thampik

@pazzaglia - thank you for a very comprehensive reply. The website is very informative - its bookmarked for future reference.

Thanks @Emily for the book reccomendation and @scubadoo97 for the website.

Of late, I have been seeing chefs in the UK advocating the use of pressure cookers to cook cuts of meat that typically need long slow cooking. Inspired to give this a try, I decided to adapt a recipe from Sat Bains (a Michelin 1* chef) for braised shoulder of mutton to use two different cuts of lamb - shoulder and shank. (It was probably a daft time to try an experiment as this needed to end up as dinner for nephew's birthday tonight, but nothing ventured etc..!) I seared the shoulder (700g) in the pressure cooker base, added 750ml chicken stock, brought the cooker upto pressure and put the whistle on. At this point, I started getting a twinge of unease - the recipe is for 2 Kg of mutton and needs 45 mins at full pressure, would lamb require the same? - and decided to google. I kept seeing various warnings against overcooking, but was unable to easily find a table that showed cuts of meat, weight and times to use. After about 10 mins at full pressure, I bailed out and took the pressure cooker off heat and let it cool down. When I opened and checked, the lamb seemed to be more than halfway there. Rather than risk dinner, I decided to finish it off over the hob on a low flame for another 2 1/2 hrs. Do you use a pressure cooker to cook meat? Is there a rule of thumb that you use to decide how much time a specific cut of meat requires? How do you adjust this for weight? How much liquid do you use per kg of meat? Does any/all of this vary according to the type of pressure cooker that you have (mine has a whistle)?

Inspired by @Jenni's throwaway remark ( ), I just had to make a Mirch ka salan with Khus khus and Kalonji! This is how it turned out...

I absolutely love Mirch Ka Salan. The recipe I use seems to be a hybrid of the two approaches you describe. Shallow fry green chillies (the large, mild ones) until well spotted all over and keep aside. Make a paste of 1/4 cup Roasted Peanuts, 1/4 cup Dessicated Coconut, 1” Fresh Ginger, chopped and 1 tsp Sesame Seeds. Add 1 tsp Asafoetida. Cook the salan paste in ghee until the oil leaves it. Add 1/2 cup yogurt, whisked smooth and a pinch of Tumeric to the salan paste. Add salt to taste. One of the "golden rules" of salan-making is alleged to be the relative proportions of the peanuts,coconut and yogurt used => 1:1:2 is the ratio to use. Add 2 tbsp Tamarind paste and enough water to make it to a sauce consistency. Cook for a couple of minutes till the water and tamarind blend with the paste to make a smooth sauce. Add the fried peppers and cook for a few minutes.

I have been meaning to try this Pierre Herme macaron recipe but never got around to it :-)

Tried this yesterday with a young Bordeaux as the idea itself made sense. I think it worked well overall in terms of taste, with the tannins a lot softer. However the colour of the wine was definitely a different shade - maybe if I left it for a while, it mught get back to the original colour - which kind of defeats the point:-)

Just in the process of making salt beef (corned beef) for the very first time - inspired by this article in The Guardian. I have a 1.7 Kg of rolled brisket that has been in a cure for the last 5 days. I am planning on cooking it on the stove for between 2.5 to 4 hrs tomorrow. The total curing time I am using is about half the time specified in the Guardian recipe, but seems sufficient from comments upthread and in other salt beef recipes. Is there were a rule-of-thumb that specifies curing time required for each Kg of beef? Will post how it turned out.

Two worth trying are: Olive Delicious

A day at El Bulli - beautiful to look at, but can't cook from it ad doc at home - another beautiful book, but strangely do not feel like cooking any of the recipes. BTW I love the French Laundry and have used it loads thai food - David Thompson. Really informative and interesting to read, but rarely (never!) used. In to-use list for 2011!

Really interesting post, Pam. I too have found a number of 1* meals of late uninspiring. While I would not put the Latymer in that category, I too found their "inter-course" (!) dishes tastier. I have not been to a large number of 1* places in the last 12 months (around 4), but the only meal that I still remember fondly was at the Walnut Tree (other than the Latymer of course, which was the most recent). Which to my mind does a slightly different style of food from that of the other places in my list.

Thanks David and MaLO for the inspiration. Four of us took up the offer and had lunch at the Latymer today. As mentioned by you gents, the food was excellent and I echo MaLO's comment about it being one of the best 1* meals around. The amuse and the small bites between the courses really stood out for me - an intense mushroom capuccino, a Brill brandade with cauliflower puree and an apple foam, fruit, sorbet combo. I feel a bit mealy-mouthed saying this, but my main course was unremarkable (Quail) in comparison. My companions were however well pleased with their Sweetbread and Red mullet... Still, fantastic value for £21/head (with the offer), lots of reasonably priced wines on the list (we had a white Chateau Musar), excellent dining experience and we all agreed we would come again for the parts of the food that were exceptional and probably take in the tasting menu next time around.

We stayed in Lake Garda (near Gardone Riviera and Salo) for several days recently and found an abolute gem. Il Bagnolo is an Agriturismo with an attached restaurant that serves both who stay there as well as diners. At the time we were there, they were offering a 3-course meal (Pasta, Meat and Dessert) for Euro 25. A wine list with a selection from the surrounding area is very good value. What I found remarkable was that everything that we ate - all the bread, grissini, pasta, meat, vegetables, dairy - was produced on the Il Bagnolo farm itself. This is reflected in the fact that the menu changes every day (meal?) and is narrated by Antonia rather than written down anywhere. Between my wife, daughter and I, we tried pretty much all the choices that they had to offer. Tagliolini and Pappardelle with ragu (different combinations : half-beef and half-veal or rabbit) and Ravioli with gorgonzola, zucchini and cream sauce were between good and outstanding. A Tagliolini with a non-tomato based ragu of rabbit was probably the best dish of pasta I have ever eaten. A unusual Basil-based Lasagne was also very good. The meat courses were a bit variable: a Tagliata (beef sirloin) with oven roated tomatoes was superb and simple. A braised dish of beef "Manzo all'olio" less so. I had never tried Vitello Tonnato (a classic veal dish) before and have no point of comparison, but found it tasty with a pronounced tuna flavour. The Dolci (desserts) - Torta (cake) al limone and one with orange marmalade were good as were the Tiramisu and Gelato. I urge you to try Il Bagnolo if you are around - remarkably good honest cooking, locally sourced seasonal ingredients, reasonably priced wine list. Everything that is good about Italian cuisine and food culture.

Just been to Cornwall - a full week of glorious sunshine! Did not get a chance to eat at Viners (fortunate?). However, went to the Cornish Range in Mousehole as it popped up as a charming restaurant on ViaMichelin and happenned to be enroute to where we were headed. I would definitely reccomend a diversion as there is a lot to commend it - and one to watch out for. We went for an early dinner - £17.50 for two courses between 5.30 and 7. Having a sweet tooth, me and my daughter opted for a main and dessert, while the wife opted for starer and main. She ordered "Mussels steamed in white wine with saffron & cream" - and got a massive plate of mussels! Really plump mussels with a nice sauce that required us to help her finish up. I ordered the special "Monkfish tail, Red Mullet, Grey mullet and sauteed mussels" - very close to the best fish I have ever eaten in my life. Beautifully cooked. Slightly underseasoned unfortunately. Wife had "Medley of Cornish fish with lemon, crayfish & caper butter, braised fennel & steamed potatoes" which was delicious as well. The fennel worked really well with the fish though the caper butter could have done with a more caper-ish feel. My daughter went for "Char grilled rib-eye steak with fresh herb butter, rocket salad and new potatoes or fries" which seemed to have been tenderised with a meat hammer. Strange. But tased OK as per by daughter. Now for the thing to watch out for. Avoid dessert. After a very good meal (on the whole), the desserts ("Brandy snap basket with cassis roasted plums & strawberry sorbet" + "Trio of Creme Caramel, Creme Brulle and Chocolate mousse") were diabolical. The brandy snap basket had absolutely no crunch and was chewy and hard to eat. The plums were unripe when they were subjected to the cassis, and the sorbet was too sweet. Bad. The Trio was clearly frozen some time in the past and had only barely thawed. The restaurant itself is very charming and unpretentious with a very affordable wine list. Service is friendly and unassuming. The fish is oustanding and the portions are very generous. Do give it a try, but avoid the dessert.

Really looking forward to lunch at Le Gav on March 12th - booked it in mid-Jan and was told this was first lunch slot available. Really?! Just realised that this could be cunningly disguised as an "early" Mothering Sunday lunch :-)

Hi Nayan I was there briefly a couple of weeks back and ate at two places. Can't say I know enough about the various eating options to know how these compare with what else is around in Bengaluru. Barbeque Nation in Koramangala. Which was very busy on a weekday and is busier on weekends I am told. Bit of a "concept" place - barbeque grill placed in the middle of the table and a steady stream of kebab-style skewers placed on it to finish cooking for the last min or two. They keep bringing them until you have had enough - and then you proceed to eat the main meal - I tried Chicken Tikka Masala for a laugh! The skewers were Ok to good. Various beers etc available. Have a look at the website http://www.barbeque-nation.com/menu.htm# Firangi paani. A JD Wetherspoon-like pub in the Forum mall - except for loud music and way better food than a JD :-) Decent selection of beers/spirits - so could be a candidate for a drink. Look forward to hearing about your dining experiences and a tip or two for when I'm next in Bengaluru.

Surprised that no one has mentioned "New British Classics" by Gary Rhodes. I use it a fair bit.

Hi Lorna Thanks for that - I had completely forgotten about TKMaxx. The only catch is that I am looking for something like a 28/30" pan, and can't recall seeing one of that size available. A trip to TKMaxx beckons! My motto is never buy a new Salt & Pepper grinder or anything Boden ( two lovely modern wine decanters and a tea pot!) without visiting a branch of TKMax first!But ignore the expensive chocolate and olive oil section it is awfull! I know what you mean - I had (have!) three salt and pepper mills each - I somehow managed to stop myself with a Peugeot set from France. Krishnan

I am considering buying some Tri-ply saute pans from ProCook and wanted inside info from anyone who has bought from them. Are they any good? They are certainly significantly cheaper than any of the branded stuff.

Susan Rodriguez, a research fellow at Cal State Fresno, recently did a blind tasting experiment and discovered that her panel could not tell the difference between a wine that had been decanted for two hours and the same wine right out of the bottle. "The people who set it up were flabbergasted," Rodriguez says. "They were sure they could taste a difference." Don, wondering if you are taking the mick here - two pages of lyrical descriptions that end with the above quote.

I quite often use garlic salt (which contains dried/granulated garlic) with flour and a little paprika to lightly coat cod fillets before pan frying.

I have gone right off the idea of garlic-infused olive oil :-)

I have to say that I am finding Nigel really impressive. He seems to have an authentic style based on a real understanding of British food and produce - one which predates its current trendiness! The bit that really resonated with me was his insistence on keeping only the required flavour elements on the plate - a contrast from Aiden's GBM style it seemed. I think this is the best matchup by far.

Thanks, KeystoneNate. I'll give your suggestion a try.

Chris, I don't think it quite pulled - I had to use more force than I suspect should be needed to shred it. Still tasted pretty good though . What does the internal temperature need to get to? and how does one ensure that one's Weber kettle stays at approx 120C for 6-8 hours.