the old cook

Thanks again to all of you who have taken the time to give us ideas for our trip. We have made notes of each and every place, and are working at fitting each and EVERY one of them into our schedule. Sounds like we'll be doing more eating than touring while there .

Going to check these places out on web, again, thanks for all ideas.

Immediately looked at the web site, our kind of garden/cafe place...we are going to Kew Gardens also, but this looks SO welcoming, we'll give it a try for lunch if possible. many thanks.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far....we already have all of our reservations made, but we are NOT opposed to canceling any of them for something different. We just felt it was important to make the reservations early, which proved to be true. Will try Fat Duck and see if any openings. We WILL try for a couple of the suggestions given,we are always ready for something new, and LOVE the idea of early morning breakfast at the market. Sounds like fun! Taking trains, buses, tube, or taxi to get where needed, is no problem. Have made note of all the suggestions, please keep any coming. Yes, we are from USA, and do love England, so have really looked forward to visiting again. Now having joined eGullet, have discovered so many options. Thanks to all, appreciate all ideas!

DH and I are leaving in May for what will probably be our last trip to London, we love this city; however, due to age, illness, finances ; this is it! We plan on the following dinners out...please tell us if we are doing the right thing or besides added pounds and possibly gout; what would YOU do in our place! Dinners: L'Oranger, Gordon Ramsey, Le Gavaroche, Marcus Wearing. Not all one day after another, we have a day break in between; plus late afternoon teas (meaning we'll need no dinner) at the following: Langham hotel, Brown's Hotel, and the Goring Hotel. We will also be going to a couple of pubs for meals, plus Books for Cooks, and the Bourough Market...any other suggestions? We have done all the tourist type things, so this time it is just for us having fun. We will be there for eleven days...we are willing to cancel anything you all think is wrong, and add something in, but really would appreciate input...thanks. The Old Cook.

Add a total of 95 for me, I got rid of a lot of them just recently. Now looking for more!

Good idea, I shall try to post some of the recipes...unfortunately, like so many older cooking styles, many are not written, just in one's memory. Passed from cook to cook in the family. However, I will see what I can do!

Great topic! I remember (why I am called the OLD cook) during WWII, mom and grandma having to learn to bake without the use of eggs, much sugar, etc. After the war, I learned to catch, kill, clean chickens and any other foods I hunted...we ate at times, ONLY because I hunted...grandma was great cook, as was my mother...so I learned to make dumplings, cream gravy from fried foods, fresh cooked veggies, how to can, later how to freeze veggies...the usual midwest foods. NOthing fancy, no Chinese, Italian, etc. It was plain farm type food. Later they "discovered" new cultural foods (pizza was considered really daring!). But, once we moved to larger city, they all learned to love and embrace new foods. So I grew up with a love of food, first for substance, and served with love; later an appreciation of all the flavors of the world. Except, (sorry folks), I still to this day, dislike too spicy of foods (I want to taste the FOOD), and Indian food. However, I despair, as I have no one to teach in my family who is interested in cooking....so a lot of the family recipes will be lost when I am no longer here.

Having moved cross country, state to state 18 times in thirty years military, and a couple more in private business, and then retirement....I can state for sure, in the summer, if moving long distance, dont' take ANYTHING that could be hurt by transport in hot truck. If short distance, move your peppercorns, get new soda, baking powder, etc. It is probably old and needing to be replaced anyway. Do keep your good vanilla though. I actually ALWAYS took my bacon grease in a cooler from house to house. It is like gold to me.

Years ago, young child running around, I was baking cherry pie, I reached to open the oven door with my mitt on hand, but reached BARE hand into oven, it pulled out the pie, and stuck to the cherry juice....I was screaming and trying to shake it off...child started laughing thinking I was trying to be funny. Emergency room and hour or so later, I was so full of pain meds I didn't care! But have been oh so careful since then with ovens. I am, however, constantly (since I am short) burning my arm on upper oven rack as I pull something out.

Many books at once, going back and forth between, just comparing different ages, different styles. My grandmother's cookbook "the American Woman's Cook Book" from l938, "A Treasury of Great Recipes" by Mary and Vincent Price (a fun read, wish I would have known them!) Larouse Gastronomique, the New American Edition, and the mystery series by Diane Mott Davidson about a caterer, which includes recipes, usually very simple, but some quite tasty. I love reading cookbooks, even if I never use any of the recipes the books seem to give an insight into the author and their likes/dislikes.

I do know that with doing sauces, I use thermoses, preheated with hot water, thanwater tossed, hot sauce put into thermos, and it keeps hot until needed. Mashed potatoes, I put in bowl over a pan of very low simmering water, covering potatoes with foil. At last minute, get them steaming hot, add more butter, seems to work. Biggest problem is asparagus for me..keeping it makes it limp.

oh boy, forgot to even talk about all the crystal and silver I also "collect", luckily, I DO have once a month luncheon for lots of ladies, which allows me to use parts of it...and I too have freezers and refrigs...plural. Obviously, I have "issues"! I need to get to know people like you all, I am considered VERY odd where I am, due to my desire to use real plates, etc., over paper! And, to love cooking! Why am I feeling I have to apologize because I like cooking from scratch?

Couldn't agree more about the Italian, made mistake of once trying cab with lasagna, ouch! Immediately opened bottle of sangiovese, much better!

Mentioned to my husband your thoughts on New World wines, he was happy to hear that someone agrees with him, he LOVES California Big reds, he swears he can smell cabs by just thinking about them! Clos Du Bois cab, Rodney Strong, etc., so imagine how delighted he was when we were dining overseas and actually saw a Clos du Bois from California on the wine menu! We belong to a few wine clubs, just so we can relive our times while living among the wonderful wineries of California...oh to be back there! In his words following the sign he once read: "life is too short to drink bad wine". Or in his case, wine that isn't BOLD enough!

First time on here as a registered member, so hopefully, am doing this the right way....I hoard: china, I have at least nine sets (or more) of china...love it all! DO use it, at my advanced age, can't wait for "someday"...for food items, it's chocolate, I don't actually like chocolate that much, but always afraid I will not have any if I need it. Hmmm...maybe I need to make something with all that chocolate and serve it on china!