Adam Balic

I should have said "Still" Champagne (eg. not sparkling), not still Champagne. Hehehe, stupid English language. How would this "Nyetimbe"r, rate against the NZ "Pelorus" or Tasmanian "Pirie"?

But still Champagne is not that exciting and from what I have read it isn't the Champagne vareties that are being promoted in the England, rather some of the Germanic hybrids - and I'm not sure the world needs more Sekt (sp?).

But still Champagne is not that exciting and from what I have read it isn't the Champagne vareties that are being promoted in the England, rather some of the Germanic hybrids - and I'm not sure the world needs more Sket (sp?).

Or "Majumdar" and "surprisingly not a twat". Have never tried these wines, is it worth it even for experimental/curiousity reasons?

I personally love parsnips and I think that they are under-rated in general. They can be woody etc, but I have never heard of them smelling like latex etc. They have a strong flavour, not to everybodies liking, but they also have a high sugar content that balances out the strong flavour/bitterness. The older they get the more woody and bitter they get. I would try to buy smaller parsnips as they are mainly, but not always, they younger ones. They are extremely good roasted, as Veg. 'chip's and used as a base for coconut soups and curries.

Sorry, I missed the original query. OK it was my addaption of a Robert May recipe (English 17th C. see link). One extremely good leg of lamb was larded with about six anchovies (salted type, desalted in milk O/N), it was then rubbed with a smallish amount of nutmeg/salt/pepper and covered with slices of Seville (Bitter) oranges. It was then placed in a close fitting roasting tray and covered closely with foil. Roasted for four hours at 160.C.. Basting with more seville orange juice occasionally + meat juices. Anchovies make the lamb taste gamey, but not like anchovies. Seville orange perfumes suface of meat, and gives a sour/bitter edge. Robert May would have most likely used a mixture of spice (Nutmeg alone is more of a 18th C. thing) and based with Seville orange and claret Robert May

Hey, to a 16 year old who'd never seen anything flambe, it seemed ...ah...hot. Ah, the first time is always memorable. I think I will make Crepe Suzette this weekend.

Sparklers in a Chicken is crime against humanity. Spanish fly are these really pretty shiny beetles, in Morocco they sell them mixed with hash resin and opium. If I took about 20 of these, it still wouldn't make chicken and sparklers right.

Ah, well in that case, if the chicks dig it then I'm all for them. Is wild rice sexy? I had never really though of it as such. When I was in Morocco I got a spice blend that contained Spanish fly, next time I am in the States I will post you some to go with the Rock Cornish Game.

Thai curry with beef and grilled pineapple, steamed jasmine rice and watercress, logan fruit and starfruit salad.

Yes, in the Tasmania case, hetrosexual couple were showing their surport for their gay friends and family by turning themselves into the police and demanding to be arrested as they had just had 1) Oral sex, 2) Anal sex or 3) that stupid kurma sutra position where the chap lies on his tummy and the lady sits on his bottom facing his feet and he bends his penis backwards until penertation is acheived.

Thanks for that, I forgot to correct my earlier mistake of a Plymouth Rock to White Rock. So in other words how to make chicken even more tastless? Invent the Rock Cornish game. No offense to eaters of Rock Cornish game obviously.

Being homosexual was never illegal in Tasmania, but "un-natural acts" were, this was generally ignored by the population by and large. At some point in the mid-nineties it became and issue and a whole load of nasty stuff occured (ie strange God-bothering folk, quoting the bible etc). The Fed. Gov. and the UN stepped in, which unfortunately made the matter worse (eg. How com' those city fella's are tell'n us wha' to do Paw?). Fortunately, sensible people just got sick of all the losers and whakos and did things like hand them selves into the police station claiming that they were criminals as they had just engaged in a session of oral sex (at the time classified as an 'un-natural act'). I think you would be surprised to see how many states in the USA that it is still illegal, in some from. Edit: Actual Tasmanian law (now defunct ) states: Section 122 (a) and © of the Tasmanian Criminal Code Act state that "Any person who (a) has sexual intercourse with any person against the order of nature; ... © consents to a male person having sexual intercourse with him or her against the order of nature, is guilty of a crime," and could be charged with "unnatural sexual intercourse." Section 123 of the same Act states that "Any male person who, whether in public or private, commits any indecent assault upon, or other act of gross indecency with, another male person, or procures another male person to commit any act of gross indecency with himself or any other male person, is guilty of a crime," and could be charged with "indecent practice between male persons." So I was wrong, the law was a direct attack on homosexuals .

I am an Australian, but I can help (The English know sweet fanny Adam's about farm animals and birds, it's an enclosure thing). In Britian and Australia 'Cornish' game are known as 'Indian' game. The 'game' bit is because they (or some of the breeds that they are derived from) were at some point bred for cock-fighting, rather then 'game' birds like pheasant and partridge, where they are shot for sport/game. Oh, yes, they were bred in Cornwall.

Mmmm, gay flavour...... wonder what that would taste like? I dunno, a generous portion of Bob Fosse, with a dusting of Rock Hudson with a Village People coulis? With Paul Lynde souffle for dessert? Followed by 'sterotype' and port no doubt.

Mmmm, gay flavour...... wonder what that would taste like? You tell me. Wait, no, don't do that. ..................

Melbourne has a large number of gay restaurants, especially Commercial Rd, Prahran.Commercial Rd is a 'Gay Street', in general, so the resturants are part of a collection of Gay bars, clubs etc. There are a few other areas in Melbourne like this, and certain places are also known as 'Lesbian' places. Commercial Rd has a very large food market on it and its success is due, in part at least, to the power of the 'Pink Pound' (well 'dollar' in Australia). While there is no specifc need for gay resturants in Melbourne any longer, like London, Commercial Rd represents offer another 'sub-culture', this area has a 'Gay' flavour, rather then Vietnamese, Greek, Lebonese etc that are found in other areas of Melbourne.

Ah, all is clear now. The are either 'Cornish Game' (called 'Indian Game' in Cornwall and the rest of Britain) or a cross-between Cornish Game and Plymouth Rock Chickens. Both are large-ish breeds, so they must kill them young for the table. Cornish Game are very square looking chickens, so I guess the carcass will look more compact and plump then regular chickens, otherwise I can't think of a reason why poussin sized chickens of a different breed would be used.

What are these? Many American recipes seem to use these things instead of pheasant or partidge etc, so I thougt they were some type of game. Now I am thinking that maybe they are just a name for small chicken/Poussin. Is this so, because if it is then they are a really stupid chioce as a 'game' substitute.

Had some some friends over for dinner on the WE. Gave them: Gougres - to have with drinks Pan fried Red Mullet fillets with Celeriac and apple remoulade Slow roasted leg of lamb, seasoned with nutmeg, larded with anchovies and braised with Seville orange juice. Fondant pototoes. Corsican minted zucchini fritters and green asparagus and lemon juice. Salad of rocket leaves, fresh figs, Procuitto St. Danielle and shaved Parmesan Warm tart of Rhubarb Plate of cheese and fruit Was fun.

Fair enough then. How about 'Tahoe Tea', rather then 'Long Island Tea'?

I serve this to guests and call it Tuscan Tea in the summertime! Why 'Tuscan'?

Sometimes you just get lucky with wine. Recently my wife found Reinhold Haart's Piesporter Goldtropfchen 1991 Riesling (Kabinet) for US$15/bottle. Not the greatest of vintages but and excellent wine never the less. Honey and apple flavours, with a background of earthiness - just lovely. What luck have you had recently?

The previously mentioned 'The Food and Wine Lover's Companion to Tuscany' by Carla Capalbo, is a good guide to the area, and is particularly valuble for listing market days in the various small towns in Chianti. Panzano is a nice little village and up at the top end of the town, next to the church, it has a cafe/bar with an excellent range of wine and good and honest food but at the back it has a small outdoor eating area with tables that have wonderful views of the valleys and hills of Chianti. Panzano also has a famous butcher, by local agreement (an amazing thing in itself) the 'best' in Chianti.

Cardoons are a very common winter vegetable in Chianti (along with 'Black Cabbage') as is known by the local name 'Goobi' (not sure about exact spelling). The last time I visited relatives in Chinati, the father of my brother-in-law was very kind and allowed me to cut as many cardoons as I liked for experimental cooking. These cardoons are grown wrapped tightly in newspaper to prevent them becoming to bitter. In general, they are still very bitter and require blanching to get reduce this. Only use younger stalks, the older ones are very tough and fibrous. The are many ways to cook them, one of the nice and easy ways is to lightly batter and deep fry them (they make excellent pokora). A local way of cooking them in Chianti is to make a souffle of them - very good as a size serve with roasted pork. If you are interested, here is a link describing the history of the cardoon and artichoke. Artichoke and Cardoon