugar and 1Tsp cinnamon. In a separate bowl mix 2 well beaten eggs, 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup (2 ozs) melted butter.
Add the wet mix to the dry and stir till the batter just comes together, it needs to be lumpy. Then you can add a cup of whatever berries you like, or chocolate drops or chopped fruit. Stir in - then put your mix in to the muffin pans and bake top of the oven for about 20 - 25 minutes at gas mark 6.
A cup measure is 8 fluid ozs.
Good luck and have fun

Hi Ramsay street, looking at the picture on the link the tubers look very like chinese artichokes - NOT to be confused with Jerusalem artichokes or the big leaved artichokes. They used to be grown in hot beds in Victorian gardens and can be purchased from specialist heritage seed and plant merchants. Good luck in finding them.

Many years ago Birdseye used to make a white sauce with pearl onions in, does anyone know if it is still available, if so where can I get it? If not was it a plain white sauce, or mildly cheesey, and were the onions cooked in any way before adding?
Hope someone can help

Hi Yaya,me again. I have found a receipe for Cajun Spice from a vegan cookery book, so here goes.
3 cups salt;
1/4 cup chili powder (as hot as you like);
1/3 cup cayenne pepper;
1/4 cup garlic powder.
This uses american cup measures, so if you have an 8 ounce measuring jug you can use that. mix well together and store in an airtight container.
I have seen a Jamaican spice mix in my local supermarket which is very similar.
karen 1 :

PS
Filee (as in filee gumbo) is a spice made from sassafras leaves, when used in a dish it forms strings or Filees, it is probably only available from specialist outlets here.

Hi Yaya,
Cajun seasoning is a spicy, peppery seasoning originating in the Cajun area of Louisianna, New Orleans. You should be able to buy a jar from your local spice shop, I believe Barts or Schwarz make them as well so it should be available in your supermarket.
all the best Karen1

hello Cookieshell,
you won't get a pure white buttercream unless you can get hold of a really pale, almost white, butter. Lurpak used to do one, but you have to open the pack first to see what the colour is. Use about half the amount by weight of icing sugar to butter, which should be very soft; and beat like mad - the more air you get in the paler it will be. you might need to alter the amount of icing sugar upwards but just beat it until it looks and tastes right.
hope this helps

I am looking for a recipe for a dish that we used to have in a Balkan restaurant in Germany, it was called Pleshkavika (or at least that's how it was pronounced)
As far as I remember it was an oversized spicey hamburger or rissole, served with a green side salad and chips.
If anyone can help I would be most grateful.