jackal10

Here in the UK my corn is only about knee high. I have, however picked the first tomatos. Golden CHerry (a sucesssor to Sungold) Fantastic as ever. Firworks II. Nice, solid beefsteak, Good flavour but not as concentrated as the cherry tomato. In production: Potatos, fava beans, Runner(pole) beans just starting, sweet peas, goosberries, strawberries.

Yoneda "The heart of Zen Cuisine"

A friend has requested I cook a Japanese dinner party in mid-August. I'm a good but plain western cook. We have some aged sake to drink. I'd like to feature Wagyu (Kobe) beef, but where can I get some in the UK?? How to I prepare it, so as not to loose its essence? Please help me plan the menu. I'm not Japanese, so I expect without your expert advice I'll miss most of the subleties, or even just get it plain wrong. What are the seasonal foods appropriate for this time of year? My first rough guess: O-toshi: Sushi, shashimi, tempura, gyoza Shirumono: Miso Yakimone: The Wagyu beef, cut into strips flash fried, rice, pickles Okashi: Strawberries in snow? An alternative would be O-toshi followed by a nabemono such as shabu-shabu or maybe sukiyaki?

I'm sorry, but on this side of the pond a classic tomato sandwich does NOT have mayo in it, anymore than a cucumber one does. S+P plenty, maybe some herbs (basil for tomato, chives or spring onion for cucumber) thin white buttered bread, with the crusts cut off if you are posh. The butter stops the moisture making the bread soggy, but definately, definitively NO MAYO.

Bread has a long history of association with northern European meals, going back to the days when Trenchers were used as plates. However we no longer eat bread for its filling qualities, but as another flavour/carrier, and something to fiddle with between courses I do like the vertical snack idea, but could you consider instead, or as well a seperate bread course? Exquisite stuffed miniature rolls, fougasse, chinese flower rolls etc

Hold the mayo. Maybe add some buffalo mozarella

Serve ROOM TEMPERATURE, or only slightly chilled. Any more and you will lose the top fragrance notes. Best with blue cheese - aged stilton, for example, as a desert. OK I'll allow peaches or a perfect apple, but the fruit, unless tart, will dim the wine a bit. Celery would be better. Oatmeal biscuits or dark rye crackers.

Adding a pinch of salt to these summertime drinks makes them much more refreshing. Something to do with being isotonic and replacng the salt lost through sweating

Cool! Do you have the equipment for this? Is that so bad? Its just an alternative format of carrier, like the mayo. You can add flavourings - port, mustard, bitter orange (think cumberland sauce) before foaming

Tiles have two purposes: 1) They act as heat reservoirs, evening out the variations as the thermostat controlled heating element cuts in and out. Modern ovens don't have enough mass to give the gentle even heat of old fashioned brick ovens. 2) The help the bottom of the loaf or tart cook. You would not want a soggy bottom. However they only do this if they are in contact with it, either directly or with the tin directly on the tiles. Steam is different. For bread, a burst of superheated steam at the very beginning of the bake gelatanises the outside of the dough and gives better crust formation. The steam must be very hot. In the old days this was achieved from the wet mop coming into contact with the hot stones on the oven floor, an then the steam from the other loaves baking. One way to replicate this is to splash water onto the hot tiles when you put the bread in, or if you are afraid of cracking them, put an empty cast iron skillet on the tiles when you light the oven, let it get very hot , and throw a cup of water into it after you put the dough in, and slam the door. The water vapourises immediately. !Caution! Hot steam! Most modern ovens are ventilated, so the steam comes straight out, but it will have done the job. The surface of the dough will look sticky and shiny. You can achieve a similar efect by spraying water into the oven from a garden mister, where the hot walls of the oven turn it into steam, or painting the bread with water before putting it in the oven (not as good). You may want to remove the glass oven light, as they can crack from the thermal shock. Steam during the first part of the bake is said to assist in rise by keeping the outside flexible, otherwise the crust will form too early and holds the bread down, but I don't believe this, especially if the loaf is properly slashed. You can achieve both of these effects by using an oven cloche. such as Sassafras's "La Cloche". King Arthur carries both round and oblong versions. The ceramic base retains the heat, and the cover keeps the steam in. For domestic ovens, they really are worthwhile and work well. For tiles, as mentioned above, use a pizza stone, unglazed quarry tiles, or engineering bricks, but a cloche is easier and better.

Delicious on its own. Full of meaty Unami. I guess it doesn't need any more gelatine, seasoning, soy, sherry, port etc. Clarify it. Let it set hard. Cut it into cubes or lozenges. Serve with the brisket. You could foam it. You can make a sort of salad dressing emulsion, but that uses a more dilute stock. Stock, EVOO ( two of oil to one of stock), mustard plus what you want: honey, garlic, soy, seasoning, capers etc. Shake well

You can make very nice Latkes by just grating the potato and the raw onion together, mix, season, and shallow fry tablespoons full in hot oil. No need of Matzo meal or eggs. Other suggestions: Sag Aloo (Potato and spinach) Pommes Dauphinoise ( slice potatos, bring to boil in milk, seasoning, bay leaf. Pour into shallow dish, dot with butter, bake until brown) Jansen's Temptation: as above but with lots of salted anchovy's included Flavoured mashed (garlic, curry, horseradish etc) Heston Blumenthal's Mashed potato with lime jelly Chip butties Potato pie (cubed potato, good gravy, pie crust) Leek and potato pie. Cheese optional Leek and potato soup/vichysoisse

Easiest is a parmesan tuile - just make a circle of grated parmesan on a silpat or non-stick baking parchment. Hot oven for a bout a minute until melted and beginning to brown. Cool. Done.

Baby fava beans, shelled and skinned

Amataur or professional? For constant use, bench mounted, not much beats a Bonzer. Any good catering supplier should have them (at least in the UK). Blades are replaceable as well. For the ordinary cook you want one of the newish type that cuts through the side, not the top of the can,and rolls the edge so as not to leave it sharp. Personally I prefer a hand held one (e.g. Good Grips), as I don't open many cans, but you can get wall mounted equivalents. I don't think electric ones are worthwhile. The effort they save is minimal, and they tend to be a bit inflexible, and awkward to clean.

I hear a rumour that Jamie has bought the former "Town and Gown" pub in Cambridge. Can anyone confirm or deny?

My copy of Nero Wolfe Cookbook is the 1981 Penguin edition. Essential Americana, and my first reference for American recipes. The recipes are really quite good. Anyone know who really wrote it? Favourites include Corn Fritters with Thyme Honey, and, of course, Shad Roe...

Perfect. Thanks.

Getting into full production. Surfeit of goosberries Picked the red and white currants before the pigeons got them - made jelly (12oz sugar to 1/2 pt juice) Strawberries Potatos First tomatos Fava beans Lettuce Swiss Chard Sorrel Planted out leeks and celery (module sown). Still have lots of plants needing a good home. Cucumbers are going into overdrive. Anyone with a good pickling recipe for new green?

Given that they are frozen you want recipes that stress the taste rather than the texture. Lobster souffle Lobster bisque Pasta (as mentioned) Quenelle Mousse Layered with vegetables in a cold terrine etc

Sydney Smith (1771-1845) on Salad. It is usually only the last two lines that get quoted Serenely full, the epicure would say, "Fate cannot harm me, I have dined to-day." but the full poem is full of delicious lines. Makes a good salad dressing as well. TO make this condiment, your poet begs The pounded yellow of two hard-boiled eggs; Two boiled potatoes, passed through kitchen sieve, Smoothness and softness to the salad give. Let onion atoms lurk within the bowl, And, half suspected, animate the whole. Of mordant mustard add a single spoon, Distrust the condiment that bites so soon; But deem it not, thou man of herbs, a fault, To add a double quantity of salt. Four times the spoon with oil from Lucca brown, And twice with vinegar procured from town; And, lastly, o'er the flavored compound toss A magic soupcion of anchovy sauce. O, green and glorious! O herbaceous treat! 'T would tempt the dying anchorite to eat: Back to the world he'd turn his fleeting soul, And plunge his fingers in the salad bowl! Serenely full, the epicure would say, "Fate cannot harm me, I have dined to-day." (NB Oil of Lucca = EVOO Onion Atoms. I'd use crushed garlic)

Lots of good places in the country outside. Prime country house hotels. In no particular order Charlton House at Shepton Mallet (GFG 6). I used to have a company in the old malthouse opposite, and the palce is much improved. Homewood Park at Hinton Charterhouse (GFG 4) Hunstrete House, Hunstrete (GFG 4)

Chip butties

I took to market (the local MDA garden party) Fresh bread baked in the wood oven: Baguettes, Organic white sourdough, olive, sun-dried tomato, light rye, dark rye, onion Goosberries Potatos: Arran Pilot (first early); Salad Blue Plants: Tomato (Fireworks, Gold Cherry); Basil; Thyme; Sage; Hollyhock;Chrysanths (Yellow Biarritz) They all sold. The bread sold like, well, hot bread...

I'm tempted, but it would need to be for two, and we'd also have to make the logistics work...