fatmat

I am looking at doing the same with my hot pepper sauce... did you ever have any luck?

Wow... $382 for a pizza book!! I assume that I'm really stupid for failing to understand this.

Not done it yet, but how about fermenting them sauerkraut style?

Studies have also shown soap to be more effective at preventing infection in wounds than chlorhexidine. As to the soap film... I've never sat back and thought that my steak tastes of soap, so that problem hasn't been a deal breaker for me. Anyway, all I'm trying to say I'd that we can go a bit mental about the unseen bogeyman, when simple hygiene is all that is required to protect our families. Complex systems and expensive products aren't necessary. We mostly use them to soothe our hygiene insecurities.

I've had food poisoning. Fortunately I've never given it to myself! I don't use any particular brand of soap, just whatever is available. As a matter of interest, my sister was a haematology nurse, working in the early 80's with HIV patients. She took part in a study comparing the effectiveness of hand washing with soap or chlorhexidine. It was concluded that soap was an equally effective antibacterial.

Most if my kitchen cleaning is conducted using a bowl of hot soapy water. It amazes me how the kitchen chemical companies have turned the western world totally neurotic about germs on order to sell their chemicals.... And we are stupid enough to fall for it!

I have a knackered immune system following a bone marrow transplant. However, my kitchen is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy. I take no special measures, I use normal products and don't fuss about obsessive hygeine. In the ten years since my transplant, I have not had a single food related infection from home.

As a matter of interest, can quail be served pink, or are there issues with salmonella / campylobacter etc...?

Radtek... are you saying that the acid stops the heat level altering, once you've reached your desired strength? does this effect last over time?

Hi Andi, can you make use of the mustard plant as a vegetable at all?

Hi Norm, many thanks for your recipe. With the cooking and the eggs, does this recoipe produce a mild, creamy mustard?

I think that heating softens the punch - it is used to make things like ball park mustard and other hot dog mustards amongst other things

Hi Heidi, thanks for posting the link to this thread. I've just read through ît. The main thing that I gathered was that heat is used to lessen the fieryness of the mustard. The method suggested that you heat the mustard carefully and keep tasting until until the strength of the mustard meets your liking.

Thanks Smithy. I did take a look, but it didn't really cover the technical side in much detail.

Hi Folks, I'm working on some homemade mustard recipes. It seems that it isn't as simple as it would appear. I've had some successes, but my results are a little hit and miss. I've had everything from bitter to flavourless to blow your head off. From what I can work out, getting the right flavour out of the final mustard depends on a few things the type of mustard seed - black, brown or yellowtime cooking acidityageingWhat I can't work out is how all these things interplay to produce the final result. Can anyone offer any help or advice? Many thanks in advance.

How about pounding, seasoning and mixing with pork drippings to make a kind of rillettes?

Something missing from the chat is ransomes...wild garlic - the leaves taste amazing and make the most fantastic pesto. My breath is utterly offensive during the season because I gorge!!

Kedgeree is one of the best meals ever!! My contributions to the recipe would be to fry the onions until crisp and stir them through just before serving... with a little lightly browned garlic. A handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves to serve is lovely too... adds a fresh lightness. Also a small handful of slivered almonds, lightly fried in ghee/butter. I also like to add a few sultanas to the rice when it is boiling to add a fruity element and finally... a squeeze of lemon juice to finish.

What about Indian pickles, using salt, spices and oil? Eg Lime or Mango

I think that water absorption depends on the level of gluten in the flour. I.e. higher gluten can take more water

Try frying the fish in plenty of butter. Add a small handful of almond slivers to the pan towards the end of the frying time. Squeeze some lemon juice over the almonds during the last minute or so of cooking. Serve the fish and pour the almonds, butter and lemon juice all over. You want the almonds looking golden and toasty - the lemon juice will help this. This is dead simple and really tasty.

I intend to eat significant amounts of curry... washed down with even more significant qauntities of cider. I will wear a red rose and wil go to my local pub and then drink more cider and listen to the brass band that they have rustled up from God knows where. At some point during the evening I hope to get the opportunity to sing Jerusalem (drunkenly).

hmmmm...i seem to remember there being a deli on Church St that sells them (not too far away from Alfie's Antique emporium - same side of the road but further west). There's one somewhere along the row of food shops that has a butchers counter in the front. I'm pretty sure they sell merguez. Haven't ever bought any myself though, so I can't vouch for their quality - but they looked good! let us know how you get on if you try them. ← Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try - will be good to have an excuse to have a potter around Alfie's. ← These guys make them... and a whole host of other sausages http://www.gornos.co.uk/index.htm

Speaking as an ex barman... the barman remembers who tips and who does not If you are in the bar for the night, buy the barman a pint at some point. It's a friendly gesture that improves your service a little. If you are a regular, buy the barman a pint every now and again. It keeps the barman sweet and helps to make sure that you get looked after. (Who do you look after? the regular that looks after you or the one that does not bother?) If you are buying a huge round, buy the barman a drink. It's a nice gesture - If you are spending £50 on a round, what's an extra £2-3? As a barman, I was told never to refuse the offer of a drink - If a customer offers, it's because they want to. I've not worked behind a bar for a long time, but as a customer, I stick to the above rules. I always insist on buying a full pint or equivalent, or I offer the same value in cash.

Hmmm... other uses for Marmite - For a sexy licking session with a very understanding partner...