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SaladFingers

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Posts posted by SaladFingers

  1. I'm attempting three courses for when the family visit and am trying to choose a 'menu' that will allow me to make things in advance, so I'm not running round too much when they arrive.

    So, I am thinking of making these to start with

    http://www.itv.com/Lifestyle/Food/Rosemary...es/default.html

    Do people think that I could get to stage 4 by dipping the cakes in the 3 bowls and then refrigerate them till I'm ready to put them in the pan?

    There may be an obvious answer, but I don't want to ruin them by making them too cold, or leaving them so long that they go hard or something.

    Any help, appreciated.

  2. Ocassionally I find a food processor is required for recipes I'd like to try out. However, I notice they vary in price drastically. I'm aware you get what you pay for but since it won't be used as a daily appliance, I'd like to think a compromise on expense can be made, so I don't feel I'm paying a fortune to help with the ocassional recipe but not paying so little that it's completely useless.

    http://www.stylecookshop.co.uk/Product/0/d...niprepplus.html

    I found this processor that tends to retail at places like Amazon for £69.99. Could someone recommend an alternative or suggest whether or not this machine is a worthwhile purchase?

    Edit: A lot of recipes say 'use the pulse button'. I don't see anywhere on this description a pulse button. Does it have one?!

  3. I hope Bruno hasn't left! Not sure who was in the kitchen last week but it was fantastic.

    Nice to hear Holbeck Ghyll performing well. My only trip there in the spring was pretty poor; the food was good but we weren't allowed to eat it at a dining table because there weren't enough people there, so instead we had to perch round a little table in the lounge which was ridiculous and very uncomfortable. Great views, mind.

  4. Do people here follow recipes they find online? I find I tend to resort to the BBC food website or the Good Food Magazine web site for recipes, which is okay to a point but preferably I'd find somewhere that consistantly gave well explained step by step instructions and maybe even some illustration.

    If I'm really pushing the boat out, I'll visit Rosemary Shrager's section on the ITV site

    http://www.itv.com/Lifestyle/Food/Rosemary...er/default.html

    which has guaranteed excellent tasting dishes but which require an extra level of skill (perhaps a little beyond me at this stage) to prepare. Recipes on the ITV site are badly written and I find it difficult knowing if I'm going wrong or not and since presentation is a major part of her cookery classes, it'd be nice if they described how they should look on the plate.

    So, where do people find their recipes online? Or have you found a really good recipe you'd like to share with me, here?

  5. I was taken to Hipping Hall for Sunday lunch and had a good time!

    Very comfortable furnishings in the lounge where we were served drinks and enjoyed sausage roll canapes but from the off, it felt a little too hushed. The place was full but everyone seemed to make the habit of whispering, which made me feel a little self-concious at times.

    The dining room was amazing, I almost felt like royalty sat there in a 15th century hall, lovely wooden beams and classical paintings on the wall created an extremely formal feel and a welcome change from the usual.

    Head waiter was extremely conversational, surprised he didn't pull up a chair. That's not really a criticism, he was nice and friendly and helped us relax but I sat there watching my food go cold while he talked about something. His company was much more welcome after the first couple of courses and his contribution is part of the reason I'd like to go back.

    My starter of lamb, artichoke and celeriac puree was gorgeous and a pretty little picture there on the plate. It was little as well, almost shockingly small, yet it filled a corner quite nicely and got me all excited about the main course, which was a blade of beef, pomme puree and root vegetables. The beef was the nicest I've ever had, I simply could not believe how beautiful it was and just melted in the mouth, no chewing necessary. It wasn't particularly fancy but it demonstrated a standard of cooking I'm not used, each element represented in its highest quality.

    Dessert was dark chocolate fondant with rasberry sorbet. Almost text book fondant and ultra refreshing sorbet, I could barely think of a better way to round things off. Probably not quite as accomplished fondant as served at Rogan&Co because the centre had solidified more than it should have, which was disappointing. But at least it still tasted like it's supposed to.

    Petit fours consisted of a wonderful marshmallow and fruity topping.

    Somewhere I'd like to revist asap!

  6. I only know a few places in the lakes,

    The Brown Horse at Winster sits in a beautiful region in the South, near places like Bowness and Windermere and more immediately near a wonderful farm shop. In my experience serves delicious food and is unstuffy.

    The Waverley Hotel in Windermere, with Jerichos restaurant. The food is awesome and the owners are lovley and friendly, the opposite of stuffy. There's no dress code as such, even though compared to surrounding places, it's rather up-market.

    The Punchbowl Inn is excellent in every way, not stuffy in the slightest. The have a three night Christmas package including an 8 course Christmas Day lunch, which sounds good to me.

  7. Bar Bruno, Wardour Street, WC1

    brunos_looking_in1000.JPG

    Russel Davies describes it as

    "Bar Bruno's been part of the soho furniture for ever. So much so i only recently noticed it. It's a fantastic place, full of soho diversity; the usual tourists and shoppers, media/production people, the traditional craft/building crowd, visitors from old compton street's 'gay village' plus assorted loonies. It's very often crammed, especially behind the counter.

    The tea's only 50p which is fantastic for central london. and it's a great brew; blasted from one of those incredible metal and steam constructions, with bits of tea flowing over the side."

    You can see his archive of tea houses at his web site 'A good place for a cup of tea and a think' at http://russelldavies.typepad.com/ateaandathink/

    Russel manages to describe for us what make the most modest of places so wonderful to visit. He's not so much a fan of modern, chain or grand tea places but rather finds joy in family run businesses, where all manner of quirks that make a place unique bring out the fun of drinking tea in a public place.

  8. Regarding local/independently sourced produce vs Supermarket produce, the book Shopped is an amazingly convincing piece of work, which has made me want to stop shopping at supermarkets altogether, mainly because it says food bought locally or independently taste lots better. I am struggling to find mentioned on this site, where is good for getting independent food producers to deliver to my door.

  9. I presume the online suppliers mentioned so far deliver anywhere in the UK? If not, does anyone know any decent places that offer delivery in Cumbria?

    Also, not meaning to take it off topic but somewhere that sells vegetables as well as meat would be great! So far I have found this place: http://www.howbarroworganic.co.uk/ Has anyone bought from here before? Would you recommend?

  10. The second series of Raymond Blanc's The Restaurant is beginning again soon, which reminded me of last year's winners. I think their place was called Eight in the Country?

    Out of interest, does anyone know if this restaurant has kept going and has anyone been? Is it any good?!

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