PassionateChefsDie

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Two Fat Ladies have a recipe for cooked peas & lettuce, which I've made often to great success. And although iceberg lettuce isn't my first choice for this recipe, it turns out pretty tasty as well. Peas & lettuce ← This is a french classic Peas a'la Francaise the peas need to be the sweetest first crop the butter the best you can find and not to much Beurre Mainere soz for French spelling mistakes. But on cooking lettuce where does chicory fall into this? I'd find you more recipes for chicory than any other lettuce is chicory lettuce though, I love the sweet bitter leaves.

Seen it done with cornmeal and a pizza peel straight of a metal bench. All technique and plenty of cormeal if this doesn't affect the end product too much. Might help Stef

Just found this thread. Might of missed it, but to be authentic we need an authority to authourise it authentic? Surely then is all it comes down to the authority that calls it authentic. Is there an authority on authentic food? As mentioned Traditional makes more sense for it to be authentic there needs to be an agreement with an authoritive body! In art this is easy if its a fake and the person who said it was real is wrong, there reputation is gone and there no longer an authority on art, but as for a food authority! As my own authority I call my authentic sauce x made against all tradition , whos to argue with my take on authentic, to call a dish not real puts it in a place of dreams, I can taste my food. You can tell me its not traditional. Just my pennys worth Stef

To read it like that left me perplexed! I know that we have a general problem with big trawlers that are wiping out whole shoals with 6 mile drag nets fishing is no longer the boat and a couple of men. I thought even cod stocks were deterioating, wasn't there a slight ban on cod fishing? Having come from a sea side town I'm aware of a few facts regarding fishing. One thing that always baffled me its illegal to bring just crab claws to land, but really how do you get crabs out of your nets I get the impression it's not a pretty site. I've seen a 16ib line caught beach sea bass, yet most seem to be in the 1- 1 1/2 ib size and farmed. I worked with a chef who would only take stiff alive and in nearly 2 and half years we were only offered 2 turbots caught together, so there must be a problem. Which would leave me to believe that the natural resources must be depleted if it is finiacialy viable to farm fish. For surely if the stocks where there a simple fishing trip would be cheaper and easier than farming. A lot of the runs seem to to not really turn up, turn up late, fishing trips come home empty handed. In my home town mackerel would be brought by the fishmongers for about £3-4 a stone 14ib will there be a day when we farm mackerel? I think you started a good topic I'd be interested to hear whart others have to say. Stef

I liked currywurst though it had no sugar just curry powder and ketchup with good german sausages cant think of the name.

I really could chunder on for ever most people just get a glazed look and I shut up. Several of the desserts you mentioned use whipped whites, but as you mentioned about something lighter at the end of the meal. I think this is hard to find in the majority of food serving establishments people want there moneys worth, want to feel full up. Its left to the higher end establishments who understand that a meal starts at the telephone booking and finishes on the goodbye after petit-fours. Who understand menu composistion working through the mouth watering, onto the star, finished with flourish and style and along the way gentle steps taken. I've just left a thread talking about UK cuisine, as I pointed out cultarally we eat stodgy heavy puddings, yet the french understand finesse, also most european countries tend to go for the fruit bowl, so good luck on changing a culture . Back to whipped egg white with sugar, so we have the bench mark of meringue its hard crisp shell. Some like it baked less with a chewy centre others like to slightly caramel them. Yet whilst it bakes no cracks or movement should you tell, as for weeping I know vinegar in the whites does something!(Perhaps you should play see what the differences are i.e. Vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, pinch of salt, or just plain, French and Italian.) On the opposite side you have the wonderful whipped egg whites with a enough sweetness to counteract and enhance the starring flavour in the souffle. Whilst these bake, the sides should rise high some say the top flat others dont care. Now personally I'm for the chewy outside of roasted souffle. Others will bain-marie so each spoonful is a warm mousse, the lightness and flavour are all that count. The only problem is the fastest hands to the table and a keen eye to when its cooked are needed. So you remove the sugar and add a pinch of salt when the egg whites get right blended all smooth, the peaks falling soft quickly, add the savoury. Lobster mousse it so firm it would be an insult to call it a mousse, perhaps a bit of basil. Whisk and yes whisk as you use different ingredients you learn the harder ones to work with. The hardest I found was a vanilla creme pat with praline as soon as the praline hit the egg whites I folded it like a baby. Eggs generaly confused me when I was learning pastry, what they do in every recipe is almost unique! My Meringue blog for the day Stef Please tell me when to stop!

Ok so we'll start with Italian Meringue! The twice the amount of sugar to egg white a fast whisk, so boil the sugar with a little water and anti-crystalizer(Lemon juice etc). When it blows bubbles through the holes in a slotted spoon pour onto soft whipped egg whites with whisk going and a steady stream. Whisk until cold. The french way in the mixer with the egg whites once the egg whites start going, in a steady stream, just castor sugar(Some use Lemon Juice if you want etc.). Both methods seem interchangeable though I think the french way gives a crispier result(Not sure!). So we can pipe it into the classic meringue cases, or be clever and make swans, filled with some form of cream and fruit. The cream being simple pastry cream through to toffee flavoured cream and dark chocolate stripes, with fresh cream and strawberries making an appearance. We then get to the slightly caramelized chewy top off the lemon meringue pie its sweetness cutting the sharpness of lemon, and some where in between the pavolova. Who's history I know little about but I believe purist use kiwis not sure whether its true and its a New Zealand dish! Then the magic of its insulating properties as it it keeps the ice cream frozen whilst it browns the surprise being the cold centre of the Baked Alaska! Then finally shaped with spoons and poached in milk and vanilla from which the custard will be made from, for Ouefs Al A Neige. Ok end of chunder As for its application in the frozen side I honestly dont really know. I know it is mixed with other ingredients for a variant of reasons so its use would be down to the recipe. When does it stop being a meringue if its down to sugar then I've got no more legs. Must add long time since I've been on pastry and its not my passion. I believe weeping was down to too slow cooking or crystals still left, feel meringue it should be silky not grainy. Stef

As for cultural boundarys and influences, it was touched on that France doesn't have an indigenous population of Native Americans and Mexicans, France has North Africans instead. I also mentioned that in North Africa it's ground for flour, made into couscous, porridge and breads. But not eaten on the cob. ← You've got me intrigued I'll start a thread about peoples peception of Foods that are Animal fodder, I'm interested to see what cultures and wether all have some people that buy into this. I use to just smirk at the Chef it amused me that he thought about parsnips and sweetcorn this way, my argument if it tastes good eat it and have to say do like my veggies!

I could rant on for ages when does it stop being meringue? Loads of frozen sweets, mousses, Bavouirs(Spelling), the classic Oeufs al a Neige, meringue cases for fruit, mixed with creme pat etc.. Most of these use Italian meringue. If you mean the classic way as in white and baked will you get any more than what you've mentioned? i.e. Meringue cases. Pavolova, Lemon meringue, Lime Pie, Baked Alaska and general variants as you mentioned and of course Oeufs al a Neige. Think I need some clarification on your boundarys I feel like I'm trying to remove the yolk from the chicken egg(Without cracking it)! If you just talk about the white meringue chewy through to crisp either bottom or top! If I take the sugar out add a pinch of salt and some lobster puree and poach them in Bisque is this not a variant on Ouefs al a Neige? How far do you want to take it from a savoury point. To discuss meringues as a pure thing is going to be difficult. Are they not just whipped egg whites which leads us onto souffles which again can be savoury or sweet. Stef

Just a little comment I worked with a German Chef and he thought the same about Parsnips, that they where only for animals. Then he couldn't understand our bread sausages I use to tell him I there's nothing wrong with a bread sausage. Though his homemade ones came in at near on 100% pure fine meat, and I've yet to taste anything similar. I do believe that the perception of fodder food does leave it's stigma, though writing this I was trying to think wether there was one for the UK? If not why not? I think cultural boundarys and influences play a lot in this subject, and maybe even class. Stef

As above post said plenty of ideas, been doing savory custards for years, normally a traditional garnish for Consomme. Though thought you used the whole eggs? I'd work with 4 eggs and a pint.

Passionate... what book is the quote from? - CSR ← Soz not been back for a while. Nico Seems to be only secondhand though! Stef

You've got me all confused, first I thought a scone recipe had an egg, so my question is to egg or not? I've googled and found both recipes, so no clearer but also why does your recipe have cream in? Fascinated by the overnight freeze, seems like your freezing them at there peak. Though curious do you get different results if you use double leavening baking powder? All recipes I've seen stem from as far as I knew sorry for Imperial 8oz Flour(Selfraising if no soda), 2oz Butter, 1oz of Sugar, maybe an egg or not, both agree on milk though. With buttermilk being more traditional with soda as the raising agent(Yoghurt/Milk works). Your recipe seems to have swapped butter for cream, this seems a literal recipe for a cream scone, as scones are farmhouse food. I reckon more cheese scones got eaten. This really does seem to be a dish made by a dairy mans wife, butter would of been more use than cream. Stef edited to add When we use Cream Scone it means a normal scone topped with whipped/clotted (With jam) cream, no cream in the recipe.

Have to say being a climber though have yet to get to see a real mountain here in the UK there just big hills I find a staple of Soya packets and pasta, mixed up with cous cous and noddles(Still yet to find a good meal with noddles, tried tofu not going back!) keep the weight down. One of our favorites is cous cous with feta(Even if its a bit warm), sundried toms and pesto the views I've seen eating this. I stopped carrying fresh and resort to being vegetarian if nothing because it's easier and quicker to get protien in me with soya and calories from pasta. Bulked out with the dried fruit, nuts and porridge with dried milk have to say sod trying to carry fresh milk my brothers a tea freak as soon as were back to civilisation we find milk. And your always find a block of marzipan somewhere in one of the bags!

All you chilli fans From McGee First our bodies are reacting to chillis is a defensive one i.e. pain, watery eyes. runny nose which are defensives to stop us eating such irritants, not encourage it. So as its a constrained risk, like riding a roller coaster, our body is reacting with warning signals which we can ignore. Which means we can savour the shock/burning sensation it's also possible that we're also releasing endorphins in response to our burning tounge. Hope that helps you all that are curious Stef

You do find it, most superstores have a form of it. Have to say I've yet to taste a proper one! But could be worth finding out about a good source in the UK though at the moment I'm in the back waters of UK so reckon most will be down London way. Took me years to work out is was brined and smoked beef. Didn't really know how to make it till I encountered this forum. Edited to add You got me interested found a deli, now got to find it, I may get to taste a proper pastrami.

Nope if it works for you thats fine! Maybe we will see a common link after a while, I'm quite surprised there hasn't been more fatty sweet food stuffs here already. Think I've got to find this pastrami it's blackening moods and everything through lack off. *LOL* Though might have to wait for a holiday I dont reckon I've got any hope of finding it here in the UK. Edited to add What about airmail!

I'm not sure but in scientific studies it's been proved that it stunts growth. So it's definetly doing something! Does anyone know why things likes hops, chamoille etc have a calming effect on us?

Isn't that to lessen the bad responses its not the chef you're talking to, sounds like the chef has asked them to ask, yet the reception take the flak!

Thanks for the ideas, Stef -- I like the idea of a mint sorbet. My mint is a spearmint variety called 'Kentucky Colonel' and has a strong, clean spearmint flavor. ← You should have no problem with chocolate then some of the other varietys are a bit overbearing! With the salad and risotto I'd add a little vinegar and sugar like a mint sauce for lamb. Got to be honest not a real lover of choc and mint. With spearmint you may even get a way with a straight ice cream, though what you'd serve it with is a bit baffling! I'm sure there's a fruit that would take mint, seen basil and strawberries work really well, I'm thinking peaches just cant seem to make it work in my head, would perhaps try poaching them in a mint syrup.

Mint sorbet? Sounds quite refreshing though probably a mint tea sorbet, chocolate and mint Ice cream/Sorbet though does depend what variety of mint you've got! Maybe a chocolate and mint mousse. Running out of ideas, perhabs a load of Tabboule(Now that I know is spelt wrong), Pea and mint pasta salad, pea and mint risotto. Thats it I'm done Stef

Consequently, given the title of the thread, we're talking about restaurants associated in the public mind with MG, rather than what MG is. ← Surely if we can't determine what MG is we cant really decide whether there's London Restaurants are doing this. Though me and you seem to agree, what is MG any way? Stef

← Really Thanks once again, I'm lost now for a couple of days! Interested as I'm bit of an Adrelanine Junkie(I love climbing), I've begun to wonder are all our mood enhancers different. Someone once said I relax on stress which is quite true, the middle of a service on a saturday night or climbing when the heats on I just zone out and get on with it(Though sometimes climbing, it doesn't work and fear drives me to the ground)! Stef

*LOL* Doesn't all Ice cream do this? you've got me started now off to find what it is and the reason why! Thanks Gifted Whilst I'm here I am right in saying that chocolate is increasing our serotonin levels? Does any one know the reason why fattier foods sweeter foods leave us feeling in a better mood?