CHATTERBOX

[Joanbunting Profile]

Dennis. It is a good job people with regional accents can't "get on" isn't it ?

I think you meant to express that differently, Joan, it is good job people with regional accents can "get on"... or were you using the great British tradition of irony.


OH is true Somerset, I'm from Nurf Lundon.

Irony it was!

In my case I am a Goerdie through and through and M is a died in the wool , or should I say moonraker, Wiltshire man

[Sakkarin Profile]

Is it just me, or does this look like the most effective way of getting as much salmonella as possible from some raw chicken into a pile of peppers and onions? Check it out at about 1'40", I think he may believe the "five second rule" (that if you drop food on the floor and pick it up straight away it will be OK...).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhoksc_z7H8

[Sakkarin Profile]

I'm usually very critical of food programmes, but I must say I've been enjoying the latest series of "Great British Menu". Maybe it's because the Chefs are top notch (i.e several Michelin starred), and the stuff they are making is absolutely over the top. It seems to have moved on a few degrees since the first series, heaven only knows where they get all their bespoke presentation stuff from, it's all clearly custom made, gone are the days when you looked for a suitable off-the-shelf item for presentation, so in practice it's out of the range of all of us ordinary people now. And that includes the ingredients. Half the stuff they've used this week I'd never heard of.

[jeral Profile]

Hi. Can I ask if anyone has experience of big button phones pls? I've come across this one, which also has audio boost: http://www.easiphones.co.uk/product/dor ... pack-100w/

The recipient does need one with a satellite handset (for the bedroom). Someone can programme it for her.

A thing I worry about is whether she might panic if forgets to put it back on the stand and can't find it if the phone rings, or is a disaster like my stupid one that slides to the ground if not placed exactly in its slot.

Arguably a wired phone might be better but they don't seem to have satellite options.

Any thoughts much appreciated. Ta

[Petronius Profile]

Hi Jeral, get in touch with Action on Hearing 03330 144525, even though the recipient may not need it for that purpose. I've found them helpul and their catalogue does include corded phone plus a satellite one - called Combo - but quite expensive.

Also, if the recipient does have hearing loss there are a range of phones which are VAT free.

[jeral Profile]

Many thanks Petronius. Will do.

[Sakkarin Profile]

Anyone in the UK that fancies witnessing some astonishing cooking skills in action, check out Mark Abbott in tomorrow's Great British Menu Northern Ireland final on BBC2. In the week's heats, he's won the highest ever score, with an 8, a 9 and two 10s. The other finalist, Chris McGowan got a 10 in the heat for which Mark Abbot got 9, so it should be a spirited fight.

[Petronius Profile]

Made some chutney yesterday, recipe from last Saturday's Times. To save you asking,

300g tomatoes peeled
200g turnip or swede
200g beetroot peeled
400g cooking apples, peeled and cored
400g onions peeled

Chop into small pieces, place in pan, mix well and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, add

400g pitted dates, chopped
400g raisins
40g ground ginger
5 cloves in muslin
400g brown sugar
350ml malt vinegar
100ml water (more if necessary)

Mix well and simmer for an hour, stirring frequently. Once cooked the mixture should be almost jammy in consistency.

Bottle, seal and label.

My version had red and green tomatoes, not enough apples so used home grown pears (from family) to make up weight, sugar – dark brown, muscovado and light brown (using up old stuff) – had left over spiced vinegar from last year so didn't use malt. Cooking time about 80 minutes.

[Renée Profile]

Now that sounds good, Dennis! It's something that I haven't made in ages and now I've re-cycled all my jam jars.

Yes, I've been watching Great British Menu, Sakks. There were some amazing cooking skills!

[jeral Profile]

@ Renée, as not really Bargain Basement:

Thanks ever so for the links on stills and yes it does look like a piece of cake to build and manage a still and we should both build one this very day. Or maybe tomorrow...

I do love the implied pantomime reference, 2nd link, that there'll be a hole in my bucket (implied Dear Liza Dear Liza). Gotta luv it as it's the only bit of all the DIY stuff that I could easily do. Tea-total it is then.

How did Mersea go? Well I hope. Photies?

[jeral Profile]

I'm not sure where to post this but I came across this "history assessment"(?) (my best description) of SE Asian dishes:
http://ssu.ac.ir/cms/fileadmin/user_upl ... sia_1_.pdf
Makes fascinating reading if anyone's interested.

[Renée Profile]

I had a super time in West Mersea, jeral and will post some photos tomorrow, because I couldn't get into Photobucket tonight.

I'll have a look at the link that you posted tomorrow, too, cos I'm suddenly feeling very sleepy.

I really must get Fuchsia Dunlop's Szechwan Cookery, Sakks and I'm glad that you mentioned it again. Yes, I remember that book by Ken Hom, which my mum bought me many years ago.

[Renée Profile]

A few photos of my recent visit to Mersea Island in Essex:



Lovely Dover sole from the fish hut:



Stacey on her boat the Lady Grace. We had a nice sail around the waterfront.



My friend made delicious chocolate soufflés, which we had with home made passion fruit ice cream. I was well and truly spoilt!

[IMG]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/ ... Medium.jpg[/IMG]

On another day, we had beautifully fresh sea bass:



A visit to the Tiptree jam place:



The pretty beach huts which you can purchase for about £25,000, but no water or electricity!





Cudmore Grove area:

[Sakkarin Profile]

Looks like a fab break and fab food, Renee.

And an interesting link Jeral: I've downloaded it to have a rummage through when I've got time. I've had a quick flip through it, and I've made most of the recipes in it at some stage or other, although that's probably neither here nor there as it isn't primarily a recipe book.

[Renée Profile]

Thanks. Judy is an amazing cook.

I've just managed to get the chocolate soufflé link.

[Sakkarin Profile]

I think they may have got it slightly wrong - this article claims that my local Morrisons are introducing a pizza that has 200 naga chillies on it, "the world's hottest pizza". Ain't room for 200...

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/1 ... est_pizza/

EDIT: P.S. I won't be trying it. I just finished a slice of their jalapeno and cheese foccacia, and that's hot enough for me.

[Renée Profile]

"The pizza is so hot that workers in the store had to wear safety goggles, latex gloves and aprons when making it, and warning notices and caution tape are wrapped around the pizza, telling customers about the potential danger if eaten or handled incorrectly".

I'm sure that there will be plenty of idiots who will try it! People do like to boast about these things!

[jeral Profile]

Hey, I'd try a pizza with 200 naga chillis. Tee hee, about as likely as the other 7.4bn world population.

I can't figure out what 200 was meant to be. Any ideas? It can't be grams, being a fifth of a kilo Can't be Scoville scale. 200 years knocked off your life? Hey, just guessing

[Renée Profile]

Well, 200 was mentioned a couple of times, so just bad reporting I suppose.

"The Naga chilli has a Scoville rating of up to 1 million – 200 times spicier than Tabasco sauce, 200 times hotter than a Jalapeno and seven times fierier than a Vindaloo".

[Sakkarin Profile]

I bet you didn't even realise you wanted to try this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0jgHA5Ju_s