jackal10

Err...whatever you add it to, if enough to taste, will taste of ..err..scotch whisky. That said Dunhill is a smooth and mild blend. Traditionally scotch is used in crannachan: a scotch/cream/toasted oatmeal/raspberry desert. Adding a shot to breakfast porridge or to marmelade is not unkown either.

Today's tasks: Cut the grass in the herb garden Split up chives Take cuttings: lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme Plant up parsely (we grow it in pots, otherwise the rabbits eat it) Weed: shade tunnel, sweet peas, kill the bindweed round the honeysuckle Plant out sorrel, rudbekias, leeks, celery Cut the meadow Water greenhouse - tomatos, lettuce How about a "pictures of my garden" thread? Concentrate on edibles: herbs, veg?

No! no! no! You must let bread cool and set up the structure before slicing or eating. There is a magic period where its at its best. This is especially so for bread made from soft flours, like french baguettes, which is why they bake several times a day. Omlettes (or have we had them already?)

Elizabeth David's French Provincial Cooking Sue Paston-Williams The National Trust Book of Christmas and Festive Recipes is falling apart, but I think that is because it wasn't bound well originally The Servant Maid's Companion (1658) was in bad condition when I acquired it.

I thought Vindaloo dishes were cooked with vinegar

I'm pleased you published it. No one expects everything in TDG to be the absolute truth, and it leads to a healthy debate. If they disagree, they can post a reply. Not publishing something because some may disagree leads to the worse kind of censorship, and thought police. As better people have said, I may not agree with you, but I defend your right to speak. The thing is self-policing. Let authors make ridiculous statements if they wish: they will be seen for what they are. I have severe difficulty with someone denying publication because the view is unpopular, or cannot be objectively proved.

Its been shown, for example, that the pollen of GM but not ordinary oil seed is poisonous to various species of butterflies that use it as a seed plant. However the stuff has just not been around long enough to say with any certainty that it is safe to indiscriminately release into the wild. Thats why various governments are still conducting tests, so far without definite conclusion. I, for one, will not knowingly eat GM foods where I can avoid it.

Various systems (admittedly mostly yeasts and bacteria, but I believe also grass) have been modified to secrete things like insulin and drugs. I understand the origin of glyphosate immunity in soy and other plants is derived from a fish gene.

This is probably not the forum to debate the merits or otherwise of GM foods. However the process is very different from hybridisation or selective breeding. Selective breeding does not cross species barriers, or insert fish or mamalian genes into plants.

Canteen at the Houses of Parliament? Alternatively a club...

What has not been mentioned is that almost all US (but not UK) soy is made from genetically modified material, with unknown long-term effects for the consumer and the environment and us all. Similarly corn syrup

Many thanks. The question was about their relative roles in the dough. I thought that irregular crumb structure (which I greatly admire) was due to careful handling of a fairly wet dough, particularly at the shaping stage, rather than a lactic dough. Also you don't mention retarding the dough. Is there any reason why you prefer not to?

Congratulations, and you do egullet great honour by posting here. Can I ask why you add commercial yeast in addition to the sour ferment? I thought the two were antagonistic.

I think it will take much longer for the perrenial weeds to die - a year or so. Spray with glyphosate first, then you can plant in a couple of days

In all the excitement of Chelsea Flower show I was pleased to see that Peter Beales Roses had won the Presidents Award. They laid out my rose garden, which is just coming into flower, with the Dunwich Rose leading the way. For not very much more than the cost of the roses, they designed it, and came and planted it. Delightful (and expert) people. I've just picked an Alberic Barbier for my desk, white, with primrose yellow to he base of the petals.

Looking at the recipes again I wonder if they weren't thick, like a syllabub, escept the first definately says strained and then bottled. The last looks more like a a solid jelly like consistency set with the isinglass, except that isinglass was traditionally used to fine (clear) beer. Again I'd expect it to be filtered. I hate to think they were the fore-runners of Brandy Alexanders or (shudder) Baileys...

It was my Roast Onion Icecream; but it is not original to me. John Campbell gives a recipe in "Formulas for Flavour". Lots of savoury icecreams are trendy at the moment: Avocado Parsley Grain Mustard Blumenthals Eggy Icecream (cook the custard out so it tastes eggy) Bacon Icecream Chocolate sorbet, made with just chocolate and water is pretty good too

I think Milk Punch is much older than that. In my copy of "Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks" William Terrington published by Routledge 1869 gives three recipes (which I think I can assume are out of copyright). In the first recipe (and maybe the last) the milk I think was deliberately curdled by the acid in the lemon juice, then filtered so only the clear whey remained. The second is served warm and is more like egg-nog. Bannister's Milk Punch of 1829 (who or what Bannister was is not stated) - Pare 18 lemons very thin; steep the same three days in 1 quart best old rum; then add 2 quarts best brandy, the juice of 9 Seville Oranges and 9 lemons, 3 quarts of water, 3lbs of double refined sugar and 2 grated nutmegs; when the sugar is dissolved, mix thoroughly; add 2 quarts scalded milk; cover and let stand two hours; then clear it through a tammy and bottle. When required it should be iced 20 minutes before drinking. Cambridge Milk Punch - Boil in 2 quarts of new milk 1 dozen bitter almonds, and paring of 2 lemons, and 1/2lb loaf sugar; when well flavoured, strain clear and keep warm; stir in the well-whisked whites of 3 eggs which have been mixed with a little cold milk; while still stirring add 1/2pt of rum and 1pt of brandy; mull the punch to a froth and serve immediately in glasses. Milk Punch for Immediate Use - 1/2 pint strained lemon juice, 3 drops esence of lemon; 1 gill of ginger syrup; 1 gill of real (or mock) arrack; 1 1/2 pint of brandy 1/2 pint of rum, 1lb of loaf sugar; dissolve the essence in the spirit; mix together; add 1/2 pint boiling water; in quarter of an hour add 3 pints of boiled milk; strain through a tammy; add 1/2 oz isinglass when clarified, serve.

I grow greenhouse tomatos them semi-hydroponically, using the Easi-grow system from Bulrush. These are expanded polystyrene boxes, about 3 ft by 2ft by 1ft, like the sort they use to ship fish. Lined with polythene. In the lid are three tubes, like 4 inch diameter drainpipes flush with the top and going down almost to the bottom, evenly spaced along the long centre line You put a grow-bag on top, and punch a hole through to the tube underneath, which you fill with material from the growbag. You fill the bottom box with water that acts as a large reservoir, and the tubes of earth act as wicks. Plant three tomato plants in each. Magic. No need to water for two weeks, even in high summer. You can add feed to the reservoir as well. Much easier than drip systems.

Its not bakers that worry about precision measurements, but patissieres - that is a science. Baking is much more about woking with a living, alive dough that feels like flesh...

Cambridge Angels Dinner: 60's retro Whitebait Duck a la Orange Tarte au Myrtilles Cheese Desert Coffee + petit four Pol Roger NV Ch Plaisance 1996 Montbazillac 1996 Warre 1970

I always take my own. I can put a much nicer cold collation together than the airline. Travelling to UK from the US, a couple of submarine/gyro/hero sandwiches work well. The other way a few deli items: couple of stuffed quail, some nice salads etc

Don't know where you are, or what the climate is. However it is certainly not too late for those seeds, provided you can keep the snails and slugs and other nasties off them. Must look lovely. Do you know what varieties the trees are? Plums are ready from earlies in July to late ones in September. You might see small fruit forming, and even smaller ones that did not get fertilised. Also don't be alarmed when many drop off in June (The "June drop") Its just the tree getting rid of the excess it can't ripen. Apple are ready September/October, depending on variety. In general the early apples don't keep that well. Can you get preservation orders on the trees?

This is becoming a very silly topic. They are measures of beer. Still used today. The brew made by the dept of Brewing Technology of the University of Leicester is called Firkin L. Beer is not silly!

Still seems a bit complex. Do you really need the pea shoots? Wouldn't it be better to feature those, mildly exotic ingredient on their own in something where they are the star: maybe a tartlet of pea puree topped with pea shoots or something. If you need a green garnish can you do something with the lime peel?