jackal10

Use rice flour on the peel

What you are trying for is not possible. Although there is a slight spread of temperatures for the different protein components, egg whites coagulate at 65C/150F and egg yolks at the lower temperature of 60C/140F. In normal cooking, such as a five minute boiled egg you rely on the slow heat transfer and the shielding of the egg white to give a soft centre. IF you cook for long time low temperature the temperature will stabilse and you won't get this effect.

I just had a very nice lunch at 1up/Mad Moose. I had hot smoked salmon on truffled ratte potatoes, followed by slow cooked belly of pork, with puy lentils and spinach followed by cheese and biscuits. My companion had ham terrine followed by organic salmon then creme brulee with summer fruits and strawberry icecream. All showed very competent cooking. Service was excellent. Two courses £20, three £30. We drank a nice white Mercurey 2003 for £30 from a short but interesting and not overpriced winelist. Coffee in the garden. There were only two other tables, for reasons I can't understand. This place is a real bargain for serious, even accompished food.

loose like a stew; browned potatoes on top. Mill workers woul have had access to, if niot their own, then local communal or baker's ovens.

aargh!! Although some authorities, such as Alan Davidson in the Oxford Book of Food allow that kidneys or "oysters, when cheap" were included, a true Lancashire hotpot, like Irish Stew, is only potatoes, onion and mutton (specifically mutton chops) and of course seasonings, and stock or water. Others are mere hotpots or hotchpots which would have had anything available added, even carrots. Davidson also notes the earliest mention is 1854. A Lancashire Hotpot is distinguished from an Irish stew by the arrangement of rounds of potato on top, and the pot being uncoverd so they brown during the later part of the long slow cooking.

Trotter gear Or the Koffman version of long slow cook boned and stuffed witha chicken mousseline with morel

Dry them? Lighter to carrry as well

Try boiling the flowers in dilute malt extract, straining and then fermenting...

Souffle simple delicious and impresssive USe the same mix to make Roulade (spinach/cream chees filling/tomato sauce) Twice cooked souffle custards/ petit pot (dont beat the eggs) etc

A friend has given me some chocolate orange farfalle. a) Please tell me they are not as much of a perversion as I think they might be. b) What do I do with them? Sweet: Creme Anglais, strawberries or raspberries, maybe pistachio ice cream Savoury: Duck strips, mole,

low and slow...chuck the cryovac unopened in a waterbath at 58C for a day (24 hours) or so. Cheek is pretty tough and has lots of connective tissue so needs time to soften. Wagyu will have lots of fat that you do not want to render and lose. You could also BBQ it like brisket, low and slow. Now you have the meat cooked there are lots of ways to serve: sear and slice, hot or cold with pickle and salad or coleslaw, or cube in sauce, like a decontructed stew, or shred with pasta...

Private room at the IoD or RA or one of the clubs?

ST Johns or maybe Rules?

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=31701 The trick is to retrograde the starch - cook the potatoes at 65C until that temperature all through say 30 mins, then cool rapidly in cold water. After that you cn do pretty well anything and they wont go gluey, even boiling and then using a food processor. They will also reheat

Its not a law, its a custom. Of course being the US you only get locals I suppose. Many other places in the world have different customs. I don't know the going rate, last time I was in the US 10% was normal. The IRS http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/indust...d=98401,00.html seem to assume 8% of turnover. Perhaps someone should tell them its now 20% In Europe things are different. Here is an extract from a London Club regulations: "Members are reminded that it is contrary to Rule 33 to give personally a gratuity to any Club staff. The appropriate way in which to show appreciation is by contribution to the Staff Holiday and Christmas Funds."

In my view (IANAL) you are on doubtful legal ground without an advertised notice, or even a notice the "Gratuiities in this bar are 20%". There is quite a lot of law (at least here) about hotels, bars restaurants and inns having to display their prices outside so the traveller can make an informed choice before entering. I expect your establishemnt has a menu card box or the like outside. As staff you should pressure your management to at least exhibiting a notice so that you have some basis for your request. Or put your own handwritten notice on the bar.

I'm not arguing about the percentage. I'm arguing it is not advertised as part of the price and the implied contract - printed on the menus for example. "The server requires an additional 20% after tax"

Katie does this mean you expect 20% plus? If so should it not be an automatic service charge, rather than a gratuity? I thought the point about a gratuity was that it was voluntary, and you get what you are given. Let me see, I go to an establishment and accept the goods and services offered. I pay the amount asked, so fulfilling the advertised contract. I now have to do a side deal for an addiional 20%? In my European view the service is part of the services I contract for when I agree to pay the the price advertised by the bar or restaurant.

I agreee its how its described. If its a service charge, then its part of the contract, but bundling it in the prices would be more honest and make more sense and allow variablity with high and low value items. Howeve if its a service charge then how its distributed (FoH, BoH, or none at all, to one server or distributed proprotional to age, seniority etc ) is up to the management. If its a gratuity then its voluntary, and what the customer pays, and to whom is up to them. I find I get better service and food if I tip the line chef/expiditer before the meal.

Melkor that is ridiculous. If the service is not worth the addition then you should not pay it. Thats why it is "voluntary". If its is not voluntary, then say so - "Our prices are increased by 20% after tax to pay the waiting staff". Its the hypocrisy of a compulsory (at least socially if not legally)voluntary charge that gets me. Maybe the restaurant should add another tithe for widows and orphans or to support the church, or fuel surplus while its about it.

Actually, I have waited table and kept bar and owned a fine dining restaurant with an award winning wine list. I have personally observed the level of skill reduced to where I regard myself as lucky if the wait staff remember (or have written down) who ordered what without having to ask when the food arrives. Doubly lucky if we ordered in the bar or reception area. Triply lucky if he food is at the right temperature, bears some relation to the food ordered, has the right cutlery (and glasses for wine), arrives with the right wine and side dishes and the menu is spelt and punctuated correctly. None of this is rocket science, yet it happens all too rarely. Full silver service, or tableside skills like carving a chicken or filleting a dover sole are confined to a few miraculous places. Yes it is a tough job wih unsocial hours, customer contact and a share of unpleasent people, but then so are many jobs. I don't tip the driver when I take a late bus or the conductor on a train, and I bet they deal with as many drunks . Its just a cultural thing that ensures wait staff are often badly paid, and the price is 20% more than advertised

The US system, where the wait staff are not proper employees but have to beg for gratuities is crazy. Be civilised, and put the price up 20% and pay the staff properly. Gratuities then become exceptional for exceptional service. Mostly the wait staff have not shown any special skill, like tableside filleting or carving, or even silver service that deserves special praise and reward.

There are many, but I know of no comprehensive worldwide encylopedia. New ones are invented or renamed all the time I have "The Bakery Book" by Emil Braun, 2 vols van Nostrand 1903 "profusely illustrated", but that is probably not what you meant. "Special and Decorative breads" (Bilheux,Escoffier,Herve,Pouradier) 2 vols, 1987 is fairly comprehensive Elizabthe David in in English Bread illustrates most English shapes

What makes you think that the staff get all or even some of the added gratuitiy? If its compulsory its not a gratuity, its a price increase. If it goes through the restaurants till, then tax etc must also be deducted

hmm not sure there is enough salt 4oz is say 100g in 4lbs or 1.8l is 5g/100l rather than 16-19g or 20% Should I add 12*18 = 200g salt? (more like 12oz in 4lbs)