Jenny McClure

Think it must be an Irish thing! Although French husband is also an expert (one of the very few things he cooks - how did I get the only non-cooking frenchman?) Mashed potatoes is one of the best cooking smells. And add to that the fact that leftover mash = fish pie for supper the next day (with Prawns for Treats a la Two Fat Ladies)... mmm. ← Yeap just butter and lots of seasoning. The potatoes are just mashed with a simple potato masher, no ricer, mixer, etc. So simple so good!!

I feel bad for scoffing at her now. I guess growing up in Ireland where mashed potatoes are such a common thing at home and in restaurants, it's such a no brainer for me. Obviously that is not the case for everyone and if Mum has never made them or they were not a common food group (in our household mashed potatoes are a food group) then I guess it is perfectly reasonable not to know how to make them.

Hi all I recently found out that I am pregnant, so to try and gain a bit more insight into what to expect, I joined a forum. Of course cravings/food aversions are big topics. I know that not everyone is a whiz in the kitchen, me being one of them, but I have to say my jaw dropped when, a girl asked how to make mashed potatoes from scratch. What other way is there? Needles to say there where some quite amusing replies.

Moules frites. Alternate between a mussel and then a chip dipped in the delicious broth the mussels were cooked in.

I'm Irish and I don't put sugar in my coffee or tea. My dad doesn't even put milk. In fact I know a lot of people at home that don't take sugar. I have a friend, who is of Cuban decent, he asked me if my dad had been in the army and had learned to take his tea & coffee that way because of lack of milk & sugar. If you have ever had a true cuban coffee you would understand his disgust at not having sugar in your coffee. I don't think that not putting sugar in coffee is an American thing.

I am not too experienced in the restaurant scene in New York, but in some other cities that I have experience, some restaurants, most often the trendy, seem to be at their best at the begining and then seem to go down hill as they become complacent in the fact that people will come as it's the "hot" place to be. Sometimes even waiting a couple of hours just to get a table.

Number 3 is hilarious Sounds like me in my attempts with bread pudding (see above)

This is a misconception, if not an outright urban legend. British beer is not served warm, nor at room temperature (although the term "cellar temperature" is sometimes used) -- British beer is served chilled, just not as much as US beer. ← Thank You!!! Irish beer either. The original guinness is not cold cold, but it is not warm either. Now for those that want it cold, you now have that option.

Yeap! It's not just a French thing!! I just cannot get used to all the ice that is put into a drink in the States. If there is no straw available, I either end up with brain freeze or the drink all down the front of me in an attempt to get to the beverage. My husband is Cuban American and we live in Puerto Rico so he also is an ice aficionado. The other thing that drives my crazy, is not just all the ice, but the ice crunching afterwards.. it gives me the heeby jeebies. They look at me as if I'm mad (or that I just got my Spanish wrong) when I ask for my water with no ice. At our recent wedding in Ireland, I think that was the only complaint any of the Puerto Ricans or any of our American guests had.....where was all the fecking ice?

My Mum's husband drinks Vodka and Diet Coke!!!! He should just be banned. What is shocking is that is a pretty popular drink at home and not just among 18 year old girls.

I have a stomach of steel but, for some reason, when I have something deep fried, usually fish and chips, along with white wine, my stomach goes mad!! A bummer, cause one of my favourites is boquerones fritos with a chilled glass of white wine.

Trying to make a simple caramel for the top of a bread pudding. All it involves is melting sugar. First lesson....don't try in a glass bowl!!!! Hrdend caramel and broken glass EVERYWHERE. 2 days later and with new rings for the stove, I now, having learnt my lesson, am using a baking pan ( a new one) however the spoon is scratching the bottom, so what do I reach for....a plastic spatula!!! Great idea Jenny. I think it took about 30 seconds for that thing to melt right in there with the half melted sugar and caramel. ANother fine mess. There has to be an easier way to get hard caramel of things. My husband has banned me from making bread pudding.

Crisp and grated cheddar cheese sandwiches. Toast with raspberry jam & grated cheddar. Cheese & banana toasties or peach, chicken & chesse toaties. Pretzles & hummous

I can't stand the word, gelatinous. It makes me think of phelgm.!!! Sorry, it does.....shiver.

Everything sounds incredible....that is going to be some serious eating & cooking. One thing about the burger though, in my experience, at 4 am after a hard nights drinking, those are usually the only times when things like a donar kebab fron our local Abrakebabra or a "special" (chips fried rice & curry sauce) from the grotty Chinese are appealing and delicious. My point being, do you really want to use such decandant and expensve ingredients for food for people at a time when a bargain bucket from KFC would probably taste like heaven? Or maybe it's just me!!!

A good site, that I found very helpful for St. Barths is www.sbhonline.com . I love St. Barth. The last time I was there we had a especially delicious dinner at The Wall House.

Because Irn-Bru is just soo much better than root beer????? Yuk ← Most definately!!! And I'm not Scottish either!! I don't like Irn Bru but I can understand it!! But root beer???????????

After last night I take it all back. They were great. As far as I'm concerned they can eat whatever they like. Still waiting for American humble pie recipes though. Yank ← I can't really say too much about the Americans eating humble pie. We (Ireland ) didn't even qualfy Shocking!!

Lucky You, I'm very jealous. I am very upset that I am missing so many of the matches due to the huge inconvenience of work This time difference has been killing me with not only the World Cup but also with the French Open & now Wimbledon. Edited to add. We watched the Portugal game on Sunday in a Brazilian restaurant....I know, I know, but it was the closest thing we could find. Those Caipirinhas (sp??) go down far too easily

Beer definately does not make me hungier, at least that is until 3am when I get an attack of the munchies. Having said that, it still amazes me that when at home in a restaurant, you see many people at tables downing a big pint of guinness along with their steak and chips Guinness is a meal for me!!

That's why the respondent has the job, non? And when asked about appropriate food, again, same diplomat: ← Amen!! So what did people actually eat or are you planning to eat? For the Italy vs US a group of us got together in a Spanish restaurant and ate Paella. Nothing to do with the cuisine of the teams playing, but it has the best TV screens,and you can see a TV from any angle, plus the food's good & wine is cheap. Great time had by all.

This happened to me at the bar of a restaurant, so it kind of counts. I was a the bar with a friend having a couple of drinks after work. A group of guys walk in, obviously not the first bar they have been to. Anyway, after the usual awful pick up lines and after explaining we were both happily married, they insisted on ordering us both a glass of champagne anyway. As they were leaving they told us that the drinks were on them. After arguing that they really didn't have to etc etc, they insisted and rowdily left the bar. We were done anyway and got up to leave, as we were walking out the door, a bar tender (not the one that had been serving us) comes running after us with the bill and an angry look. You can imagine how mortified we were. Not only had they not paid the bill but they had not paid for the $16 glasses of champagne either.

I am a blue cheese, dipping Virgo! Everything contradicted itself with each question. I guess I'm inconsistant!

I have gone for girls lunches that go on so long that our husbands have joined us for dinner in the same restaurant. By that stage, I'm sure our conversation doesn't make for much!!

Me too, except MY Grannies. Every family get together we ever have there is always homemade chicken live pate spread thickly on slices of her also famous wheaten(sp) bread. Of course to make it truly the bite from heaven there has to be a thick layer of creamy butter between them.