Mike Hunt

Would you like to try a cocoa bagel? Yes! No! Is this a joke? What type of schmear on this one? ← Haven't they just reinvented the doughnut ? That reminds me of the old joke.......... Man walks into a bakers and points at some cakes. He asks (in broad Scots) 'is that a doughnut or a meringue' ? The baker replies 'no, your quite right, it's a doughnut'.

Did they spatter? What did you get them out of the container with? BURNING Question: did you EAT them?? ETA: thinking about this a while ago: By odds, some of the halves should have landed flatside up in the skillet...did you not notice that some of the "yolks" were lying there flaunting their undersides? This is still funny the second time. ← Nope, slid off the plate a treat and looked forever like large egg yolks. I did twig after a while and redeemed the situation by adding sugar to make a caramel added the peaches to some vanilla ice cream and scoffed the lot.

Apologies to one and all ................. Bohemian Curry Song To be sung to the tune of 'Bohemian Rapsody' (Queen!) Naan-aa, just killed a man Poppadom against his head Had lime pickle, now he's dead. Naan-aa, dinner just begun But now I'm going to crap it all away. Naan-aa, ooh-ooh Didn't mean to make you cry, Seen nothin' yet just see the loo tomorrow, Curry on, Curry on, 'cause nothing really madras. Too late, my dinner's gone Sends shivers up my spine Rectum aching all the time. Goodbye every bhaji, I've got to go Gotta leave you all behind and use the loo. Naan-aa, ooh ooh, This Dopiaza's mild, I Sometimes wish we'd never come here at all... ****** (Guitar solo) ***** I see a little chicken tikka on the side, Rogan Josh, Rogan Josh pass the chutney made of mango. Vindaloo does nicely Very very spicey ME! Biryani (Biryani) Biryani (Biryani) Biryani and a naan, (A vindaloo loo looo...) I've eaten balti, somebody help me He's eaten balti, get him to a lavatory Stand you well back Cause this loo is quarantined. Here it comes, There it goes, technicolor yawn. I chunder No! It's coming up again (There he goes) I chunder It's coming up again (There he goes) It's coming up again, (Up again) Coming up again (up again) Here it comes again (No no no no no non o no no No) On my knees, I'm on my knees, I'm on my knees Oh there he goes This vindaloo Is about to wreck my guts Poor me... Poor me... Poor me! ***** (Guitar solo) ***** So you think you can chunder and still it's alright? So you want to eat curry and drink beer all night? Ohh maybe, now you'll puke like a baby, Just had to come out, Just had to come right out in here.... ****** (Guitar solo) ****** Korma, saag or bhuna, Balti, naan, bhaji. Nothing makes a difference Nothing makes a difference to me (Anyway, my wind blows.)

One word of warning, don't for gods sake stray into Birmingham. It is a culinary desert and has had the misfortune to have two of it's better restaurants close recently. Another bigger warning is not to participate in the culinary delight that is the Balti. I was there recently and would suggest that the Balti Triangle must be some kind of a joke on the local population. Low grade food served in low grade establishments by low grade people. Worse still is that the local council promotes the Balti as some sort of positive reason for visiting this dung hole.

Austrailian licorice is a bit of a hit in the UK as well, mainly due to the low fat content. Has anyone tried Pontefract Cakes. small discs of strong licorice made, spookily enough, in Pontefract, UK ?

Just before you stuff your face, read on !! Liquorice is good for you in moderation, however, the active ingredient in liquorice is glycyrrhizic acid. It can relieve constipation, cold, flu and allergy symptoms and may even help people with chronic fatigue or ulcers. It is also found in smaller quantities in confectionery, toothpaste and some herbal teas. Cigarette and drugs manufacturers sometimes use it to improve the taste of their products. People should not consume any more than 100mg of glycyrrhizic acid a day. It can increase blood pressure or cause muscle weakness and chronic fatigue. Other problems include headaches or swelling. Other research suggests it can also lower testosterone levels in men, affecting their mood and sex drive.

They generally make better toast and they last a lot longer. That's about it really. ← I bought my old Dualit 4-slice toaster with two sandwich cages in 1979 (when few people in the US had ever seen one) and it has worked beautifully for 26 years. I paid 155.00 for it so if you pro-rate it, it has cost me less than $6.00 a year. In a discussion with a couple of friends, one had bought a new toaster about every 5 years, paying an average of 35.00 so they actually paid more than I did. (Their prices ranged from 20.00 to 69.00.) This is similar to my old Russell Hobbs electric tea kettle for which I paid $55.00 in 1975. That was a lot of money because at the time the Sunbeam, which did not have an automatic shut-off switch and could boil dry, was 19.95. The automatic shut-off was the thing that did it for me. I consider it a bargain. I want a toaster that will toast evenly and reliably every time and can toast a wide range of items without a lot of fiddling. I am rather picky about how my toast, bagels and English muffins are toasted and I don't mind paying for a toaster that does what I want and as I mentioned in an earlier post, I wanted one of the long slot toasters. There aren't that many on offer right now. As regards collectible toasters, I have bought new toasters and never used them. In this photo, you can see a toaster that has a picture of a springbok on it. That was a limited edition toaster, sold only for a brief period. I purchased it new and never used it and I still have the original box. The value on a piece such as this is far greater if it is unused. ← Respect.

They generally make better toast and they last a lot longer. That's about it really.

Would you like the short answer ?

Thank you for your personal experience with this particular toaster, Mike. I consider that a significant constructive opinion and will use it in thinking about a toaster purchase. and I, too, have to agree that quite often price does equate with quality... that said, I also read this over again: ← I know how the reviewer feels, I was expecting perfection from the KitchenAid I would also question the $320 price tag on the Dualit. I have only one word of warning about Dualit, always buy the chrome models as they have had problems with the paint finishes on the coloured ones. My old 2 slot lasted 12 years and I'm confident that the new one will be every bit as good. The KitchenAid lasted all of 8 months.

The toasters which were tested: T-Fal Avanté Deluxe 4-Slice Michael Graves 2-Slice Dualit 4-Slice Cuisinart 4-Slice Proctor Silex 2-Slice Krups 2-Slice Digital KitchenAid Pro Line 2-Slice DeLonghi Aluminum 2-Slice Which was the winner and why? Did price equal quality? Do you own any of those listed here? ← What was the Dualit model tested ? I replaced my old 2 slot Dualit with a 4 slot KitchenAid last year. The KitchenAid is now occupying a landfill site somewhere in the UK as it was poorly screwed together and did not fulfil our toasting demands. I now have a 2+2 Combi Dualit which I cannot fault, so I would go for the Dualit based on ability, flexibility, build quality and style. As far as I'm concerned price does equal quality.

You could hardly call it pizza though. Please refer to the abomination with the fish roe. If someone can truely say with all conviction that what they are eating is the highly developed result of pizza evolution I will stand up and applaud them loudly. Keep it simple, keep it real.

The deep pan (read sponge) with pineapple and ham/prawn. The creator of this should be made to eat one. The Pizza began as a garnished flat bread sold by roaming vendors to the poor in the streets of 18th century Naples. The biggest step towards its present-day 'creation' was the acceptance of the tomato by the Neapolitans, and the subsequent use of its flesh as pizza topping. The addition of mozzarella and basil was a nod towards the Italian flag and some old queens called Maggie and Rita. Ok, I made the last bit up

Budvar from the Czech Republic. The true King of Beers.

Imitation crab meat ......mmmmmm !! I was thinking of putting that on 'Foods that shouldn't be allowed'

Bastardized? It's simply a different food and should be considered on its own merits. If there we laws againt "bastardizing" foods, then there would little incentive to be creative. Homogeneity in food is not necessarily a good thing. ← I fully endorse what your saying, however, there are certain dishes that should be 'ring fenced' from these alleged 'creators', the noble pizza being one of them. Creativity in food is a highly subjective issue and it's different stokes etc, nevertheless the 'art' of pizza creation is no more now than slopping on any topping that comes to mind on to bases of wildly varying quality with a few crust tricks from the corporate players. The simple pizza is a beautiful thing - LEAVE IT ALONE

There should be a law against this (I'm sure there is in Naples) Can't help laying the blame at the door of a certain nation who will remain nameless though. Pizza = Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil leaves (optional) grind of black pepper, drizzle of olive oil, presented on a thin slightly crispy base. The simplest of foods bastardised beyond belief. Deep dish Anything with pineapple Can the guilty please stand up where we can see you.

Hands up everyone who extracted the pure joy of telling your 8 yr old that she's just ate Bambi after a particularly robust venison casserole/burger/fillet etc. The joys of parenthood

I thought the general maxim was if raw fish smelled like 'fish' it's not fresh and best avoided.

I think that's one of the ones Jennifer mentioned upthread...I've never had one, though I'm wondering if the thing to do is just plug your nose till it's in your mouth? ← Believe me that doesn't work. The pulp is also a challenge because it's a bit slimey into the bargain. I gagged twice before I managed to get it down

This post could probably be in a couple of threads, however, here goes ....... Has anyone ever tasted Durian ? It's a fruit that looks like and is the same size of a partially inflated basketball with soft spikes. It tastes devine when ripe but the problem is keeping the contents of your stomach in place as it smells like an open sewer basking in the sun. Truely a culinary challenge.

That looks great - congratulations! Obviously you put a lot of work into that cake. ← Seriously...this cake is awesome. I love the bright colors...I would have killed for a cake like this at age five. It's like dessert re-imagined by Dr. Seuss. Heck, I'd kill for it now - who am I kidding? ← Awesome cake for a child, one question though, how did you manage to make icing with such vivid colours and avoid a serious E number intake ? I still have nightmares of trying to get my 6 yr old off the ceiling after she consumed an equally colourful creation at a friends party a few years back

Hi Iperry This was the best (and simplest) method I've used in the past. 4 Kilos Morello Cherries 2 Kilos Light Muscovado Sugar 1.5 Litres of over-proofed Vodka Or Brandy (not Cognac ). 1. Wash and stem the cherries gently as not to bruise them. 2. Carefully dry on a towel. 3. Place them in a clean 3 litre jar. 4. Pour the sugar over the cherries and do not stir or shake the contents. 5. Pour the spirit over the sugar and cherries, do not stir and cover with a lid. 6. Put the jar in a cool place and let it stand for 4 months. 7. Strain twice through muslin into sterilised bottles of your choice. I cannot over-emphasise the importance of being gentle with the fruit. The flesh of the cherries should dissolve and result in quite a thick liquid, However, as I said before it's a bit of a lottery with regards to the result. Good luck to your liver.

Ah the complexities of the palate and taste !!! I love liver, calves liver to be precise, cooked rare with a shallot marmalade. Food of the gods. Here's another horror show though.......... horseradish. For me it induces intant projectile vomiting.

They were left by aliens Here's another...........artichokes. Run away, run away !!!!!!!!!