Toufas

as a greek, i was going to post the same thing my mom loves them, i could only eat the cheeks (bit small though), havent tried it for ages though, and i would be more courageous to try other parts as well

well i am looking for a chefs equivalent of that fake thing how lets say i turn cheddar into that gooey chemical goodness without the chemicals

whats that dish with the haddock after the hunting?

the classic thing you get at the movies. the gooey cheese

how can i make nacho cheese like the one in the packet? i live in the uk, so consider my options in your reply please.

i know my way in the kitchen, i can cook almost everything if i see someone doing it, and have the right equipment. i can outcook anyone that i know, and i on thursday i have my first trial run in a restaurant. along with my hospitality management degree, i am doing some kitchen work in the uni to get a qualification in cooking, teachers-chefs there say that i dont need it, as i am really good. the reason that i asked if babbo is a good book, is that the restaurant i am hopefully going to be working is an italian one (even though they dont just stick to italian, but you get my drift). i already got hestons in search of perfection books, as i am a big fan on his cooking. i bought bourdain's book as i am a fan of....his personality from what i can see on his tvshows(and i got it for dead cheap as well)

i bought my first cookbook today (les halles cookbook) and i am really excited with it. is the babbo cookbook a good next purchase?

i ve had lambs intestines, sweetbreads, liver, heart, kidneys and lungs. just seasoned with a bit salt and pepper, floured and fried. or you can make http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokoretsi (it works on the smaller skewer scale as well, but it needs to watch out the cooking time)

yes whole duck. i used the chicken to place the duck on top instead of a rack or veggies to interfere with the duck flavour as little as possible. hopefully next time it will be better.

ok i made a test today. i bought a cheap duck (not that good) defrosted it completely, washed it and patted it dry with paper towel. and it was scored with a utility knife. salt and pepper and it was stacked in a pan over some chicken legs. i went with the low and slow method (375f gas mark4) and it was turned in 30 min intervals and drained the fat.. after 90 minutes the skin was looking browned, but it was like boiled. the meat was tough and i didnt want to eat it. failed duck experiment

use the trims of fat from the lamb, and brown them, then deglaze with the chicken stock and let it simmer. strain and enjoy

lol i forgot to ask the most obvious person about this...my own mother she told me that as a kid they were having this a lot, and that the best one (and only one made in the family to have it as a treat) was from the first milking of the goat, after she has given birth. not really helpful, unless you are a breeder though

ok, greek guy here, not from crete but i can at least try to help you: the thing is calles Staka (στακα in greek) its a bit like a roux, something between butter and cheese from a site i found these: http://www.gourmet.gr/greek-recipes/show.a...eid=17&arid=698 Ingredients: To make 3/4 cup Staka: 4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Instructions: Staka is a roux made from the residue of clarified butter with an addition of flour. The ingredients are cooked until thick, all the moisture has evaporated and the mixture turns a pale creamy color. Staka keeps well in the refrigerator and is used for thickening all sort of dishes including soups and sauces. Place the butter and flour in a small,heavy saucepan and set over low heat. Allow the butter to melt slowly without stirring or browning. Carefully pour the butter through damp cheesecloth into a clean glass jar. (Use for cakes, cookies and phyllo desserts.) Return floury solids to the pan and cook over low heat until all moisture has evaporated and the residue is cream-colored and fragrant. Store in a small jar in the refrigerator. i might be wrong here, as tony said thath they used the butterfat from goatmilk and the recipe above is a basic roux i assume they thickened milk with the staka? i will ask more about it. ok i asked around. if you take goats milk (full fat) and boil it, skim the top (the fat) and mix that fat with flour like they did on the show, you have the final product. but you will need lots of milk.

i think polenta is out of the picture for you?

as the mixing bowls in sainsburys go for 6 pounds, and the large one on nisbets for 25...where can i get some mixing bowls for cheap? i am talking about 2-3 big enough to hold marinades for meats, make some mayo etc.

if only there was a guide like this for the uk!

is the V-Sharp thing on ebay any good? i have a henckels chef knife bought few years back, and a Victorinox - Chefs Knife Extra Broad 20cm i am using a sharpening stone, and to be honest i dont think i am doing a good job. especially on the henckel that was scarred by a person that would sharpen it (marks like grinding on it) so , do i get a vsharp, learn to use the stone better (how?) or get a Kershaw knife that goes for cheap (bloody roommate stole it when she moved out)

there used to be a farmers market with one veg and one meat stall....not anymore though. i think i ve tracked down a good butcher here, i am going to pay him a visit tomorrow.

i want that duck!!!! i am going to order a whole bird tomorrow. any special tips or the full recipe that you could share? ontopic: i use bones from 3 chicken legs, added 5 kaffir lime leaves, a carrot, 2 stalks of celery ,3-4 birds eye chillies (whole) and a knob of ginger. after 2 hours i had an aromatic broth that was a bit spicy, cooked a portion of store bought tortellini (ricotta and spinach) sauteed them in a mixture of ghee olive oil and butter (1/4th of a teaspoon of each) and added them to the broth it was really nice.

most people in london are lucky enough to have the borough market, and the food halls in the big stores.. i live in middlesbrough, a place that when i asked a woman working in a butchers shop about duck she told me we only have savory duck. spices, and dried stuff are easy to be found online, i took bigger steps and ordered mortadella from london that arrived perfectly in a cold box, and i cant miss my monthly need for japanese mayo. So , people with no access to markets, as its not cheap(30p for a head of garlic? 69p for 25grams of parsley?) /good quality to buy from sainsburys or tescos... where do you get your things? Online links would be ideal Nick.

so put the breast on a cold pan, turn it on to medium, then up the heat gradually or medium heated pan, they go up after a while? also non stick pan, cast iron, or normal pan would be best?

i think the fat from the breast is not enough for what i am after. i remember the legs being far more juicy. i am not after what heston did on his recent cooking show, but i remember going to chinatown in NY getting half a duck for $8.50 and it was amazing. i guess i will need a whole duck to experiment better?

Ok, i started doing some duck experiments. First the legs, got 2 of them, removed the bones completely, salt and pepper and went on a cast iron pan, skin side down. No scoring on the skin. i was going to finish them in the oven, and i was after the crispiest skin possible (i love crispy skin and tender meat) so in the oven, one of the legs remained skin side down, and the other skin side up. After what i think it was 20 minutes, i flipped them to have some even cooking. The one that started with the skin side down, was crispier than the other, but both of them were crispy and delicious (they were served with roasted potatoes) Went to the supermarket last night in order to get some more legs (they were on offer last time and i adore dark meat) but they were out of them, but this week, breasts were half priced. Got some (4) and today i started the experiments again. in a bowl i ve put chinese 5 spice, dark and light soy and some sesame oil. i rubbed one of the breasts with the marinade and let it sit for 5 minutes (big mistake i know) the other breast had the skin scored, salt and pepper and it went on the pan. i was going to finish it in the oven, and it went skin side up. After a while, it was sliced thinly tried it a bit, and just fried it for less than a minute to crisp it even more . It was less tasty than the legs, the skin was crispy, but the meat was a bit dry (overcooked) The chinese rubbed breast was steamed for around 50 minutes (pot with water, a colander, put some foil around it and put the lid on top). i ve let it cool down, sliced it again, then i coated it in cornstarch and fried it. again, meat was a bit dry, you could taste the spices, but not what i was after for. So i need some help now. I want to be able to have that chinese styled duck with the crispy skin and the soft flesh. It doesnt have to stop there, anything that will produce crispy skin and mouth watering meat is acceptable. I have 2 more breasts in the freezer and i am going to buy a whole bird (or 2) next week.