kermie

no, penis shaped pasta isn't meant to be sensual - it is meant to be funny and an icebreaker for such an evening I would think. It's a hostess party not a hot night with your partner. I've been to these before and a sense of humor is what makes these evenings fun. I would think you'd want a little bit of over the top. Not sure about the bacon and gravy even for a hot night. I do think the popsicles are a good idea though. Cherries good too - but as i'm deathly alleregic to them I tend not to think of them straight away. sorry Dante - really can't remember the name of them

Not 'softer'. Yes flours are different. More gluten (higher protein flour) will make for more physical work kneading, etc, and should give a more 'risen' (taller, lighter) loaf. Hints, tips? Use a recipe that gives weights, not 'cups'. Its easier to follow more accurately. Really! And rather than flouring your 'kneading' surface, wipe it and your hands with a couple of teaspoonfuls of cooking oil - extra virgin olive oil is nice. Beginners tend to mix in a lot of extra flour, resulting in a heavier, duller loaf. "Warm" for yeast and dough means like a baby's bath. Blood heat. Test with your elbow. If you cannot feel it hot or cold, then its right. Too hot kills yeast. Use instant-mix (easyblend) yeast - at the very least to start with. Its pre-measured and very forgiving. See if you can find one without 'improvers'. I'd suggest you take just one trusted recipe, and practice it, with only minimal and intentional variation (like adjusting the salt to taste, or the length of bake for your particular oven) until you have conquered it, then progress to another type of bread... And stuartlikesstrudel is quite right about starting with a 'white' loaf and following Dan Lepard's ideas of plenty of time and not much kneading. Here's Dan's recipe for "the easiest loaf in the world" http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/200...nddrink.baking8 That said, I'd simplify even more, skipping the warming/sterilising of the bowl with boiling water, and the oven steaming, slashing and dusting until you know what you are doing! BTW Google will do any unit conversions you need ... http://www.google.co.uk/intl/en/help/featu...html#calculator The rest of the text from the excellent Guardian baking guide is here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2007.../24/bakingguide Good sensible stuff. ← yes i meant a softer. lighter bread at the end

oh I have a recipe for Dill dough buns from the Myra Breckinridge cookbook (I guess any recipe for that would work) Get it? haha that could be fun. I imagine a sense of humor is great for an evening like this. Also you can get pasta in the shape of mens bits. Even the italians have this - as penne when pronounced incorrectly sounds like a mans thingy. (trying to be vague for the site btw) Soo a dish of penne with a hot spicy sauce? Subtle enough but should someone ask.....

I would have thought anything you have to eat with your hands that you then have to lick your fingers. Also, asparagus. Have bunches of bananas around. Phallic things of course. Maybe kebabs or things you have to bite off of a stick (what are they called when they're made of mince and shaped around a stick then fried?). Food that makes you giggle. drinks like orgasms you can have predone in shot glasses.

the kind of flour used makes a big difference when I'm making bread. Proper bread flour will help as it has more gluten. You need the gluten to make it softer I think. I've heard of some people adding gluten especially for this reason but I've never tried that. What about trying a bread that is potato based instead?

i have lots of cravings. milk chocolate, meat, salty bacony things, salty spicy crisps, oglio aglio e peperoncino pasta (spicy), and anything creamy - ice cream, whipped cream, creamy pasta, etc also i always crave blue cheese especially gorgonzola. However, I've since found out that blue cheese is very high in b vitamins and so i tried an experiment and took b vitamins when i had this craving instead of the cheese - and my craving was gone. interesting!

Abra, thank you so much for that as I've been experimenting with blackberry jam (i've done almost everyone to a blackberry one can do - haha). Your recipe sounds great. I just did a batch adding a bit of vanilla and amaretto which was nice but I was too lazy to remove the seeds (which I should have as thats the part i hate about blackberry jam). Thanks for the inspiration - i love star anise.

Also if you haven't booked hotels - try the book - Special places to stay by Alistair Sawday. It's basically really amazing bed and breakfasts. We stayed in villas, castles, old mansions and gites that were beautiful, stylish, very local and the people were friendly - more importantly they were not crazy prices. These were the best people to talk to about food as well.

oysters oysters and more oysters!!!! guerande is great and if you can get right to the water you pass the salt fields and head to a seafood restaurant right on the water (the locals know which one it is). sorry calvados something that is quite famous and entertaining is to go to La Mere poulard at Mont St. Michel - it is a restaurant right on the mont and they are famous for a particular way of doing omlettes. You can even watch how they make it - and you'll no doubt hear it. This area is also known for salt marsh lamb - yum!

hate to say it but that is the place where I saw a mouse run across the floor and when I discretely mentioned this to the staff - he shrugged and said - this is amsterdam.

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Although I don't live there anymore, my family does and it is still what I consider home and am very proud to be from there (usually). Btw - Vij's has a cookbook that I'm currently playing with - very good so far - and definitely don't have to worry about the service. hehe. ps. now that you've been there keep an eye out on the scenery in movies you watch that are supposed to be american - quite often they're made in Van or TO (even to substitute places like NY)

I usually do a lemon halved inside with many cloves of garlic (also salt the inside), salt and pepper the outside liberally after rubbing with olive oil and some more lemon then with the size of our chicks usually just over a kg only an hour 15 at 200c cook it only until the juices run clear in the thigh. I also put more lemon chunks and garlic with the skins on in the pan (toss in evoo) as well which makes an amazing gravy (you can also throw potatoes or even better sweet potatoes in if you want) another variation that is good - same as above but with lime and adding red chillis - mmm I do this with rice. My chicken never comes out dry and with the gravies (thickened with cornstarch) they are very tasty indeed.

it's also in Nigella Lawsons Forever Summer

I've been lucky enough to have been taken to restaurants that didn't have any prices for the lady- so apart from a sneak peak (which often showed in the high hundreds) I didn't have to worry about it. I used to live with a very extremely wealthy Italian food & drink snob (in Italy) and we would go to THE places that were famous for whatever particular dish he wanted me to try - in the whole of Italy. I don't think the expensive ones we go to now are in the other range. That said one of my favourite meals was in Singapore at about $4.50 . haha.

I can't recommend restaurants anymore, but my family is Hungarian and my mom is an amazing cook so if anyone needs what to try and their recipes - I'm your girl! mmmm August will be gombocz time (plum dumplings, they do cherry tooo) yum

Basically any hawker centre will be amazing - if you want a specific one i can get back to you on that - I can't remember the name of the one we usually make an effort to go to at the moment. But if you want to eat something you really can't get anywhere else then go for Peranakan cuisine which is very local and quite different. The Blue Ginger (tanjong pagar road) is really good and its in an old shophouse (typical & historical). It is higher end as well - in the singapores top restaurants book. You could also go for chilli crab (its famous) on the east coast on the beach. Just mention some of these things and people will know where to send you. Try the roti pratha which you can find anywhere (like a very flakey bread/naan/roti) realllllllly good. and also beef rendang is reallly good here. I used to live there but there are sooo many choices its difficult. Just let me know if there's anything you need help with -I still have my Makansutra (a local food book that lists every type of food , restaurant and rating, in singapore) mmmm i'm jealous

Mary Elizabeth - that looks beautiful - perfect! want to eat it now.

thanks! it is quite different from my recipe which is more singaporean/malay but still looks good.

it might be nice making a softer set, serving it in glass cups with the cream on top

I really liked Billie Kwongs too. The cookbooks are great too. someone said closed? hmm

i'm growing fennel right now in my garden, but have never heard of using the pollen. Can you tell me how to use it and how to harvest it?

I had a ton of blackberries that i've already made pies, desserts and ice cream out of and now i'd love some ideas for jam/jellies. Any interesting combinations - not sooo keen on the apple blackberry idea - anything else?

the pizza stone i have has handles and i can take it out when its hot, put it on the counter, put the dough and the toppings on (very few and fast) and then put the whole thing back again. it's hot enough that it doesn't stick.

Hi, thanks for the welcomes! My fishmonger is in badhoevedorp as I live in the west of amsterdam near osdorp (de aker actually). I also came across what seemed to be a good one (I was recommended it) in the bijlmer arena shopping area - next to the tokos. oh and a good cookshop for pots etc is kookkadoo (sp?) there are a couple but I go to the one in hilversum. Do any amsterdammers want to meet up?

malaysian food is my favourite! beef rendang roti prata (the flakey pastry kind not like a chapati) - more singaporean? yes, the dark mee goreng (still trying to get the recipe for the yellow hokkien noodles) nasi lemak for breaky - yum - coconut rice with anchovy, peanut, egg, chilli etc