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Post by mich64 on May 14, 2020 19:29:12 GMT
I am just putting in the oven a homemade lasagna that my sister-in-law dropped off for us the other day. Also warming up a loaf of bread she made.
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Post by lagatta on May 14, 2020 19:46:28 GMT
I'm glad my soups and stocks are brightening friends' days. I'm wondering if at least some elderly people in care facilities would find some joy in eating if they had something other than tasteless pap, adapted to their medical needs and dentition.
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Post by mickthecactus on May 14, 2020 20:21:14 GMT
Takeaway fish and chips. The fish was fresh and lightly battered and the chips had just been cooked. I had a pickled gherkin with mine. Followed with grapes.
Just having some cheese and biscuits now.
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Post by onlyMark on May 14, 2020 20:29:48 GMT
That is a painful description........... Twist the knife in why don't you. "..... fresh and lightly battered and the chips.... etc etc" I've been busy all day and had a quick packet noodle soup when I came in.
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Post by mickthecactus on May 14, 2020 20:39:43 GMT
It’s not always that good. I got lucky tonight...
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Post by bixaorellana on May 14, 2020 21:18:02 GMT
I'll be having something perfectly wonderful a little later when it's suppertime, so I don't have to be all jealous reading this thread the way I sometimes am. Okay, kind of jealous over the fish & chips.
A little while ago I made a vat of chili -- a killer batch, as a matter of fact. Since I've been avoiding meat obviously I haven't made any chili, but a friend of mine has been sort of whining that it's time. I used 3 kilos of ground beef, so will have plenty for the freezer & to share.
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Post by lagatta on May 16, 2020 0:26:19 GMT
I presume you have a chest freezer, not necessarily a large one?
I'd been avoiding meat too, but couldn't resist some duck "drumettes", that resemble miniature drumsticks, but are from the wings. I stewed them in my little countertop convection oven, at low heat. Fortunately they were still tasty, so I made a "parmentier" or what is sometimes called a (potato) pie in Britain and Ireland; the duck meat pulled (and improved with onion, garlic and aromatic spices - not hot ones)and covered with a mash of potato, poultry stock and a a beaten egg to make it stiff.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 16, 2020 3:00:31 GMT
That pie sounds lovely -- what a great way to use that duck meat! I just have a regular fridge with the freezer on top. It's not huge, but it's a nice size. It's this one, except in "graphite".
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Post by tod2 on May 16, 2020 8:15:23 GMT
It’s not always that good. I got lucky tonight... Mick, I have always wondered why Britain's most famous dish - (Before Chicken Tikka Masala) - Fish 'n Chips, was not of a very good standard. The last time we had some was when we stopped in Herne Bay on the way to Broadstairs. Admittedly it was quite a nice sit-down restaurant and all looked good on the plate but we had to battle through it. I don't know if it was the batter or the fish itself. It's usually Cod which I think is tasteless. Of course the most famous place we dined at was Harry Ramsdon's opposite Brighton Pier. I went there with my mum and then took the old man there when on our Motorhome trip around UK. At that time I think we had Haddock (not the smoked variety) and I think we enjoyed most of it - they give you such big portions……the biggest piece of cod was delivered on my plate at a famous fish place just out of the main bright lights, in Blackpool. The worst, the very horrible worst inedible fish'n chips was bought on Canvey Island. We'll never forget the blob of greasy fish on top of a mountain of chips. So my question is still why do the "Chiippy's" prepare it so badly?
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Post by mickthecactus on May 16, 2020 8:49:13 GMT
I always have fish and chips when I go to Broadstairs and never been disappointed.
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Post by onlyMark on May 16, 2020 13:28:04 GMT
Point of history - the area around a place called Sylhet in Bangladesh (when it was still India) became strategically important to the British during the colonial times to stop any expansionist forays from the East. Many men from there began to be set on as sailors on British merchant ships - the men were called 'Lascars'. During WWI the demand for sailors increased and a flood of Sylhetis became employed in that way.
Over time, and visits to the port of London, may jumped ship and joined an ever growing community of their fellow men. One and then two and then three and more opened restaurants in London and then elsewhere serving Indian food. At one point 60 - 70% of Indian restaurants in the UK were owned by those from Sylhet and subsequently their offspring. Still now the majority apparently are.
As the British liked a curry, initially all those military and bureaucrats servicing the Raj, returning to the UK frequented these restaurants and many who had never been still visited as by then, 'curry' was part of British cuisine. But as those died out and the British didn't eat curry every day, a lot of the restaurants began to serve the staple of fish and chips as well as Indian food. Time progressed further, the British palate decided that often curry and chips was better than curry and rice or chapati/breads so many stopped serving Indian food to concentrate on fish and chips and its associated foodstuffs like saveloy, pies and so on. But - one hangover from those times is very often the possibility of still having curry sauce on the menu and so, with your chips.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 16, 2020 13:49:50 GMT
I have not had fish and chips enough to be an expert, but from what I have been able to determine, when it is not good it is usually the fault of the (too much) batter. Anyway, here is my smoked salmon from the other night. Ha ha, fooled you. Actually it was smoked trout (about 30% cheaper).
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Post by kerouac2 on May 16, 2020 16:37:34 GMT
I just had an early mini-meal of two lamb chops fried in butter and fresh garlic, but my main meal will be a huge plate of chips in front of the Eurovision show. I have already peeled and cut the potatoes and they will be ready to go when the time comes.
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Post by mickthecactus on May 16, 2020 17:17:02 GMT
Cumberland sausages, lime and coriander rice with a melange (get me!) Of onions, garlic,peppers and tomatoes flavoued with salt and pepper, Worcester sauce, chili flakes and dried Italian herbs.
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Post by tod2 on May 17, 2020 12:01:48 GMT
Todays menu reads as thus: Rump steak , lamb chump chops and farmers sausage cooked over a wood fire. Spuds in their jackets just simply boiled and a faux Greek salad on the side, because besides the feta, onion and cucumber, the bell peppers have been replaced with baby spinach leaves and a few Cos lettuce leaves for good measure.
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Post by Kimby on May 17, 2020 13:19:43 GMT
We are winding down our Sanibel visit, and are cleaning out the fridge and freezer, so our meals are planned out to use everything and throw little out. That makes for some better lunches as we eat extra leftovers not needed for our last two suppers.
Then I will wipe out the fridge and freezer, unplug it and prop open the doors for the long summer. If there’s a power outage nothing will be rotting in our fridge!
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Post by kerouac2 on May 19, 2020 15:54:18 GMT
Ginger-onion-chicken leftovers tonight with a mixed salad.
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Post by tod2 on May 19, 2020 16:21:11 GMT
There is a special offer running at our local supermarket - Spar - where rump steak is going for R68-00 per kilo (3.40 euros, or $3.72 or 3 .04 sterling). We bought quite a bit as we are making biltong, but I took two nice slices and thinned them out before stuffing and rolling up and braising. I call them Beef Olives. Don't know how they got the name.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 19, 2020 16:47:51 GMT
There was a Spar in my neighbourhood, but I walked by the other day and saw that it has changed ownership. I think that most of the Spar stores in France tend to be in the south. 860 locations in France compared to 839 in South Africa, so not too far apart, though.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 22, 2020 3:46:38 GMT
I had two wheat-spinach-emmenthal patties with a salad of kumatos and red onions. Those vegetarian things are definitely getting better.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 22, 2020 4:06:07 GMT
Interesting. I made nut/zucchini patties last night. Since I was winging it, the first few didn't come out very well because they weren't stiffened enough -- had to add more besan and some maseca (tortilla flour). Anyway, the first ones fell apart easily and absorbed too much oil. The dogs absolutely loved them.
I also made a barley pilaf last night, which was deadly boring. But today I made beef vegetable soup & put the pilaf in that. It was good and perfect for the weather, which turned cool and rained like mad at suppertime.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 22, 2020 4:50:13 GMT
Anyway, the first ones fell apart easily and absorbed too much oil. That sounds like when I make crab patties.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 22, 2020 4:52:51 GMT
Here is my fusion dinner from two nights ago: cauliflower with spicy Korean chicken dumplings, covered with melted gorgonzola.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 22, 2020 4:53:41 GMT
Anyway, the first ones fell apart easily and absorbed too much oil. That sounds like when I make crab patties. Yeah -- the whole throw-wet-stuff-in-hot-grease thing is problematic. I did glance at a few recipes for ideas. One thing they all said was to put the mixture in the fridge for at least a half hour before forming the patties. That didn't happen. Don't know what to think about your fusion extravaganza. You really went for broke!
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Post by lagatta on May 22, 2020 12:29:00 GMT
I think I'd find it too rich - not that I'm averse to rich food but sometimes my digestive tract really doesn't like it. I had some of my black bean/minced lamb chile (chilli? - chili?)with fresh coriander from Jean-Talon market. That is still from Mexico or the US, but the local will be coming in soon. I bought a big bunch of green beans as the "bargain basket" was only $1 and they looked perfect. I think I'll roast them in my little oven - I also have a large yellow potato and I think I'll cube it and do those together - they'll get the parsley rather than the coriander.
Forgot if I mentioned bixa's very cute grafito fridge - I'm jealous of the large freezer compartment. I don't need a larger fridge at all but would like a larger proportion of it to be freezer.
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Post by tod2 on May 22, 2020 15:19:56 GMT
We've come to the end of the huge amount of rump steak we bought,. Tonight we grilled kebabs on a charcoal fire. The chunks of meat had been marinating in Teriyaki sauce most of the day. They were delicious. Tomorrow the final pieces of meat will be cooked as Rogan Josh with baby potatoes. I made Spanish rice to go with the kebabs and there's plenty over for the curry tomorrow.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 22, 2020 17:18:43 GMT
LaGatta, a friend of mine has the same refrigerator, but one size down. Mine is kind of a hulking thing in the kitchen, but not having to squeeze things into it makes it worthwhile, not to mention the freezer space. Having once succumbed to a side-by-side fridge, I know that interior width in a refrigerator is paramount. I've never seen the point of transferring leftovers slated to be quickly eaten into a container, only to empty that container into a pot the next day. My impulse is to shove the pot into the fridge, ready to be heated up again. A larger fridge allows me to do this without having to rearrange stacked-up little containers.
Tod, what is Rogan Josh?
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Post by lugg on May 22, 2020 19:01:53 GMT
Undecided and its already late - so will have to be quick probably pasta with something or other depending what is in the bowels of my fridge.
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Post by tod2 on May 23, 2020 10:10:01 GMT
Bixa- You are a clever lady. I thought I was the only one that stuck the cooking pot contents and all, straight into the fridge! Especially now that we are servant less and washing loads of dishes just makes cooking unpleasant. Now, you ask about Rogan Josh: It is a curry. I used one of those sachets contains all the relevant spices etc. and one just has to add the meat and veg. In this case they asked for tomato paste, full cream yogurt and stock cubes, garlic and onions. This particular curry hails from Jammu and Kashmir region of India.
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Post by lugg on May 23, 2020 19:46:22 GMT
Inspired by Tod's curry. For me tonight ...chicken and butternut squash bhuna with some poppadoms and raita.
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