Posts by: Billy2blues

I've just come up with an idea that might serve as a replacement to MK. Why not get Pru Leith (or similiar expert) to run one of her cookery courses on line? I am thinking of the success Delia had with her basic "How to boil an egg". I assume that the majority of us are keen amateur cooks but who missed out on the professional approach to working with various materials - chocolate for instance - I'm xxxxed if I can make acceptable chocolate cups in which to present sorbet or ice-creams or how to get a glossy finish. I have a chocolatier friend but he baffles me with science nvolving marble slabs and tempering etc. Desserts are my real weak spots and I'd love a really indepth teaching session on producing stunning desserts.
How about getting a modern chef (DEFINITELY NOT A.W.T) to create a dinner party menu for eight persons then take us through it over a week say?

how do we find previous postings. It seems entries just disappear into the ether. I suggetsed an improvement to Market Kitchen but now cannot find it.
regards
jacktar

Hi, For some reason or other I posted my comment to the wrong thread so if I may reiterate my previous --- The point raised about target audience is very relevant although I do appreciate that TV is a very broad brush. I am a serious cook with professional aspirations and seek to learn how to cook for a number of guests and to present dishes in a professional manner. I find the majority of the dishes on MK are totally uninteresting although Mark Sargeant's scallop with rhurbarb was good and was an educational shock to my tastebuds - (I plan to add it to my repetoire - cheers Mark).

I must be one of many keen cooks who never had the opportunity of attending Pru Leith's School or a similiar academy of fine cuisine so how about putting on a condenced version of a diploma course - one hour daily would be excellent - with coaching from professional instructors. Perhaps get modern chefs (not A.W.T thank you) to design a menu for a dinner party of eight or more and take us through it step by step explaining why ingredients react to cooking the way they do etc. perhaps even issue a UKTV food certificate after the event. Doubtless all the negative comment will help to reformat MK and we can only hope that it happens soon. We want professional input not silly faffing about from the girl next door. regards

I know exactly what you are complaining about. I run a Macintosh OS9.2 with Internet Explorer 5.1 (the only available Mac browser for my system - there isn't an upgrade to OS 10 and I cn't afford to buy a new computer everytime Steve Jobs ups the game - but be that as it may) When I load UKTV Food I get text overlying other stuff which makes certain parts totally unintelligible. Your complaint tells me that this problem isn't limited to Macintosh users but down to website construction. The Open University has a splendid e-forum that allows conferencing etc. Why should there be such a lack of professionalism - don't they get salaries for a professional job of work at UKTV or should we be grateful for the frustration?

I know exactly what you are complaining about. I run a Macintosh OS9.2 with Internet Explorer 5.1 (the only available Mac browser for my system - there isn't an upgrade to OS 10 and I cn't afford to buy a new computer everytime Steve Jobs ups the game - but be that as it may) When I load UKTV Food I get text overlying other stuff which makes certain parts totally unintelligible. Your complaint tells me that this problem isn't limited to Macintosh users but down to website construction. The Open University has a splendid e-forum that allows conferencing etc. Why should there be such a lack of professionalism - don't they get a salary at UKTV or do they work for free?

Hi Adrian3,

I agree with your criticism of the current format and I now think that it is up to the programme planners to summarise the feedback and tell us how they plan to improve the show - for indeed, many improvements are sorely needed. However, I do think that while people complain bitterly about MK they really ought to suggest how they think it can be improved. As I have previously said on another site (is this yet another?) reaching the target audience is crucial. I already know how to bone out a guinea fowl and stuff a seabass with lemongrass so I don't want valuable prime time taken up with how to cut a pineapple, which according to my Thai wife, Stuart Gilles got it completely wrong. You may have read my earlier suggestions regarding the setting up of an advanced cooking seminar run by professional instructors from trade recognised colleges. Shouldn't the programme directors appoint a site moderator to respond to our suggestions and why haven't they? Despite all the comments, either negative or positively put, what if anything happens to the information and views expressed - is the stuff actually read or does it simply disappear in circuituous discussions between disgruntled viewers?

Just a word of warning! I had a nice piece of cod loin in my fridge and thought to have a plateful of fish & chips so I printed out Stuart Gilies' recipe for batter.
The ingredients list read 250g flour and 1.5 LITRES of iced water. I was a bit generous, should have known better, and before I realised it I had poured in a good pint with the result that I had to tip the lot down the sink and start again. If anyone else tries this recipe only add as much water as you need to make a thick paste then only add enough water to make a workable batter.

Subject: Market Kitchen. It would be good if the UKTV food/Market Kitchen applied him/herself to updating the site - we still have links to Jeni B and there appears to be more than one message board for Market Kitchen. I am sorry to say that I will not be watching this week as I can't stand Anthony W Thompson; a purely personal prejudice. I don't care for his presentation or for his smoking habit; I noticed him smoking during the programme about Elizabeth David - I don't think anyone who smokes should have anything to do with the food industry. All that fuss about washing hands. Has anyone else done the H & S course where you get to look at your hands under a uv light immediately after you've scrubbed your hands? I was a smoker myself ten years ago and gave up for health reasons. Looking back I wonder how I was ever able to taste what I was cooking. Still, one must be tolerant I suppose.

Pocket Battleship, Thank you for your kind response - Scharnhorst springs to mind? At least I am communicating with someone at last! I did say that my thoughts about AWT were purely personal. But don't you think there are so many other brighter chefs out there with talent? Although Floyd was seen smoking on screen it wasn't regarded in the way it is now. We have to move with the times. I also think it a bit retro that Anthony claims prawn cocktail as one of his best sellers. Where I live ( near Manchester) a few local eateries still serve prawn cocktails, then steak diane with a mountain of chips and salad - up north value for money is calculated on quantity.

I ticked the box for notification about replies to my postings but I get alerts without any reference about which thread. This message system seems to have basic faults that a competent IT mchanic should be able to sort out. For example: I last posted a message 09.35 Mon 30 April - when I looked for newest post I was directed to my own posting made 24 hours previously. I can't believe with all the apparent traffic on this site that nobody else has posted. Is there something I'm missing ? Is there an identifying code that takes you to the thread being addressed? I am confused and actually wondering if whether or not it's worth the trouble posting at all. My second point is that I could just as easily go into the garden and talk to the rhubarb for all the notice the moderators seem to be taking.

Market Kitchen message board. Can someone explain to me that whenever I get an email telling me about new posts and when I go to the relevant page of latest posts there is only one message. On this site for instance the newest post is the one I posted on Sun 29th April (see above) three days ago. Can you not instal a 'reply to this message' link button? Other web sites do. When I get emails of multiple message follow-ups am I expected to troll through all previous pages in order to identify the particular thread? Just a thought.

How come that I get an email advising me that someone has posted a message at 10.21 and yet when I go to newest post I get the above message from pocket battleship timed at 9.24 p.m. Tues Ist May (4 days ago!!!!!) Who is responsible or better still who can explain.

When I am emailed by the programme moderators (I can only presume it is they!) that no less than ten persons have posted to this MK site (33374), that when I click on the newest post link I keep getting the same posting which also shows a different time of posting to that given in the email. Confused??? I am beginning to think that the message board designers have deliberately created the mysterious telephone in the cupboard at the end of the corridor down which nobody ever goes. To my mind there is little point in contributing to this message forum until there is a grown-up conferencing facility installed - after all folks, how easy can it be for so many other web site organisers. Perhaps future complaints should be made directly to Waitrose who, while this incoherent system of communication continues, are certainly not being shown in a favourable way. May I suggest that the programme designers postpone this message board until a workable format can be installed - but perhaps I am asking the wrong people - would that be the same people who seem content to ignore their viewers comments , many of which have been very positive. (anyone know Waitrose marketing department's email address?)

Tonight's show featured Barramundi but failed to tell us what we might expect to pay per Kg how does it compare with seabass of same weight (I pay £2.40 per Kg trade price for the seabass). I like the idea of serving the 350g individual fishes at a forthcoming dinner party for eight. This will be my recipe: whole fish scaled, gutted; make angled cuts in the sides of the fish and dust with flour, salt & pepper and cornflower. Deep fry 5 mins and drain. make a black bean sauce. Ladle pool of sauce onto plate with a mound of fresh egg noodles on the side. Place the fish on top of sauce & garnish with coriander leaf.

11.33pm. Fri 04/05/07 I've just received three emails telling me that three people have just posted to this page. Where are they? Wouldn't it be a logical assumption to think that if someone has JUST posted then it should be the 'newest' post? Today is Fri 4th May at 11.33pm and the latest post shown is dated Wed 2nd May 9.25 pm from Rosie. Come on!!

Naughty Paddy! You shouldn't provoke your detractors. And you lot, stop bullying. I thought we were here to talk 'food'. I just thought I might mention that I watched a really good show a few days ago called "The Tanner Brothers". I was struck by their dedication and seeming professionalism; although all may not have been as it was shown. This is the sort of programme I personally enjoy - so much more focused on the how and why of cooking elegant and tasty looking dishes (AWT eat your heart out!). So inspired was I (should anyone be interested) that for lunch today I poached 4 asparagus spears in salted water in a shallow pan, refreshed them and set them aside. Then made a salad of diced red onion, diced orange segments and diced skinned tomato, into which I poured a couple Tbs olive oil, a drop of balsamic, sugar and black pepper that I had whisked together previously. I then added a few torn basil leaves. I warmed a plate in a low oven. I had bought a skin on fillet of salmon from Sainsburys (why don't they descale their fish?), and seasoned it on the flesh side with Malden salt and black pepper then fried it at a fairly high heat on the skin side, watching the pink change to beige before turning it over. I reduced the heat to almost nothing and slid a good slice of butter on to the fish, when the butter had melted I added the asparaguc to heat through. I already had some mashed potato from a previous dish so I 'dinged' it with a knob of butter and a smidgeon of milk while the salmon rested on the, by now, quite hot plate. I served myself, indulgent as ever, placed a good splodge of mashed potato in the centre of the plate, put the fish (skin side down) on top and pressed down, positioned the spears of asparagus alongside it and dotted the colourful salad mix around the fish in a semi-circle. Totally delicious and as I write I'm still drinking the bottle of chilled Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc prior to my afternoon nap. Enjoy - and be good, leave poor Paddy alone.

Hi Folks, I'm still trying to work out why when I click on 'newest post' I get the same posting as I was able to read hours previously. Be that as it may but it occurred to me while watching MK tonght and MF's chocolate tasting that they could have chosen chocolate of the same cocoa percentage - just a thought. Incidentally, I have a friend who is a Belgian chocolatier and runs the House of Minerva - a chocolate lovers eporium, located in the cathedral courtyard in Bath - he tells me that the only chocolate to use is Valrhona, Valrhona and Valrhona. He kindly sent me a block of 56% cacao 'Noir Gastronomie' which I hesitate to use until I can attend a chocolate master class and learn how to temper chocolate. I am informed that only chocolate that has been tempered will produce a lovely glossy finish with a beautiful 'snap'. At present my attempts at producing anything in chocolate results in dull badly formed things that defy description.

How very pleasant to read contributions regarding the value of this site to people genuinely interested more in cooking than television criticism. I would however like to use this page to engage in discussions about the food featured on MK. I would also find it very useful in learning how best to create an attractive plate of incredibly flavoursome ingredients by being able to email the chef responsible for the recipe for his/her guidance.

Has anyone tried Michael Caines' Potted Shrimp & Crab that he demonstrated last week? As I assembled the ingredients I realised that I was putting together a Prawn Cocktail but with capers instead of tabasco. IMHO the dish as given lacks a touch of bright green that could easily be added with shredded iceberg lettuce; the addition of lemon zest was far too strong in the salad garnish and the amount of capers specified could be reduced. My second attempt was much better after I incorporated creamed horseradish and mixed in the shredded iceberg. I am sorry to say that the completed mound of prawn & crab looked very like the original prawn cocktail tinged pink with marie-rose sauce but very wet and soggy - a drawback avoided when presented in the wine glass . I am interested in learning of others' experiences in trying out any of the other recipes that are demonstrated on MK.

Just when I thought the GFL fans had finally exhausted their endless harping on about how superior it was to Market Kitchen another one interjects with a negative contribution. makes me think about the things that are always with us: taxes and the poor; you can now add GFLs. I don't think television has ever replaced Til Death Do Us Part, or "allo "allo but we move on remembering them for what they gave us. Would it be selfish of me to ask the GFLs and Jenni fans to address their misery to another page?

Hi Yeatsey, The success of cooking cabbage is increased by plunging the leaves into boiling water then immediately into ice cold water until all heat has been disappated. Savoy is the best! I always blanch & refresh cabbage before finally cooking in butter or microwave or if I'm using the leaves to make stuffed cabbage rolls. For serving with boiled spuds or meats, simply take off the outer leaves and cut away the hard central vein, roll the leaves loosely into a cigar shape and slice across to make 1cm wide strips chop up the hearts likewise. Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a rolling boil and plunge the cabbage in for about three minutes then take out with a slotted spoon and immerse in very cold water and you may be amazed how fresh and green the colours are. (I use those a few ice cube bags in a whole sheet). To serve put the refreshed cabbage, well drained, in a dish and microwave for 30 secs with a knob of butter. Obviously if you want to make stuffed cabbage rolls with rice / minced meat etc, then only blanch the leaves sufficiently to soften them.

Hope this helps.

I detect a slight improvement in MK. However, it would be better if Diana Henry spoke a little slower or even took speaking lessons. Still, one must exercise tolerance I suppose. I will cook the chef's crab version when I've located some frozen crabmeat in Sainsbury - or is that not the idea? I don't have a Waitrose near me.

Buca, Are you suggesting that MF's food knowledge is compromised by him being 'a really nice bloke'? Does anyone one know if Matthew has written any books on food? I ask because I have just finished reading William Black's "A La Carte" in which he wanders around France investigating interesting dishes, some of which just never appear in the usual cookery books. His previous book "A La Dente" did the same job in Italy; I quite regard Black as the gastronome's answer to Arthur Wainright who walked the roads of Cumbria and the lakes which he described in minutest detail. Perhaps Matthew Fort could be regarded in the same light if he has written about his obvious metier?

I received an email notification that there were no less than nine new postings on this thread. However, looking forward to an interesting read of my peers' utterings I was irritated to find that the 'newest' posting had been sent on Thursday 7 June. This being Sunday, and I'm pretty sure there must have been other posts since Thursday, leaves me with a distinct lack of confidence in the abilities of UKTV technical people - and this is not the first time I have complained about the sheer mechanics of the message board. I could go on ...

Hi CrocusX2,
A good question. I have just looked for a masterchef site without success. Yes, I know they are interminable re-runs otherwise how else could they fill a day's programme - what with Rick Stein, AWT et al. However, from my experience, and heaven knows that I have complained before without response or result, the message board facility isn't all that brilliant - and I'm being slightly charitable here. May I suggest, should any one with any influence on UKTV ever read this, that your IT people take a look at the Open University message boards. I've just glanced across at my television and sure enough there is Rick and Chalky not doing anything new adfinitum. Cheers

Just watching Mon 25/6 programme and noted that listed in the ingredients for the soul lady's chicken was powdered garlic. My advice - NEVER EVER USE POWDERED GARLIC. Even Patak spices use it to the detriment of their pickles & chutneys.
Powdered garlic imparts a heavy resinous taste to whatever it is mixed with. Garlic should be used fresh and added to the main ingredient in puree form if liked - easily done with the flat of a knife and some sea salt. However the proof is in the eating so try both ways if you wish. Best regards gastrophiles