Stewart H

I've recently made my own vanilla extract as detailed in the thread around here somewhere, using Smirnoff 45%. A friend has recently been over to the states, so I got him to bring me back some 95% Everclear, as I fancy some more extract making. My thoughts at the moment are: Chocolate. I'm guessing cocoa powder would work... but how about actual chocolate? I've got some 100% Pralus that's tempting me right now. Imagine the extract of something really dark & fruity like Amedei's Chuao! Herbs. To be able to add the delicate fragrance of herbs to a dish would be great, especially as it's difficult for me to get hold of fresh (or even grow) herbs Truffles (more hypothetical this one, as I'm not sure I can afford truffles, never mind afford buying them for experimentation purposes). Has anyone tried any of these? Might they work? Any other ideas for things that could be extracted?

Russian slices!!! Basically, left over bits of cake (any and every kind) chucked together with jam and rum flavouring to make a sticky, gooey, dense delicious mess, generally on top of a thin sponge, with icing on top. Something like this. God those things are good.... I may have to make some cake now, just so I can let it get stale.

Hmm, that's interesting... I wonder if that has anything to do with the oft-heard saying of sprouts tasting better after a frost...

Wow, I didn't expect quite so many replies to quickly... thanks a lot everyone. I'm now (for the first time in my life, I must say) looking forward to getting down to some sprouts... just the small matter of 4 exams to get out of the way this week first!

Hi all, I've never liked brussels sprouts; I remember dreading their arrival in the winter, and I equally remember drowning them in ketchup to do anything I could possibly do to mask the taste. I'd have a guess that I've always eaten them somewhat overcooked (my mum does like her vegetables mushy, to say the least). So my question is... what recipe suggestions do you have for sprouts that may convert me into (maybe) liking them? Thanks in advance, Stewart

As PubMed says, the whole milk-mucus thing is nonsense.