silverbrow

This shabbat was the one I'd been planning for a while - my wife's birthday and given all the help I'd received I thought I should post on here what I eventually did. We had a couple of pescetarians (fish eating veggies, so I had to cater for them as well) Broth from bollito misto (see below) w/kreplach Vegetable soup with roast butter nut squash kreplach Tuna tartare on a marinated onion salad Bollito misto (tongue, chicken, salt beef, vita salami) Seabass en papillote stuffed with fennel and orange Salsa verde Salsa rosso Roast potatoes Spinach and rocket salad w/ vinaigrette Dark chocolate torte Grapefruit, vodka and black pepper sorbet Chocolate dipped vodka chillis (these didn't taste great, it has to be said) Challa Yatir Forest 2001

thanks for those responses. I think on the basis of replies the best thing to do is make it as close to serving time as possible, but if this is 24 or 36 hrs before, it's not the end of the world. I will use the various tricks mentioned above if necessary.

I want to make my first sorbet (grapefruit and vodka) but have a question on how long it keeps at optimum flavour for. I'm looking to serve it on Friday night and ideally would like to make it on Monday or Tuesday. However several recipes I've looked at imply that it should be made and served on the same day. Is this right or can I make it and store it in the freezer?

Suzi That is a fair point. Decent fishmongers like Steve Hatt are open early and by going in before work you're pretty much sure of being able to choose from the best of their stock.

Charcutier, welcome. I agree with you about the homogeneity of so many things whether food or CDs. As for why fishmongers et al don't open later I agree. It goes back to my point about suppliers forming a collective: it's all very well complaining about things but why not adapt to the problems you face and solve the problems head on. If decent butchers were open later, I'm sure more people would use them. Obviously though, there might be some argument that if they open they'll have to charge more, making them even less competitive than the supermarkets.

I need a bit of help with a non-dairy chocolate cake. I've looked through the best chocolate cake thread but to no avail. I'm making the cake for people who don't eat any dairy products and I really would like to make a rich chocolate cake. My preference is not to use substitutes, especially for cream, although I accept I may have to use margarine as a sub for butter. Any recipes are gratefully received.

I was referring to all non-food items, whether CDs, clothes or cleaning products. I agree that Tesco having 15% of sales does sound scary but there is no doubt that the choices exist to buy your CDs elsewhere, whether that's independent shops, HMV and the like or various web sites. Equally, just because one company sells a large slug of total items it is not cause for concern. For example, somewhere like WH Smith probably accounts for a large percentage of all newspaper and magazine sales, yet you don't hear the local newsagent up in arms. Clothes is the obvious example where the supermarkets are really spreading their wings. Asda has opened up George only stores, they sell nothing but food. Maybe they are looking for even more ways to take cash out of our pockets and on to their profit and loss account, but they don't pose a threat to other clothes stores, because there are so many of them. I don't like supermarkets and do my best not to shop in them. I think Blythman's point about the lack of seasonality is spot-on, but I'm not sure we can solely blame supermarkets for this. They certainly haven't helped but we need to see them in the context of wider societal trends - the overriding one at the moment, that supermarkets pander to, is "I want it, and I want it now."

I realise this thread has been dead for a bit but I wanted to add my 2p and bring it back on topic. I'm currently wading through this book. Fundamentally I agree that supermarkets are limiting our options and in part adding to the ongoing ignorance of the British food buying market. However, I feel that in much of the book Blythman shoots herself in the foot. There are many examples of her contradicting herself and her argument is very one sided. The most blatant contradiction is her sweeping statement that food purchasing on continental Europe is totally different to that we experience in the UK. She conjours up street markets in little Normandy villages, or Provencal hillsides. However, she then goes on to refer to the likes of Carrefour, Casino and Ahold in the same breath as Tesco, Sainsbury's et al. As such, she seems so intent on proving her point that the supermarket phenomena is unique to the UK that she blanks out all other information that points to the contrary. The significance of this, is that if in France or wherever they're able to have a combination of the street markets and the supermarkets then there is hope for us. I realise in the UK we don't have the ingrained history of daily/weekly markets but nonetheless those markets that do exist are growing and entering general consciousness. I also think that with things like Jamie's Dinners that appeal to a mass audience there is a growing awareness (not just amongst the chattering classes) of the importance of knowing about the food we eat. As for her one-sided argument she constantly casts the supplier as the poor innocent dupe and the consumer squeezed between this end-of-the-world struggle between supermarket and supplier. She goes to great length quoting anonymous suppliers noting what supermarkets had done to them and across the board it comes across as heinous. But all I keep thinking is, they would say that wouldn't they. It is obviously a good thing that Blythman has given the suppliers the opportunity to have a voice but I can't help but feel that if they were a bit more organised - formed some sort of collective - they would have far more power with supermarkets. Blythman might respond that this gives the supermarkets the excuse to increase their own brand products that she intimates is their end goal but I disagree with this. I fail to see how consumers will be weened off their branded goods on to own brand items, whether we're talking food or non-food items. Clearly there is a market for own brand, but I think the problems that M&S have faced is a clear example where once the own-brand gets even slightly tainted, perception takes a nose-dive on the whole lot. Finally, she makes no reference to the importance supermarkets play in keeping the prices down on non-food items. Interestingly it is non-food items that they are increasingly moving viz Tesco and Asda. You might argue this proves her point, that they are squeezing food down to the minimum, serving the lowest quality at the highest price. The flip side to that coin is their acceptance that they can't offer us the quality we're now demanding, we're widening our food shopping horizons and therefore they are branching out in to new profit centres. As I said at the beginning, the book is well intentioned with many good points. But, I feel it is overly simplistic in its analysis and as such might be unconvincing to many, which is a shame because fundamentally she has point.

I need to go out for a kosher meal in Montreal with friends and am trying to find out whether "CHEZ SCHWARTZ CHARCUTERIE HEBRAIQUE" is kosher. thanks

Is it possible to make this prepapation with any fish liver other than monkfish?

Assuming this isn't limited to the US, I'd push hard for London. Not only are there the markets, such as Borough Market but Marylebone as well - which has recently grown with a whole number of foodie shops. If we're allowing a slightly wider remit and including restaurants and bars then Primrose Hill in London has three or four of the best pubs in London within striking distance of each other. The added addition of Primrose Hill itself means that you can now comfortably walk off all the food and drink.

My leaven keeps exploding. I keep refreshing it, it's looking and smelling healthy but has recently started exploding. It's being kept in an airtight pot yet somehow continues to seep out despite that. Anyway, why is it doing it? Does it imply a problem and if so, how do I stop it? thanks

are there any other fish livers you can prepare in a similar way?

Another option is Carluccio's. At the top end of the scale there's Locanda Locatelli. Very expensive and fantastic food but great with kids. I was in there one evening and there was a table with one or two kids, the waiters were fantastic - one of the numerous advantages of going italian rather than french.

Another option would be the ground floor of Smiths of Smithfield or the 1st Floor of the same restaurant. For a relatively good guide with phone numbers and addresses look at Squaremeal. As for other foodie highlights, try Borough Market, every Friday and Saturday. You have the added bonus that there's a Neals Yard dairy there

dinner isn't for a few weeks yet - I was trying to be very organised and thinking what I will serve. I think I've decided that for dessert I'll make a chocolate torte with a grapefruit (and vodka?) sorbet. With coffee I want to serve dark chocolate truffles and having read about it on another thread, am quite keen to try out a pb&j truffle. Whether I can do that without butter is another matter.

There are so many variations of Bollito Misto that you can add virtually anything but the staples tend to be: Tongue Brisket Chicken And then you can add in other things. One well-known addition is cottechino which is pigs trotters, and you can add other treifer than treif things. When I've made it previously I've left it with the three ingredients above. This time around though I'll be adding Vita Salami. I recently boiled some up and it comes out amazingly soft and full of spicy flavour. I then serve with Salsa Rosso and Salsa Verde.

well thanks for all those responses. I was after help/inspiration with the whole menu. As for desserts I think the chocolate / sorbet combo might be the answer. I'm thinking about a stinkingly rich chocolate cake and a citrus and vodka sorbet. As for the whole substitution thing, I do feel pretty strongly against it. There's a whole raft of recipes out there that don't call for things we can't eat and I think we should use those. After all two entire schools of cookery (Ashkenazi and Sephardic) are designed just to overcome issues of substitution and make the most of those things we do have access to. Anyway after a bit more thought I think the recipe is going to look a bit like this. Kreplach in broth (from bollito misto) Salmon tartare with asparagus Bollito Misto and salsa verde and salsa rosso Roast potatoes Rocket and tomato salad Chocolate cake or mousse Sorbet That should stop them going hungry. Anyway, any other ideas would be gratefully received.

Not wanting to be bah humbug about it, I can't be bothered with Valentines Day but nonetheless did succumb to some of the commercial claptrap so ended up going out for dinner, but was intent on going local. Possibly the best decision I've made in the last 12 months. When I booked Morgan M I was told there was a set price (£57) for both the Garden and normal set-menus and we were offered the 6.30-9.00pm service or the 9.30-close service. I went for the earlier one. First off I want to say the food was fantastic and the service was excellent, there were none of the issues I've read here or elsewhere. Both of us went for the garden menu, something I wouldn't normally do but given the excellent reviews its had, I was intrigued. The first of the five courses was a sublime cream of turnip soup with shaved black truffles. The dish was simple - did what it said on the tin - and tasted sublime. There were dices of turnip at the bottom of the dish and atop that was the shaved truffle, the soup was poured around this little group. The soup wasn't too heavy, but had enough weight to it to be able to stand up to the fantastic truffle. The next course of a pumpkin tarte tatin with butternut sorbet was frankly my least favourite. This sounds strange but it was just a bit too orange for me. The butternut sorbet didn't quite work because there wasn't enough oomph and flavour to it. Had you not been told what it was, you wouldn't have known. Next along was a sublime gnocchi with tomatoes and cooking juices, there was also a generous handful of basil. It was a simple dish but fantastic. The gnocchi managed to be both light and soft but dense enough to soak up the sauce created by the tomatoes. The tomatoes were definitely not the common or garden English variety. They had a flavour, sweetness and depth you rarely get outside of the Med. Next up was a canneloni of spinach and ricotta which seemed to be sitting on top of a chestnut puree, all of which was surrounded by a mushroom veloute. By this stage we were getting pretty stuffed and this was a fairly substantial dish to bring the main part of the meal to the close. Despite its size it was very good and all the flavours worked well. It quickly got mushed together, therefore losing its elegant looks, but frankly tasting that good, who cares? Finally (at last) we each had one of dessert options. My chocolate fondant was fantastic, with the toffee served with it truly sublime - frankly they could make a dessert of just that. The milk sorbet that was served as an accompaniment was true nursery food stuff - it reminded me of those milk lollies you used to be able to get. The other dessert of pineapple souffle was fantastically executed and sitting tall and proud. The texture was just the right side of eggy. However, I'm not the biggest fan of cooked pineapple and the flavour was so intense it reminded me slightly of pineapple concentrate. Coffee and petits fours (all eaten far too quickly) rounded off a great meal. This restaurant deserves to be full (which it was last night) and if there were any issues with service these have been ironed out. We decided to go for wines by the glass, including a great Chassagne Montrachet i had with one of the various starting courses. Frankly, I can't recommend it highly enough. My one niggling issue is that of the cost. I thought that what we paid was fair value, but the Garden menu was the same price as the normal menu. The normal menu had the same number of dishes and included ingredients such as foie gras, lobster and venison. If cost is directly equated to the cost of ingredients then we were ripped off. If cost is equated to enjoyment, service and most importantly quality of meal then we did fine. Nonetheless it does seem slightly odd that an entirely vegetarian meal can cost the same as one including delicacies from the sea and our four/two legged friends.

This is ever so slightly off topic but thought this was the best place to post - it's regarding what I shall be cooking for shabbos, rather than what I have cooked. I'm cooking dinner for my wife's birthday and the dinner will be on Shabbos. I want to try to stick to vaguely traditional/heimshe Friday night fare but would like to add interesting twists and turns. I think I'm a pretty competent cook so am happy to be adventurous. It's for about a dozen of us and frankly I was hoping I could call on the depth of knowledge on this board. Some of my ideas so far have included: Soup Chicken soup with kreplach Starter A fish starter - I can get my hands on some great smoked mackerel or salmon. Possibly even something with bottarga (smoked cods roe). Another starter I was thinking about was a salad of warm liver, rocket and french dressing. Main Bollito misto - my concern is that it might be a bit too meaty for everyone Roast chicken - lightly brushed with chili oil and oregano Roast beef - a favourite stand by but a bit ordinary Sides Roast potatoes - my wife won't allow any other type of potatoes Stir fried brocolli/garlic/chilli/ginger Desserts I've got no ideas. All help for a Shabbat banquet are gratefully received. I have read this post in detail and have the odd idea off it but I would be really interested in all your help. If you'd like me to start this as a new thread elsewhere I will.

There's a private room at Malmaison and I think they can tailor a menu to your budget. Although might be a bit tight if including wine.

monica any chance of a recipe for dal makhani, as all the recipes I found when googling seemed to suggest it was a very quick cooked dish, not slow cooked. thanks

Andy How did you end up doing the one day stages at restaurants? Did it require significant grovelling to the chefs, or were they friends?

I went for dinner on Saturday night. The food was fantastic, the service was poor. It was a post-theatre dinner, so we wanted something light. Two of us had the excellent fish pie, can't complain, one had the perfectly seared tuna with fennel salad and the other had gravadlax. The waiter was thoroughly surly throughout the meal. When he spoke to us he mumbled, we constantly had to ask him to repeat himself. He seemed thoroughly disinterested at every stage of the meal. I appreciate it had probably been a long day for him but not much of an excuse as one expects decent service at the restaurant. We weren't paying, those that did decided that his service was so bad they didn't include a tip. They were also somewhat miffed that the bread had attached a cover charge of £8 - as far as I was concerned it's a pain, but not the end of the world, but the bread should have been topped up. Anyway, the not paying of service made me feel slightly uncomfortable as the food itself was excellent and in my view service also goes towards recognising the success of the kitchen. It's a long way of asking if people have had similar experiences there and what the views are on not paying service (btw unusually, they don't include any service on the bill, it is entirely discretionary, unlike the cover charge)

Dan Many thanks for replying directly. Given your description I think basically I've done it right. When I tasted it again last night I think it was spot on - I'd had a bit of a cold resulting in things not tasting quite as they should. btw I think the book is great. I know you say at the beginning that you had a bit of a battle being so proscriptive about recipes but it works really well.