Three times this last week when cooking, I have been using some little gadget & thought,

How about good old pickled onions?! No, I'm serious. I just love 'em, & if a friend gave me a jar of home-made pickled onions I'd be well pleased. Also pickled eggs.

Oer! Electric tagines?! That's interesting. I'll surf the net & see if I come up with anything. And thanks for your good wishes Gaye. Thanks to you, too, newmoon for your information. I'll check out glo-art later. Somehow, I'm almost as surprised to discover that there's a metal model made by Le Creuset as I was to read of the electric one!!!! I only think of them as being very traditional, clay pots. I found it amusing that you were left with 3 tagines as most newly married folk find themselves saddled with about 6 toasters!!! You obviously have upmarket friends newmoon?!!

Hi Gang! I have this urge to buy a tagine, especially after having browsed through a recently purchased 'The Momo Cookbook'. Any of you got one? How often do you use it? Is it easy to use? Does it really make a difference to the food? And is there a make you would recommend or particular place to purchase? Ta!

If you want a really excellent book on slow cooking, I highly recommend 'Set, Simmer, & Savour It', compiled by Anne Sheasby, published this year by Salamander. I only paid a couple of quid as I found it in Bookcase, a fab shop that sells books at ridiculously low prices. The price on the dust jacket however is £12.99. It contains over 75 recipes that are easy-to-follow, with good photographs of the finished dishes. Enjoy using your slow cooker Hong.

Sorry Ian, I don't eat junk food......& I'm certainly no hunk!! :( Over to you Yorkiepud?!! :devilish:

I hereby (Hic!) declare the Chocolate Vodka recipe a (Hic!) complete success!! I made it about half an hour ago. Very easy. I had to decant quite a hefty slug to (Hic!) make room for the chocolate, which I mixed with a tin of organic mango & orange. I also, of course, had to taste the choccie vodka....... (Big Hic!) The vodka looks absolutely, vibrantly, chocolately gorgeous!! And tastes divine. I don't know if you should mix it with anything, perhaps lemonade, but I'm drinking as is. (Hic!) Anyone coming round for a party?

I hereby (Hic!) declare the Chocolate Vodka recipe a (Hic!) complete success!! I made it about half an hour ago. Very easy. I had to decant quite a hefty slug to (Hic!) make room for the chocolate, which I mixed with a tin of organic mango & orange. I also, of course, had to taste the choccie vodka....... (Big Hic!) The vodka looks absolutely, vibrantly, chocolately gorgeous!! And tastes divine. I don't know if you should mix it with anything, perhaps lemonade, but I'm drinking as is. (Hic!) Anyone coming round for a party?

I hereby (Hic!) declare the Chocolate Vodka recipe a (Hic!) complete success!! I made it about half an hour ago. Very easy. I had to decant quite a hefty slug to (Hic!) make room for the chocolate, which I mixed with a tin of organic mango & orange. I also, of course, had to taste the choccie vodka....... (Big Hic!) The vodka looks absolutely, vibrantly, chocolately gorgeous!! And tastes divine. I don't know if you should mix it with anything, perhaps lemonade, but I'm drinking as is. (Hic!) Anyone coming round for a party?

Phew! Got there in the end!!

There was a thread concerning this topic some time ago, in fact, I started it as I didn't know what mastic was or where to find it. ( Eventually got it from the wonderful Greek supermarket about 5 minutes up the road from us!!! Also, bought the ground version in Turkey recently, but that may be a bit too far for you to go!!!) The 'girls' rallied to my rescue & came up with several sites. I haven't the time to go back through all my posts & responses to them now, but you're welcome to if you have the time. Just click on my name & search. Or carry out a search engine jobby, Google or Ask Jeeves. For spices, I use the www.thespiceshop.co.uk site. It's quite near where I live, so I pop down there too. Fab shop! Happy searching!

Oops! Too late! (Story of my life!!) While I was typing my bit, you told us what a samber is. Thank you.

Oer! just looked in Larousse Gastronomique & the closest I can find, after a quick perusal, is Sambal: a condiment (originally Indonesian) made with red chilli peppers, grated onion, lime juice, oil & vinegar. The name may also be used to describe the dish that it accompanies.
In my Concise English Dictionary, the closest I found was Sambar: Asian deerwith three-tined antlers. You'll need a blooming great big pot to cook THAT little item in Kate!!! Put me out of my misery please: just what is a samber?

Obviously, I cannot quote the woman!! She says it's a simple procedure & once you master it, it's very straightforward. If you try it KG, let us know if she's right!

Hmm! Don't know what happened to the end of my message: it was complete when I previewed it.
Anyway, Chantal says that,

Hi KG! I have the fabulous book 'Real Chocolate' by Chantal Coady. In it, she has a Masterclass section covering 'tempering, moulding & sculpting'.
The reasons Ms Coady gives for tempering are to:
Give a beautiful gloss to moulded chocolate
Help the chocolate shrink away from a mould & unmould perfectly
Give the desired hardness & crystaline texture & crisp snap when broken
Give stability to chocolate & help its keeping properties
Prevent blooming.
She says that,

Oer! Mally, have just, for some reason, re-read recipe 2 on the board & realised that, though it calls for "2 cups mashed potatoes" in the ingredients' list, they're not mentioned at all in the method!!? I've checked the book to make sure I didn't imagine seeing them there when typing it up, & there it is!! What do you do with them? Or have they just strayed onto the page from another recipe? Does your friend from Rhodes use them in her dish? And does she visit the most beautiful Greek island, Symi, just 23 miles from Rhodes? We've not long returned from there. Bye!

Oops! Just sent a reply to your last message but it doesn't seem to have gone through, so I'll send another. (The first will probably appear while I'm typing this!!!)
Mally, you're very welcome. I'm glad to have been of help. Yes, please let me know how it turns out.

Okay.....bottle of vodka & Green & Blacks dark chocolate bought. Chocolate Vodka, here I come!! I'll make it tonight or tomorrow. If I'm not too sloshed, I'll let you all know what it's like!!!

Kalispera Mally! (Good evening Mally!) Glad I solved the puzzle. I have 2 recipes for pastisio, but I feel the one I'll give you has more flavour as it uses basil & bay which the other recipe doesn't. Here goes.......
5-6 Servings
1 kilo (2lbs 4oz) thick macaroni
1/2 kilo (1lb 2oz) minced meat
2 medium-sized onions, finely diced
2-3 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
2 teacups olive oil
1 bay leaf
pinch of basil
150grams (5oz) Kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese, grated
salt & pepper

Bechamel sauce:
1 teacup flour
1 teacup refined oil
4 teacups milk
150 grams (5oz) Kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese, grated
salt & pepper
pinch of nutmeg

Saute the onions in a teacup of oil until they turn golden. Add the minced meat & saute it with the onions stirring constantly, until the lumps of the meat are disolved. Add the tomatoes, salt & pepper,the bay leaf, the basil & some water. Let everything cook over a medium heat for about 30 minutes.
Half cook the macaroni in plenty of salted water, cool them down & drain.
In a frying pan, heat the second cup of oil & pour it over the macaroni
In the meantime, prepare the bechamel sauce as follows:
Heat the oil in a pot & add the flour stirring constantly so that it does not turn lumpy. Warm the milk & add it to the oil & flour paste beating constantly. Remove the pot from the fire & add the beaten eggs, the salt & pepper, the grated nutmeg & the cheese stirring constantly.
Lay out a layer of macaroni in a pyrex dish or pan, sprinkle it with cheese & cover with the minced meat mix you have prepared. Spread the remaining macaroni over the minced meat layer, sprinkle again with cheese & cover with the bechamel sauce. Sprinkle the sauce with grated cheese. Bake the pastisio in a strong oven, let it cool down, cut it into squares & serve immediately.
NOTE: If the sauce turns out too thick, add a small amount of milk.


Hmm! Think I'll give the other recipe also, then you can choose which one to cook, or cook an amalgamation of the two.

Pasxxxxio #2

1 kilo of macaroni
1 kilo of mince
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 cups of mashed potatoes
1/2 cup of oil
1/2 cup butter (for the macaroni)
salt & pepper
10 cups of milk
1 cup of butter
1 cup of flour
8 eggs
3 cups of grated cheese

Put in frying pan the mince & the chopped onion & a minimum of water. Cook until water is absorbed, stirring once or twice. Pour in the oil & brown the mince. Add salt & pepper. Put in the tomatoes & allow the ingredients to boil on a low heat. Boil water in a large saucepan, add salt & put in the macaroni. When boiled, drain & spread half of it in a baking tin. Sprinkle with grated cheese & spread it over it an even layer of the mince mixture. Spread on the rest of the macaroni, sprinkled with cheese & pour over it half the cup of melted butter.
Prepare the bechamel sauce in the following way: Put 1 cup of butter on to heat & when it is heated, add the flour & stir with a wooden spoon. Add the milk, stirring continously to avoid lumps. A further precaution is that the milk should have been warmed beforehand. Then add the cheese (keeping aside 2 tablespoons) & a little salt. As soon as the sauce thickens, beat the eggs well & add them slowly to the sauce.
Pour the sauce over the contents of the baking tin, spreading it evenly & sprinkle it with the 2 tablespoons of cheese that has been kept back. This will make the crust of the sauce crisp. Bake in a moderate oven for 30-40 minutes until it has browned.

Recipe #1 taken from 'The Best Traditional Recipes of Greek Cooking', purchased on Crete, 2000. I have not cooked this particular recipe,but I have tried many others & they've all turned out excellently. This one though, seems a little complex.
Recipe #2 taken from 'The Traditional Greek Cookery Book', purchased in Rhodes, 2003. I've not yet used this book, but as you can see, this recipe appears easier to follow. I think I'd follow this one, but add the herbs from the first recipe.
Anyway, I hope it helps. I'm off to the kitchen now to cook soutzoukakia. I'm going to use home-made chicken stock in the tomato sauce for the first time. I know I cooked them earlier on in the week for myself, but Steve was working & was sad he missed them. It's one of his fave-rave dishes.
Happy cooking!
Luv' Keith x

Was looking through a couple of my cook books last night & found some more recipes for vodka. In Chantal Coady's fab book, Real Chocolate, there's one for chocolate vodka:-
1 bottle (700ml) of vodka
140g real dark chocolate, grated or pulverised.

Make the chocolate vodka by melting the chocolate & pouring into the bottle (you may have to drink a little to make some room), resealing & shaking vigorously.

That's DEFINITELY one for me!! The wondrous Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has recipies for rhubarb flavoured vodka in his stunning book, The River Cottage Year: rhubarb vodkatini & rhubarb mule. Both sound delicious. If I don't post over the next few days, you know I've gone & made....& drunk.....the lot!!!! :p

Mally, is what you're looking for that fabulous Greek dish, pasxxxxio: macaroni & meat pie?

Thanks Georgie. I have no intention of disappearing from the GFL board, though I may not contribute quite so frequently. Work doesn't half get in the way of pleasure, eh?!!!

Ta Trudi!

Hi Georgie! Wales was wonderful ta. Went for a long walk one afternoon along the river in Penparcau, (village were mum & dad have lived for 48 years), to the next village, Llanbadarn. No, I don't expect you to even attempt trying to pronounce these names!!! I took my Canon Eos 300 camera & have some fabulous shots of the route. I had forgotten just how beautiful the Aberystwyth area is. It's as if I'm seeing it through new eyes: it's fantastic. I've applied for a job & I now wait as patiently as I can for the letter that, hopefully, will invite me for interview. Whatever happens, Steve & I will move in August when the house we're going to rent becomes available.

Yummy! The soutsoukakia that have just been prepared on GFL look delicious. I love cooking this dish &, in fact, had some last night. I used minced beef, but I really like them made with minced lamb too. I like to soak my bread in milk as it seems to almost give it a bit of extra richness. I don't use ground cumin, I prefer lightly crushed cumin seeds as I feel the flavour is beter & more pronounced. I generally use whatever herb I happen to have, (though not coriander as I don't think it 'goes' with this dish), & thyme works extremely well. As for the sauce, well, I blitz fresh tomatoes when in season, tinned when not. I don't use water or stock if making it with red wine, just the toms & red wine, though sometimes I sweat off a small red onion in the oil before adding the other ingredients. I do, of course use a pinch of sugar, the olive oil, salt & pepper, & ALWAYS sling in a generous knob of unsalted butter as it gives it more richness & a lovely gloss. I love it served with rice, sometimes, especially if the rissoles are made with lamb, cooked in home-made chicken stock, or with Marigold veg bouillon added to the water. They're lovely to make as I love getting my hands in the the bowl to mix all the ingredients. messy but beautifully tactile! I enjoyed the section on Greek wines on GFL too. Well done GFL: more on Greek quisine please.

Whenever I go home to Aberystwyth & am out with my friends on a Saturday night, they know that I just HAVE to pop in to The Pier Hotel Bar to savour 1 or 6 of their Jellybaby Vodkas!!! They usually have the red colour & green colour ones available. Not sure how they make 'em though. I assume you just bung the Jellybabies in & leave them, shaking every now & then. It's glorious with a dash of lemonade. When I move back home in August, I think I know where my 'local' will be!!! Hic!

Wow, Gaye! Tickets for £2.99 + Tax? How do you get those? I made a friend on holiday last year who lives in Austria, & she has several times extended an invitation to visit. It would be fab if I could go over for just £2.99!! I live in West Wales, right at the end of the train line! It's not the easiest place to reach other locations from. In fact, instead of sitting here, I should be packing as I'm off there later today!! Bye for 2 weeks! ;-)

Tom, I cheat....I simply purchase ready potted fresh herbs from my little local organic supermarket, (but you can get them in most supermarkets), keep them on the windowsill & water them each day! I have a constant supply of thyme, basil & mint. Brilliant!

Golly, so many uses: along with other herbs it can be used in tomato sauces for pasta, pizza toppings, herb butter, an ingredient in a salad dressing, & can be used instead of oregano in recipes because, am I correct here gang?, in Italy marjoram is called oregano. Of course you can also experiment with it to see what you come up with. The aroma in your garden must be heavenly.

I'm just thankful I've been buying organic for the last couple of years or so. I saw that program & it was so frightening.

If I know fish has been previously frozen, & it will state that on the pack, then I know I should never re-freeze it. Just as you should never re-freeze any food items. Also, on supermarket packs, it usually states if it's suitable for home-freezing. I've frozen all kinds of fish when, like you, I've found them on 'special' & they've cooked up perfectly when defrosted.

For those of you who get BBC Good Food mag., I must recommend this simple but oh-so-delicious recipe. Made it this evening to go with my salad & I shall certainly be making it again, & again, &..........!!! Page 97, June edition. (Hope it's okay to mention this publication here.)

Oops! Sorry, got a little confused there at the end of that message. Should read, "Good luck with the course in September. Enjoy it!"

Hi James! A truly fab book in my opinion is 'The Complete Cook', published by Hamlyn. It has:-
'400 Ingredients Explained
100 Tools & Utensils
1000 Delicious Recipes
50 Basic Techniques.'
It's beautifully laid out & easy to use with lovely colour pics & illustrations.
Another book I could never have done without, & still use regularly, is Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course. That is my culinary bible.
Good luck with course in September & good luck. Enjoy it! ;0)

Lynda, have you thought about exchanging your hubby for a new one?!! Just joking.....honest! Steve used to be a very fussy eater but I've gradually introduced him to food that he adamantly declared would NEVER pass his lips!! He liked carrots, like your man, but claimed to "hate" swede. I simply cooked & mashed the both together one night & put it in front of him without a word. He loved it!! He also said he disliked parsnips, but now loves them when mashed with potatoes. He has even graduated to eating them in stews! If I present something challenging for him, I don't make a big thing of it: don't put pressure on him to eat it. He knows that if he really doesn't like it, he can leave it & I'll not cause a fuss & argument over it. I felt he just needed re-educating as the main reason for not liking certain food he cited as his poor school dinners, & some of the cooking methods his mum employed, like boiling veg for a couple of hours!!! I've found that, when properly cooked, he'll tuck in to them quite happily. My next mission is to get him eating sprouts! I adore them but he won't contemplate a shred of one getting in to his mouth! Next winter, I'll cook him my stir-fried sprouts & see how he gets on with it. Good luck with your hubby!

I would prefer DVD format, perhaps presenting a good selection of studio guest chefs' cooking. This could be interspersed with those lovely little A-Z of food items. How about, as Extras, a Blooper section? Jennie & co MUST have made a few both on & off camera. Also, a biography on each featured chef, &, of course, on Queen Jenni! And how about an interview with a few, or all, too? Books? Great idea. I like hard back but am also fine with paperback. As well as recipes, I'd appreciate lots of behind the scenes pics & gossip/info. You produce the goods, & I'll definitely buy them!

Like Monty....LOVE Alan! Davina is FAB! Have met her & she is totally natural, very funny, had lots of time for me, (a gushing fan whom she'd never met before), & is warm & friendly. Her dad was lovely too!

How heartening, Sandra, that your son rejected smiley faced/curly-whirlied rubbish that is offered to children to 'encourage' them to eat certain food. It really annoys me that. Children should not be encouraged to eat certain foodstuffs because they have faces on them, or are animal shaped. They should be encouraged because the food tastes good! Yes, & if your little 'uns are healthy (like Georgie's), don't worry about any food fads they may have. I would only eat baked beans & peas as a child, & kinda enjoyed mashed carrots & swede. I would not touch any other veg. Now? Well, I don't think there's a single vegetable that I dislike...including sprouts!! But I didn't reach that stage by being given food that resembles something you should play with as opposed to EAT it!!

WOOF! WOOF!

Find Ainsley very irritating, but do like Ross Kelly. He's very amiable, gentle, with a nice sense of humour.....& the fact that I think he's really handsome has NOTHING to do with it!!!! ;-)

Oo-er! The thought of that cheese topped tuna & mayo baked potato is making me salivate!!

Hi Kath! How about this...........

Tuna & Olive Salad.

6 whole carrots, cooked & finely sliced
2 potatoes, boiled & diced
500g/1lb tuna in oil, drained & chopped, oil reserved
4 tablespoons black olives, pitted & halved
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
salt & pepper
4 basil leaves, to garnish

1. Put the carrots, potatoes, tuna & olives in a bowl.
2. Put the tuna oil & vinegar in a screw-top jar, season to taste with salt & pepper & shake well to combine.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad, mix, garnish with basil leaves & serve.

Serves 4.

Very good with big chunks of crusty country bread. You can, of course, serve on a bed of leaves if you want, & halved boiled eggs work well with it also.

Hoorah! It's not just me then Jill! Ta Rustie chuck!

Ah-ha! So they did Trudi! I'll make a search for that recipe when I've done on the message board. Yummy! Toms with balsamic. Fab!

Morning Sharne! By chance, I got into conversation with a lovely Italian woman in the pub last night!! One topic of conversation I raised was my order of a pasta maker. She was extremely enthusiastic about this. She always makes her own, she said, telling me it tastes better, works out cheaper, & is very easy to do. I remembered your question about freezing it. Mara said, yes you can. Make sure you dust them with a thin layer of flour first though to prevent sticking ( sieve it over), & she recommends the use of a sturdy container & not putting them into a freezer bag. So now we know! :-)

Oooo! D'ya know, I just can't LIVE without my microplane graters! I took advantage of the 1/2 price offer in BBC Good Food mag some months ago (2 for £17.95), & then wondered how I'd managed all those years without!! As for nutmeg graters, well, I do have one. It's one of those lovely little almost-conical shaped ones with the storage compartment on top. Since the arrival of my microplane graters though, it just hangs decoratively in the kitchen! Lovely though it looks, it was a bit of an awkward thing to clean. Microplanes are far easier to clean, plus, there are so many uses for them e.g. grating cheese, garlic, ginger, carrots, chocolate & nutmeg; zesting; getting rid of the hard skin on your feet.......no, just kidding on that last one!!! What I think I'm saying Janine is, if you don't own a microplane grater, it would be an excellent investment as it would grate your nutmeg & do a myriad other jobs besides.

Oh dear, Nisbets didn't like me then cos I also clicked on search & "no matches found" came up. Ta Rustie & Trudi, when I've perused the message boards here, I'll get back in to Nisbets site.

Ah! Yes.....poach it. That also sounds fab. Okay matey: rissotto with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Nice 'n' simple! Cheers! Any other recipe ideas you'd like to share with us?

Just perused Nisbets site & couldn't find any larding needles, unless I was looking in the wrong place. I wanted to see exactly what this contraption looks like & the price. I looked under cook's utensils & didn't come up with anything. I'll try again later & take more time in my search.

Okay, now I understand what it's for. Can't it be done just by making incisions with a knife & then inserting whatever it is? I s'pose it's easier using a larding needle. Jill, why didn't I think of looking in my Larousse Gastronomique?!! Doh!

Now, Steve.....I have a pair of salmon steaks in the freezer & was wondering what to do with them! Now I know! The pan-fried vine toms I can work out, but have you a recipe for the lemon rissotto please? It sounds a deliciously light & refreshing combination. Actually, how were you thinking of cooking the salmon, also pan-fried? I think I'd slap 'em on a griddle pan to get them nicely seared.
Cheers! Keith

Okay Jill, that's What, now Why? I presume it's to keep the meat moist when cooking in the oven? I don't think I've spotted any recipes that call for this larding lark. You are very knowledgeable Jill. Thanks yet again for teaching me something new.

Jane11, or anyone, educate me please. What is a larding needle? I have a veritable myriad of utensils & gadgets in the kitchen, & I hate to think there's something I've not even heard of, yet alone don't have!!!

Oer! That means I HAVE to get it out of its box & actually USE it!! Good Jill, you have given me the incentive to put it into use when I get it!!:-)

Ho hum! Still waiting for my pasta maker, but received a letter this morning from Nisbets to say my card had been rejected. Rang them, gave my card number....& it went through!! So, on Monday, I shall be the proud owner of a pasta maker! Hooray!

Oh my goodness.....we used to also get given that coconut/jam sandwich affair. I loathed it too!! Didn't like dessicated coconut then, & I don't like it now. It was always served with custard at our school, so I just had the custard (gloriously lumpy with thick skin on top. Yum, yum!!)

Okay people! I've gone & done it. Yes, I have ordered a pasta maker machine thingy!!! Got home, read messages on board, saw Adrian's post re. Nisbets doing a special offer, logged on & ordered!! Er, I didn't remember to look for a drying rack though! Oops! There are loads of cook shops round & about, I'm sure I'll easily pick one up. Adrian, when this arrives & Steve sees yet another purchase I've made.....can I blame you this time?!!!!!! Thanks chaps & chapesses!! I'm off to the pub now to tell everybody about my latest order! Bye!

Hi Sue!Just looking back over previous topics & saw your post. Yes, I wandered into Whittard's several months ago & came out with the coffee grinder you speak of. It's made by Russell Hobbs & is absolutely brill. I love the lidded container too. Also adore the smell the kitchen fills up with when I've ground some beans. I will never return to buying instant coffee ever again after this purchase. £25 well spent!! Are you still enjoying yours?

Oh yes, a pasta drying rack. Almost forgot about that! Ta! I will try Nisbets.co.uk. Thanx everyone for your feedback. Imperia by far seems the most popular choice. I'll let you know if I take the plunge!

Bought 'em from Harrods once, tinned in cottonseed oil. Nice flavour but far too many little bones for my liking. Much prefer escargo.

Okay, Kleftiko! Here we go....!

juice of one lemon
15ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
4 lamb leg steaks or chump chops with bones
30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
150ml/1/4 pint dry white wine
225g/8oz plain flour
salt & ground black pepper

SERVES 4

1. Mix together the lemon juice, oregano & salt & pepper, & brush over both sides of the lamb steaks or chops. Leave to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 160oC/325oF/Gas 3. Drain the lamb reserving the marinade, & dry the lamb with kitchen paper. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or saute pan & fry the lamb over a high heat until browned on both sides.
3. Transfer the lamb to a shallow pie dish. Scatter the sliced onions & bay leaves around the lamb, then pour over the white wine & the reserved marinade.
4. Mix the flour with sufficient water to make a firm dough. Moisten the rim of the pie dish. Roll out the dough on a floured surface & use to cover the dish so that it is tightly sealed.
5. Bake for 2 hours, then break away the dough crust & serve the lamb hot with boiled potatoes.

That's it! You could, of course, use foil &/or a tight fitting lid to cover the pie dish, but Greek folk have told me they prepare it with the pie crust, & I've also seen this in a reataurant kitchen.
If you cook it, whichever recipe you choose.....ENJOY!! :-)

Hi Ally! The recipe I have is:-
6 servings

6 servings beef (1 1/2 kilos approx. or 3lbs 6oz)
1 kilo (2lbs 4oz) small onions
1 teacup olive oil
1 teacup vinegar
2-3 ripe tomatoes
Rosemary
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic
Salt
Pepper corns

Wash & strain the meat pieces. In a pot, heat the olive oil over a medium fire & brown the meat. Add the onions & allow these to saute for about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, tomatoes (finely diced), garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, bay leaf & an amount of water.Allow the ragout to boil for about two hours until it is left in its own sauce. Serve hot.

1 cup is approx. 250ml
"An amount of water" I interpret as, "just enough to cover".
I don't actually "boil" it for two hours, I simmer it on a medium heat.
I use organic vinegar (Geo organics) which has a more mellow flavour, or try half the amount of vinegar & half red wine, (or more of the latter if wished. As Lesley I'm sure would approve of!) The amount of rosemary is pretty much left up to you. I sling in a good sprig of it, 2 if small. & remove when cooking time is up.
I'll be going to Greece in a month's time so can eat it as it's meant to eaten: in a beautiful little taverna with the sound of the sea lapping against the nearby shore, traditional Greek music playing softly in the background, gloriously warm temperature so you can sit in short sleeves in the balmy evening air..........& the food cooked for you & served at table by some gorgeous swarthy waiter!! Perfect! Enjoy!

Yummy!

Perusing the various sections of the message boards, have just come across Debbie's thread 'Pasta Machines'. Read with interest. Would welcome maybe a few more comments/feedback/advice though as I'm still not entirely convinced that I need one. I'm teetering on the edge.....shall I, shan't I? Steve also knows that I can buy something & it never gets out of its box! Witness the, not one but TWO 'Smart Choppers', for instance, ordered from QVC. They've sat in the kitchen in their boxes for about 2 years now!! I WILL get one out one day & play with it!!

I have this urge to purchase a pasta maker! (Typical Aries, always have to be spending!!) However, what type, are there different sizes, any particular make better than others, are they easy to use, what price range........& will I use the blasted thing when I've got it?!!! Are the results really any better than buying dried pasta in packets? Advice please folks! Thanks.

Oh, yummy! We used to have chocolate sponge with white sauce. The sponge served up for us though was not hard at all: it was deliciously soft & gooey cake. I also used to love anything with custard, or just custard! There was always thick skin on top that no-one else wanted. It was mine, all mine! Loved it! I also loved all the milk puddings...including "frogspawn"! Looking back, our school meals were pretty good, even though when we said grace with the headmaster before eating, our mumbled version was, "For what we are about to receive, the pigs have just refused. Amen!"

Fabulous Steve! Keep on cooking. I believe it's one of the most important skills you can have. I'm glad to know that you really enjoy it. It should be fun above all else. Karen asked you what you like to cook, & I would also like to know. I hope your parents appreciate your love of cooking? Keith.

Have fun choosing Helen & let us know which one you decided on.
Keith x

Hi Claire! Just seen your post. (How do you all keep up with what you've posted, what needs replying to, where they are....?) Well, I also bought a packet of sumac, never having used that before. Then there was the bottle of Rose Flower Water for when I make Reza's Indian rice pudding. Other items: whole stuffed calamari, calamari in a salsa americana sauce, whole octopus in their own ink, all in tins. Again all in tins are: peas baked in oil, young okras in oil, baked giant beans, & grape leaves stuffed with rice. A packet of Biltong, (yes, South African I know!), bottle of Lingham's Chilli sauce, made with "100% Fresh Chillies", & 2 Greek deserts, baklava & another which has a filing like our custard slices....seriously yummy! I HAVE to go back!!
Have been to Zakynthos (Venetian, Zante) & loved it. But then, I've not been to any part of Greece that I haven't liked. Okay, going next door to the pub now to meet friends, & Steve will join us when hes finished work.
Bye! Keith x

Oer! Sounds like the wrinkly bits of a man....down there!!!! (Am I allowed to say that?!) :-]

Louise, thanks! I've just GOT to have a bash at cooking Timpana, though as well as the calf's brain I'd have to omit the chicken livers as Steve will not eat offal. This was the first thing I ate when I arrived at Malta. Found a fabulous restaurant, Ta Kolina, & had this for starters. It could have been a main course such was the size of the portion & its ability to fill you up. I loved it! Have noticed that your pages don't correspond with mine, & have just realised why: the edition I have is the newer, revised one published in 2001. Where did your parents live on the island? I explored quite a bit of it & may have been to wherever they lived. I found the people so very friendly & would not hesitate to return. A beautiful island too. You must have been?

Hi! Now, I SHOULD remember where his restaurant is, being in the heart of Gay London as it is!! And I've not QUITE caught on to this using a search engine lark to find information yet!! I should automatically think about doing that, shouldn't I. Still, up until a couple of years ago I was so scared of these computer thingies & wouldn't come anywhere near them. It was Delia Smith that helped me overcome my fear. Her website opened & I was determined to get on it. I visited it every day, & after a short while even began to leave messages on the boards. I then began to explore other sites & there's just no stopping me now!! Poor Steve practically has to book time on his computer now!! So, Goddess Delia not only taught me much about cooking, but also helped me learn about using the computer!
Thanks again girls for the info!

Trudi, no I haven't been to his restaurant. Terrible isn't it considering I live so near. It IS in Fulham isn't it? Can't remember now. Let me know & I'll make a point of going. Steve & I do like our Indian food. One of the items I purchased this afternoon in the Greek supermarket was a bottle of Rose Flower Water because I intend cooking Reza's Indian Rice Pudding in the next few days. I also bought a packet of Sumac but am not sure exactely how to use it. I'm bound to find a recipe or 6 in my cook books somewhere, but has anyone used it, & what was the recipe?

Karen, having got into the website you told me about & found out that mastic is a Greek ingredient, I went this afternoon to the Greek supermarket not far from here. There were packets of mastic for £1.50. However, so fab is the place that I didn't stop until I'd put just over £24worth of goods in my basket!!! I shall be returning! Thanks Karen. Can I blame my newest shopping sprees on you when Steve, my partner, throws his hands up in the air, rolls his eyes heaven-ward & tells me I can't afford it now I'm redundant?!!!!! I love you Karen!! :-)

Oh dear! Poor Lloyd. I really like him. Loved Master Chef but stopped viewing when Gary Rhodes took over. Adore Delia! Jeremy Clarkson I just feel like slapping any time I see him! Horrible creature! Angela Rippon I cannot abide. Those thin, arched eyebrows, condescending look & patronising voice send me into a killing rage! YUK!! And Ulrica Jonnsen (or however it's spelled!)....just get that woman OFF our screens!!

Wow! How exciting to have someone who is connected to this book ( for it is the very same!). How lovely to have your granddad mentioned. Now, I always shy away from recipes that include fresh artichokes as the preparation scares the hell out of me!! I did, however, see Valantina Harris prepare one a few weeks ago on GFL & she made it look easy. But then she's a professional! I love courgettes though & this recipe on page 135 sounds delicious, so I may be brave & give it a go!! Are there other recipes that you would particularly recommend Louise?

Hmm! Coriander seeds would be, I should think, a lovely addition to a rabbit dish. Good idea Claire, thank you.

Hi Gang! I've just watched Delhi Belly. My goodness, those delicious-looking sweets. I DO love gulab jamun. If I have any room left after my starter & main meal in an Indian restaurant, that's often what I order. Now, that market Reza took us to in Part 1: wonderful ingredients on offer, but would you buy them after scores of flies have crawled all over them? Delhi Belly indeed! I really enjoy watching Reza: camp as a row of tents & so sweet! I've seen him a couple of times rushing along Chiswick High Road & he's smaller than he appears on the telly. I'd like to see him have his own cooking programme where he shows us how to cook 4 or more dishes per prog. Anyone agree with that? And wouldn't he be a scream on 'So Graham Norton'?!!

Hi Karen! You're a gem. Thank you. :-)

Hi Helen! Just seen your post as I was browsing. Excellent choice, a Henckels, but I would be totally lost now without my Sabatier cooks knife. I think the secret is to try them in the shop: hold them, heft them. Which feels most comfortable in your hand? A heavy one, lighter? Wooden handle or metal? And, of course, price range comes into it. Take your time to decide & trust your instincts. There are many good brands of kitchen knives on the market. Narrow it down to, say, half a dozen, then make your choice. Does this help? Bye!

I have a few recipes in my Egyptian cook books that call for the use of mastic grains, usually '3 to 5'. Can anyone tell me what they are & where I can buy them? Or if they are not available here, is there an alternative I can use? Thanks.

Yes, I have a couple of recipes for chicken dishes that includes 40 cloves of garlic. This rabbit dish, however, has the cloves peeled & sweated off in the oil, taken out, reserved. The rabbit is browned in the same oil, transferred to a casserole with the red wine marinade, 2-3 bay leaves, salt, pepper & the cloves of garlic. Covered, it's gently simmered until the rabbit is tender. Peas are added in the last few minutes. In fact, I cooked it tonight, the rabbit having marinaded overnight in the wine (I used an organic Claret). I used 7 fat garlic cloves, cooked it for 1hour & 20 minutes & it was gorgeous. Very tasty indeed. Had it with mustard mash, & steamed carrots & broccoli. Delish! I think it could take a few more cloves, but Steve & I found it very palatable with the 7. In one of the other 2 Maltese cookery books I bought, the same recipe appears & includes just 6 cloves. I'll definately cook this dish again, & I have enough sauce left to add to the minced lamb I've bought for tomorrow's meal.

Hi all! As some may know, I have very recently returned from Malta (okay, I'll stop rubbing it in!). I bought 3 cookery books, & in 2 I have noticed misprints.
The first appears in a recipe for Bragioli (Beef Olives). The ingredients are listed: no problem there. Then comes 'Method'. Point 1:-
'Cut the beef into thin slices. Remove fat & FLATTER with a meat hammer'!! ("Oh, what a pretty piece of meat you are," says Meat Hammer!)
The second recipe, which I can only assume MUST contain a misprint, is for Fenek bit-tewn u bl-nbid (Garlic flavoured rabbit). Ingredients as follows:-
1 rabbit, in joints
375 ml red wine
40 cloves of garlic............
Hang on! 40 cloves of garlic?!!! Nobody will ever stand within 20 yards of you again, surely, if that amount is used! It MUST be a misprint, right?
Anyone else got any howlers in their books?
Happy Mother's Day to all the mums. Where would we be without you.

Trina, I don't remember a time without cookery programmes. My first cooking idol was good old Fanny Craddock & long suffering hubby, Johnny. There certainly weren't the plethora of cooking shows that have appeared in the last few years though.