jackal10

aargh!! Please no flavouring. If its decent beef you *really* don't need it. Possibly salt and pepper but you don't need it. You must be American. No one else, without the southern BBQ tradition, could think of polluting good beef that way. BBQ is quite different altogether. Different cut, different cooking technique. Brown the beef all round in a hot pan. Cook the beef eitherlong and slow or short and hot - its internal temperature should be to 55C/135F. for rare. Best way to do this is to put it in a low (75C) oven for several (say 6) hours. If you are in a hurry put it in a hot oven (220C/400F) for 1 hour. A meat thermometer is essential. Let it stand for half an hour in a warm place after you take it out of the oven, especially if you went the hot and fast route. Blumnethal on roasting beef I'd serve roast root veg (potatoes, parsnips, sweet potatoes, squash), glazed young carrots, and whatever greens were in season - curly kale is good at the moment. Roast Onion ice cream, mustard, horseradish. Good Jus. I would agree that foie gras is too heavy beforehand. Part of the attraction is that it is a great lump of beef, so the main course will not be a small delicate morsel, but a decent slice. Maybe a light consonme, or something light and fishy, unless the nibbles were also fish. If its cold or warm, then then there is less hassle and panic in the kitchen. If you have some good amuse. you don' t need anything except a well dressed salad. Afterwards something light, fruity and seasonal. Here new season Rhubarb is in, and would make a nice compote (maybe with some hot house strawberries) to go with the creme brulee. Alternatively, an adult jelly, such as Port wine jelly would also be good, or something with apples or pears, like an apple charlotte or pears in red wine. If you can't get food fresh fruit, Hunza apricots are always welcome. Stilton and biscuits in the remote possibility anyone is still hunry, or to enjoy with the Port or sweet wine. Edit: spelling

A very rare offer, and a very delicious wine. We had it with the Xmas pud, and it was all there, They may have some left if you are quick! 1943. Ch. Le Caillou Monbazillac, 75 cl. £60 per bottle inc VAT This is a story of tradition and peasant survival in time of war, long before the advent of oenologues and the fashion for early drinking. Our protagonists are M. et Mme. Pierre Eymery, then in their early to mid twenties; the vintage 1943. The Germans are occupying France and requisitioning wine for their own drinking. Chaptalisation is not officially authorised, and even if it were to be practised illegally, there is no sugar to be had. The harvest is dried by fierce wind, and there is little juice in the grapes. The wine is remarkable, reminiscent of the great 1929, but even more concentrated. It must not fall into the hands of the Germans. Pierre’s parents still have that famous ’29 in barrel, ageing gently, and secreted in an underground cellar. They decide to do the same with the ’43 and lodge it in old demi-muids, topping it up from time to time. In 1988, for the marriage of a cherished grandchild, they decide to bottle the wine without fining or filtering, in clear bottles sealed with wax. Shortly after this, I am given a bottle by friends in the area, and finding it extraordinary, persuade them, for cash, to part with a case. In 2002, they contact me again wondering, as M. Pierre is now 85, whether I would like to buy the remaining stocks. I retaste, and find it still quite remarkable, a combination of rich, burnt flavours and incredible freshness; it’s so stable it does not move after being open for three days. Cambridge Wine Merchants Ltd Bridge Street Office 32 Bridge Street Cambridge CB2 1UJ England Tel +44 (0)1223 568989 / 329039 www.cambridgewine.com

From "The Perfect Hostess" Rose Henniker Heaton, Metheun 1931 The Squire invites the Local Cricket Team to lunch before the Match M E N U Cold lamb Cold Chicken Cold Ham Fruit Salad Ginger Beer He invites the Opposing Team to Lunch M E N U Melton Mowbray Pie Lobster Mayonnaise Curried Prawns and Crab Peaches with Hot Chocolate Sauce Eaton Mess Champagne Port Cigars Letter recieved the following morning from the Captain of the Opposing Team Dear Squire Many thanks for your hospitality yesterday. Sorry we did not put up much of a show; It was bad luck that our fast bowler having that fit early in the game. I expect it was the sun that upset our wicket-keeper. The other are alright this morning. You must all come and have lunch with us for the return match Yours sincerely Reply from Squire. Postcard Many thanks for your kind invitation, but I believe our fellows like to bring a couple of sandwiches with them. Thousand thanks all the same. ---------------------- Not forgetting the tradition of cricket teas: cucumber sandwiches, salmon sandwiches cakes etc. Village cricket would not be th same without beer, and the village pub on the green.

Can't help with who imports Rolly Gassman into the US. I get mine from Cambridge Wine Merchants If you email them (bct@cambridewine.com) Brent may be able to help

I have a bottle of Czech Sebor Absinthe. Sebor Absinth website Widely distributed and available online. Personally I think it overrated, but a slug of pastis improves aniseed flavoured dishes like anything with fennel. Even better if you omit the fennel. Mad? me?

Alsace wines are very underated. My favourites are from Rolly Gassman. Knocks Zind Humbrecht into a cocked hat. His Pinot Gris are sensational.

lager (or american beer) with tomato juice in ths same glass. Nearest thing to vomit - just add some carrot cubes. Guines and black current. Doesn't do anything for the Guiness, but tints the head nicely

How long are you there for? This sound like a case for leg of lamb six ways for five people: Adapted for a stove-top only. 1. Mongol fire-pot (or another way with the lamb sliced from the end) 2. Boiled leg of lamb, caper sauce 3. Sheperd's pie (use instant mashed potato powder for the topping) or lasgne. You'll need a blowtorch to brown the top 4. Curry 5. Rissoles or hash (remains, hashed and fried) 6 Soup with the beans and stock Takes me back to student days...

There is a whole tradition of flourless cakes in Jewish cooking for Passover (Pesach) Not quite a cake, but close and simplicity itself, adapted from Mrs Greenberg Cookery Book (1947) ALMOND SPONGE Ground Almonds 4oz Castor Sugar 5 oz four eggs Beat the eggs and sugar until very light Fold in the Almonds Turn into a greased and lined tin and bake in a SLOW oven (350F/Gas 3/175C) for an hour

OH! add another 150 or so Wine books then. Those Parkers are thick!

Alan Davidson's excellent books certainly, but they are more encyclopedic than recipe sources. I think the book you need is The Sporting Wife Game and Fish cookery

If the fire is in the same compartment, then it does make a difference. This includes heat dynamics, humidity, and some flavour components. If the heat source is in a different compartment, then I don't see what difference it can make. I'm always puzzled by Poilane, who emphasises that they use wood burning ovens, but the semi-industrial ovens they use have no connection between the fire and the baking.

I saw it While it made some valid points the presentation and camerawork was pretentious in the extreme, and distracted from the otherwise sensible commentary. Some of the points were much exagerated. Not all french food is good, nor all fast food bad. Could do better, but I'll watch the next episode

For the prawn crackers in about a week: 8 oz/225g/1 cup Tapioca flour 8oz/225g/1 cup large shrimp (shelled), whizzed in food blender. I guess any flavouring would work here. 2 large sheets Nori, toasted 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground white pepper 1/2 cup water Bring water, salt, pepper to the boil. Pour onto tapicoa flour, stir quickly Add the minced shrimp and Nori. Knead to firm dough (may need moe water) Form into cylinder anout 1 inch in diameter. Wrap in muslin or cheesecloth and steam for 45 minutes. Remove cloth and cool on a rack. Re-wrap, and put in the fridge for 3 days to mature and dry out some. After 3 days unwrap and slice into very thin slices with a sharp knife. Put on a baking sheet on silicon paper and put into the lowest possible (plate warming) oven for 12 hours, turning occaisionally to dry more. Put into sealed container for another day to let the moisture even out. Drop into hot oil for 30 seconds to expand Let me know how they work for you. Apparently you can use 50/50 fine semolina and rice flour instead of tapioca.

yes. I also made prawn crackers but with Nori in them. Excellent. Obviously not as uniform and a bit thicker than the machine made ones, but much more flavoursome. JL

Crisp or floppy? I think you people are missing the point: it depends on what you are going to do with the bacon as to how you cook it and which cut. For serving with an egg etc for breakfast I like mine crisp, so pan-fry thin-cut streaky bacon, cooked out. A weight on top helps. For a bacon butty I like it floppy, so thick cut back, cooked gently. Sliced white bread, thick butter, tomato ketchup. Eat over the sink as the yellow melted butter/bacon fat/ketchup runs down one's arms. Heaven.

Kedgeree Originally Anglo-Indian (kicheree), and made with chickpeas, rather than fish. For about 4 people for breakfast with some left over. 2 onions peeled and coarsly chopped 2 oz best unsalted butter (you need lots). Use EVOO instead if you are going to it it cold Sweat the onions in the butter over a low heat until golden - 1/2 hour 2 Teaspoons of your favourite curry powder/paste. I like a mild generic Madras. stir into the onions 1 cup Basmati rice Stir into the onions/ curry 2cups water Add, bring to boil and simmer, lid off, until the liquid is adsorbed and the rice just done. Meantime hard-boil 4 eggs. You can cheat and boil them in the cooking rice. Cool, peel and cut into quarters lengthways 1 piece (about 400g/1Lb) undyed smoked haddock fillet, skinned (Cod is now an endangered species, so off limits. Can use fresh cooked salmon, but not the same. Soaked Salt Cod is interesting, but different. I agree that trout is the wrong texture. Kippers and Smokies would be too strong) Cut the cod into about 2 inch pieces, removing any bones. Add to rice just as the liquid is being adsorbed. Stir and leave 10 mins with the lid on.. The residual heat will cook it. Stir in 2 oz butter (or EVOO - see above). Check seasoning. Turn out onto platter. Decorate with the egg (or mix the egg in). Thats it. Eat warm. Can also decorate with chopped parsley, chives, spring onions, small (brunoise) cubes of chopped red or green pepper. However they look messy when dished and inevitably stirred in. I prefer mine plain, with just hard-boiled eggs. If you must or are cooking in that sort of restaurant, you can deconstruct it and build a tower of the components layered in a ring mould. Squirt some reduced balsamic in squiggles on the plate, and some damp salad.

Bloody Mary Kedgeree My own sordough Toasted with marmelade (Homemade seville or Tiptree "Double one" or Roses Lime..oh and one slice with Marmite) Java/Mocha Mysore

http://www.britshoppe.com/roslimmar.html A staple of the British breaskfast table. Delicious. Rose's originally supplie Lime juice to the British Navy (hence Limeys). Rose's lime juice is still a bar keeps ingredient. For jams, nothing beats Raspberry.

Err, I've just measured them - about 75 ft of bookshelves. I reckon that s about 1000 books.

The internal skins are OK - like boiled chicken. Internally it is a long slow moist cooking environment. For the internal birds its much easier just to slice off the breasts. The rest of the bird dosn't add much except gristle and hassle Its also easier to assemble, and means that the smaller birds end up in the middle, rather than sunk to the bottom. The pictures show the birds being boned out by slicing along the backbone. I find it easier to bone out by not breaking the skin. Much less to sew up as well. Roll it back from the neck end like a sock, cutting though/ dislocating the joints between the thigh and the body. Roll back more skin, eashing the flesh away from the body and cut through the joints betwen the wing and the body.

This is but part of an ancient tradition. See for example (from http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-MEAT...uffed-msg.html) The following appears in the 13th-century Arabo- Andalusian _Manuscrito Anonimo_, and is reprinted in Cariadoc's Collection, volume II: Roast Calf, which was made for the Sayyid Abu-L-'Ala in Ceuta Take a young, plump ram, skinned and cleaned; open it deeply between the thighs and carefully take out all the entrails that are in its belly. Then put in the interior a stuffed goose and into its belly a stuffed hen and in the belly of the hen a stuffed pigeon and in the belly of the pigeon a stuffed thrush and in the belly of this a small bird, stuffed or fried, all this stuffed and sprinkled with the sauce described for stuffing; sew up this opening and place the ram in a hot tannur and leave it until it is browned and ready; sprinkle it with that sauce and then place it in the body cavity of a calf which has been prepared clean; sew it up and place it in the hot tannur and leave it until it is done and browned; then take it out and present it. Others stuff the calf into a camel... Personally I have stuffed a turkey with a chicken with a duck with a pheasant stuffed with quails The quails were stuffed with an egg which was stuffed with an olive, stuffed, of course. Each layer seperated with a contrasting clour forcemeat. There are several important factors: Bone all the meats, make all the forcemeats leave the leg and wing bones in only the outer bird to give a natural shape. For the duck and smaller birds don't bother with the full boning - just take off the brests/supremes. Keep everything very cold and scrupulously claen while assembling, which can take a time. Don't worry too much about neatness, except for the outer animal. Cheat by putting in lots of the stuffed eggs and olives, so that your kniofe will hit at least one when you cut the result. Long slow cooking. You have a large depth of meat to transmit the heat through to cook the inside. You need to get the inside cooked before the outside overcooks, and before the inside ferments or goes bad. It helps to put a conductive metal fork or skewer (or several) to conduct the heat to the inside. Use a meat themometer - 50C inside. It will go on cooking after you take it out of the oven or cooking medium. If you don't have an oven that can be held at 75C for a long time, consider simmering the beast instead. Yoi also get a wonderful stock. You can finish with a blowtorch, or in a hot oven to crisp the outside. Equally you need food hygine during any cooling period. Eat within 3 hours of cooking, or actively cool - you have a large lump of meat insulating the bugs in the middle! Don't leave it lying around at room temperature. This is a big party dish. A fully stuffed big turkey will feed 50, with the trimmings, allowing for the usual number of picky eaters and vegetarians. More if its the centre peice of a buffet. Its also heavy -care when handling.

Apple is traditional. A green apple sorbet would be modern, or my roast onion ice-cream (see roast beef thread for recipe). Or both.

I'm not sure what thread this should go in, I post the menu from last nights's feast at my College (Emmanuel). The feast was in honour of the Revd Professor Peter Gomes. DD, a much loved figure in both Cambridges, here and Harvard. Dinner, served in Hall Layered Terrine of quail, pheasant and rabbit, with a quince jelly Grilled green lipped mussels witha herb crust Fillet of beef stuffed with a chicken and watercress mousse, served with a ravioli of shin of beef, seasonal vegetables, parisienne potatoes, beef jus Warm fig Lanzertorte with wild honey ice cream and armagnac syrup Desert (served in the Long Gallery) Cheeses Fruit Coffee Petit four Wines: Champagne (Perrier Joutet) Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses Beaune Marconnets 1993 Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos 1988 Desert Wines: Quinta de Noval 1978 Chateau Langoa Barton 1992 Coteaux du Layon Varennes 1997

I'm not sure what thread this should go in, but to show the competition in Cambridge, I post the menu from last nights's feast at my College (Emmanuel). The feast was in honour of the Revd Professor Peter Gomes. DD, a much loved figure in both Cambridges, here and Harvard. Layered Terrine of quail, pheasant and rabbit, with a quince jelly Grilled green lipped mussels witha herb crust Fillet of beef stuffed with a chicken and watercress mousse, served with a ravioli of shin of beef, seasonal vegetables, parisienne potatoes, beef jus Warm fig Lanzertorte with wild honey ice cream and armagnac syrup Desert (served in the Long Gallery) Wines: Champagne (Perrier Joutet) Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses Beaune Marconnets 1993 Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos 1988 Quinta de Noval 1978 Chateau Langoa Barton 1992 Coteaux du Layon Varennes 1997